Read it from the beginning:
..."Oh, Gawd!" Eric buried his face into his hands, clawing at his own skin, and telling himself he should just pull it off his bones.
Setting the scalpel onto the plastic sheet, Cadwell picked up the Mason jar and unscrewed its top.
A popping sound echoed through the room.
He dipped his gloved hand into the slimy liquid and removed the first of the parasites. Long and chunky - the size of a dill pickle spear, and gray in color - the tiny creature wiggled like mad in the man's grip. He lowered the specimen to Lyrica's belly. With his other hand, Cadwell opened the incision on her stomach with his thumb and middle finger. Blood oozed down the sides of her tummy as he inserted the organism into her cavity.
Eric looked away. He gagged and vomited onto the white Berber carpet that covered the stairs.
Abigail gave one last muffled cry;
hyperventilated;
and passed out.
Cadwell pressed his hand gently on the little girl's torso and gazed up at the ceiling. He mouthed a few inaudible words. Next, he took another parasite from the jar and opened Lyrica's mouth. Offering it to the oral cavity, he waited as the creature arched its body - as preparing for a dive - bent and slithered into the girl's mouth.
Limp and unconscious, Lyrica still managed to gurgle and cough.
Cadwell removed the final creature from the jar and placed it under the girl's nose. It struggled to adjust to the size of the nostril, and after what seemed to be an examination of her face, the organism reshaped it's chunky body into a long and slender build. Then it slinked into her left nostril.
"That's the way," Cadwell cooed the parasite. He looked at his imaginary watch and caressed Lyrica's bald head. "It won't be long now."
"You bastard," Eric still spat particles of his lunch onto the carpet. "You son-of-a-bitching bastard."
Cadwell ignored Eric's insults and laid down beside the girl. He cleared his throat and hummed a melody that sounded more like a funeral march than any song Eric had ever heard.
Minutes passed into an hour.
Abigail awoke and weeped.
Then another hour came and went.
His humming continued.
Eric mumbled to himself, mentally abusive words rang out from time to time. Once, maybe twice - he tries to forget it all now - he actually saw the pickle-sized formation of those creatures maneuver under his daughter's skin.
Another hour inched by.
Abigail sat slumped against the steps, streaming in and out of consciousness.
Eric sat, silent.
Staring.
Unaware, like a doped up patient in an asylum.
"Almost there," Cadwell finally spoke.
After another half an hour, Cadwell lifted himself off of the plastic wrap, like a corpse rising from a coffin.
Eric stared at the stranger.
Abigail stared at him too - her eyes dead.
Leaning over Lyrica, Cadwell inspected her belly, nose and mouth. Just under the skin of her abdomen, a bump was forming. It took the shape of a ball and raced back and forth above the girl's belly button. In another minute, the chunky head of the organism popped out from the incision. Cadwell grabbed onto it and pulled it from her gut. Slime and blood dripped from it and onto the plastic. He placed it into the jar.
Next, movement began in her cheeks.
Another bump formed.
And another.
Two tails rose out of her mouth. Lyrica choked and gurgled. Cadwell snapped up both parasites just as Lyrica awoke. He dropped them back into the yellow liquid and screwed the lid back on the jar.
Lyrica's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.
Cadwell reopened the mason jar - just a crack - and swiftly dribbled some of that gooey substance onto Lyrica's belly. Her incision smoked, sizzled and closed shut within seconds. He pulled her shirt back into place.
The girl rolled over and spit up a batch of blood.
Cadwell tightened the jar and set it back into his briefcase. He removed a damp cloth and wiped down his gloves and scalpel.
Lyrica coughed uncontrollably and spat up more gobs of blood onto the plastic.
Cadwell grabbed another cloth from his case. He gently cradled the girl's head in his left hand and wiped her mouth with his right. He dabbed the wetness under her eyes and followed up with a wipe of snot from under her nose.
He smiled down at her.
She smiled back.
He dropped the used cloths onto the plastic, closed his briefcase and locked it. He stood, picked up the scalpel and walked over to the banister. "It is done," Cadwell said and placed the scalpel in Eric's hands. He turned to Abigail and tipped an imaginary hat. His boots clanked against the floor as he left the room. The front door clicked twice and closed behind him.
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