Happy September, all! It's the start of spooky season! Though things are still busy here, I've decided to share another story of The Agency. This one is set on a picturesque beach, perfect for ending the summer and drifting into fall.
So, everyone grab the beach towels and the floats. Remember the sunscreen, watch for sharks, and stay in the water.
Location 041B
History
A stretch of beach near the Sapphire Lagoon Resort,
approximately an hour from the town of San Anta, Location 041B seems
unremarkable. White, pristine sand, crystal clear azure water, thick jungle
past the shore—like a dozen other beaches in the area. What makes Location 041B
worthy of being designated and quarantined by the Agency are the events that
occur there, as seen by Testimony 2020-06-03.
Testimony
2020-06-03
Arch. Pace: Statement of Jace
Richard regarding Location 041B, recorded direct from subject by Archivist
Evelyn Pace.
Richard: You mean the beach?
Arch. Pace: Yes, though we call
it Location 041B. Makes it official. You understand.
Richard: Yeah, I guess. So
anyway, my family and I—
Arch. Pace: Names, please.
Richard: Oh, right. My father, Andrew; my mother, Lily; and
my siblings, Levi, Miles, Jennifer, and Brandy. We all went on vacation. We
were staying at the Sapphire Lagoon Resort and we decided to go to the beach
instead of spending the day at the pool or visiting some of the attractions.
Miles and Levi wanted to go to some kind of celebration in San Anta—I don’t
remember what they called it, but I guess it was something like a carnival or a
parade since it involved alcohol. My dad said that they could go that evening,
but that they were going to spend the day with the family.
So
we went to the beach. We weren’t the only people there, but I don’t know the
names of the others.
Arch. Pace: That’s alright.
Please continue.
Richard: Despite how nice it was, the beach wasn’t crowded.
Just us and a few others. The waves were calm, there weren’t any riptide
warning signs. There was no reason such a nice beach should be so empty on such
a perfect beach day. Levi and Miles, even though they didn’t want to be there,
were the first into the water. My mom laid down on the towel she’d brought,
intending to tan, and my dad sat near her as he watched Jennifer and Brandy
build sandcastles.
I walked
closer to the water, just close enough that the waves lapped my feet. The water
was perfect, not too cold but not too warm either. It was glistening. The sun
was so bright that even the sand seemed to sparkle.
One of my
brothers splashed me and I splashed back, then went deeper into the water.
Normally, I wouldn’t. I was scared of stepping on a stingray so I’d normally
stay close to shore, just let the waves wash over my feet. But everything just
felt so nice and safe that I knew I could go swimming deeper with Miles and
Levi.
I stopped
feeling safe when I reached them, though. My feet couldn’t touch the bottom
anymore. They didn’t notice and swam a little further so their feet weren’t
touching the bottom either. I didn’t like them being so far out and the idea of
following them, of what could be below me. They’d let me watch Jaws just a few days ago when our
parents went out to dinner.
But I didn’t
want to stay where I was so I turned to go back and swam a little closer to
shore. I heard Levi whoop behind me and I glanced over my shoulder. He was
body-surfing, just letting the wave carry him back to shore. He and Miles
caught up to me when the wave overtook me and the three of us were carried to
shore.
We landed on
the beach, laughing as the wave retreated and tickled our chests and stomachs
on its way back out. Miles rolled onto his back as Levi shook water from his
hair. I sat up, grinning, and looked around. The sand was still sparkling,
though not where the waves were. Like the water washed away whatever made the
sand sparkle so that it would glisten.
That was
when Jennifer and Brandy began screaming.
We whipped
around in time to see their hands swelling up. It was like they were having
allergic reactions, though I don’t know to what. Except that it looked
different, somehow. Like boils? I don’t know.
Our parents
got there at the same time we did, though I noticed their feet and legs looked
the same as Jennifer and Brandy’s hands. Jennifer stood up, screamed, and then
fell; her legs and feet were like our parents’. When she fell, she landed on one
of the boils and it burst, spewing clear, yellowish water that glittered like
the sand.
Dad picked
her up, more water gushing out as he did so. We started running away from the
beach as Mom grabbed Brandy. I felt my feet tingling and, when I looked down at
them, they were glittering. And the glitters were moving.
That was
when we heard the screams from the other people at the beach.
I
turned and I ran to the water.
Arch. Pace: Why?
Richard: I don’t know, really. I just wanted to wash the
glitters off my feet before the same thing that happened to Jennifer happened
to me.
I went to
the water and heard Miles calling me. He and Levi came running after me. Our
parents disappeared up the trail to the hotel with our sisters while we stayed
in the water. I wouldn’t let them leave the water. Not until the boat showed
up.
Everyone
onboard had lifejackets with the letter K on them. They said they were here to
help us. They helped us out of the water, gave us blankets to wrap around us,
and headed toward a dock.
Once we got
on the dock, there were a bunch of people there in coats like doctors wear, but
they had an E on them and some had a weird O symbol. It wasn’t closed at the
bottom and had two lines going from the opening. There was also one that had a
triangle on his outfit.
They began
checking us and Miles kept asking about our parents and sisters. The only one
that seemed to acknowledge us was the one with the triangle. I think his name
was Ellis.
After the
doctors cleared us, Ellis came over and began talking to Miles, Levi, and me.
He wasn’t excluding me just because of my age. He explained that things weren’t
looking good for them, but they were doing everything they could to help them.
He said that we could stay in the hotel and he’d let us know how our family is
doing as things progress.
He took us
back to our room at the hotel and gave Miles his number so they could keep in
touch once Levi and Miles gave him theirs. Ellis said he’d let us know how our
family was doing when he had news.
Miles and
Levi didn’t go to the carnival thing they wanted to go to, but I don’t think
they noticed. We stayed awake all night, waiting to hear how our family was. I
fell asleep around three, I think.
When I woke
up, Levi was letting Ellis into the room. Levi and Miles looked exhausted.
Ellis gave them some coffee then sat down in a chair across from us to give us
the news. Our family died from their injuries.
Levi
was the first to ask what had caused the swelling and everything. Ellis was
quiet then asked if wanted the media answer or the truth. He warned us that if
we wanted the truth, that would change everything for us. He told us the truth
and brought us here. I’m guessing that Miles and Levi are going to work here
from now on.
Arch. Pace: Statement ends. Miles and Levi Richard have
completed their employment interviews and will begin training to determine
their placement within the Agency.
Regarding
the incident in Location 041B, the source was found to be microscopic, or
almost microscopic, mites made of pure corundum, specifically sapphire. Several
samples were collected and brought back to be studied, though the mites seem to
have a rapid lifecycle and deteriorate quickly.
One thing
that has become clear is that the mites, once entering the body of a human, begin
unlatching the skin from the muscles. Once the skin is free, it begins filling
with clear, yellow water. From the moment the mites enter the humans’ bodies,
there is no hope.
Anyone heading to a beach in these ending days of summer, be careful. The sand can be more dangerous than the water or the sun.
