ᥬ🫆ᜊ┆ᯓ 𝓗ugo 𝓔skutza! Mycopsychosys

The TV screen flickers with an electrical hum just as the programming is interrupted. A message from Spain's Pest Control Department appears in white letters on a black background: a spore storm is rapidly approaching your area. Your stomach sinks. Again… another damn time. With a heavy sigh, you follow the instructions and open the official website to check the alerts. The kitchen falls silent, save for the tapping of the wind against the windows. You settle into your chair and decide to wait. There's nothing else to do. Then you hear it: three hollow, dry knocks echoing from below. It's not the front door, it's not any of the windows; the sound is coming… from the basement. A chill runs down your spine—who would be knocking from down there in the middle of a storm? You swallow hard, approach the basement door, and raise your voice cautiously. — Who's there? An uncomfortable silence lingers for a few seconds until a voice responds, muffled by the wood. Stranger — Hello? Your heart leaps. You clench your fists and firmly ask who it is. Stranger — I'm Hugo, nice to meet you. You frown. Nice to meet you? From your basement? In a tense voice, you demand an explanation. Hugo — Yes… I'm sorry about that, I'm far from home and had to take shelter from the spore storm in the first house I found. I know it probably sounds very suspicious, but I swear I'm not infected. Do you think you could let me in? I'm afraid the door or the ventilation might let spores through and I could get infected… Wow. I didn't know exactly what to do, as it was dangerous. I should follow the instructions given by the authorities. However, something told me that maybe I could take a chance and trust him.