Dazzlyn and her team knew they had a hit on her hands almost within minutes of releasing “Party Heartache”. The sweet smell of success had been wafting around the entire production process- Barry knew a good thing when he saw it, and “Party Heartache” was good. It became one of those songs that was everywhere, another “Hit me baby one more time”.

Later, after all the fuss died down, he wondered if “Party Heartache” would have been a great hit anyway, without the worms.

But, that is for another multiverse.

Dazzlyn and Barry were together when they saw it happen- not together together, as Barry’s tastes didn’t incline that way, although Dazzlyn was well known for her willingness to “try anything” in her quest to climb to the top. But they had become good work-friends during the production of “Party Heartache”, and they were out shopping at a high end mall, splashing out to celebrate.

Barry had heard the news earlier about ear parasites infesting the city, but Dazzlyn was in her own happy bubble of oblivion.

They were in a fancy supermarket and the first unmistakable, electrifying beats of “Party Heartache” began pulsing out of the loudspeakers. Dazzlyn and Barry looked at each other and laughed. This wasn’t their first rodeo, but it was just as wonderful every time.

There was a pause among the shoppers, and then things continued to move as normal. The song was barely halfway through, when the woman in front of them clapped her hands to her ears, and began shaking her head from side to side. Dazzlyn hardly noticed at first, but Barry knew what was happening.

He hadn’t expected things to go down in such a literal way, although really, there was no other way.

The woman fell, writhing and snapping her head from side to side so hard that it seemed impossible she wouldn’t break her neck. Others too, were on the floor, writhing silently. Only Barry and Dazzlyn were left standing.

Dazzlyn started screaming.

A thick black worm was slowly crawling out of the woman’s ear.

Although Barry knew something like this would happen, nothing could have prepared him for the shock of seeing it in real life. Dazzlyn was screaming non-stop, pointing to the fat worm, now five inches long, curling around broken pheasants’ eggs by the woman who was now convulsing.

Barry put his arms around Dazzlyn- he knew the woman was going to be alright, but he wasn’t so sure about his top star.

Dazzlyn made the mistake of looking at other shoppers.

All were writhing on the ground as thick black worms slithered out of their ears.

“Party Heartache” reached its final soaring beats, and the convulsions became stronger. Worms curled around bottles of Shiraz and Pinot Grigio, fillet steaks and caviar.

Barry tried to lead the hysterical Dazzlyn out of the store, and as “Party Heartache” stopped, the shoppers’ frantic uncontrollable movements also died down.

Barry wondered when the connection would be made.