She let that sink in before continuing. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please consider the consequences of such actions. We advise you to stay in your residence until you are scheduled to be picked up and brought into the safe zone.”
Tammy looked down at the papers in front of her.
“We have sent most of our Channel Eight staff home and are going to shut down briefly, so that we may move our equipment into the safe zone. We have received special clearance to do so and will resume coverage as soon as we are set up again.”
“We will continue to broadcast this last hour’s news throughout the rest of the day in a loop.”
Those watching Tammy closely, could see the slight sparkle in her eyes as tears started to form.
“We will end our live broadcast now but will resume as soon as we can. We hope to have more information for you about the syndrome and ... Please, keep yourself and your loved ones safe.”
With that the live broadcast ended.
Chapter Twenty
#SRigazze
October 25, 9:45 P.M.. Bari, Italy
Stefano Rigazze is a popular blogger from Bari, Italy. His English language blog had nearly twenty thousand followers. His blog had quickly become more popular though, as his latest entry garnered a lot of interest.
TODAY, I KILLED A MAN. He was no living man, but a dead man arisen! I still recall how his hands were cold as I wrestled with him, and his breath was awful! Mangiare Cavaderi, as we say – but literally so!
He tried to bite me! But I got lucky and he bit my jacket instead. Idiota.
Ok, I get too excited. Let me back up and start at the beginning.
Very early this morning I got a text from my friend Elena. She asked if I could come over to her apartment. She said that her neighbor – I think she said his name was Alberto – was banging on her door and he would not go away. I told her to keep her door closed and I would be right there.
Elena lives only a five-minute walk away from me, right down Monte Grappa street. So, I grab my coat because it’s a chilly day today. I get out of my apartment building and it’s very loud on the street even though it’s still very early in the morning. I hear a lot of sirens in the distance. The police station is only about a ten-minute walk from where I live, so I’m used to hearing the sirens – but not this many!
I start walking towards Elena’s apartment building and I hear banging. At first, I couldn’t tell what it was, but then I look up and there is a girl inside the building across the street, in an apartment on the second floor. She is banging on the window with her fists. She looks like she is very young – maybe five years old or so – but she keeps hitting the glass with both her hands and she looks right at me. Dio Mio! She has such a crazy look on her face! She keeps banging that glass but isn’t strong enough to break through it. I freaked out and sped up into a jog!
I slowed back down to a walk when I couldn’t hear the banging anymore. As I got closer to Elena’s apartment, I could hear other noises over the sirens. I could hear a lot of crashing and banging noises, and some people yelling (I couldn’t tell from what direction) and I am sure I heard somebody scream! People are really losing it! There was a dead dog lying on the sidewalk too. I thought about turning around then and going back home, but I was already close to Elena’s building by then. I got to her apartment building a minute later.
I did a smart thing at that point though. Or I thought I did a smart thing. In the end it didn’t help me at all! Anyway, somebody had left their walking stick just inside the door, so I grabbed it. The stick felt very solid in my hands. I felt safer and more confident with it. Elena’s apartment was on the third floor and I slowly made my way up the stairs. Compared to outside, it was so quiet. I couldn’t hear anything or anybody!
Elena’s apartment is the first apartment to the right of the stairs, and as I crept around the corner from the stairs, I saw... nothing. This Alberto must have given up and gone away. I crept up to Elena’s door, and I can see some blood on the door and door frame. I was thinking that maybe the guy hit the door so hard he hurt his hands. I knock lightly on the door and call Elena. She must have been on the other side of the door as she opened the door right away!
“Stefano! Quickly – come in!” She said. To my left I hear some noise and I see a person come out the next doorway. Looks like he is an elderly man. He doesn’t look very big, and I’m a healthy, pretty strong guy so I don’t panic. I turn to this guy and say “Ei tu! What’s your problem?!” Elena’s is still pulling on my jacket sleeve, so I turn to her and with some machismo I tell her I’ll take care of this.
By the time I turn back to face the old man he is almost on me. Merde Santa he looked messed up! His eyes – they were so wide open! And not white but grey! He come at me with his arms outstretched, and when I look closer, I saw he had broken his arm right near the wrist. It was hanging backwards at an angle, so his fingers were pointing back at his own face even though his arm was stretched out in my direction!
I was scared! I lifted the walking stick and poked him in
