Lucas’ nose twitched as he took a leisurely stroll down the misty path behind his farm.

As he took each nerve-wracking step, the concrete and stone beneath him crunched with the soles of his shoes giving them a face planting. All around him, the fields of autumn orange and brown grass could stretch for several kilometres, the only thing obscuring the view being forests with the leaves on their trees still green. It was a pretty sight in mid-late September in this rural area; many even called it the official transition from summer to autumn.

But - on this slightly overcast and foggy day - the trees weren’t the only thing that were green.

All around Lucas a green haze hovered in the air as it appeared to be drifting toward him. It was a slightly brighter shade of green than the trees in the distance, and it made a hissing sound like a snake on steroids.

Lucas could suddenly feel a heavy cough, a pain in his chest, and hurled up the remnants of his lunch. His eyes widened and he turned around to run, but the gas cloud overtook him before he could make it 20 yards back towards the shelter of his farm cellar. The excruciating agony made him wish he could just lose consciousness right there and end this unexpected suffering.

It was unlike anything he had ever felt. Tears blurred his vision like his eyes were on fire. He choked as his esophagus and lungs felt like they were corroding from the inside, as if they were melting away in an internal fire. His body twitched and ached, the spasms feeling like multiple gunshot wounds ricocheting around his body and causing total muscle paralysis. He tried desperately to stay awake but could feel every last bit of energy he could muster slipping away. His chest seared as he coughed, hacked, and gasped. Then his body began to numb.

That was the last thing he could remember before his vision went completely black and his life flashed before his eyes.