The Visit from Mrs. Black

Pandemic- Part 3: Business About a Boy

Irene Fletcher was on an icy pond playing an intense game of hockey with a girl she knew, and she wasn't going easy on her. She was the scorer, and the other girl was the goalie, and one after the other like a caged batting machine, Irene scored goal after goal until the other girl took off her helmet and told her to switch. As they switched gear, Irene stood by the goal post made of sticks, and stared down the girl coming at her, coming very fast down an invisible path towards her, and she gets ready to deliver the shot, and as the puck flies towards her-

The pod cover swung open, and Irene gasps for breath as if she were underwater for the longest time.

At first, she was unaware of why she was awake, days early in that matter, until she remembered that in training, someone had to have pressed an emergency medical button in the medical ward in order to wake everyone with a medical background.

Including her, but also realized that Mrs. Black had already vanished.

Irene slowly made her way out of her pod and as she stood with her bare feet touching the cold metallic floor, she slowly regained her senses.

A horrible screaming pierced her ears, and then she bolted for the corridor.

Although the corridor was no maze to get through, it was imperative that she followed the screaming so as to not waste any time for the boy (at least she thinks it's a boy). A demonic growl soon followed the screaming, and the screaming dialed down to nothing, and Irene began to run like she was an Olympic runner to the office, heart pumping for the blood pumping like a water works out of Hell, and for the fear of what lay inside the door.

Irene knocked first, addressing Mrs. Black as she does so, but to no answer. She repeated herself, but to no effect. She looked around for the key card access, and after careful search on her body, she found that she had left her card in the pod room, presumably in the lockers hidden by the shadow of the room.

Irene slowly walked away from the room, and after a few seconds of walking down the corridor, a hand touched her shoulder, forcing her to turn around and find Mrs. Black putting on a smile that seemed like a mask of someone who had clearly not heard what had come from her office.

"Irene Fletcher. Am i correct?"

Irene nodded, and brushed past her and walked down the corridor towards the office.

Just like Tobey, but much less nicer.

The office door swung open and he found Eugene laying on the bed, and as she got closer, she found large marks propped against his mouth and forehead, like a wild animal digging its claws into it's prey. A rotten smell emanated from his gaping mouth, and Irene took hold of his hand to check for a pulse.

"I suggest you leave while you still can. Space sickness is a horrible disease you know, and very contagious."

Mrs. Black crossed her arms by the other side of the bed, and Irene looked toward her eyes, black as night and lacking of any emotional value.

"Space sickness is only uneasiness and dizziness, kind of like being sea sick but in space. I don't believe Navy doctors put sailors to sleep for an upset stomach."

Mrs. Black leaned against the bed and towards Irene, her long nose practically touching Irene's.

"Would I be in here if I didn't know what I was doing, Mrs. Fletcher?"

Irene shook her head. Then Mrs. Black's smile returned.

"Then I suggest you leave, you might catch something."

Irene slowly turned around and walked to the door, when she looked back, Mrs. Black was wearing a white mask, and playfully shoved her off as the office door closed. Irene stood there for a few moments, pondering what kind of woman Mrs. Black was. Something sinister in her eyes, her attitude, her methods. She was hiding something, something horrible, something capable of compromising the whole mission.