The Sickness

“Sir, can you tell us more about the sickness?”

The man in the long white coat standing at the podium clears his throat. “Here’s what we know about it: it’s highly contagious, it spreads through the air, and there is no known cure.”

A woman in front yells out, “Is it true that people are turning into zombies?”

He stands in silence for a moment. Ignoring her, he continues, “Here’s what we don’t know: where it came from, how to stop it, or why it’s killing everyone.”

A silent breeze creeps in through an open window and slithers through the anxious crowd.

“Are we safe?” Another calls out.

“I assure you we are safe so long as we stay indoors. We have people working around the clock to put an end to this.”

A young man in the back faints.

“Hey we need a medic over here! He’s turning blue!” A panic-stricken voice pierces through the auditorium.

The man at the podium watches as someone else falls to the floor. And another. Then two more.

His eyes grow wide and he disappears from the stage as the screams of horror rise up.

He knows what this means. He’s seen it before a dozen times.

They’re all going to die.