Sticky Valves Chapter 10

Dark Pennine Tales

In an atmospheric night thick with mist, the band room pines for harmony as illnesses creep like unseen predators. Sue dreads the potential impact of the unknown disease on Bob, the youngest member of the ensemble. As she arrives in her characteristic leather boots, she carries an overwhelming weight of apprehension about the band's fate.

The situation takes a turn for the worse when Barry, looking unusually pale, confesses he's feeling "bloody wretched." The band members watch in silence as he beats an uneven rhythm, clutching his conducting baton from the comfort of a chair. Amid the hushed concerns and small acts of support, Liz finds herself slowly detaching from the group. To make matters worse, rumors around her worsening health add to the troubled undercurrents.

Their strange illnesses aren't the only unusual thing at the band room; Maurice suddenly finds himself without the need for his stick, claiming that intense physiotherapy gave him a new lease on life. The revelation is met with joy, but also fuels skepticism among some members. As the night progresses, a grim shadow hangs over the room, shrouding it with an unsettling sense of doom.

Outside, under the cover of darkness, forces of malevolent nature seethe. The infection spreads like slow venom, marking its victims strategically, one by one. Amidst this escalating crisis, a silver lining emerges; vegetarian Liz could be resistant to the plague. As a vegetarian, she possibly doesn't crave the meat that seems crucial for disease transmission. The discovery, however, only adds to the layers of conundrums.

Within the confines of their houses, the infected start surrendering to their altered states, each coping in unique, often disturbing, ways. Diane, once a careworn middle-aged woman, now revels in her regained youth, concealing her dark secret behind newfound vigor. To satiate her inexplicable cravings, she chooses to feed on the innocent dog next door, ensuring her daughter stays safe.

As the night ends, the band room turns into a symbolic battleground, a site where the precarious line between the normal and the abnormal blurs. This chilling recount highlights the human battles against fear, sickness and unseen predators, set against the backdrop of an unsuspecting band room.