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“You mean the world,” said Anna

Sadly, I kneas just a matter of time before I, too, became a monster

“I eek,” Anna continued, “but has anyone noticed that no women have been reported to be infected?”

Her comment caused a lot of eyebrows to be raised Notall I could to remain sane Carla was the first to respond, “Wow,” said Carla “Nice catch What are your thoughts about this, Anna?”

“Well, what if—because of the differences in our physiology or eht be immune to the infection?”

“Interesting speculation,” Mike said “We have discreetly found out that people all over the world are becoht, every victim, that we know of, has beenother hu this unprecedented catastrophe”

I was now having so this period of my sickness, I had no idea to what extent I would loseTruth was, no one knehat to expect from this outbreak Perhaps the ents in Black Perhaps no one would ever co consequences of what had happenedor was about to happen

Sweet Jesus

“You’re being very quiet, Jack How are you doing?” I heard Carla say, an edge of concern in her voice

I still knew that I was Jack, only I didn’t want her to know just how sick I felt So I didn’t reply

As I agonized over what had happened and worried about as to come, I sat with them at the kitchen table in the Los Feliz house where I sometimes lived, a place that was usually full of warood times for Anna and me

“Jack?” I heard nized where I was But I felt feverish, drugged

I tried to focus on nition We were in a beautiful, old Spanish-style house, set back froeles The faint crealy crafted with arched wooden doors and Mexican-tiled halls throughout and a terracotta tile roof where doves nested under the eaves and cooed in the s The house wasn’tOtherwise, I would most certainly have been found by now, and perhaps wiped off the face of the earth by the Agents in Black

“Earth to Jack,” Mike said “Come in, please”

“Snap out of it, Jack!” Carla said

I sat with my elbows on the table, my head buried in my hands, and tried to concentrate on the conversation unfolding aroundwith her boyfriend, Jared, ood friend Carla the cop across froht

Mike had been infected along withhi and for the first time since he was infected, he seemed normal, hopefully cured He noed no syeneral consensus was that I would have to be drowned, too, if I wanted to save my sanity And my life

Jesus, what an option A horrible, shitty option

I moaned and held up my hand for them to see

“Look at that! It’s getting worse,” Anna said and got a package of frozen peas from the freezer and laid it on my hand “Maybe this will help”