(All right so this one is going to be a little different than the first two. I'll set you up, its late September of 2016, an unknown viral outbreak has begun to spread across the world. the virus is extremely fatal with an long gestation period during which it is highly contagious. All the rest will parallel my real situation. This won't be pretty and it won't be fun.)
September 21, 2016 Day One
Work tomorrow so here I am at the grocery store buying food for work. All around me things seem normal as people go about their day buying groceries, but things aren't normal. The headlines are filled with the latest virus scare, just under the headlines about the American election. It seems one of the election candidates has been missing from the public eye for several days.
My gut told me something was wrong, very wrong, admittedly my gut always told me something was wrong. Almost without thinking I grabbed some extra items; two cases of water, a bulk pack of toilet paper, protein bars, dried milk, and meal replacements. As I paid for my items the pretty young cashier gave me a smile and raised eyebrow, before ringing through the items. I briefly considered warning her but realized it would only make her uncomfortable and me look crazy.
After I loaded the groceries into my Jeep I made a beeline to the Canadian Tire and picked up four half mask respirators, half a dozen chemical resistant coveralls, painters clothes, and as much duct tape as I could afford. Next stop was the outdoors store for two pound propane bottles and ammunition. Finally it was off to the Shoppers's Drugmart for surgical gloves and hand sanitizer, my credit rating was taking a huge hit today but it wouldn't be the first time and if I was wrong I would just pay it off later.
I tuned to the AM news station on my drive home, the boring voiced liberal media was never my thing but occasionally they hit on something useful. On my short drive home I learned about a wine festival in the Okanogan but nothing useful.
Back at home I did my best to keep my wife, Eden, from seeing my extra purchases. She never liked my paranoid prepper life style but I figured it was better safe than story. My ability to be prepared was far better than my ability to be discrete and she caught on pretty quickly.
"What is it this time? Terrorists? World War 3? These things never turn to be true and you're just wasting money babe."
"It's a viral outbreak this time and it's here."
"What do you mean it's here?"
"I drove past the hospital and it was lined up out the door."
"That happens a lot babe."
"There's more, there's been an increase of sick calls at work and everywhere else."
"So are we just going to hide in the house?"
"No you and Xavier are, we can afford that, I'll go to work until I can't anymore."
Outside an ambulance flew past our house with lights and sirens screaming. For the first time in our marriage my wife consented and said her and Xavier would stay at home for a little while. Before I went to bed I saw a new headline stating the US presidential candidate had died, and just below that a body count from India that had reached six digits.
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