The Curse

A meteorite crashes onto the Crane farm during the night, emitting an eerie glow and strange ooze. The hard-shelled object begins dissolving into a glowing liquid that seeps into the soil, signaling the start of the spreading threat. The incident draws attention from local residents and sets the stage for the ensuing horror.

The following morning, Dr. Alan Forbes visits the crash site to examine the meteorite. He notes a hard shell and a noxious ooze that seeps into the ground. He wants to alert authorities, but Charlie Davidson and Esther pressure him to keep quiet, fearing economic repercussions for the TVA project.

The farm experiences the first signs of the alien influence: well water grows cloudy and tastes wrong, crops become unrealistically huge yet rotten inside, and livestock behave violently. Alice and Zack observe the strange changes and begin to worry for their safety. The infection starts to widen its grip on the property.

Frances develops grotesque boils on her face and descends into madness, physically harming herself and her family. Nathan locks her in their bedroom to protect Zack and Alice. Zack and Alice try to stay safe while the infection threatens to consume the home.

Forbes secretly collects a sample from the Cranes' well and has it analyzed at a nearby lab. The test reveals a strange, unknown element that alters the water's metabolic properties and molecular structure. The discovery confirms the source of the blight and heightens the danger.

Carl Willis, a TVA representative, arrives to survey the reservoir project and helps himself to water from the Cranes' kitchen faucet. Frances attacks him while she is fully mutated, nearly killing him. His presence accelerates the race toward confrontation with authorities.

Esther and Charlie Davidson arrive at the farm to find Forbes and help him, but infected dogs attack and overwhelm them. Esther is mauled to death and Davidson hides in the cellar, where he is killed and consumed by Frances. The family’s nightmare grows closer to collapse.

Nathan and Cyrus witness the infected cows in the shed decaying from within, revealing maggots and worms. The cows explode, showering them with insects and signaling the full scale of the outbreak. The mutation continues to spread through the farm.

Forbes enters the house to rescue Zack and Alice but is murdered by Nathan. Zack and Alice hide in a closet as the threat closes in, forced to face a doomed household turning toward ruin. The doctor’s effort to warn others ends violently.

Cyrus attacks Alice while Zack fights him off, and Nathan corners Zack. Willis arrives and saves the children, then a beam collapses the house, killing Nathan and Cyrus. Willis leads Zack and Alice to safety as the structure falls apart.

Months later, Willis lies in a hospital bed with a heavy bandage, having contracted the infection more slowly by drinking only a small amount of the farm's water. He watches a news report about eradication efforts. The threat remains lurking in the countryside.

Back in the nearby countryside, ground and trees begin to heave at night, revealing more glowing alien liquid spreading across the surface. The mutagenic entity seems to still be alive, suggesting a planned invasion of Earth. The story closes on this ominous note.