The Panic Causing Phenomenon

It was mid-day in the city of Lagos.

The skies were bright with a few drifting clouds of white. The birds flew about, their wings sucking in the harmonious warmth of the sun. Dispatch riders sped along the express route as they wove in between the afternoon building traffic.

The morning rush was over but those who had stayed behind to avoid that morning rush were caught in a slow building up of traffic this afternoon. However, compared to the morning rush,this was so preferable.

More so, since more traffic wardens were now out here. This meant that the traffic was going to be controlled on a finer note than before. They had no reason to worry, except to be patient. And ignore the ever impatient dispatch riders who kept getting flagged down by the wardens.

One rider slowed his bike to a halt as he had been flagged down. With a scowl, he took off the helmet, his bike to the side of the road as he headed to meet the warden. He had a delivery tomake and he had not been expecting this slow state of things out here. It was why he had tried to weave in through the traffic, after all, he was using a motor bike.He surely had the advantage of utilizing the small spaces in between that vehicles could not use.

Unfortunately for him, there were just too many wardens out there to allow him to pass. He heaved, thinking about how this was going to cost him some time. But what could he do? He was in the face of the law enforcement officers. There was only very little he could do other than to play along with them.

"Hey, mister, what the heck is getting to you guys nowadays?" A thick burly officer said to him.

He patted his big stomach while holding his baton to the left side.

"Nothing." The bike man said, putting his helmet under his left arm. "I am just trying to make some good business today. You know the drill, officer." He smiled to him.

"And you also know the drill when you are caught." The man replied, stretching his right hand to him as if to gesture for him to hurry up.

The bike man frowned at first. The next moment, he brightened up immediately, recognizing what this meant to him. The officer was asking for a bribe to let him pass. This could very well be his lucky day.

"Oh, I'm coming. Thank you sire.You now, God will reward you guys for a job well done. Our roads can truly feel safe now." He said, smiling sheepishly as he began to dig into his cargo trousers for money. Once he had done that, he brought out a note and then crumpled it.

Smiling more, he moved to the officer, squeezing it into his hand.

"What the fuck si this?" The officer said to him, frowning. "I saw what you put In my hands. You think I am begging you for some measly change. 5000 nair, nothing more, nothing less."

"What?" The bike man almost coughed out blood. Hearing the impossible demands of the officer, it was better, he surmised, for him to get a booking then to have to do this. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

"Or.. if you don't comfort yourself, I would make sure you spend not less than 5 years in prison with hard labor." The officer smiled. "Trust me, nobody would want to discredit the words of a force man in the court that easily. And I… I have built up quite a reputation."

The man said, walking to hi sbik now. "So what is it going to be? You want to be framed for transporting illegal substances too?" He tapped the bike.

"What?" The bike man scowled. "You're just a traffic warden. You can't do that." He countered, nearly throwing his helmet down. If it was a fight this officer wanted, then he was in the mood for a good old one.

"Oh, you have no idea.. what is this?" The policeman asked as a light blue light drifted on his body.

The bike man scowled, only to notice the same light on his body. Just then thunder rumbled up ahead, attracting his attention to the skies. He was not the only one. For even as he watched, people alighted from their various vehicles, braking, coming down to watch the beautiful phenomenon in the sky.

Different rainbow colors show up in the skies. Like an aurora, each one of them emitting enough radiance and vibrance to fall down on the people below. The amazed crowd oohed, their eyes widening at this sight, bringing out their mobile phones, ready for some snapshots. Some even went ahead to make videos while some began to make social media status posts instantly.

However, the phenomenon did not last long.

For just as soon as it appeared, it vanished. Dark clouds rumbled, blanketing the entire skies in an instant. Before anyone could react, the skies bled out, rain falling.

Surprised, they tried to rush back into the vehicles to get away from the rian.Bt just as soona s they rushed back in, they rushed back out again, black vine like growths appearing underneath their skins, faces and every part of the body.

Their eyes began to morph into a bloody red hue, their skin drying out instantly.

"What's happening?" The police warden asked.

But there was no one to reply. For right here and then, the bike man he ahd been grilling suddenly bolted, racing all the way to the mall. Others followed suit. When it dawned on him to join as well, a hand grabbed him and soon his entire body crashed to the ground. His cries muffled out to silence, as multiple bites appeared all over him.

**

At the mall.

"No face masks, no entrance." The security guards posted at the main entrance tried to scream to the entire crowd of panicking people. The people did not look like they were in the moment I listened as they tried to shove through, pushing and hitting.

"Let us in."

"People are going crazy out there."

"It's the fucking end time and you are concerned abut face masks?"

"Fuck this"

"Push those bastards!"

Curses and insults echoed out against the two guards who tried to form a blockade. Using their bodies to push back against the crowd even though they were fast losing ground.

"Lock the main gates." The female guard cried out on her radio. "We can't have more of the unruly mob here. Request support.. ahhhh." She screamed just as she missed a footing, slammed down by the mass of people trying to rush in.

The bike man tore along, speeding on to the higher floor, via the escalator. As he did, he scanned everywhere, his eyes wide with panic. Then he saw it.

The door to the restroom. There, the bike man sighed, there he would be safe.

In the restroom of the tech floor.