17 The interview and the twelve trials

Another few uneventful weeks pass by until the last week emerges. After the morning pass outside I would usually read my books but not this time. That's because I Jon pointed out something interesting on the news.

"We are here at swedish bodybuilder Anders Eriksson's house, hoping to recieve further comment on the reason behind his scaled skin. This all started three days ago when Mr. Eriksson went out of his house covered in scales. A bystander took this picture." On it was a blurry picture of Anders covered in sturdy looking skin and scales.

"Many believe it to be a publicity stunt but oth- Look! He's gone outside!" The camera quickly shifts to the door showing Anders in a suit with his face, hands and feet uncovered. His hands and feet had claws while his head was completely bald and covered in scales and thick- and rough-looking skin, much like the rest of his body.

"Who the fuck is this lizardman?" I hear two simultaneous voices to my left say at the same time while I respond with a condecending chuckle. Of course I remember seeing him among the hundred people. Who wouldn't among the survivors? He was a hero to us after all.

Back on the screen I saw Anders walk up to the reporters. "I wish to make a statement!" He said solemnly.

The reporters around him make a lot of noises resulting in an unintelligeble mess until Anders finally can't take it anymore and screams "QUIET!". All the chattering immediately ceases with only a few mumbles heard here and there.

"I wish to make a statement about the doomsday." Precisely 2 second later, their delay presumably from being dumbstruck, the chattering ensues once more only more intense this time.

"In one weeks time around 2 billion people will show symptoms of fever. A couple of days later they will pass, maybe for the better. This right here though is the most important part- Twelve hours after death they will all reanimate and become flesh eating monsters. This will not only happen to humans but to all animals on earth-" At this point the reporters chattering drowned out Anders' voice once more.

But it was at this exact time that my surroundings started to shift. I close my eyes in order to counteract the dizzying spectacle and open them once more only to find myself in an entirely different place.

It seemed like I was in a cave but I couldn't quite tell since the surrounding lighting was pretty dim. The sound of the system drowned out by my pounding heart. My mind was screaming for me to run. Fear. This fear originated from the very bottom of my soul, the fear of a bottom-feeder encountering an apex predator. I could see a very big sillhouette at the other side emitting a bone-chilling pressure.

[... let the first trial begin!] Somehow this voice was different from the mechanical voice filled with distaste I was used to lamenting.

Something tells me I'm not going to be able to appreciate it for much longer though.