My friends and I used to joke that my hometown was cursed as it suffered from a string of unfortunate incidents over the years. The worst was the Easter egg massacre of 98 where over 23 young children were ripped apart by feral rabbits. I was meant to be taking part in that hunt but had contracted chicken pox and was stuck at home.
I began noticing the affliction that is now overtaken everyone in my hometown about two months ago. I was out shopping in my local grocery store doing my weekly shop for alcohol. I went up to pay and tried talking to the cashier.
I was chatting away and began noticing that he was repeating the same two or three sentences repeatedly. I looked closely at his face and could see tears forming at the corner of his eyes, but yet his face was covered by an almost manic smile. I quickly paid for my beer and pretty much ran out the door.
Over the next few days I began to realise more and more people were exhibiting the same symptoms. I don’t know if others noticed what was happening or if they simply chose to ignore it.
I was out walking one day when I saw a young boy that could be no older than eight. He was chasing his dog around the park and looked like he was having the time of his life. He wasn’t paying attention and accidentally kicked a pigeon that had been eating food off the ground.
All of the afflicted people around him began screaming and charged at him. I stood there frozen as they used their bare hands and began tearing his body apart. I watched old Mrs Grady who is over 90 years old, reach into his skull and pull out one of his eyes and toss it to the ground at her feet. Someone else grabbed his intestines and began pulling them out like they were rope.
The attack lasted just over a minute, and the afflicted walked away as if nothing had happened. The boys body was now just a bloody mess lying on the pavement. The same pigeon from before took great delight in pecking at the boy’s eye that seemed to be glaring at me with an accusatory look.
I spent the next couple of days trying to locate anyone else who hadn’t been changed. I was beyond relieved when I found a girl who still talked normally. We agreed to get the fuck out of the town that evening. I rushed home and grabbed some clothing and anything else I thought necessary.
I reached the location that we had agreed to meet and my heart sank as I saw the same manic grin plastered across her face. I began backing away as dozens of the afflicted began walking towards me. They cornered me against a wall and stared at me with their crazy grins. Many of them had tears of blood flowing from their eyes.
I waited to see what they would do to me but they just stood there unmoving. I pushed past them and walked away with their eyes locked on my back.
I have been staying locked up in my house as I have been too afraid to leave. They have been standing outside peering in and waiting for me. I know that I am the last one left who hasn’t turned into one of them. I am hoping that I am somehow immune as I haven’t shown any of the symptoms that they exhibit.
Today I plan to leave and I am so excited that I cannot hide the grin that covers my face. They have begun moving away from my home in the last few hours for some reason.
I pick up my bag and start to make my way toward the town limits. My feet suddenly seize up and I can feel some unknown force pulling me back. I brush my face and notice there are tears flowing from my eyes. I cannot be turning into one of them, can I? I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee. Help me.