Specimen No. 077
- Hide
- Patchy. Thin over the ribs.
- Eyes
- Glazed. A spiral where the pupil should be.
- Tag
- Biohazard. Cracked. Number still legible.
- Behaviour
- Sways. Forgets. Remembers wrong.
Do not hold its gaze.
FILE 1986/077
QUARANTINE
DEPT.
██████████ VETERINARY INVESTIGATION
OPENED
1986
CLOSED
—
CONTENTS: ONE HERD. STATUS: UNRESOLVED.
Summary of exposure
Something got into the herd in 1986. The file was never closed.
A cow stops acting like a cow. The eyes go glassy. A stagger starts in one animal and spreads to the next. The moo comes out wrong: M̷͍͠O̸̱̓O̶͙͝.
The quarantine tape is still up. Nobody took it down, because nobody wants to go back in. ██████ ████ ███ █████████ ███ ██████
The fence is still up. The fog never left. The herd behind it stands facing the camera, like it is waiting to be asked a question nobody wants to ask. The stagger does not stop at the wire.
Logged by: THE HANDLER. Remark: contained.
EXHIBITS A — C
The Handler
- Suit
- Full hazmat. Never removed on site.
- Carries
- Clipboard, stamped REDACTED.
- Statements
- None. Dates only.
- Last entry
- One word. Contained.
Never explains.
The Herd
- Count
- ██
- Movement
- Swaying, in unison. A slow congregation.
- Attention
- On whatever No. 077 is looking at.
- Panic
- None observed. They do not run.
They turned when we turned.
OBSERVATION LOG // TAPE 02 // PLAYBACK
- Specimen No. 077 standing at the fence line. Facing the house. Has not moved.
- First stagger logged. Two steps left. Recovered. Did not look away.
- Herd turned to watch. All of them. Same angle.
- Audio: M̵O̷O̴▒▒▓░░ Recording degraded at this point.
- Exposure logged. Handler on site. Remark: contained.
- ██████ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ████
- Quarantine holds. The tape outlasted the reason for it. File remains open.
▌
LIVE FEED — NORTH PASTURE. THE HERD LOOKS WHERE 077 LOOKS.
Approach the fence. Do not cross the fence.