Chapter I
Uneasiness On Earth
The central Jersey police station was very busy. They had been ever since the suicides started. The outbreak of suicides all over the country had begun about five months ago, and was increasing every week.
RING!
"Central Jersey Police, Officer Willie speaking."
"Officer!" said a sobbing woman, "It's terrible! Just terrible!"
"Let me guess," Willie said with a roll of his eyes, "A suicide?"
"Yes! I never thought it would happen in my family! My husband!"
Willie grumbled. He was going to have to document it just like all the others, even though they had already filled up two incident report binders with suicide reports.
"Can I get his name?"
"Charles."
"Charles what?"
"Charles Berman. It was so strange!"
Officer Willie quickly scribbled down the information. "Can you tell me the nature of how he killed himself?"
"He used a gun," the woman said around her crying. "In his bedroom! I never thought he would! He just got so angry all of a sudden, and he would beat me, and scream at me, and then tonight I came home to find him dead in the bedroom!"
"So in reiteration, he became increasingly angry over a short period of time, and then committed suicide tonight, correct?"
"Yes, officer."
"Okay, we'll have someone over to clean up the mess, and if you want, you can come over to speak with someone."
She sniffed. "Thank you, officer."
Willie hung up the phone, then paged the chief on the scanner. "Hey Jimmy! We got another suicide."
"Tell me something new." Jimmy sighed. "Did you document it?"
"Yes, boss."
"Good."
"You know, Jim, I've been reading the periodicals, and this same shit is going on all over the frickin country."
"Suicides?"
"Yes sir. It's so weird. In almost every report, people have been saying that their loved one got so fucking pissed off that they finally put themselves out of their misery."
"That's some freaky shit."
"Yes, sir. Well, I'm on break. See you in an hour."
"Ten four." Jim said.
Willie sat in the Chicken Holiday a few blocks away from the station, watching the small TV they had mounted above the refrigerators, while at the same time stuffing down some spare ribs.
"…And now for our weather report, here's Fox 5's Tom Sanders. Tom?"
"Thanks, Tina. In Kansas and Nebraska today, two tornadoes struck in each state! The twin storms ravaged the lands and tore up houses and trees. Our tornado experts Bill and Jo report that all of the storms today were of the F-5 class.
"Son of a bitch," Willie whispered. "Four of 'em."
Willie sipped his Pepsi and idly watched while a staff member brought the guy opposite him his chicken.
"You look like shit, Frank." He said. The man at the table sighed.
"My wife committed suicide about two weeks ago. I am shit as of right now."
"Dude, that fuckin' sucks!"
"Was she unusually angry before doing it?" Willie offered from across the aisle. The man seemed startled.
"Yes… Yes, she was! How did you know?"
"Charles Koppitman, NJPD. We've been getting suicide reports for months, and they're practically all identical."
"But this has been happening nationwide," Frank said. "Creepy, isn't it? It's like it's the next plague."
These words, for some reason, sent chills down Willie's spine.
"I read that before the Devil comes to take over the world, he makes kind of announcement." Frank continued. "You think this is it?"
Before Willie could answer, his cell phone rang. It was his son.
"Dad," the voice said, "It… it's mom… She… she k-k-k…"
Willie screamed even before his son finished his sentence.