Red Eye

Part Eighteen

Someone posted a new theory on the ZASurvivors blog. You remember that movie from 2008 called "The Happening" where people start walking backwards, repeating themselves and finding super gory ways to kill themselves? This user thinks what's going on outside is basically the plot of this movie... or at least, what the people on Reddit claim it's "supposed" to be about. Nature is fighting back! Something in the air, the pollen maybe, has infected everyone. It's infected people's brains, shut off all their normal functions and turned them violent.

Looks like some people are willing to entertain the theory. One commenter joked:

"That scene when Mark Wahlberg starts talking to a fake plant! LMAO!!"

Sounds plausible to me. But how does it "choose" who to infect? Are the targets people with asthma and compromised immune systems who start sneezing and coughing the instant they get a whiff of pollen?

Another commenter appears to agree with the original post but is suggesting a different interpretation. They believe the answer lies in the title itself. What's "happening" is exactly that. "The happening" is what's happening.  A situation that we can't control, that we can't find a reason or meaning behind. This is simply an event, a moment in time, that will occur and end without interruption or interference. 

War, famine, disease... these are things that happen and will continue to do so. Sure, we can build barriers to stop the floods, board up our windows to shut out the storms, horde as much food and supplies we can get our hands on, but all these efforts mean nothing. Whatever is out there will continue to rage on. And try as we might, we can't stop the inevitable. 

And for the optimists out there, maybe what's happening is a simple restarting of the world. Going back to the basics, a giant edit that will make things better. For the pessimists, it's just a reinforcement that the world was fucked up to begin with and it's better to scrap the entire mess. 

I like the theory and how profoundly simple it is. It's not quite an answer, but it safely satisfies the question. 

When it comes down to it, at some point, something was going to take us out. And it only makes sense that it would be our own hostility toward each other. Whatever triggered it doesn't really make a difference; it was already there to begin with. And now it is free, running rampant through neighborhoods across the globe seeking something or someone to tear through, to rip in half, to lay waste to. 

I think it's become pretty clear for a lot of us that there's no stopping this. We can continue crafting our conspiracy theories, sharpening our weapons, hoping the boys in camo are going to roll in with their tanks, but... as stupid as it sounds... the end is nigh. 

All we can do is just sit back and enjoy the show.