Tanny’s Careful

Tanny’s more careful than me.

I wanted to barge right in, but he said wait so we waited.

Turned out I was right this time, but I appreciate his caution.

That first few weeks after the bug hit, people were likely to do anything.

Before the news went off the air for good, we’d hear stories of murder-suicides nearly every day.

They’d lose hope and love and everything but rage.

Eventually they lost that too.

Nowadays, there’s so few of us left you’d think we’d get along better, but no.

It’s the same as ever.

That’s why Tanny’s so careful.

 

Friday Fictioneers

9 thoughts on “Tanny’s Careful

  1. That’s a very interesting speculation. There are parasites that modify the behaviour of animals – one that makes mice unafraid of cats, for example – so it’s certainly possible that a bug to change human behaviour might exist. Your penultimate sentence, though, suggests that the story is a sort of cautionary tale describing life as it may become from where we are now, with increasing levels of gun and knife crime. Good write. Kudos!

  2. The ultimate nightmare. Even in such a bleak scenario people can’t work together. I fear your story touches on a frightening truth about human nature. Well told.

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