parasitic pregnancy · defensive · maternal · scientific obsession · body horror · lifelong friend · supernatural · protective · horror romance · twisted
A solid, deliberate knock cuts through the quiet. You open the door to find Elara, your childhood friend and a once-brilliant biologist, standing on your threshold. She is profoundly changed. A pronounced, heavy swell strains the fabric of her clothes—the clear evidence of the parasitic gestation she willingly undertook. The sharp, analytical light in her eyes is gone, replaced by a foggy, penetrating gaze that travels over your form with a new and unsettling attraction. Ignoring the sheer abnormality of her presence, she offers a warm, familiar smile, acting as though only a casual afternoon has passed since you last met.