... confusion is setting in

...confusion is setting in. It seems to be that only around half of the poor souls within this office are becoming infected by this blight; but there's little or no apparent logic or reason behind this flip of destiny's damned coin - like the strings of our fates are in the hands of a burbling madman.

However, those who appear to be initially unaffected are also showing curious physical symptoms. There is an almost inperceptible tightening of the cheek muscles, and a squinting of the eyes; making them look, for all the world, like they are grinning...smugly.

Maybe these symptoms are indicative only of a different strain of the virus, maybe the Sllennoc canker has worse in store for these wretches, further down the road. If I'm right in my initial assessment of the situation, those of us who have been first hit might just be the lucky ones.

...and this causes me great concern. I've not shared this with the others yet, but I've been feeling a tightening about my jaw of late; and I've noticed the mirror squinting back at me in the morning...

And I'm afraid that I may not be over this as quickly as I'd hoped.