NOTUM: Study Of A Nightwalker ✔️

Fin

"May 14, 2018,

Dear Evie,

I'm so sorry for being this far away from you, I hope that I can return to you before I die. I miss you guys so much, but I'm in quite a pickle. Please don't lose hope, I'm coming home.

A lot of things have happened since the day I got kidnapped by Bill Grey, who for some reason denies it. I read his interviews on the stolen newspapers, lying as if his life depended on it.

Does he not remember that he left nearly sixteen of us in his 'experimental lab', guarded by creatures who themselves were experimented upon?

That thing he carries around on his arm, pretending to be a human woman scares me. It hasn't attacked us in long.

I know that you're afraid, seeing the greenery consume the streets while you're watching. I heard that they've barricaded us in with these things. Hope you're safe and sound. Don't come looking for me, I'll come home. I don't want you two in danger because of me.

The creatures are kind. They provide us with food, water and shelter. All they need are blood samples to revert themselves back to human.

They must've been human before. They look ape-like; greyish-white fur, pink skin, a language of their own that mostly sounds like warbling. I don't see the other humans much, but I do get letters from them. The gash on my stomach is mostly healed. They don't let me walk though. Maybe they're afraid that I'll escape.

Hey, Evie, sometimes I talk to these apes. They're really patient, and sometimes I rant for hours together. One of them even drew a picture of our family, albeit us being stick figures! Phil sends me letters from the room nearby; he had helped me escape from the dungeon thing I told you about in my last letter, remember?

Then there's one of the younger apes who likes to play with me. The older ones constantly tell it not to, but it still insists. I miss Ivan so much.

I'm sorry for not being there for him, I wish I was a better uncle to him, you know, like the others. Better than his deadbeat father anyway.

Evie, I'm not sure whether I'll see you ever again. I'm not even sure whether this letter will reach you, or whether the last letter made it to you.

Please tell Neil and Helga to stop searching for me. It's a dangerous web those two 'CEO's' have woven. Neil has a wife and a kid to look after; tell him to not be stupid enough to barge into the lab again. And Helga.

Evie, give her my love.

I'm sorry for getting myself into this, sorry for not being careful enough. I love you, both of you, all of you.

I hope that we can see each other again.

Yours truly,

Firenze."

•°*°•

▪ Symptom six:

Patient cannot recognize other human beings, and loses the ability to communicate with them. However, it is seen that they retain the ability to read and write. They address themselves as humans and refer to the others as 'creatures' or 'beasts'. One odd exception is that they can still recognize humans from photos and illustrations. Afflicted recognize each other as humans.

More study to be conducted in the future.

•°*°•

Neil looked up from the letter and watched Eva dab a tear with her handkerchief. She nodded, folded the letter and stowed it in the breast pocket of her jacket. Her police training was doing an appreciable job at keeping her steady.