Nell's life has been filtered through a pastel coloured lens, curated via social media, but when her work as a paleobotanist takes her to a dig close to home, her instincts and history begin to surface. As nature takes over things veer out of control. This is a story of a hot oppressive summer - of desire, trauma and transformation that weaves history and folklore into a modern body horror.
They are breaking through her skin. Dark jabs through her pores. She draws him closer. She wraps her legs around his back. She ignores the sting of the lumps, which are no longer lumps but buds - of course, buds! - and at last they're bursting open. Purple tendrils, purple florets unfurling like claws.
Something has risen in her like dawn, sending her into a wonderful bloom. Her hands itch. She has felt something like this before, in another time, another life. Powerful, yet out of control. Somewhere between joyful and dangerous.
