Saturday August 8, 2026 [8/8 +0]
The Warden
Chicago, United States of America
Sam Walmont was having a difficult day.
As prison warden of the Chicago Metropolitan Corrections Centre, he was responsible for the well-being of the inmates under his watch.
Unlike many of his peers and colleagues, Sam took this responsibility extremely seriously. Any medical or psychological problems in his jail were rectified immediately. In his 25 years as warden, the Metro has had the fewest cases of in-house violence of any prison in the Mid-West.
Not to say that there have not been problems: the rape and murder of a 21-year-old kid in the showers last year stuck in his mind. But Sam strongly believed that his philosophy of running things was paramount in keeping the order in his house full of murderers, thieves, and miscreants.
Now, 562 inmates were out cold. All at once, with no medical explanation. Until now.
Sam scanned the news article from the Daily Post and Register. He could not believe the conclusion that this Matthew McBride had postulated—but the evidence within his own prison was overwhelming.
Killers of men are being struck unconscious, all around the world.
Especially the case of Denton Blake, one of the unconscious, currently on his way to one of the local hospitals. Denton Blake—in the big house for grand theft auto—was strongly suspected of the rape-murder of that kid in the showers last year, but it was never proven.
Perhaps this phenomenon is Denton’s inevitable punishment, Sam thought.
***
The Spaniard
Barcelona, Spain
Hugo Moreno, 57-years-young and proud lifelong resident of Barcelona, was arguing with the reporters that thronged to see him in the front porch of his modest house.
“I know what I saw! The shooter passed out of his own accord after three shots. I’m 57, but my mind is sharp as ever!” he protested.
The reporters continued with their barrage of questions, with Hugo protectively standing in front of the door to his house, his large family peering in awe around Hugo’s large frame.
***
The Widow
Ville de Quebéc, Canada
Marie Drolet shook her husband, Guillaume for the tenth time. She had tears in her eyes—in his fifties, Guillaume had cardiac issues.
That morning, Guillaume did not wake up. But he was also clearly not dead.
Marie thought that this was finally it. She was about to become a widow.
“Guillaume, Guillaume, wake up, wake up…” she wailed.
***
The Slave
Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Disgusted with herself, Lee Soo-Young peeled the bloated, naked arm off her. She looked in contempt at the overweight, middle-aged leader of North Korea lying beside her in bed.
Soo-Young did what she had to do to survive. What she had to do for her family to survive.
The famine of the past two years had ravaged the poorest of the poor in her country. Her family—mother, father, and two brothers—were not the worst off but they were hit hard nonetheless.
Her family had very little. But Soo-Young was very pretty. She had caught the attention of the Strong Leader’s scouts.
Soo-Young sighed. She really had not wanted to meet up with the Strong Leader that evening, but she had to based on their agreement. In bed, she had gone through the motions that he expected, when the corpulent man suddenly dropped off to a deep sleep. Soo-Young had been relieved that she was prematurely off the hook.
She started to get dressed.
The bedroom door banged open. An old man dressed in a general’s uniform stormed in with two armed soldiers. Without a word he started to shake the Strong Leader awake.
The Strong Leader did not move.
Soo-Young carefully tried to slink away but the armed guard blocked her path.
“What did you do?” the general shouted. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Soo-Young shook her head, fear in her eyes. The Strong Leader… there was something very, very wrong with him.
And now Soo-Young was the fly in the cross-hairs…
