"The Virus"

- EIGHT -

That's why I am currently sitting here waiting to see if I can catch this bug myself...

The rain pounded down hard on the roof of the car as it raced through the stormy night sky. The wind howled against the windows, making it difficult for anyone inside to sleep peacefully at night. At least, this was what it felt like anyway. But the driver and passenger inside of the car knew that the reason why their minds were filled with restless thoughts was more likely due to the fact that they knew what was coming. The future was unpredictable. There was always the possibility that their futures might change. That they might die. That they could become infected. That they might turn into animals.
Their fate had already changed once in this world, and they couldn't let it slip through their fingers this time. They had experienced what it had been like before. They knew the risks of infection very well. They knew exactly where the dangers lay within the confines of their home. Their own bodies were proof enough of that.
They were afraid. They were afraid that things would be different this time. What might the changes turn out to be? What will happen next? Will their future selves turn into monsters? Would the transformation bring about an apocalypse? Or was this all a figment of imagination conjured up from some dark corners of our imagination? We don't know. All we can do now is wait. And we will need all the patience we can muster to wait for the inevitable.
This wasn't easy for the occupants of the car. After all, they had never encountered this type of disease before. The only information the doctors gave to them before they sent them off to hospital were vague warnings about the potential danger of the flu virus. They told them that this disease was potentially fatal but they also told them that there were precautions taken to prevent it from spreading. They told them that they should avoid contact with strangers and that they should avoid drinking contaminated water. They told them that they should avoid eating meat or consuming animal products. They told them that they should avoid using certain medicines. They told them that they should avoid smoking cigarettes. They told them that they should avoid drinking alcohol. They told them that they shouldn't eat seafood, especially fish.
When the disease first appeared, it seemed that nothing more would happen. Then, gradually, a pattern emerged. One by one, people who had previously been perfectly healthy showed symptoms of the disease. They slowly became worse.