“The Seeds Under the Mattress”It started as one of those quiet afternoons meant for catching up on neglected chores. I stripped the bed, gathered the laundry, and flipped the mattress to let it breathe.Then, just as I lifted one corner, I saw them — a cluster of small, dark grains lined perfectly along the seam. For a heartbeat, I froze. They looked too precise to be dust, too glossy to be crumbs. A chill crept through me. Insect eggs, my mind whispered. My skin tingled with imagined itches. I leaned closer, pulse quickening, and brushed a few onto a sheet...
Continues…