The Reaper Virus Read Online Free PDF

didn’t even hear in
Iraq. The rookie who fired the shots was shaken and he kept saying
something about the guy walking towards him – even while taking
rounds in the chest. When the bum was about six feet away he
lunged, using all the speed he didn’t use while taking bullet after
bullet. That’s when he shot at his face and the guy went down.”
    After a moment or two lost in our beer
glasses I joked that the guy was “kind of like a zombie.” I’m a
smartass at heart, and was just trying to break the silence. In the
back of my mind though, I wanted confirmation… confirmation for
something that shouldn’t ever be.
    “Zombie,” Lance said, expressionless. “Why
the fuck did you say that ? I keep thinking
that, but didn’t want to say it. You really think the Reaper virus
is like the zombie viruses from all the movies, games, and
shit?”
    I shrugged, waiting for a punch line to this
joke the world was telling us. We didn’t laugh. Instead, a few
minutes of silence followed this idea so absurd it had to be
considered.
    “We need to find out what happens further in
the infection. Are these people becoming violent and then dying or is it something else? Either way, we
need to gather more information before we make a plan.”
     
    * * *
     
    0845 hours:
     
    I was sitting on the couch at home, filled
with dread because I knew when Sarah woke up I would have to tell
her what Lance told me. The last thing I’d ever want to do was
worry her, but I was realizing that denial in any form right now
could be a deadly mistake. In the blissful quiet of my sleeping
house I started forming a mental script of how I’d tell my wife the
world might be ending.
    I felt my eyelids grow heavy. The comfort of
my couch usually joined forces with the exhaustion of a busy night
to knock me out before even making it to the bed. A fog of
persistent grogginess started taking its justifiable hold. Then a
little voice snapped me back to reality.
    “Good morning, Daddy.”
    Calise stood before me in pink pajamas that
were patterned with kittens and cupcakes. She smiled sweetly with
messy curls twirled about her head like a halo.
    “Hi, Princess. Did you have good dreams?”
    She smiled and said, “Yes I did! Were you
nice to the sick people last night?”
    My heart sunk at the innocent question. I
wished that the world were that easy.
    “Yes baby. I helped the police officers be
nice to all the sick people. Now let’s stop talking and snuggle on
the couch until your mommy and brother wake up. Daddy could sure
use some snuggle time!”
    Calise was already nestled at my side under
the blue and white afghan before I even finished talking. It wasn’t
long before I dozed again. With a mini angel at my side it became
easier to find hints of peace and rest. Sometime during my teasing
of deep sleep Maddox joined us on the couch. Sarah emerged from the
bedroom and rubbed my arm until I woke up to let me know it was
time for breakfast. Everyone went to the table and began tearing
through cereal like a swarm of locusts through crops.
    The sight of my family at the table always
brings a smile to my face and this morning was no exception.
However, there was an unavoidable hesitation in my actions. Sarah
and I needed to talk about what Lance told me. She picked up on it
and waited for the kids to finish before suggesting they go play
with Legos together until one of their favorite shows came on.
    When we heard their scurrying end down the
hall in Maddox’s room I began to recount all that Lance and I
discussed. She sat listening while I unloaded the burden of knowing
the reality of this all. Normally someone should feel better once
they don’t have to deal with something like whatever this is alone.
The fact that I only felt worse was evidence that the world had
departed from normality. Sarah was scared, but tried to cover
herself with her typical adorable smartass comments. Frankly, I was
scared too.
    Many possible courses of action