The World's Next Plague
civilization. It was very difficult to see
everything that was happening. The recording showed a chaotic
scene, and it was impossible to make out all of the details due to
the distance and the lens being partially obscured.
    I was able to see something dark and covered
in fur jump from the trees and attack the group, but I was unable
to make out exactly what it had been. I believe it was a howler
monkey based on the calls from the wildlife we heard while my crew
was in the clearing many years later, but it could have been a
different species.
    I was able to count the gunshots and watch as
the crew fought among themselves for survival. I also watched as
three distinct figures stood after all of the commotion was over.
Each stayed in one spot until the camera stopped recording. A
fourth figure lay unmoving on the ground.
    When my crew was there, we did not encounter
any spiders, but on the recording made by Manon the plentiful
spiders were often referred to and discussed. I do not know what
happened to them all in the many years before we arrived. Perhaps
their species, once infected, was unable to reproduce and they died
out.
    I also watched as Pauley escaped into the
jungle unharmed. Where he went, what he did, or if he survived is a
mystery. As far as I know, the green bottle went with him.
    I took many liberties with the story to fill
in the missing pieces, but the tape exists... or at least it once
existed. I encourage anyone at the Archive channel to search for
and distribute the tape. I also encourage those in authority or in
the medical community to take this threat seriously before it is
too late. If there is the slightest chance an illness like the one
I saw still exists, we must be proactive in finding and eliminating
it.
     
    ###END###
     
    Author Notes

    Thanks for reading my short story. If you enjoyed it
please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer. I
am honored you took the time to read what I have written. I would
love to hear your comments. Please Email me at ( [email protected] )
or leave a comment at Smashwords.com.
     
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