350 STRANGE SICKNESS

The silence stretched after Keisha shut the bathroom door. Relief lingered in the air, laced with a new undercurrent of unease. Ethan pulled Madison into a hug, his hand rubbing her back in a comforting rhythm. "She seems...tired," Ethan murmured, his voice heavy with unspoken worry. Madison nodded, her throat tight. "Yeah. More than just tired, though. There's something else there." The sound of running water filled the apartment for a while, offering a strange sense of normalcy. Then, it abruptly stopped. A beat of silence followed, then a soft thud. Madison's heart lurched. The thud was followed by another, then a low moan. "Ethan!" she gasped, her voice cracking with panic. They didn't need words; their eyes met, and a shared dread washed over them. In a blur of motion, they were at the bathroom door. It was locked. "Keisha? Keisha, honey, are you alright?" Madison called out, her voice trembling. No answer. Just a low, whimpering sound. Ethan, with a strength born of