The New Regime

Her car having been fixed, Amanda found herself racing to the free clinic in town. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she'd taken an over-the-counter pregnancy test after feeling waves of sickness rush her unexpectedly, and after the little fun she and Devin had at that party over the weekend, there was no telling what was wrong with her. But the test read positive. So Amanda wanted to have a more accurate test done at the clinic.

Walking into the building, Amanda could see various other people sitting in the waiting area which was a normal occurrence. As she stepped up to the receptionist's window, one of the doors to the examination rooms in the clinic opened, a man stepping out who looked overly calm, an almost drugged smile puling gently at his lips.

"Ma'am?" she heard the receptionist call, and Amanda looked away, catching eyes with the woman before her. "What can I do for you?"

"Um...I need to have a pregnancy test done."

"Alright, let me just get your file out for the nurses. Your name?" the woman asked pleasantly, looking up expectantly.

Amanda Miller." Nodding, the receptionist turned in her chair, her back facing the window as she pulled out Amanda's file. As she was turned away, something caught Amanda's attention.

There, on the nape of the woman's neck, was an irritated red spot. Furrowing her eyebrows, Amanda wondered what it was. Maybe just a bug bite or something.

"Here we are," the receptionist said, pulling out a folder and setting it aside. "Oh! And we're also doing free vaccinations for anyone who would like them, though it's highly recommended everyone be vaccinated," the woman continued in an overly cheery voice.

"...What's the vaccine for?" Amanda asked, suddenly very curious, thinking of the irritated red spot she'd just seen.

"It's the cure for rage. It's supposed to make everyone calm, at least for the time being until everything can fall securely back into place." Hearing this, Amanda couldn't help but feel that this all sounded very rehearsed.

"And what are the risks of getting it?" she further asked, though the more she talked to this woman, the less interested she was in getting it.

"The Calming Serum has no risk factors. It is one hundred percent proven to work," the receptionist replied. "Would you like to get one today?"

"No, thank you. I have to get straight to work after this, but I'll be sure to get it later," Amanda said with a smile, lying through her teeth because she knew the woman would further heckler her on getting the shot.

"Well, have some brochures on it. You can read them while you wait, and if you change your mind and would like your vaccine today, you be sure to let us know."

Taking the brochures, Amanda nodded with a fake smile plastered across her lips. Taking a seat, the door to the back area of the clinic opened again. Looking up from her lap, she caught sight of a woman leaving this time, and as she walked past, Amanda could see a red, irritated mark on the back of the woman's neck. Just like the receptionist. Seeing the look of calm elation on the woman's face, Amanda knew that she had to have been given the calming serum. That had to have been what the red mark was from. But there was something so off about the way people were acting now, all smiling the same. It was like they were being turned into clones.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the bogus idea, Amanda heard her name called, and got up to follow the nurse back into an examination room for her test.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Driving home, Amanda couldn't help but let a smile out. The official test at the clinic had come back negative. She wasn't pregnant. As much as she loved Devin, Amanda knew that neither of them were ready to raise a baby, especially with how weird things were going.

What was up with the world? Amanda didn't know, and she wasn't quite sure she wanted to find out. But she was certain there was something going on. And it was all related to the new vaccine, the people in the grey suits, the...levitation up on Foster Hill, and the sudden serene peace that had spread over the entire globe.

And whatever that something was, Amanda was sure, it wasn't good.