As the last remaining sane person on earth, Titus watched in horror as the rest of humanity slowly succumbed to the effects of a deadly poison. It had started without warning, spreading rapidly and infecting everyone in its path.
Titus had been at work when the symptoms had first appeared. Colleagues had suddenly collapsed in their cubicles, writhing in agony as their bodies convulsed and their skin turned a sickly shade of green. Panic spread through the office as people realized that something was seriously wrong.
Within hours, the streets outside were filled with people stumbling around in a daze, their eyes glazed over and their mouths frothing with blood. Titus had been one of the lucky few who had managed to avoid the initial outbreak, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he too would fall victim to the deadly poison.
As he walked through the deserted streets, Titus couldn’t help but wonder what had caused this catastrophic event. Was it an accident, a deliberate act of terrorism, or something even more sinister?
The sun beat down on his face, casting a harsh light over the empty buildings and abandoned cars that littered the streets. In the distance, he could hear the sound of sirens wailing, but he knew that there was no one left to answer their call.
As he rounded a corner, he came face to face with a group of infected people. Their eyes were wild and unfocused, and they stumbled towards him with outstretched hands, their fingers curling into claws.
Titus backed away slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that he couldn’t stay here any longer, that he had to find some way to survive in this new, poisoned world.
As he turned and fled down the street, his mind raced with thoughts of how he could save himself. He knew that he had to find a cure or at least some way to protect himself from the deadly poison that was slowly destroying humanity.
But as he looked back over his shoulder, he knew that it was too late. The infected had multiplied, their numbers growing by the second, until the streets were filled with nothing but their twisted, writhing forms.
And at that moment, as he watched the world around him crumble and fall, Titus knew that he was the last person on earth who would remember what it was like to be truly sane.
I enjoy apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction and would love to see a sequel to this story; keep it up!
Thank you for your kind words, Keith. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it. While the story does leave some unanswered questions, I feel that it’s important to leave some things to the reader’s imagination. That being said, I appreciate your interest in a sequel and will certainly consider it. Stay tuned for more!
This is wonderful..thanks for sharing..
Thank you so much for your kind words, Suneeta. As a writer, there’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that your work has resonated with someone. I’m glad that you found it to be a wonderful read, and I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
You might like the latest on Galctic affairs, “Far Out”.
Exopolitics.org May 8th.
Thank you for your comment, Peter. While I’m not familiar with “Far Out” or Exopolitics.org, I appreciate you sharing your recommendation. As a writer, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting stories to read, especially in the sci-fi genre. I’ll be sure to check it out.
Good story. The poison is indeterminate and so in a way becomes symbolic.
Thank you for your comment, Brian. I’m glad that you found it to be a good story. You’re absolutely right―the poison serves as a symbol for the unknown and uncontrollable forces that can ravage our world at any moment. As a writer, it’s always my goal to create a story that resonates with readers on multiple levels, and I’m grateful that you were able to see that symbolism in the piece.
It reminds me of an old movie with Vincent Price called the last man on earth.
Thank you for your comment, David. I’m familiar with the film you mentioned, “The Last Man on Earth” starring Vincent Price, and it’s an honor to be compared to such a classic work of fiction. As a writer, I’m always looking for inspiration from various sources, including film, literature, and personal experiences, and I’m glad that “The Crazy One” was able to evoke that connection for you. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and leave a comment.
Brilliant story Sebastian, really enjoyed it! 👌👏😁
Thanks again, Sebastian, for sharing another one of your writings.
I had fun reading it. Thanks!
Remember what I told you before that you inspired me to write too.
I’m really enjoying myself. Thanks again!
You could easily carry on with what happened to Titus. It would be lovely to know. I love all your short stories. You are the master of them BUT it’s now time for Sebastian to write a novel. I’ve told you this so often. Keep going with the short stories, but it’s time to take things further Sebastian. If your’e not ready for a novel, then just a novelette.
Nice writing. I like the description and setting.
Thank you very much for sharing your short stories. Love it.
I was left wanting more. Why this virus? I want to connect to the character. I see so many different directions that the story can turn and am intrigued to find out.
I’m with you, Charlie. 😉
This must have been fun to write. You quickly placed me in Titus’ head and his shoes too… haha. Allow me to offer this one thought. I hope that the world that Titus has to face is not a zombie-infested scenario.
By the way, I am envious of your writing discipline. Thank you for including me…
I hate to admit this: this is kind of interesting to me on one level that I hope is not… too disturbing. I have Bipolar and I am always interested in how “crazy people” are portrayed in literature… we aren’t really foaming at the mouth in real life… especially if we are on our meds… I hope that isn’t too dismal a take on your blog… You can look at my blog “My Life in the Kaleidoscope,” or (for autism) books:
Temple Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures;
Donna Sommer’s Nobody Nowhere;
But I don’t know… perhaps mental illness itself was not the point of your story…
This is appealing to the directional processes of man, brother. I check it ✔️.
Awesome Imagination
really enjoyed reading this short story which may be interpreted in so many ways.
With everything going on now this story is very relevant as Titus strives for some sort of normalcy. This sounds like chapter one. Will there be a second chapter?
I really enjoyed it….will there be a new chapter?….