uncontrollable fever and within an hour signs of delirium. As the woman became aware of just how widespread the calamity was, she warned others away from her hometown.
Continuing to scan the next few pages, the woman’s posts began to taper off. She indicated that she checked on her husband every few minutes and that he started going in and out of consciousness. He stopped breathing and then again started just before she tried to call for an ambulance. She indicated that the emergency number had rung for over an hour, without anyone picking up.
In her final post, the desperate woman from Atlanta who’d been a member of the forum for less than two months, asked for prayers and said that she was going to the living room to sit with her husband. She would continue dialing for help, although his face had gone flush, and his pulse was slowing with each passing minute. Her last six words… “I fear this is the end.”
Before refreshing the page, David paused and looked at the phone. He picked it up, hit the dial button, and held it to his ear. “Damn it.” Still no dial tone.
As Ethan turned away from the window, his smile was oddly out of place. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows rose a stack of smoke from somewhere along the eastern edge of town. David knew that the dense brown column meant that somewhere a structure was burning.
Nodding to Ethan he said, “I think we need to get out there and see what’s going on, and what’s with the smile?”
“Emma’s gonna kill me. Those chili people are out past the library and blocking Main, all the way up to Third Street. They’re just milling around out there like cattle. We’re gonna have to go all the way around and take Fourth back to Main.”
“I don’t know man, whatever’s happening out there looks like it’s taking over, taking over everything. It’s not just the big cities. It’s everywhere. I say we go check Shannon’s house, then run by the hospital just to make sure.”
“Make sure of what?” Ethan said. “That those things from the internet don’t come running through our pitiful little town? Trust me, no one wants to come here, not even those… whatever they are. I mean the people that live here have been trying to escape for years, and—”
“Speak for yourself.”
“I always do.”
“Okay Mister Know-it-All, so what’s with the smoke, and why aren’t there any sirens?”
“Well, for one,” Ethan said, “I assume that’s coming from the super awesome, people magnet that is the Chilifest. You know, out there at John’s farm. And there probably aren’t any sirens because every fireman within thirty miles is over there waiting to get a taste of all that free chili.”
“Either way, we need to get in the truck and do something.”
“You mean like, our jobs?”
David shook his head, “You actually wanting to work? Wow, this world must really be coming to an end. That has never happened.”
Ethan reached into the desk and grabbed the keys. “There’s a first time for everything.”
13
Waving the smoke away, Griffin dragged the first three limp bodies he came across to the side of the road before he was able to spot her. The fire that spread from the SUV had now taken over the entire rear of the overturned bus and was quickly advancing.
Leaning in, he brushed aside the largest shards of broken glass and nearly fell back as the driver appeared to move. Squatting, he placed his index and middle finger along the driver's carotid, and continued to find the female voice. “I’m coming, just keep talking, what’s your name?”
“Cora, my name is Cora, please help.” The intensity in her voice now outpaced the flames consuming the bus. “There’s someone back here that’s… that’s trying to kill me.”
Unable to locate a pulse, Griffin slid the driver out of the way, although he was still focused on the unusual facial characteristics of
Continuing to scan the next few pages, the woman’s posts began to taper off. She indicated that she checked on her husband every few minutes and that he started going in and out of consciousness. He stopped breathing and then again started just before she tried to call for an ambulance. She indicated that the emergency number had rung for over an hour, without anyone picking up.
In her final post, the desperate woman from Atlanta who’d been a member of the forum for less than two months, asked for prayers and said that she was going to the living room to sit with her husband. She would continue dialing for help, although his face had gone flush, and his pulse was slowing with each passing minute. Her last six words… “I fear this is the end.”
Before refreshing the page, David paused and looked at the phone. He picked it up, hit the dial button, and held it to his ear. “Damn it.” Still no dial tone.
As Ethan turned away from the window, his smile was oddly out of place. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows rose a stack of smoke from somewhere along the eastern edge of town. David knew that the dense brown column meant that somewhere a structure was burning.
Nodding to Ethan he said, “I think we need to get out there and see what’s going on, and what’s with the smile?”
“Emma’s gonna kill me. Those chili people are out past the library and blocking Main, all the way up to Third Street. They’re just milling around out there like cattle. We’re gonna have to go all the way around and take Fourth back to Main.”
“I don’t know man, whatever’s happening out there looks like it’s taking over, taking over everything. It’s not just the big cities. It’s everywhere. I say we go check Shannon’s house, then run by the hospital just to make sure.”
“Make sure of what?” Ethan said. “That those things from the internet don’t come running through our pitiful little town? Trust me, no one wants to come here, not even those… whatever they are. I mean the people that live here have been trying to escape for years, and—”
“Speak for yourself.”
“I always do.”
“Okay Mister Know-it-All, so what’s with the smoke, and why aren’t there any sirens?”
“Well, for one,” Ethan said, “I assume that’s coming from the super awesome, people magnet that is the Chilifest. You know, out there at John’s farm. And there probably aren’t any sirens because every fireman within thirty miles is over there waiting to get a taste of all that free chili.”
“Either way, we need to get in the truck and do something.”
“You mean like, our jobs?”
David shook his head, “You actually wanting to work? Wow, this world must really be coming to an end. That has never happened.”
Ethan reached into the desk and grabbed the keys. “There’s a first time for everything.”
13
Waving the smoke away, Griffin dragged the first three limp bodies he came across to the side of the road before he was able to spot her. The fire that spread from the SUV had now taken over the entire rear of the overturned bus and was quickly advancing.
Leaning in, he brushed aside the largest shards of broken glass and nearly fell back as the driver appeared to move. Squatting, he placed his index and middle finger along the driver's carotid, and continued to find the female voice. “I’m coming, just keep talking, what’s your name?”
“Cora, my name is Cora, please help.” The intensity in her voice now outpaced the flames consuming the bus. “There’s someone back here that’s… that’s trying to kill me.”
Unable to locate a pulse, Griffin slid the driver out of the way, although he was still focused on the unusual facial characteristics of
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