Evolution (Completed) ✔

Prologue: The End

Mayor McArthur's clean shaven face looked like that of a male model; decorated with short, salt and pepper hair

" This is an extraordinary opportunity. Our town is to be the first to receive this breakthrough in medical science . . ." His stiff arms stood toward the sky, " This vaccine is a cure to all disease, an armour to every flaw in nature!" He cawed.

" A cure, ay?", Miles glanced through his swollen eyes at the puke pail on his floor. He winced as a breeze came through his window, blowing open the curtains.

" Mom?"

Her quiet footsteps pattered down the hallway until they reached his door,

" Jesus Miles, I thought I told you to clean your room?"

" It's a little too late now," He chuckled dryly, " Why don't you come in, am I that disgusting looking?"

He tried to laugh at his joke, instead he was ravaged by a fit of hacking coughs.

" --- Oh." His mother's voice fell into a whisper. Slowly she turned the knob and poked her head in. Miles looked at her through one eye, the other being glued shut by the white light shining from the corner of the room.

" Can you please close my blinds, the light hurts my head," He had to force his voice through his dry throat.

" Still? You've gone through a whole container of aspirin almost!" She paced across the room and shut the blue curtain. Miles sighed as it washed the room over in a cool darkness. His mother stood rigid at the foot of the bed, one hand resting awkwardly on his socked foot. Her blonde bun bounced back and fourth on her head as she frowned at him. Miles stared at her from over his wool blanket,

" Still sick, mum?" He asked.

Her head snapped upward, she looked at the bundle of blankets that he spoke from,

" Yes, just fretting about how dirty the house is." She kicked something on Miles' floor and it rolled across the carpet.

" We've been sick for two days mum, just chill out."

She spoke as if she hadn't heard him, " I'm going to call Aidyn in, he's feeling better already --- and stop listening to that rotten television. That Mayor of ours is a loony." Her eyes lingered on the screen as she pointed at Mayor James. With a sigh, she turned away and began heading for the door.

Her body jerked as she walked, her eyes stared straight through the wall it seemed. Miles' brain  throbbed in his skull, so didn't give her much thought. The flu had been doing strange things to people. He rested his head back down on his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. The stench of sickness  seeped into his nose and the dry, slimy taste coated his mouth. He felt powerless and weak as he gave in and shut his eyes, listening to the rantings of the Mayor.

The heavy, sullen footsteps of his brother stepped into the room a minute later. Miles peeked one eye open, his brother looked dorkier than usual. A blue hospital mask covered his mouth and nose, a pair of rubber gloves were pulled up to the cuff of his black church shirt. The shirt matched his slick, raven coloured hair.  Miles could smell the steaming cup of tea before it was set down on his night stand.

" I called the hospital again, they said these are normal symptoms," Aidyn sighed.

" So, I'm not going to die?"

" Not quite, but if you do maybe we'll get a good sum of money from the government."

Aidyn's stale humor almost made Miles laugh. But as his brother spoke again, the same monotone hum lingered in his voice. He pointed to the tea cup,

" Drink this, I'm sick of hearing you throw up, and I'm going to the chapel. Text me if you need anything."

He pushed his glasses back onto his nose, stood up and started for the door,

" Are you still sick?" The question came out before Miles could think about it,

Aidyn didn't turn back as he talked, " No. Good immune system I guess."

He sped out of the room and left the door swinging wide open. The soft hum of the news channel lulled Miles into a lethargic state as he stared at the beige wall of the hallway.