Spores

Genaro (32) lives in a state of living decay, having abandoned his creative passions in a damp, forgotten room. During a hallucinogenic trip compounded by a raging illness, his reality fractures. He is confronted by a mysterious spirit as terrifying fungal growths erupt from his skin—a physical manifestation of his wasted potential and dead dreams. Just as he undergoes a horrifying transformation into a giant woodlouse, a nostalgic piano melody he composed years ago echoes through the walls, shattering the illusion and forcing him awake into reality. Still burning with a real fever, Genaro looks in the mirror and discovers that while his body is clean, the spores are actively devouring his unfinished art and dusty piano. Realizing that his inaction is destroying his legacy, he sits at the keys to unleash a fierce, freeform composition, fighting back the rot through pure, visceral creation.

Written by Edwin Jair Nájera (Mexico)