Sam wasn’t sure if it was a wonderful sign or a sign of disaster, but Sam knew something wasn’t right. As his feet hit the floor, Sam looked outside of his window. He noticed that the sky was a mix of fluorescent green and yellow; reminding him of toxic waste. With curiosity coursing through him; Sam slid his feet into his slippers and ventured down the stairs. When he entered the living room he found his parents sat encompassed in the television. Bold letters on the news station read, “ALERT: STAY INDOORS AT ALL TIMES!”
“What’s going on?” Sam asked his parents.
“They haven’t really said much. I don’t even think the news reporters know what’s going on,” his father responded with a slight panic covering his face.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just some sort of reflection. There’s no surprise that the news wants to blow this out of proportion. With that being said, I can’t be late to work and I’m not about to let an abnormally colored sky threaten my career,” Sam’s mother added, visibly agitated.
Sam turned his attention back to the television where his mother had changed the channel. She rose from the couch and grabbed her handbag. She took out her smartphone and captured a few pictures of the odd sky. She walked over to Sam’s dad; giving him a kiss on the cheek. She then approached Sam, grabbing onto the top of his head and giving it a little shake.
“Don’t let the news scare you, honey. As you get older you will realize they make everything sound much worse than it is in reality. Just take a moment to look at the sky today, you may never see something like this again in your lifetime.”
Ready for work, Sam’s mother walked to the front door and twisted the knob. As she opened the door and her foot crossed the threshold onto the front porch, Sam’s attention was drawn to a fog that began to cover the floor.
“Get back in here and close the door for heaven’s sake!” Sam’s dad exclaimed, petrified from the strange fog that had started to diffuse around the room.
Before they knew it, the air seemed to thicken. The lack of breathable air caused Sam and his parents to become asphyxiated. Sam’s father quickly swept him off of the ground where he ran him upstairs; away from the mysterious fog. Sam’s mother followed behind the two as his father guided them into their bedroom. He placed Sam onto their bed and rushed around the tiny room to find something that would prevent the fog from seeping through the cracks around the door. His mother searched for the remote and turned the television to the news station they had been watching previously.
“Individuals around the world have reported an unusual fog that has come from the outdoors. They claim it begins to suffocate them, giving the same effect as breathing in carbon monoxide. There are no reports of death from this fog. However, we still urge everyone to keep their doors and windows closed and locked. We are uncertain when this fog will go away, but for now, the most important thing is to stay inside. No matter the circumstance.”
Sam was easily able to read his parents emotions. His mother appeared as though she had just seen a ghost. Her face had gone pale and her mouth was gaping wide. His dad’s expression had stayed the same, a singular petrified look that hadn’t left his face since Sam first saw him. With the fog diffusing throughout the rest of their house, the family was stuck in this singular bedroom. That’s when Sam knew, the sky was causing something much bigger than just a disaster.
