It was a conspiracy theorist's worst nightmare, or dream come true, depending on how you wished to look at it.
It started on the morning of the 13th, a Friday, aptly enough. First, just hints and wisps. To many people, it was no more than some crazy stunt plane blowing colored smoke, or a fire-fighting plane dumping its retardant. At first, not much thought was given to it.
It was when the red colored dust, if that was what it was, started appearing over every country, growing more and more prominent, showing up in scattered news casts all over the globe, that people began to worry.
What was it? Where did it come from? Was it dangerous? Nobody had the answers to these questions. Nobody claimed responsibility. Research planes that went up to collect samples never returned. Fear and panic began to spread, as did the red 'dust'.
As the days turned to weeks, and the dust took over the atmosphere, blotting out the sun, humanity turned to pure chaos as panic and looting and cries of the end of days took control. Societies became unglued. Normally calm and intelligent people turned into raving lunatics. Cities were destroyed. Weeks turned to months, months to years, and yet the dust remained in the air, never touching the earth, but it didn't need to. The simple fact of its presence seemed to be enough.
Then, after decades of destruction and genocide and suicides and the bloody Ides of March, when no trace of human existence was to be found on the face of the earth, the dust began to dissipate. A wind formed across the globe and scattered that red menace into nothingness, and the sun shone forth in full glory once again. The foxes peeked out of their dens. The birds began to sing. The breeze rustled branches.
And if the Earth could smile, it may have done so then. |
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