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PPCOMM: Worming into Your Heart : FINALE

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Worming into Your Heart

FINALE

The Heart of the Matter
_________________________________________

The remaining survivors within the science lab mulled over their options. It seemed likely that Sarah and Adam were dead, and despite Stuart trying to hold on to hope for them, Grace did her best to keep him in reality. Things are much worse than I thought. Have I miscalculated...? Grace's frustration was growing, but she would not let herself give in to fear. She knew how things would likely play out from here on; all she had to do was act the part. "...Stuart, I'm scared..." Grace looked down at the ground, faking a few tears. "...A-Are we...gonna die here...?"

Matt was silent, still a shuddering mess in the corner of the room as Erica tried to think of a plan. "...One of us has to take the bomb," she said as she uncovered the bomb and looked over it. "It appears to be functional. There's a timer you can set on it, and..."

"...You mean one of us has to die?!" Grace pretended to be surprised, appalled. "B-But, that's--"

"--The responsibility is on my shoulders," Stuart broke the silence, his face looking grim as he realized what that meant. His life, his family--he would have to give them all up. But if he did nothing, all of them would die here. He couldn't let that happen, not if they had a chance to survive. "This is...my fault. I should have looked into this island more. I should have sent men to do a deeper search..."

Stuart will play his role well, but what about the others? It may very well be that Raul is already dead and the mansion has been taken over, so staying here is my only option. Can Stuart really pull this off, though? If he fails... "...Stuart, but...how will you be able to? You have to go to the Matriarch!" Grace looked at him with red eyes, folding her hands together desperately.

Matt was muttering that the worms took Ashley away. Could she have been taken there...? Grace almost wanted to admit that Stuart was brave, but of course she never would--it was his fault after all. His death was merely atonement for his sins. It didn't matter that Grace was aware of something strange living on the island; it didn't matter that she could have phoned HQ for emergency retrieval. It was Stuart's fault for bringing them here at all, Stuart's fault for being the one in charge...Stuart's fault always towering over Grace.

But she was done living in his shadow.

"I'll just have to get them to take me there," Stuart said. "Erica... Any ideas?"

Matt cradled his head in his hands, mumbling insanity under his breath.

Erica went over the data in the terminal again, trying to find anything useful. "Let's see--"

Before she could finish her sentence, the earth began to tremble. The facility shook as pieces of metal from the ceiling crumbled and came crashing down to the floor. "Shit, what's going on!?" Stuart howled. "Everyone, let's get out of here!" He grabbed the bomb. "When we get outside, we have to start a fire and arm ourselves with torches. The worms are afraid of fire!"

Erica left first, followed by Grace; Stuart dragged Matt along, and when they emerged from the underground facility, what they saw filled them with terror...

...The Matriarch had risen from her slumber. Her gigantic body coiled up and up around the communications tower, crushing it to pieces. The monstrous mother seemed to have a body length of at least 70 feet, and dozens of smaller worms could be seen wriggling on her back or dropping from her mouth.

She was hungry. She let out a shriek that shook the ground again, ordering her children to fetch her a meal.

"...She wants to eat, eh?" Stuart fiddled with the bomb and found a small remote that could be used for early detonation. He looked back at the others with a small, sad smirk. "Get out of here." He said his final prayer to God, and his final goodbye to his beloved wife and children. "...Please, tell my family I love them. Tell them I'm sorry..." He did not cry. He remained focused as he set the timer on the bomb, having a backup in case he was not alive to detonate the bomb with the remote. "...And you had better promise me that you'll get your sorry back home in one piece!"

Stuart strapped the bomb around himself and Grace nodded, trying to look remorseful. "Stu... Thank you." She turned away from him and glanced at Erica, then to Matt, who was staring in horror at the sight before them. "You heard the man! Let's retreat!" The worms are likely gathering around that huge one, so we should run away from it. I'm going to survive this, and when I get home... I'm going to be revered. I'll finally have it all; everything I've ever dreamt of...! She tried not to let her elation show through as her legs carried her over the grass.

"We have to get far enough so we won't be taken out by the bomb! Come on, Matt!" Erica suggested as she followed after Grace, pulling Matt by the arm.

"Y-You...don't have to help me..." Matt's spirit was utterly broken.

"Just shut up and run! You heard what Stuart said!" Grace hissed at him. His life is my responsibility now. I have to make sure we all survive. I'll be a hero. A Queen. A LEGEND!

As the three of them put some distance between themselves and the Matriarch and her clan of worms, Stuart stood tall, unwavering.

Even as a hundred worms encircled him, he only tightened his grip on the small remote, ready to press the button as soon as he was within the Matriarch's belly. He heard them hissing and snarling as they wriggled along the ground, flashing their fangs from which acid dripped. Several Queens approached him at once and spat a sticky goop at him, firing repeatedly until he could no longer stand. He shut his eyes, even as he felt something burning in his veins.

The worms piled around him and lifted him up, carrying him to the gigantic Matriarch that was now lying outstretched amongst the wreckage of the communications tower, her cavern-like mouth wide open. Stuart felt that the air was hot from her breath and opened his eyes, seeing a thousand rows of serrated teeth overlooking him. Almost.

It was almost time.

The worms carried him deeper and deeper into the Matriarch's body, and he saw a sorry sight: Ashley's body plastered on the wall of the Matriarch. Flesh was hanging from her bones as blood dribbled down the Matriarch's endlessly long throat.

Now, the light of the outside was nearly gone. Stuart knew that he had been carried at least 30 feet deep into the Matriarch's body by now. His body felt like it was being gnawed on from within--he knew exactly what was happening.

It was an inevitable end for him. It was time to detonate the bomb around his chest.

He said one final goodbye as he felt a crawling, biting feeling in his lungs and pressed the remote's red button as hard as he could, hoping that the others had gone far enough by now.

The bomb went off a second later, exploding inside of the Matriarch's belly and causing her to break apart from the inside. Chunks of her flesh went flying everywhere, littering the island in goo and blood and soft, wormy flesh. A massive fire broke out at the sight of the explosion, killing at least half of all the Clews on the island. The Matriarch's dying cries could be heard for miles as the segments of its body combusted, and with its death, the deaths of the other worms soon followed.

They could not survive without the Matriarch, for she was the one true host--the perfect evolution. Without her, the other worms became unstable, like a castle without foundation or a sinking ship. Some of them began attacking each other, while the acid in the bodies of others became unstable and destroyed them from within. The Matriarch's death throes were like a final order, a command to join her in the abyss.

_____________
Three Years Later

Shortly after the Matriarch's death, Grace, Erica and Matt had been rescued by the emergency evacuation team. Once the truth of the island was discovered, Rhondoa was marked as a prohibited territory by the military, although the heart of the matter was kept a secret to the general populace to avoid sparking public terror. If word of an alien parasite reached the populace, it would spark an outrage.

Erica went on to become a famous environmental geoscientist, making various breakthroughs and becoming a well-known advocate for climate change. She won various prizes and awards for her endeavors, but remained as mysterious as ever. Some people asked about her experience on 'Worming into Your Heart' but were only met with glares and silence.

She chose to remain single and focus on her career and the betterment of the world as a whole.

Matt was not the same after leaving Rhondoa, and was committed to an asylum for five months. However, while receiving treatment, he met a kind and caring psychiatrist who supported him through his difficult times. He told her the truth of what had happened on the island, and while everyone else called him a lunatic, she believed him.

Eventually, thanks to her, Matt was able to recover and the two eventually fell in love. He was truly reborn as a new man, shining brighter than ever before. He had an interest in the medical field before, knowing a little about first aid before going on the set. His psychiatrist and girlfriend inspired him to return to university, where he received his doctorate's degree and became a nurse. He vowed to never let anyone die on his watch again, and made it his life's purpose to help people lead healthy lives and recover from their afflictions.

And Grace... well, Grace was the one who shaped the 'fake' story of what happened on Rhondoa. Despite her phone being confiscated by the government, she was able to cleverly frame Stuart for the incident on the island. However, his sacrifice was mentioned by Erica and Matt, who were later interviewed. The government did not pursue further questioning and paid the three of them a sizeable sum to keep the truth under wraps.

But Grace's story involved something quite similar to what had happened. She detailed a hopeless scenario about rabid animals like tigers and panthers and alligators and whatever else she could think of. She made up such a detailed and convincing plot that everyone was fooled. Of course, she made herself out to be the beautiful damsel in distress, and people bought her sob story.

Stuart's family was heartbroken by the loss, but the media published a story dubbing he and Grace the heroes of the island, stating that Stuart was the reason the others survived at all. He was given an honorable burial and the family received many donations from both fans of the show as well as those who simply wanted to show their support for the grieving family.

Grace was given endless donations, job offers and interviews and a hefty promotion to produce her own show with her own ideas, with a large budget. The company also paid Grace, Matt and Erica a big payout as an 'apology' for the freak accident that occurred on Rhondoa.

And what was her show called?

...It was called Worming into Your Heart, of course, with the plot being almost exactly what had transpired on Rhondoa Island--inspired by true events, she said.

The show went on to be a moderate success, but Grace never felt fully satisfied with her achievements, nor with her life. She constantly strived to reach new heights, but in the end, her facade made her efforts feel pitiable. She wanted more, more and more, but always felt as though she was slipping down a slope of mediocrity.

Often, she would have nightmares of climbing a slippery mountain, only to see Stuart atop the summit, smiling down at her and offering a hand...

...but Grace would never take it, and continued living as she always did. She would give a fake, pretty smile to the cameras and be beloved by all, but still... it was not enough for her.


It would never be enough, would it?





THE END

Finale of :iconsgtmitchell:'s 12,000 word story commission.

I really hope you enjoyed it! ^_^ Thank you for your patience, and thank you for commissioning me!
© 2018 - 2024 Merieth
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