Category Z

The television screen blared with an emergency warning. A spokeswoman on the local news channel spoke in a hurried voice, as an elderly woman sat on her living room sofa and watched.

"We come to you now with breaking news. A major leak from a local factory has released dangerous chemicals into the environment. Originally created to improve battery efficiency, this lead-like contaminant has been known to cause rapid and severe changes in human behavior soon after exposure. Irritation, aggression, and even unprompted violence have been reported. The particulate matter has been confirmed to have made its way into the water cycle in Rook, Taylor, and Price counties. All residents in those areas are encouraged to stay indoors at this time, as an inbound weather event is projected to expose thousands to the hazardous chemical. Again, the importance of staying indoors at this time cannot be stressed enough, as even brief contact with contaminated water can-"

Ethel changed the channel. Those damn talking heads are always trying to rile people up. She swapped it to the weather channel.

"-incoming storm system from the north. We're likely to get high winds and very heavy rain, and even a chance of a tornado watch as the cell develops."

Her heart immediately sank. Storms became even more difficult for her after her arthritis started to limit her mobility. The storm shelter in the basement was now practically inaccessible to her, as she couldn't make it down the flight of stairs with her walker. All she could really do was wait it out and hope it didn't get too bad.

But the distant rumble of thunder sent her usual anxieties into overdrive. What if something happens to David? What if he crashes his car or gets stuck in a flash flood somewhere? Oh, why won't he call me? He knows how worried I get.

She reached for her flip phone, which was sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Carefully, she dialed the phone number for her son. She knew he didn't enjoy being called at work, but this storm seemed worrisome. What if a tree branch fell on the house? Or the roof sprung a leak?

The phone rang once before David picked up.

"Mom? Have you heard the news?"

"Yes, dearie. There's a big storm coming in. Come home soon, alright?"

"No, Mom, it's not just the storm, it's... oh no. Mom, there's people out here acting... I don't know how to describe them. They're being crazy, and... God, I think that guy just bit someone. Fuck, I gotta get out of here! I'm coming home right away, Mom. Don't go outside. Whatever you do, don't go outside."

"Don't curse, David!" she said. But the line was already dead, as David had hung up the phone. She looked at the phone screen, puzzled.

That was so rude of him to hang up like that. And the cursing! I didn't raise him like that.

She placed the phone back onto the coffee table. Don't go outside? Why would I go outside in a storm? Rain began tapping on the living room window behind her. The light beaming through was tinged with a slightly greenish tone. Ethel turned the TV to another channel, this time playing a game show.

For about half an hour, she allowed herself to become engrossed in her show. A live crossword puzzle between four contestants who competed for points, with the winner walking away with ten thousand dollars. The host, a woman with wavy amber hair and a charming smile, read out the next question.

"Shaun, your next word starts with the letter 'Z'. What monster features in the classic Romero film, 'Night of the Living Dead'?"

Ethel startled as the doorbell rang.

Oh, David must have forgotten his key. Silly boy.

"I'm coming!" she yelled as she stood up with some effort. She took hold of her walker and began the trek to the front door. Before she made it halfway there, the doorbell rang three more times, in quick succession. Then whoever it was gave up the bell and began banging on the door itself.

"My, how impatient!" Ethel said as she opened the front door, expecting to see her son, David.

Instead, a young woman, soaked to the bone, stood on her front porch.

"Miss Ethel! Please, I need your help!"

"Oh goodness! What happened? Please, come in, you need to get dry."

"I'm so sorry to intrude like this. I don't know what's going on out there. I was driving to Ricky's school to pick him up but then, I- I- I think I hit someone with my car." She exhaled.

"Oh my God, Maria. Are you ok? Are you hurt? Let me get you a towel."

"Thank you. It all happened so fast. When I got out of the car to check on the person, they attacked me! Like started scratching at me, like an animal! See?" She pointed to her forearms, which were covered in angry red marks. "So I just started running the other way! I couldn't think, and it was raining, and I didn't even call the police. I'm so scared. Does that count as a hit and run? I just left my car there in the street."

"That's horrifying. You know, I've heard about this thing on the Discovery channel, they call it 'fight or flight.' Maybe that's the reason that man was lashing out?"

Ethel slowly made her way to the linen closet and picked out a fresh towel. She made her way back to Maria, who was sitting on a chair in the kitchen. She was trembling.

"Look at you! You're shaking like a leaf. Is it very cold outside?"

"I'm not cold. I'm mad. Why did that guy think it was ok to do that? And why was I so stupid as to just run the other way?"

Ethel draped the towel gently over Maria's shoulders.

"We need to call the authorities, before they start looking for you. Would you like to use my phone?"

"Yes, please. I have mine, but I think it got wet in the rain."

"It's on the table in the living room. Could you be a dear and grab it? I'm very slow on my walker."

Maria's mouth twitched. "Ok," she said. Towel still draped over her shoulders, she walked to the living room, found the flip phone, and opened it. She dialed 911, and stood in place as she waited for the other end to pick up. Haltingly, she began to speak, waiting for the person on the other end to respond.

"Hello? Yes, I need to report a car accident. On Moses and... Indigo, I think? No, I'm not there anymore. When I got out to check on the man, he started attacking me. With his hands, like scratching at me? So I had to run away. Now? I'm at a neighbor's house. 155 Moses Street, I think. What? Yes, she's in the house with me... Why would I leave? No, I'm not just going to do what you say, why do I have to leave? Of course I'm wet, I ran two blocks to get here! Why would I leave now? Contaminated? No, you shut your mouth, I'm not going back out there! Fuck you. Fuck you! I'm not aggressive, you're aggressive! I'm not a fucking threat! I said I'm NOT A FUCKING THREAT!"

She snapped the flip phone in half.

Ethel stared in horror at the woman in her living room, remnants of the only lifeline to the outside world in her hands. The towel that was resting on her shoulders had fallen onto the living room floor in the commotion. Maria was visibly tremoring with rage.

"...What did they say?" Ethel asked, growing more frightened by the second.

"Telling me I'm a threat. Saying this and that about lead exposure and contamination. I'm not fucking contaminated. They're the ones who must be SICK in the fucking BRAIN if they want me to go waltzing out into a storm. Just because they think I'm aggressive? I'm a threat? That I'm going to hurt a little old lady who I've known most of my life, because I'm contaminated? Fuck right off with that bullshit."

Ethel was frozen in place. "...Mind your language."

Maria turned on Ethel. "My language?"

She advanced toward her.

Ethel stood her ground. As scared as she was, she knew there was no outrunning anyone at her age. So she had no choice but to stand there and hope Maria came to her senses.

"There's no reason for that kind of verbiage. I'm sure you're mad, but that's not an excuse to start cursing and breaking things." She took a breath to steady her nerves. "I think you should leave."

Maria went quiet. "You're throwing me out?"

Ethel was stoically resolute, and remained quiet. Maria began to stalk toward her.

"Now, if you will, Maria."

Maria pounced forward like a cougar. Her eyes were constricted into tiny pupils, and she lunged at Ethel, hands first.

She didn't take into account Ethel's walker, which, in a panic, Ethel wielded against her neighbor. She shoved it forward, trying to put a bit of distance between herself and the woman attacking her.

"What in the world are you doing?" Ethel shrieked. "Get back! Crazy woman!"

"I'll show you crazy!" Maria snarled.

She grabbed at the walker, trying to wretch the improvised weapon away from Ethel. Ethel held fast, trying with all her wits to think of some way to get the creature that was her neighbor out. But they were in the kitchen, far from the front door.

Wait. The door to the basement. It's right behind me.

The two women were both pulling in opposite directions at the walker. Her heart pounding, Ethel released the walker, sending Maria in the other direction under her own power. Ethel took two unsteady steps back in the time Maria stood up. As Maria charged once again, her mouth wide open in an attempt to bite at her, Ethel swung open the basement door. The door blocked her attacker, and then Ethel used all her limited force to shove the door closed again, sending Maria tumbling down the steps to the basement. She locked the door, and crumpled down in front of it.

Her walker too far to reach, her phone snapped in two, Ethel was without her supports. She had no choice but to sit there. She began to sob. Did she really just send her longtime neighbor and friend tumbling down the stairs? What would happen to Ricky?

It was at that moment that she heard the garage door open. David!

The door to the garage, on the far side of the house, opened.

"David! David, come quick!"

"Mom! What happened?" David was bone dry as he rushed in to see his mother.

"She, she, she fell! The neighbor girl, Maria, she fell down the stairs to the basement! She was trying to get me and then she fell! She broke my phone and took my walker! Oh, David, I'm so glad you're home!"

"Shh, shh, it's ok, Mom. Everything is going to be ok.” He knelt down to embrace her. "The world is going crazy. I'm just so glad you're ok..."

It was at that moment that they heard a wet THUMP from the other side of the basement door.