Emily
Hey where were you today?
Samantha
Didn’t feel like going to school
Samantha
What did I miss?
Emily
Mrs. Brown’s class was fun though
Samantha
Haha for you maybe
Emily
I think she’s pretty cool!
Emily
You need to be careful though
Emily
She was asking about you
Emily
It’s the third time in two weeks you’ve been gone for a whole day
Samantha
I gave her signed excuses
Samantha
Well how else am I going to do it
Emily
I’m just saying, she’s getting suspicious
Samantha
Did you cover for me?
Emily
Of course, I told her what you said
Emily
I think she believed it at first, but now it’s harder
Emily
As long as she doesn’t decide to call your parents
Samantha
Nah she wouldn’t
Emily
If you keep doing it she will
Samantha
I hope not my mom would kill me
Emily
Yeah well drag yourself back to school then
Samantha
Don’t snap at me
Emily
Sorry, just don’t want to see you in trouble. And me
Samantha
Ok ok I’ll be careful
Emily
So where were you anyway
Samantha
I went for a walk
Samantha
Yup. The woods at the end of our street
Emily
Isn’t that place kind of creepy
Samantha
Parts of it. It just gets a little dark, that’s all
Emily
And you just walk around alone?
Emily
And what do you do there
Samantha
Just stroll, look at things
Samantha
Like today, I found this crazy caterpillar
Samantha
It was all red and orange and green, and sort of twisted in a circle
Samantha
No it was still moving, looked like it was trying to touch its head to its butt
Emily
Haha was it sniffing itself
Samantha
I dunno, not sure if caterpillars can smell
Samantha
I wanted to but it looked angry
Samantha
Haha no. But it squirted something at me
Samantha
Yeah it was weird. It hit my arm and it itched a bit
Emily
Jeez Sam maybe it’s dangerous
Samantha
No of course not
Emily
Did you show it to someone?
Emily
Maybe you should. I heard caterpillars can be poisonous
Samantha
Yeah in tropical forests, not here
Samantha
Well I can’t show it to my Mom. She’ll know I skipped school
Samantha
She’ll just blab to my parents. Anyway, it doesn’t itch anymore it’s all good
Emily
Ok. Just don’t touch them anymore!
Emily
It’s really late what’s wrong?
Samantha
Nothing don’t worry
Samantha
Just had a nightmare and wanted to talk to someone
Emily
Ah that sucks. What was the nightmare?
Samantha
Remember the caterpillar I told you about?
Samantha
Well it was in my dreams, it was really big and had an almost human head
Emily
Haha you watch too much horror
Samantha
And it looked at me and said, ‘The circle must be complete’
Samantha
Not funny! I was terrified
Samantha
And it’s kind of your fault
Samantha
For spooking me with the poisonous caterpillar stuff
Samantha
So you get to calm me down now
Emily
Aw well. It was just a dream. And I’m sure the caterpillar wasn’t poisonous.
Emily
Or not more than poison ivy anyway
Samantha
I can probably sleep now. Thanks!
Emily
Hey where are you? You can’t do two days of skipping school in a row!
Samantha
Emily something’s weird
Emily
What? Where are you?
Samantha
Hiding in my room
Emily
Aw come on we’ll both get in trouble
Samantha
I was going to go to school but something’s happened
Samantha
My arm is hurting
Samantha
And it’s turning green
Samantha
There’s green and red patches all over it
Samantha
I’m freaking out
Samantha
I can’t my Mom will find out
Emily
Well she will anyway if you don’t come to school!
Samantha
It’s itching really badly
Emily
Go home and just tell her! She’ll take you to the doctor
Samantha
It seems to be spreading
Emily
It can’t spread that fast
Samantha
But my other arm is showing weird colors too!
Emily
What is going on this is crazy
Samantha
it’s sprouting some sort of weird hair
Samantha
And it’s on my legs now as well
Emily
You’re freaking me out
Emily
Do you want me to come get you? Or tell the nurse?
Samantha
No! I’ll run home
Samantha
It’s gearing harder ti type
Samantha
om is all ovr my body
Emily
Is this some sort of weird joke
Emily
I’m calling your home I don’t care this is freaky
Susanna
Hello Emily? This is Susanna, Samantha’s mother
Emily
Hi Mrs. Noble! I was just calling your house
Susanna
Oh that was you. I just wanted to check if Samantha was in school with you.
Susanna
I heard something in her room but she’s not here and not picking up her phone.
Emily
She’s not in school, she was just going home. I think something happened to her.
Susanna
Oh god what happened? Is she ok?
Emily
I don’t know. She should be home by now.
Susanna
She’s not in her room. All I found was a very bright caterpillar on her bed. Did you girls skip school again?
Emily
No...I mean she did.
Susanna
Don’t worry, I know all about it. I let her do it because I think it’s ok for her to go to the woods here and there.
Emily
Oh. She was so afraid you’d find out.
Susanna
But where is she? I went to the woods to see if she’s there, but nothing.
Emily
I don’t know what happened Mrs. Noble, I’m sorry.
Susanna
Oh god. I’ll call the police.
Emily
Ok. What happened to the caterpillar?
Susanna
I set it down in the woods and it immediately twisted into a circle.
Emily
Wait what? Oh no...
