[ WP ] In order to better control society , the world government has reset everyone 's memory . It is successful except for one flaw ... it did n't work on you .

The morning comes and she is still gone. I know there are millions of others going through the same thing I am. Loved ones lost to a nameless plague that swept through the world like locusts through a field of wheat. The week it took for the virus to incubate, spread, and burn itself out was a nightmare, a brief vision into a hell of our own making. The virus was first noticed on a Tuesday. Wednesday the first of the infected died. Thursday the governments of the world told us that the virus was an attempt by scientists in the U.K. to create a vaccination against the common cold. That it was transmittable through every possible method. Air, water, touch, hell maybe even sight. Friday was the day Jane began to cough up blood. There was nothing I could do but be there for her. 
 
 Saturday she died. The government said that the virus was activated by a genetic marker that existed in 50.45 % of the population. That there was no known cure and the infected died approximately two days after infection. That they were sorry for our losses and they understood our pain because they lost loved ones as well. Sunday they said they were working on something to ease our pain. 
 
 Monday I woke up hollow from the loss and cold due to a bed that had one body too few. There were no funerals for the dead. They were simply collected on a rotation; once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at night. They took Jane at 6:52 P.M. She burned on a pyre like the rest. Giant smoke clouds rose into the skies across the world, monuments to our hubris and collective failure. 
 
 Tuesday I woke up wondering if this would be the day the riots started. In the week that the virus spread we were all too shocked and terrified to do anything but cower in our homes. But now that the danger had passed, I hoped that those of us remaining would tear down the houses of those that had taken so much from us. 
 
 I turned on my television and flipped to one of the channels the government was using to transmit information to us. I expected to see images of screaming protesters, of tanks moving to intercept mobs, of statues being pulled down, and blood to be running in the streets. 
 
 Instead I saw a moderated debate. It was on some minor bit of transportation policy. I was confused at first. Maybe they were playing reruns? I flipped through the channels trying to find some bit of current news. Instead I found the following; 
 
 -A daytime talk show with one host I recognized and one I didn ’ t. A banner at the bottom said it was special guest week. 
 
 -A news report about a heroic dog that had saved his master from a burning car 
 
 -A cartoon about the importance of washing your hands before you eat. 
 
 I saw a dozen regular television shows that would have been playing on any regular day. Not believing that we had so quickly moved past the memory of our recent losses I called my father. He had lost only a distant third cousin to the virus and of course a daughter in law. My mother had thankfully passed on two years ago so she only bore witness to the carnage from whatever afterlife she was in now. 
 
 “ Dad, ” I said before he could utter more than a hello, “ Why is everyone so calm? Why is everyone acting normal? ” 
 
 The other end of the line went quiet for a moment “ Darren? Is that you? ” came back my father ’ s voice. He sounded upbeat and pleased to hear from me. 
 
 “ Yes dad it ’ s me. Why aren ’ t people angry? Is everyone just moving on from what happened? ” 
 
 “ Er…I ’ m sorry Darren moving on from what? ” 
 
 It was my turn to go silent. I was dumbstruck by his willingness to just ignore what happened to us all. What happened to Jane. “ Dad... ” I whispered after a moment had passed. “ how can you act so calm when Jane ’ s dead? I know you were n't crazy about her but this is cruel. ” 
 
 There was another pause on the end of the line before a reply finally came, “ I ’ m sorry son. Did one of your friends die? Jane was it? I ’ m so sorry for your loss but you can ’ t expect the world to stop for one person. ” 
 
 “ Friend? Jane was my wife. Did you hit your head? Are you ok? Did you catch it? ” My voice was becoming panicked at the thought of losing someone else. 
 
 “ Catch what? I am coming down with a bit of cold. How did you know? ” 
 
 I hung up the phone after I heard that and sat on my couch quietly for just a little while. 

