The Way the Wind Blows (Third Entry)

Looking Towards the Future

ID: Whitfield, Noah

Status: Recovering, Confused

Location: Chicago, IL

Date and Time: September 15th, 8:51 pm

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"HOORAY!"

As everyone celebrated our victory in the war, something out of the ordinary caught my attention. People were gathering in front of a large TV that sat above the bar, and the looks on their faces told me that something was off. However, the TV was too far away for me to get a read on what was happening.

"Hey, you guys seeing this?" Roman asked with urgency in his voice in the back of the crowd, holding a bottle of beer. Everyone quieted down as he pointed to the TV.

A few of us got out of our seats to join him. Natsuki helped me up and escorted me toward the crowd. I watched in confusion for a few seconds before reading a headline that flashed across the screen.

BREAKING: PEOPLE ATTACKING ONE ANOTHER. REPORTS OF VIRUS SPREADING IN CALIFORNIA. GOV. OFFICIALS BAFFLED

Under the headline listed a few cities before the news anchors revealed a map. In dark red were all of Southern California and a list that read the affected areas. San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, and Santa Maria were listed. A lighter shade of red was also shown around the dark red area. The listed cities were Las Vegas, Fresno, San Jose, San Fransisco, Sacramento, Stockton, Redding, Reno, and Yuma, Arizona.

The news anchors came back and said the virus was rapidly expanding in all directions and is expected to be in the San Francisco area in the next couple of days. The cause of the virus had yet to be determined, and the state of California was soon to be on lockdown for the time being.

"What the hell?" I heard Jacob ask beside me. "What's going on?"

I shook my head and forced out the only words I could muster. "I-I don't know."

What was going on? A virus that has people turning into zombie-like creatures? I had never heard of anything like it before.

My brother came to mind and my eyes widened. If it was running north, would the city of Portland become affected by it, too? I felt my knees become weak as I was forced to lean further into Natsuki for support. She looked at me with a worried expression.

"Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"

I was so dazed by the situation that I couldn't answer her. The TV then showed camera footage of what was supposed to be downtown San Diego. There was a large cloud rising into the sky like a volcano had erupted, and the cloud was covering the entire city. The anchors then paused for a second before the woman turned her attention back to the screen. She looked scared.

"New reports are coming in," she started, taking a deep breath. "The cloud covering San Diego is carrying the virus and due to the low-pressure system coming in, it will carry it directly into the San Fransico area in around six to eight hours. The people of San Fransico and the surrounding areas are advised to evacuate north or east immediately. The rest of you, please stand by as we continue to give important updates..."

"Holy shit," Hayden stated with his hand covering his mouth. "My sister's going to college in Oakland. I need to call her."

He picked up his phone and practically ran outside, leaving the rest of us standing in disbelief. Jacob turned to me with his eyes wide. "What about your brother? He's still in Portland, right?"

Nodding, I could feel my breath running short due to the anxiety swelling inside of me. "Yeah, he is. I just hope that it doesn't reach Portland..."

I said that, but why did I have such an uneasy feeling in my stomach about it? Was it because of the severity of the virus? Was it the fear of my brother turning into one of those people?