I want to tell you all who read this in hopes you and your family can avoid the infection too. It all started when I was tending to my garden and trying my best to keep my prize-winning morel mushrooms growing in the shade. While I was working on the shading and adding more wood chips I could hear my husband calling my name. You see, we live in the middle of the woods and behind our home are about fifteen archers of land that we own.
I called out to him to see what was wrong but he just replied “Uh, it’s hard to explain just come here.” As I weaved through a maze of thin brushes and wide oak trees I kept calling out to him so I knew which way he was. “honey?” I yelled out with concern but shortly after I heard his voice “You’re close it’s just across the creek.” I jumped the creek almost slipping on my ass but catching myself on a root. As I walked over the small embankment I saw my husband crouching over something.
As I got closer the sounds of the forest stopped and it was dead silent almost deafening so. When I got next to him I saw what he was looking at. It was a deer dead on the forest floor. “What the fuck Frank why did you want me to see a dead deer” He looked at me and pointed at its torso.”Martha look. It has this strange black mushroom growing from it. It was shiny and black with long black hairs like it was leaking ink. The other thing is the spores were spreading to the fur and eye of the deer.
“This is strange honey. We should let nature take its course here.” I said while backing away slowly. “Well, Martha I’m going to take one of these mushrooms home and study it in the lab.” We have a lab so we can grow other mushrooms to sell to others. Surprisingly some mushrooms are worth more than gold by weight. “Ok just be careful you know some of the fungi here can be highly poisonous. He put on his gloves and pulled a small baggie out of his back pocket. He grabbed the larges stalk by the base and gave it a good twist and pull. We walked back and I tended to the garden as he studied the mystery fungus.
Moments later he asked me to come to him in the lab. He had an interesting discovery that he wanted to show me. “It’s from the Coprinus comatus family as I thought but it has a different genetic structure and the inside of the stalk is filled with this black liquid. The only thing is it’s not spores mixed with water it’s more or less than the blood of the dead deer. As if it was feeding on the deer.”
This took me by shock as most mushrooms feed on plant life that dies in a wet, shaded area. So a mushroom feeding on a corpse is odd in itself. I chalked it up as him finding a new species and I was admittedly excited. I mean who wouldn’t be? A week goes on and he’s getting no attention from news outlets as “new species are discovered every day” they would tell us. It really hurt Frank since this field of science was what he was all about. It’s the main reason we had a mushroom farm. “Hey, honey it’s ok. Sometimes these things happen to amazing discoveries. Just give it time.” I said while rubbing his back.
“It’s not that Martha. I just spent my WHOLE life studying fungus and am very passionate about this specific branch. It’s my first breakthrough discovery and no one is caring about it.” He sighed and held my hand. “Martha, I love you and you are the best thing I have ever had the pleasure of “discovering,” I thought this was incredibly sweet and kind. I kissed Frank before telling him I was headed to bed for the night. I remember him saying he was going to run one more test on it before going to bed for the night.
That night I felt him coming to bed but he was quiet and felt cold. I didn’t let it phase me as he probably was exhausted from his research. When I awoke Frank wasn’t in bed but in his lab. I got up and walked to the kitchen to make Frank and me some coffee. I made the coffee which was a dark roast with three ounces of creamer and two sugar packets. The warm smell of coffee wafted in the air which was beautiful. I took the cup to the lab but it was locked oddly enough so I knocked and called out to Frank.
“Honey, I have coffee!” As I waited I heard shuffling of feet and heavy breathing. “Leave it at the door for me hun. I got something major. Just don’t come in please.” I could hear something breaking and him yelling quietly to himself. I was curious but I had my own paper to write so I left it alone. Later in the night, the coffee was still on the table next to the door. I finished my paper and submitted it but that took almost six hours. I hesitated but knocked on the door “Honey are you still in there?” the door was locked but I heard nothing.
I asked again “honey… I am getting worried.” Still no answer. I finally pulled out my keys and unlocked the door. I pushed the door in slowly and walked in quietly. The smell of iron was in the air and it felt stale. The taste of blood and dirt was pooling in the back of my throat. I quietly shuffled to the other side of the room and looked for Frank. He wasn’t in the room but the table that had the strange fungus was covered in the inky black substance with more fungus growing out of it. I looked at the closet and it was cacked in this black, viscous liquid. I approached the closet although I was terror-stricken I put on gloves and slowly opened the closet door.
As the door creaked open I was bombarded with an awful stench of rot and mold. In the closet was Frank. All of his skin was turning black and he was covered in spores and fungus. He had fungus protruding from his eyes and ears. Dried blood covered his face and he was a mess. I screamed and backed away. “FRANK!! OH GOD WHY?” I yelled out in desperation.
I collapsed to the floor and threw my gloves off to wipe the tears from my face. I grabbed my hair and shook back and forth to try to calm down. Moments later I heard him…no….IT… spoke to me. “Martha” I looked up and Frank’s body shuffled toward me but slowly. I scooted back out of fear and yelled “What have you done to my husband!” The thing stopped and spoke slowly in his voice but it was weak and cracking. “We… Are…Frank. Join us Martha” I shook my head and ran out the door.
“Martha….come…back…we…love…you” I grew louder and more intense. I quickly shut and locked the door before running out of the house to my car. I rented a motel a couple of cities out and that’s where I am at now albeit not for long. I…found something on me…It was a part of that weird fungus. I woke up last night to a tapping on my window. it was light and sounded more like someone was pressing something wet against it as it made a splotching sound with every tap. I lowered the blinds just enough and there was it…it followed me here. I made sure all my doors are locked but I’m stuck here and the smell of rot is really strong.
This morning I woke up needing to vomit. I ran to the bathroom and the same black liquid was coming out alongside maggots. I almost passed out staring into the bowl but I knew what must be done. I had to warn people of this fungus as the consequences will be dire if left unchecked. I Martha Stonewater will be heading out to a forest tonight and trying to take my own life before this thing can thrive in my body. Please stay away from any black fungus you may find. My god saves us all…
us….we….we…are…Martha…we…are…one…god…is…dead…WE…ARE…GOD…AND…OUR…LOVE…IS…ABSOLUTE…JOIN…US…JOIN…US…JOIN…US…JOIN…US…JOIN…US…JOIN…US…JOIN…US…JOIN…US.