Read The Reaper Virus (Novella): Sarcophagus for Free Online Page B

down to eleven,
twelve if their teacher was counted. Not all of the missing kids were sick.
Some had sick family members or forward-thinking parents that decided to limit
their contact with notoriously contagious environments. The school shut down a
few days before, stating a nationwide effort to stem the spread of the R32PR
Virus. It was late in the evening of Ava’s first day out of school that the
C.D.C. confirmed the thirty-third mutation.

 
    Obviously
thinking about her friends, the little girl’s head dipped and her eyes drifted
towards her feet. Jessica gently took her by the chin to lift her frown. “Don’t
you worry about them. They are with their families
just like you’re with me. And you’re right, the best thing to do would be to
keep away from people who are sick; that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

 
    They both
stopped talking; exchanging a quizzical look knowing something had changed. The
rhythmic rocking from stop and go traffic had gone on for so long that they had
become accustomed to the motion like cruise passengers out at sea. Now the
pattern had ceased entirely. Jessica looked out the window seeing cars parked
over every square foot of the bridge. Traffic had finally come to a complete
halt.

 
    “Mommy
look!” Ava gleefully pointed out their window, “it’s the pretty train bridge!”
The ominous construction stood above the obscuring cement walls beyond the
rivers of automobiles and water. They sat aside an enormous painted still frame
of a sight that should have been blurred by movement.

 
    Jessica
acknowledged her daughter’s excitement with a smile then held herself still trying to detect any motion in the giant
wheels below them. Agonizing minutes passed; the only movement came from nervous
tapping in her foot. Others began to talk amongst themselves about stopping so
she stood up, “excuse me, Paul….”

 
    Eager to
please, Paul shot up from his seat, “yes ma’am?”

 
    She
paused. The whispers behind her settled , waiting to
see if Jessica was going to address what clearly worried them as well. Never a
fan of speaking in front of groups, she cleared her throat and started slowly,
“we, uh….” Quiet words coarsely escaped her dry lips. Clearing her throat
again, she found the proper volume, “we’re not moving anymore, like, not even a
little.”

 
    His face
didn’t hide any of the confusion he was feeling. Minutes before, when he made
the announcement that they’d reached the bridge, he was lost in his own
contentment because it was a far better feeling to embrace than the sadness
felt earlier in the morning. The calculated distraction Frank provided by
giving Paul some authority also made him oblivious to a critical detail of
their speed. Trying to save face, he reasoned, “well you know that traffic has
been bad the whole time. Please just sit down. We’ll be moving again in no
time.”

 
    There was
something in his tone that reminded her of Ava’s father; it was a quality that
never failed to irritate her. Hardly withholding her frustration, Jessica shot
back, “this isn’t one of those times where the leader gets to play dumb and
everyone is happy. We’re sitting in park not even halfway over the bridge.
You’ve been labeled as our leader, and that’s fine, but don’t patronize us.”

 
    Muttering
behind them made Jessica roll her eyes. The other retreat members were like a
stereotypical angry mob following the lead of whoever currently voices their
opinion the loudest. Thoughts surged within her, “ we should have taken the car. We should have stayed home. If the world
is fucking ending, what was I thinking when I paid to trap us in a bus with
these people? ” Panic manifested into short breaths; she was working herself
into a place they couldn’t afford to be.

 
    She
rubbed her temples while forcing a few deep breaths. Ava sat on the inside
seat, Jessica had been essentially talking over the confused little girl.
Leaning