In a dim TV room,I sat I Edward with my family laughing happily then the worst occured .
It happened in the middle of a joke.
The host on TV was laughing about some politician's haircut, and the audience was laughing too. My dad was even chuckling, the way he does when he doesn't really get the joke but doesn't want to seem old. Mom was folding laundry on the couch. I was half-asleep with a math book open on my lap.
And then it cut.
Five seconds. That's all it lasted. But five seconds is enough to make the world collapse.
The screen went black. A logo I had never seen before filled the screen: bold, cold letters — CIA. And then the voice. Not a news anchor. Not a celebrity. Just a voice.
"Warning. If you are hearing this announcement, please be attentive. If someone you know has stopped blinking, and keeps smiling strangely—stay away from them. He is not the same person anymore."
The air in the room felt like it froze.
The voice went on, calm and terrifying.
"Do not look at them for more than three continuous minutes. If they linger near someone for more than three days, they are no longer the same. If you are in a room where everyone shows these symptoms, call +3364. Keep your microphone recording. Describe what they do. After three minutes, the call will cut."
Mom dropped a shirt. Nobody moved.
The TV flickered, as if it might go back to the show. But the voice wasn't done.
"If you are still hearing this announcement, please stay at home. Leave work. All customer activity will be free. All jobs are suspended. Stay with your families. Check their sanity. Similar announcements are being broadcast across the world."
And then—just like that—the comedy show returned. The audience was still laughing. The host was still smiling, too wide, too bright.
Only now, the smile didn't look funny anymore.
It looked wrong.