No one really knows how it started. The first people to see anything strange were Doug and Jane Hargreaves. They thought they had spotted a group of rats scurrying along the road. On closer inspection, the rats proved to be socks, somehow animated, and propelling themselves like earthworms.
Later that day, a pair of trousers walked themselves down the high street, and several shirts flapped and glided through the air.
Naturally, the call went out to Doctor Roxy Muller and Danny Scurry. Muller checked the socks for radiation and chemicals, while Scurry plotted the reported incidents.
“What do you make of it, Roxy? Science or magic?”
“I don't believe in magic, and you know it.”
“Well, what's your best guess?”
“And I don’t guess. I go by the evidence.”
“OK, what does the evidence tell you?”
“It's a substance called Nescio. It's actually made up of microbes that are supposed to digest dirt in clothes, and is then washed out. Somehow, these have formed a kind of hive mind and control the clothing, apparently bringing it to life.”
“We have to stop it.”
“We can. A mixture of these three chemicals sprayed onto the clothing will disrupt the hive mind and kill the Nescio.”
Half an hour later, Muller, Scurry and several other agents were going through town with spray packs. The clothing was everywhere; suits, dresses, shirts, underwear all creeping or walking or flying. A blast of the spray, and they became still. Just then, a call came in. There was trouble at the local monastery.
The team burst through the doors to see robes, cassocks and albs swirling around. Scurry sprayed them. Nothing happened. Muller joined in. Still nothing happened. It took all the agents to spray every every drop of chemical for the clothes to fall to the ground.
“Why were these so difficult, Roxy?”
“I guess old habits die hard.”
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