Chapter 5 - Crimson Seepage
The bright white surface of the cast now bore a growing, ominous red stain that smelled faintly of iron and decay. Arthur froze in mid-step, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief as he stared at the spreading stain on his son's arm. Evelyn gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she instinctively backed away toward the darkened corner of the room. Clara dropped her umbrella to the floor, moving with terrifying speed to pin the boy's shoulder against the mattress. She ordered Arthur to hold his son’s legs down, warning him that whatever was inside the cast was trying to claw its way out. Leo stopped screaming, his eyes rolling back as a strange, unnatural silence fell over the chaotic room. Clara positioned the heavy shears directly against the hardened plaster, her hands completely steady despite the violent trembling of the boy's flesh. With a single powerful squeeze, the shears bit into the plaster, and a low, guttural growl echoed from deep within the hollow cast.
