#Wow I'm so surpis3d :|

[your-favourite-yapper]

Mary wakes up w a headache again w that same wrongness in her bones like she’s stretched too thin like something is curling around her spine pressing against her ribs like something is watching from inside her own skin. She stares at the ceiling feels the pulse in her wrists in her throat but there’s an extra beat an echo not hers.

She swallows. it swallows back. "stop that" she mumbles voice scratchy morning-rough and nothing answers but she feels something shift inside her like laughter like smug satisfaction like a cat stretching in a patch of sun (except the sun is her lungs)

She rolls out of bed stumbles to the bathroom pulls up her shirt. her stomach looks normal her ribs normal her skin normal but when she presses a hand to her side something presses back she does not scream bc she is normal and normal ppl do not scream at their own bodies she is normal she is fine she is just imagining things except she isn’t.

Bc it moves again and she doubles over gasping and oh god oh god oh god something is inside her "ok" she wheezes leaning against the sink "ok what do u want" no answer ofc bc parasites do not talk parasites do not think parasites just take except this one listens

She figures it out quick little things like how she suddenly knows not to eat that sushi from the gas station or how she gets dizzy when she ignores her water bottle all day or how sometimes she’s reaching for a doorknob and her fingers twitch the other way like no like not that one and every time she listens she feels a warm little hum through her bones through her veins like good girl

She starts listening more., just to see., just to test the waters., she takes a different route home when her stomach twists wrong., she doesn’t ask why., she stops talking to that guy from class when her fingertips go numb every time he texts., she doesn’t ask why., she puts her hand on her stomach once before bed just once just to feel the steady thrum of something alive and her whole body floods w warmth w something slow and pleased and she doesn’t ask why.

One day she wakes up feeling hollow like something is missing like something is pulling away and she panics bc no no no that’s wrong it’s hers it’s hers "no" she chokes out pressing a hand to her stomach stayand it does., oh god it does., curling back inside her like a cat curling into her lap like something soft like something affectionate like something saying mine mine mine mary breathes out., presses her fingers against her ribs., feels the thrum of something answering back., she does not ask why.