The Plague

one.

It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been consumed by the need to dominate.

Thinking we could change things with our shiny new science. Thinking we could bend the universe.

What fools we were.

What utter, utter fools.

We underestimated the force we had seen so little of. Mother nature has been quiet. We mistook that silence for submission. People all over the world rejoiced. "We are masters of the earth!" We cried. They reveled in the glory of their power. We lifted up the golden goblet of dominance in honor to ourselves.

Then it all came crashing down on top of our heads.

Human nature is a funny thing. It brings us out of the most inhumane situation stronger, like tempered steel. But yet it causes us to succumb to the basest of instincts.

The industrial revolution brought about a new era in the chronicles of human existence. Factories sprung up like weeds in newly turned dirt and began churning out things to please one's every whim. And although pretty, like true weeds, they ruined the field.

Pollution started being a problem in the early 20th century. We'd managed to make a huge hole in the ozone layer, exposing ourselves to harmful rays.  Behind the facades of shiny new buildings and pretty buildings, there were rivers oozing with waste and decay. Any living thing that came near to it died.

No secret can be kept forever, and with something as significant as that, it had to come out soon. When the general public found out, they were appalled and demanded change immediately. And change did happen but only to some extent. Rivers still got poisoned. Animals still died. People still got sick. Gears still turned. Life went on.

We would be utterly foolish to think that this would go without repercussion. The irony in our demise is that the very same chemicals we used to kill the planet are the same chemicals that it used to kill us.

Over a period of thirty years, the poisoned earth begat it's sickly fruit. Plants that were normally harmless now contained deadly chemicals. Animals that were docile now carried aggressive traits. Water you could drink straight form the river would give you an agonizing, slow, painful death. Common colds wipe out hundreds in days.

Despite all this, humanity still went on, hiding their deeds under the banner of 'progress' and 'sustaining the quality of life.'' But the gig was up. The atrocity had gone on for too long. There would be no forgiveness, there would be no mercy. The only thing left would be revenge.

And revenge would be doled out  with cruel generosity.

At first, everyone thought it was a new side effect to cannabis. "Kinda like bath salts, but with a whole lotta crazy." One person said in a news broadcast. The story got a few broadcasts, but they thought it was insignificant.

That it would blow over in two months

That it wouldn't be noteworthy.

They were wrong.

All of the usual drug abuse symptoms showed up; the headaches, the hallucinations, the skyrocketing blood pressure, all of it.
But then other, more sinister symptoms started showing up later on.
ER's became sardine cans full with people bleeding from their eyes, mouths and nostrils. Mucous started suffocating people in their sleep.Dizziness made travel impossible. Hunger was everyone's wailing babe. It was all they could think about. The fast food restaurants were raking in the bills, though they couldn't enjoy their wealth. Everyone was bleeding, and choking and dizzy and hungry.

Naturally, bodies started piling up. New lots were bought to accommodate the growing need. Also on the market were drugs.
Pain relief. Decongestants, anti nausea and vomiting. They were all there. They helped, to some extent. But none really ended the suffering. No research could seem to find an antiviral for the epidemic.