Sack Cloth Bundle of Mutated Larval Shells

A rough-hewn bundle of sackcloth cinched at the top with coarse twine, nestled among Benton’s field gear as he enters the lab. The bundle’s coarse weave bears dark stains consistent with dried mucous and larval residue, while its uneven shape suggests the brittle hollow shells of mutated maggots inside. Benton unclasps the bundle carefully, revealing empty exoskeletons that crumble at the edges when disturbed. Jo’s sharp inhale and Nancy’s recoil signal unease, not at the cloth itself but at what it once contained—proof that the maggots have already begun transforming beyond viable containment.