Screams
Her screams shook the whole house. Quickly, her roommates left what they were doing and ran to her bedroom, wondering what could be going on.
Nothing could have prepared them for what they found. Instantly, all of them started screaming as well. One even had to go running to the bathroom, sick to her stomach from what she just saw. They called the police immediately. But how did that even end up in her suitcase? Maybe there was something they didn’t know about her?
Laura, Alice, And Chloe
Laura Selwyn is a third-year Biology student at Temple University, Philadelphia. She shares a flat with two more students, Alice and Chloe: they have been roommates for two years now and consider each other their best friends.
Ever since they first met in their first year of college, the three girls have been like peas in a pod. They have shared many moments together, both happy and sad. And that’s not all.
Unbreakable Bond
They share everything with each other. Every time something happens in any of the girls’ lives, whether good or bad, their roommates are the first to hear about it. They give each other advice, support, and guidance.
When this incident took place, Laura, Alice, and Chloe thought of their bond as the deepest possible. It was like they were family rather than roommates. But then, something happened that turned things upside down.
Calling The Cops
After they saw what Laura brought back in her baggage from her vacation trip to Eastern Europe, the first thing they could do was scream. Then, they immediately called the authorities
That episode was the culmination of a chain of events that made Alice and Chloe wonder endlessly about what Laura was up to. When they saw what was inside the suitcase, they felt like they had finally found out the truth.
Suspicions
In all fairness, Alice and Chloe had been having certain suspicions during the last year. At some point, the two of them started noticing a change in Laura’s behavior.
She started going out more; sometimes, she would leave the house close to midnight without an explanation and come back two hours later. She would also receive mysterious phone calls that she answered outside of the house, like she was afraid of being heard. And that wasn’t even the weirdest part.
Money To Burn
Suddenly, Laura started having more pocket money than she ever had before. She started buying more expensive clothes, she bought her friends gifts and even paid their part of the house’s bills sometimes. This was an utter enigma for Alice and Chloe: for all they knew, Laura didn’t have any new sources of income.
She had been working as a part-time waitress at a bar in the city since her first year. But that was just enough to pay the bills, and she still had to ask her parents for money from time to time. Where did that money come from?
Questions
One day, Alice subtly asked Laura about the reason for her sudden affluence and generosity. Alice said that one of her aunts, her mom’s sister, had recently passed away and left her a few thousand in her will.
Alice told Chloe about it. The two girls were surprised that Laura hadn’t told them before they asked, but they bought the explanation. But a few weeks later, something happened that set their alarms on.
Trying To Find Out The Truth
One night, Laura received one of her mysterious phone calls. As usual, she left the house to answer it. As she walked out the door, Chloe and Alice looked at each other and agreed to ask her about the call.
“Who was that? You got a boyfriend now? What’s with all the secrecy?” Alice asked jokingly right after Laura walked back in. Laura’s response instantly made the two girls raise their eyebrows.
“Her Aunt”
“Oh no, that was my aunt. She was asking me about what to get for my mom’s birthday. I went outside because it’s quieter than here,” Laura said.
Her words sounded scripted, like it was an excuse she had prepared in case she was asked about the calls. And bringing up her aunt again? How many sisters did her mom even have? Alice and Chloe thought that wasn’t true. But the straw that broke the camel’s back came a few days later.
Croatia
Spring break was right around the corner, and Laura told her roommates that she wouldn’t be going with them to Florida. This took Alice and Chloe by surprise. The three had been going to Florida together for spring break since their first year of college.
Instead, Laura told them she was going by herself on a trip to Croatia in Eastern Europe. Her roommates found this absolutely outlandish. Laura had never traveled to Europe. Why did she want to do it now, all of a sudden? And all by herself?
But She Was Determined
But that was how it was done. Alice and Chloe said Laura goodbye at the airport and then went to Florida with other friends. For their whole time there, they couldn’t help but keep wondering what Laura would be up to.
They stayed in touch here and there during spring break. Laura sent them some pictures of the hotel and the towns she was visiting. Still, her two friends couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.
Reunited
Finally, the three girls returned to their shared flat. Chloe and Alice got there first, while Laura arrived later that night. She refused to be picked up by any of her flatmates, despite them offering to do so. Again, Alice and Chloe found this strange.
But soon enough, Laura was there. She hugged her three friends and promised to tell them all about her experience in Croatia right after unpacking her baggage. Then she ran to her room with her bags. A few minutes later, Chloe and Alice heard her screaming in horror.
What Was Going On?
Quickly, the two girls jumped off the couch and ran to Laura’s room. The scene they found when they opened Laura’s door was absolutely appalling.
Laura was screaming in a corner of the room, staring at an open suitcase on the bed. All around it, dozens of scorpions ran up and down the bed and the room’s floor. What were they even doing in Laura’s suitcase?
Authorities Step In
Immediately, the three girls left the room, closed the door behind them, and called the police. They told the operator about what was going on, and two officers and some pest control specialists were sent on their way.
Until they got there, the three girls remained in the living room, in shocked and frightened silence. How could that happen? Why was Laura carrying scorpions in her baggage?
A Family Of Scorpions
“At first, we thought she was involved in some sort of racket smuggling exotic animals. She’s studying biology, she’s always been interested in animals, and all that,” Alice admitted to the press when interviewed about the story. “But the authorities told us that it’s not the first time that this has happened, you know, people unknowingly having scorpions or other animals in her luggage, with people coming from countries like Croatia. They just get into people’s bags sometimes and lay eggs there. Still, it was really scary.”
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.