Pollen

Jonathan Garrett

Prologue

Nobody knows quite what caused it, but twenty years ago the entire world became covered in a hazy, yellow cloud. Anyone who breathed in unfiltered air had an allergic reaction ranging from an outbreak of hives to an intense sneezing fit. It varied from person to person, but nobody knew why it was happening.

Over time, humanity adapted to the new situation. First they had to wear face masks to protect themselves from the cloud. But after a while, people started becoming immune to it. With each passing year, less and less people were affected by the cloud. Eventually, people stopped being allergic to the cloud and life went back to normal.

Somehow I’m different from everyone else. When I go outside, I don’t wear a face mask because it isn’t necessary. The only problem is I’ve got it way worse than anyone else. Shortly after I was born, the doctors diagnose me with a severe sensitivity to the effects of the yellow cloud. If I breathe in just one mouthful of air that has not been heavily purified, it could kill me. When I got outside, I have to wear a full hazardous materials suit with a twenty-pound air purifier strapped to the back. That’s the price I have to pay just to live from one minute to the other.

I have very few friends and my only connection to the outside world is what I can see through my window or on TV. This is not a life that I chose for myself, but a decision that was made before I was even born.

This is my life.