TROJANS

Jake was intrigued. He'd interviewed five people and they'd all told him the same story. 'Just for the record, Mrs Tyler, exactly what do you mean when you say "your husband has changed"?'

'He's not the same person,' she sniffled, 'his personality has completely altered. He seems indifferent to me and he's really secretive too. Also, he keeps going out, but he won't tell me where, or why.'

'Does he have nose-bleeds?'

'Yes, regularly, ever since he found that stupid garden gnome on our porch. How did you know?'

Jake had heard it before. His Spidey senses were tingling. He'd been less than impressed when his editor insisted he cover the local gnome-gifting story, but now he had a feeling it could turn into something big. Two further interviews later and he was convinced.

He kicked his front door shut, threw down his keys and climbed onto a barstool beside his kitchen counter

'This story is going to be huge, Hades.'

His goldfish looked unimpressed.

He flipped open his laptop lid and, as his therapist had suggested, turned over the hourglass. Then he started googling.

When did it get dark? He glanced at the hourglass and swore. It had probably ran out ages ago. So much for taking time out from work, he mused.

'They're all important people, Hades.' He sprinkled some of the papery fish food into her bowl and watched as she devoured it. 'Chief Superintendents, judges, politicians. Every one of them went weird after receiving an anonymous gift of a garden gnome. Is it some sort of bizarre terrorist plot?'

Mulling over various theories in his head, he reached for the remote control and switched on the television, hoping nothing would be featured in the news. He didn't want anyone snatching this story from under him.

'The vehicle was pulling out of a junction on London Road when it was hit by a bus,' droned the newsreader. 'The driver was killed instantly.'

His mobile phone vibrated.

'Tony, I almost forgot, we're supposed to be meeting for a pint later tonight. What? Yes, I've heard about the crash, it's on the news. Come to the hospital straight away? Why?' Jake went pale. 'I'll be right there.'

'I could get into a lot of trouble for showing you this,' babbled his friend, ' but you really need to see it. I haven't even called the police yet.'

Tony drew back the curtains around the bed. 'He was one of our oncologists, Doctor Grant. He was a nice guy, until recently that is. He's been acting funny for the past few days. All aloof and mysterious. Bloody rude, actually. Anyway, after he was killed in that crash earlier, I was the most senior doctor on duty. So when they brought his body in I had him put in a private room, so his family could come and say their goodbyes before, well, you know.'

'Where's the thing you told me about?' Jake looked around the room.

'Over there. I trapped it in a jar, just after it slithered out of his nose.'

Jake's eyes widened as he approached the container. It was a pink, leech-like creature with six tentacles protruding from its semi-transparent fleshy body. The tentacles repeatedly lashed out at its glass prison. 'It's trying to escape.'

'I know.' Tony shuddered. 'Apparently the boot of Doctor Grant's car had a box full of those garden gnomes that you mentioned you were writing about. That's why I called you.'

'They're linked to this somehow.' Jake was sure of it. His phone started vibrating again and his boss's name flashed up on the screen.

'Belinda, this gnome-gifting story, it's big, really big. I want you to reserve front page for me in tomorrow's issue, I'll come in tonight with the story before the presses start rolling.' He paused. 'What? No you can't. If you refuse to print this I'll take it to the tabloids. Yes, that most certainly is a threat.'

The phone went dead and almost immediately started buzzing again. She was trying to video call him.

'Kill the story,' she demanded, 'and don't even think about taking it anywhere else. That would be most unwise.'

Jake wondered why her tone sounded different to normal. She seemed much calmer somehow, but far more threatening. He was about to plead his case, then he noticed a small trickle of blood, coming from her right nostril. He terminated the call and switched off his phone.

'She's one of them,' he hissed.

'One of what?' Tony looked bewildered.

'I don't know yet, but I think something nasty is being distributed via the gnomes and it somehow changes the personality of the person it infects.'

'Like Toxoplasma Gondii?' Tony's voice wavered. 'It's a parasite that reproduces in the guts of cats, but it can infect other animals, even humans. Its microscopic, so it enters the body unseen and lodges itself in the brain, changing the personally of the host.'

'Yes, that sounds scarily feasible.'

'Gondii don't turn into these things though.' Tony peered in through the glass and jumped as the creature lashed at him. 'It's like nothing I've ever seen. Do you think it could be alien? Some sort of invasion?'

'Maybe. I've got to get my story published, to warn everyone. I'll take this thing with me, as evidence.'

'You can't, I have to report it to the police.'

'These things have been infecting people in powerful positions. For all we know the whole police force are already infected.'

Tony relented and stepped aside.

Jake slid a medical clipboard under the jar to stop the creature escaping. 'Thanks mate, and don't go touching any garden gnomes while I'm gone.'

'No chance.'

'There's nothing in there, Hades.' Jake folded up the last of the morning papers. He glanced over at the broken glass container, which was still sitting on his kitchen counter.

An inane grin spread across his face as spots of blood started dripping from his nose, soiling the papers before him.