The Green Flu

Chapter 6 - Alexis

After I finally caught my breath, I opened my eyes and stood up. I didn't realize how hard I was breathing until now. With an exasperated sigh, I looked down at the creature and wondered what the hell it was.

It couldn't be human, it just couldn't be. Humans don't act like savage animals under any circumstances. But it looked so human. It looked like a regular old guy with a regular old job. I don't understand where it could have gone wrong. Were these people who have been changed in some way? Not likely. If this was a person, he wouldn't have broke down my door then tried to kill me. So was it an animal of some kind? Not one that I've ever heard of. No animal looks this similar to human beings.

It looks more like those silly zombies from all those fiction video games and movies. But these things aren't just in video games. They are very real. And they are very dangerous. This wasn't just some video game or some horror movie. This was real life. And that was the scariest part.

I looked away from the dead body, wondering what to do with it. After a moment, I decided just to leave it there. I seriously doubted that I'm the only one who had to deal with one of these creatures. So chances are that they would have something about it on the TV or the radio. If this wasn't happening throughout the city, I would be surprised.

I turned around and tried to forget about the fact that my front door was wide open and anyone could just stroll into my home. I walked back towards my bedroom, pulling off my sweatshirt as it was covered in blood. If anyone could see me, they'd probably think I'm some sort of axe murderer or something.

I turned on the radio to the news channel and it took it a minute of static before any real words came through. I pulled off my pajamas as a male voice came through the radio.

"...reports of The Green Flu spreading quickly." He said. "The symptoms include coughing, vomiting, migraines, and even behavioural change. The Flu seems to make the skin very pale and change eye colour. That sounds a little far fetched, but an alarming number of claims have come in."

I slipped on some brown leggings and a white T-shirt as he talked about this Green Flu. I guess that's what they were calling that sickness going around now. But I didn't think it was this bad. The man stopped talking and a woman started.

"Yes, there's also been people who say that their family members or friends have been effected so bad that they've started acting quite differently."

She paused before continuing. I quickly ducked into my bathroom to wash off the blood on my face and hands and arms, still listening to the news report.

"Some people claim that it has made their family members and friends very aggressive and hostile. It seems unbelievable, but our sources say that people are insisting that it's true."

Now that I got all the blood off of me, I gave my hair a brushing. I grabbed a hair elastic and started pulling my hair into a quick braid, so it would stay out of my face. The man on the radio began reading the reports after the woman stopped.

"The Civil Emergency and Defense Agency or CEDA, have put up stations all over Philadelphia to try and help out with the spreading of infection. They encourage you to find medical help immediately if you're infected with the Green Flu. They also say that if you've been in contact with an infected individual, find medical attention as well before you get infected."

Man, this was a lot more serious than I first thought. They had to bring in CEDA? That can't be good. That could turn out to be a national disaster. The woman's voice came back through the radio.

"This news report will be played again in two hours. We want everyone aware of The Green Flu and of CEDA's presence. Our sources say that if this sickness gets much worse, there may be a chance of a city-wide evacuation. In other news, there's been-".

I shut off the radio, I heard all that I needed. They want anyone who has encountered someone with the flu to go find a CEDA station. And the flu is causing people to become aggressive. I bet I wouldn't be far from the truth to say that that thing laying dead in my kitchen was an infected person. So to make sure I'm not catching this illness, I'll go to one of those CEDA stations and get a check up. And hopefully I'll find some answers to the many questions that the creature or infected has brought into my mind.

I packed myself a quick bag-of-essentials. I put two water bottles in, some snacks since I haven't eaten yet, some Advil because I never leave home without some sort of pain killers, and my wallet. I don't know if CEDA will be charging people for their help, but I'm bringing some money just in case. After I was finished packing, I went over to my closet and opened a small box in the corner. Inside was a single handgun, a pistol. There was some ammo and I stuffed it all in my bag. I'm not technically allowed to have a firearm in my apartment, but who knows. Maybe it'll save my life today.

I double-checked that I had everything I needed in my backpack, then pulled on my Philadelphia Phillies baseball jacket. It couldn't have been after 6:30am so it was still crisp and chilly outside. Without having to shut my door, I walked out into the hallway and started towards the stairs.