Friday, 31 January 2014
Infectious laughter
He was the first.
He just couldn't stop laughing.
He laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
He laughed until he died of mirth, and the laughter echoed around the room, bounced off the walls, ricocheted off the window, then flew out through the gap under the door.
The laughter hit a passing cleaner, who then laughed all the way to the bus stop, and all through the ride to her job at the airport, infecting everyone she passed along the way.
Soon, the whole world would be laughing... and dying.
©2014 Stephen. J. Green.
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Oh no! Now I'm infected, too. Thanks... a lot. I'll have to be the carrier to spread the joy today. Way to go, Steve. You took something positive and turned it into something ominous.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephen. I hope it gave you a giggle, but not as serious as the protags, :-)
DeleteIt still makes me giggle. I'm not dead yet, though...
DeleteGood to hear it my friend. :-)
DeleteI once read a saying "Live well, laugh often. love much" it would seem a good thing for many to take on board.
By the way, I'm starting 1984 today. I owe that to you. Sometime this year, I intend to read Brave New World as well.
DeleteIn my opinion both of them are excellent books Stephen, I hope you find them to your liking. I very much liked the films too. :-)
DeleteHa! I read an article once that said scientists think yawning really is contagious; wonder if it applies to laughter too? :D
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine. Laughter definitely can be infectious, but happily not lethal.
DeleteAh, great write! I love this graph: "He laughed until he died of mirth, and the laughter echoed around the room, bounced off the walls, ricocheted off the window, then flew out through the gap under the door."
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly. I tend to write "Virus related" posts fairly often, and the phrase 'Infectious laughter' was just there waiting to be used. :-)
DeleteWell they do say laughter is infectious! Nice play on this idea Steve. ^_^ although that chilling twist at the end would stop anyone laughing. ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen. At least this way the world would end with a guffaw instead of a whimper. (Heheh!!)
DeleteAwesome :). Love how the laughter became "a thing" and then started killing. Bit like a hitman who is only a baby, looks harmless but still... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Casey. I quite often post pieces that are based more on word-play, or concept, rather than what you could term as story telling.
DeleteAlways knew the Joker would win in the end. What a gas!
ReplyDeleteHaha!! You may right John, well, somebody has to have the last laugh don't they? :-)
DeleteIt's because someone rediscovered the world's funniest joke again, isn't it? This feels like a cross between Monty Python and Twelve Monkeys.
ReplyDeleteI like your take on it Katherine, I remember the scene in Monty Python's where the British soldiers used the joke as a secret weapon against the enemy. Classic stuff. :-)
DeleteThe idea of laughter becoming an object, one that can seep under doors after killing the Patient Zero, is a spooky one. But I guess if you gotta go, there's worse ways than to die laughing.
ReplyDeleteI agree Larry, much better than to go screaming.
DeleteI think the first victim may have merited the name "Patient Zero-ho-ho" :-)
I wonder what made the first guy start laughing? I suppose it's irrelevant, but I can't help wondering.
ReplyDeleteNo-one knows, Richard, he couldn't stop laughing long enough to tell anyone. :-)
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