| General Fiction posted January 30, 2024 | Chapters: |
-1- 
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River waits in line to purchase a cure dose for his mom
A chapter in the book The Outbreak
The Breaking Point
by T.A. Walk
River waited patiently in line at the pharmacy. The hooded customer at the counter seemed to be angry with the pharmacist. There were several people ahead of him so River could not tell what they were arguing about. Between the distance and the thick masks on their faces, their words were unintelligible.
The cell phone in his pocket vibrated. He removed the phone and pressed the screen. The text preview from his brother read, “U ok? Ben gon awhile… Txt or call pls”. River swiped upward on the phone screen and entered his password when prompted. He opened messages and typed, “Learn how to use proper grammar big brother, you lok like a fool… I’m fine. Be back home soon.”
His thumb hovered over the send button as he reviewed his reply. River double-tapped his screen to highlight “lok” and corrected his error. After checking a second time, he tapped send. Assuming his brother would reply right away, River looked around the pharmacy. One of the security guards from the front of the store was walking toward the unruly customer. At this point, the pharmacist looked absolutely disgusted.
This time the cell phone startled him when it vibrated. River jumped, causing him to blush and fervently look around for a moment. Content to believe no one had seen him, he looked back at his phone as he touched the screen. “Moms don look gud bro. Lk 4 relz wit a z bro”, his brother’s message read. “I am in line, bro. I cannot go any faster, bro!” he replied.
A woman’s scream startled him again and he cursed himself under his breath. He closed the phone and slid it in his pocket. The scream came from the customer at the counter. The pharmacist had stepped away and retreated further into his secured glass room. The security guard was holding onto the woman’s arm and seemed to be trying to drag her away.
Several television screens hung on the wall to entertain waiting customers. River briefly looked at the closest monitor as the emergency alert sound echoed through the room. While he waited, he scanned the crowd and saw that everyone had stopped and turned to the nearest screen. We look like zombies, he thought to himself. A voice from the collective monitors brought his attention back to his own.
“Hello, everyone. We are interrupting to bring you an important world health update. The outbreak is spreading faster than anticipated. We are urging citizens to stay in their homes except for under emergency circumstances. Military personnel are being distributed throughout the United States to counter the spread of the disease.
“Our initial recommendations were wrong. The cure does not work. I repeat, our initial recommendations were wrong. The cure does not work.
“Please be advised, any infected persons must be taken to the nearest medical facility for processing. If you do not, you are in danger. The most advanced stage we have been able to examine presents with extremely violent behavior. The cure does not work.”
“Let go of me!” a woman screamed.
“I repeat, please be advised, any…”
“Look lady, you need to leave! Now!” the security guard yelled back.
“…processing. If you do not, you…”
“I said let go of me!” the woman cried out as she attempted to punch the guard with her free hand.
“I said you need to leave!” shouted the guard as he removed his pistol from its holster.
The old woman looked terrified as she backed against the counter, free of the guard’s grasp. Her hood had fallen from her head, exposing her lesions to the crowd. The security guard looked equally terrified, and his weapon shook in his hands between them.
“…cure does not work. I repeat…”
People in the crowd closest to the woman started to panic. Instead of attempting an exit, they began pushing and shoving each other. A gunshot drew gasps and frightened screams from the crowd. The old woman fell to the floor abruptly, followed by the guard’s gun.
“They’re trying to keep the cure from us!” a man in line screamed.
“…you do not, you are in danger. The…”
Two men tackled the security guard while another grabbed his gun.
“She’s infected! We need the cure!” a woman in the crowd shouted at the pharmacist behind the counter.
The pharmacist waved her hands and shook her head back and forth. The man with the gun aimed it at her.
“Please, we were just informed not to sell any more doses,” the pharmacist pleaded. “Please, listen to the broadcast!”
“…cure does not work…”
“That’s just so’s they can keep ‘em to themselfs! Weren’t no problems yesterday!” another man yelled.
The crowd cheered as the closest people began to bang on the glass surrounding the pharmacist’s workspace. Two more gunshots echoed through the pharmacy and River dove to the floor. The pharmacist and two assistants ducked behind the counter, but the glass held. Scared customers ran toward the exits as others turned to violence.
A man and a woman were screaming in pain from deflected bullet wounds. One person was running around screaming for bandages while another was simply standing and screaming.
“Burn them out!” yelled the man with the gun.
River crouched behind an endcap as he peeked out at the chaos unfolding. The left side of the gunman’s face exploded as another gunshot cracked through the pharmacy. The second security guard was on one knee behind the information desk by the main entrance. The barrel of the M-4 expelled a whisp of smoke as the entire crowd stopped moving and looked toward her.
Instantly the crowd’s motivation shifted. Everyone who wasn’t running away from the situation or hiding moved toward the shooter. The security guard fired twice more, then turned and ran from the store. Two women gave chase as the first security guard picked himself up off the floor. His assailants lay motionless at his feet. With no more guns currently in sight, River dashed toward the exit.
“…be advised, initial concerns of an airborne illness were wrong. The illness can only be transferred by…”
Gunshots outside caused River to lose his footing. He stumbled, fell forward, and caught himself before his face hit the floor. As customers ran in seemingly all directions, River crawled behind the information desk.
“Please don’t!” a female voice cried.
River looked back to the pharmacy as a large flame ran across the counter. A woman with a cigarette lighter and bottle of alcohol stood laughing near one end.
“…not allow an infected individual to bleed…”
Outside the store sounded like a battlefield. Multiple gunshots rang out in the street.
“Just give us them cures! Weren’t no need for all this!” a man shouted.
Police sirens echoed through the streets as responders closed in on the scene.
“…masks are not a necessity at this point. I repeat, please be advised, initial…”
The sirens caused a temporary ceasefire and River took the opportunity to run to the exit. He pushed the door open as he rushed forward. The afternoon sun was blinding. For a moment he paused to squint his eyes and adjust to the light. People were running around in all directions.
As soon as his eyes adjusted enough to ensure he wouldn’t stumble, River sprinted toward home.
River waited patiently in line at the pharmacy. The hooded customer at the counter seemed to be angry with the pharmacist. There were several people ahead of him so River could not tell what they were arguing about. Between the distance and the thick masks on their faces, their words were unintelligible.
The cell phone in his pocket vibrated. He removed the phone and pressed the screen. The text preview from his brother read, “U ok? Ben gon awhile… Txt or call pls”. River swiped upward on the phone screen and entered his password when prompted. He opened messages and typed, “Learn how to use proper grammar big brother, you lok like a fool… I’m fine. Be back home soon.”
His thumb hovered over the send button as he reviewed his reply. River double-tapped his screen to highlight “lok” and corrected his error. After checking a second time, he tapped send. Assuming his brother would reply right away, River looked around the pharmacy. One of the security guards from the front of the store was walking toward the unruly customer. At this point, the pharmacist looked absolutely disgusted.
This time the cell phone startled him when it vibrated. River jumped, causing him to blush and fervently look around for a moment. Content to believe no one had seen him, he looked back at his phone as he touched the screen. “Moms don look gud bro. Lk 4 relz wit a z bro”, his brother’s message read. “I am in line, bro. I cannot go any faster, bro!” he replied.
A woman’s scream startled him again and he cursed himself under his breath. He closed the phone and slid it in his pocket. The scream came from the customer at the counter. The pharmacist had stepped away and retreated further into his secured glass room. The security guard was holding onto the woman’s arm and seemed to be trying to drag her away.
Several television screens hung on the wall to entertain waiting customers. River briefly looked at the closest monitor as the emergency alert sound echoed through the room. While he waited, he scanned the crowd and saw that everyone had stopped and turned to the nearest screen. We look like zombies, he thought to himself. A voice from the collective monitors brought his attention back to his own.
“Hello, everyone. We are interrupting to bring you an important world health update. The outbreak is spreading faster than anticipated. We are urging citizens to stay in their homes except for under emergency circumstances. Military personnel are being distributed throughout the United States to counter the spread of the disease.
“Our initial recommendations were wrong. The cure does not work. I repeat, our initial recommendations were wrong. The cure does not work.
“Please be advised, any infected persons must be taken to the nearest medical facility for processing. If you do not, you are in danger. The most advanced stage we have been able to examine presents with extremely violent behavior. The cure does not work.”
“Let go of me!” a woman screamed.
“I repeat, please be advised, any…”
“Look lady, you need to leave! Now!” the security guard yelled back.
“…processing. If you do not, you…”
“I said let go of me!” the woman cried out as she attempted to punch the guard with her free hand.
“I said you need to leave!” shouted the guard as he removed his pistol from its holster.
The old woman looked terrified as she backed against the counter, free of the guard’s grasp. Her hood had fallen from her head, exposing her lesions to the crowd. The security guard looked equally terrified, and his weapon shook in his hands between them.
“…cure does not work. I repeat…”
People in the crowd closest to the woman started to panic. Instead of attempting an exit, they began pushing and shoving each other. A gunshot drew gasps and frightened screams from the crowd. The old woman fell to the floor abruptly, followed by the guard’s gun.
“They’re trying to keep the cure from us!” a man in line screamed.
“…you do not, you are in danger. The…”
Two men tackled the security guard while another grabbed his gun.
“She’s infected! We need the cure!” a woman in the crowd shouted at the pharmacist behind the counter.
The pharmacist waved her hands and shook her head back and forth. The man with the gun aimed it at her.
“Please, we were just informed not to sell any more doses,” the pharmacist pleaded. “Please, listen to the broadcast!”
“…cure does not work…”
“That’s just so’s they can keep ‘em to themselfs! Weren’t no problems yesterday!” another man yelled.
The crowd cheered as the closest people began to bang on the glass surrounding the pharmacist’s workspace. Two more gunshots echoed through the pharmacy and River dove to the floor. The pharmacist and two assistants ducked behind the counter, but the glass held. Scared customers ran toward the exits as others turned to violence.
A man and a woman were screaming in pain from deflected bullet wounds. One person was running around screaming for bandages while another was simply standing and screaming.
“Burn them out!” yelled the man with the gun.
River crouched behind an endcap as he peeked out at the chaos unfolding. The left side of the gunman’s face exploded as another gunshot cracked through the pharmacy. The second security guard was on one knee behind the information desk by the main entrance. The barrel of the M-4 expelled a whisp of smoke as the entire crowd stopped moving and looked toward her.
Instantly the crowd’s motivation shifted. Everyone who wasn’t running away from the situation or hiding moved toward the shooter. The security guard fired twice more, then turned and ran from the store. Two women gave chase as the first security guard picked himself up off the floor. His assailants lay motionless at his feet. With no more guns currently in sight, River dashed toward the exit.
“…be advised, initial concerns of an airborne illness were wrong. The illness can only be transferred by…”
Gunshots outside caused River to lose his footing. He stumbled, fell forward, and caught himself before his face hit the floor. As customers ran in seemingly all directions, River crawled behind the information desk.
“Please don’t!” a female voice cried.
River looked back to the pharmacy as a large flame ran across the counter. A woman with a cigarette lighter and bottle of alcohol stood laughing near one end.
“…not allow an infected individual to bleed…”
Outside the store sounded like a battlefield. Multiple gunshots rang out in the street.
“Just give us them cures! Weren’t no need for all this!” a man shouted.
Police sirens echoed through the streets as responders closed in on the scene.
“…masks are not a necessity at this point. I repeat, please be advised, initial…”
The sirens caused a temporary ceasefire and River took the opportunity to run to the exit. He pushed the door open as he rushed forward. The afternoon sun was blinding. For a moment he paused to squint his eyes and adjust to the light. People were running around in all directions.
As soon as his eyes adjusted enough to ensure he wouldn’t stumble, River sprinted toward home.
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