Flaming in the Sky

By: Nichole Haines

Narrated by: JF Leonard

Maddie looked at Grandma Moses with a smile on her face as she wiped away the bits of food on her face. Even though she's in her 80s, she has the mind of a child, something Maddie finds amazing.

Everyone here in the dome was here as a result of their vulnerability to the Hoppengen virus that attacked the immune system of a lot of people suffering from several medical conditions. The government had come up with a way of protecting those vulnerable to this virus, and that was what led to the birth of The Domes.

Anyone suffering from one sort of disability or medical condition was sent here, where the AI robots in charge of the domes would take care of them and protect them from the Hoppengen Virus. Since those outside the dome still carries a strain of the virus that poses no threat to them but can lead to the death of those inside the dome, using human personnel is not an option the government is not willing to take.

Maddie, like everyone here, also suffers from a medical condition though hers isn't as severe as some. Suffering from cerebral palsy was the reason why she was here in the dome, though, unlike most people who suffer from cerebral palsy, she can walk and run without the help of aids though she had a limp in her right leg. Many times, she can pass off as a normal person, as she doesn't have any speech impairment that could point to the fact that she's suffering from cerebral palsy.

"Grandma Moses", Maddie said as she leaned closer towards her. "Did you meet Jack before he left the dome?"

The AI robots treated them well but over the past few weeks, Maddie noticed that a few inhabitants of the dome were disappearing. One minute they were here, and the next they were off to another dome, like the AI robot informed them. At first, Maddie paid no attention to it until her best friend, Angela, had been moved to another dome.

©2021 Nichole Haines (P)2021 Nichole Haines