Read Online Lockdown (AM13 Outbreak Series) by Samie Sands - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Samie Sands
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supplies now.”
“Anyone with health concerns must immediately get themselves to the hospital.”
“Be careful when out in public, it can be dangerous.”
The instructions are plastered everywhere—on television constantly, on billboards, online—it would be impossible not to know what’s happening now. Despite this, I still can’t see how they’re going to pull it all off. There are sick people out everywhere that haven’t gone to the hospital. People aren’t reporting every sniff and moment of tiredness like they’re supposed to. I guess like everything bad, people never think it’ll happen to them. I’ve heard the hotlines set up to report the virus are a constant stream of prank calls—so that backfired badly. I don’t think everyone in this office realises that people see this as a joke, an annoyance. Maybe if the others spent as much time on social media as I do, they would know this. There has to be a reason they’re all turning a blind eye.
I want to stand up and yell at everyone. I want to scream ‘where’s the proof?’ but I don’t. I wish I could pluck up the courage to ask why they’re so convinced by the few silly video clips that have been circulated. I want to tell them that even if they are so quick to believe, then why haven’t they noticed none of them are based in the UK? I want to say ‘what if the virus is real, but it hasn’t reached here yet?’ What if we go through the quarantine just to suffer through the infection afterwards? I want to ask them all why none of the ‘experts’ that have been featured on the news have mentioned an answer—a cure, an antidote, anything. Surely that would be the real key to our freedom.
Instead I stay silent, wondering if I’m being a coward. I wanted to avoid that so much, yet I fear that’s what I’ve become.
Was I always a coward? I don’t really know. I’ve never encountered a situation that’s required me to be brave before. I’ve always led a quiet, straightforward life. I was popular enough never to encounter any meanness in school, I sailed through my education without much hassle, I’ve never been required to do anything difficult at work, I’ve never had to deal with loss or heartbreak. All in all, I’ve had a very lucky—but also, now I’m looking back, pretty boring—life. Maybe if I’d suffered more hardships, I’d be more equipped to deal with all of this right now. Maybe if I’d been through disappointment, resentment, pain, then I’d know the best course of action to take.
***
And then, the day before the Lockdown comes around. If I’d expected something to happen, if I thought I’d find some inner strength to do what needs to be done, then I was wrong. I’m still exactly the same old me. Since the beginning of this, I’ve allowed this to snowball because I haven’t done anything to stop it. That quality—if I can call it that—hasn’t changed.
I sit in the morning meeting, shame washing all over me. There’s no time now, it’s too late. Or is that just another excuse? Either way I know for a fact that I’m not going to challenge anything.
“Okay everyone…” Jamie smiles far too brightly as he talks. “Tomorrow is the day. You’ll need to get your bags packed tonight and be here bright and early in the morning. You’ve already seen the beds we’ve set up in the canteen—I know it isn’t ideal, but it’s all for a good cause.” He pauses for a second, almost as if he’s expecting laughter. “We’ll be here for a fortnight at most, so we have the facilities for that length of time. I don’t think I need to discuss respect and boundaries with you all while we’re here—we’re all adults, after all.” He indicates round the room to us all. I see a lot of glances exchanged between the others. “So, any questions?”
Everyone’s hand seems to rise at the same time and questions fire out from every direction. I slowly tune everyone out and my thoughts return to my
“Anyone with health concerns must immediately get themselves to the hospital.”
“Be careful when out in public, it can be dangerous.”
The instructions are plastered everywhere—on television constantly, on billboards, online—it would be impossible not to know what’s happening now. Despite this, I still can’t see how they’re going to pull it all off. There are sick people out everywhere that haven’t gone to the hospital. People aren’t reporting every sniff and moment of tiredness like they’re supposed to. I guess like everything bad, people never think it’ll happen to them. I’ve heard the hotlines set up to report the virus are a constant stream of prank calls—so that backfired badly. I don’t think everyone in this office realises that people see this as a joke, an annoyance. Maybe if the others spent as much time on social media as I do, they would know this. There has to be a reason they’re all turning a blind eye.
I want to stand up and yell at everyone. I want to scream ‘where’s the proof?’ but I don’t. I wish I could pluck up the courage to ask why they’re so convinced by the few silly video clips that have been circulated. I want to tell them that even if they are so quick to believe, then why haven’t they noticed none of them are based in the UK? I want to say ‘what if the virus is real, but it hasn’t reached here yet?’ What if we go through the quarantine just to suffer through the infection afterwards? I want to ask them all why none of the ‘experts’ that have been featured on the news have mentioned an answer—a cure, an antidote, anything. Surely that would be the real key to our freedom.
Instead I stay silent, wondering if I’m being a coward. I wanted to avoid that so much, yet I fear that’s what I’ve become.
Was I always a coward? I don’t really know. I’ve never encountered a situation that’s required me to be brave before. I’ve always led a quiet, straightforward life. I was popular enough never to encounter any meanness in school, I sailed through my education without much hassle, I’ve never been required to do anything difficult at work, I’ve never had to deal with loss or heartbreak. All in all, I’ve had a very lucky—but also, now I’m looking back, pretty boring—life. Maybe if I’d suffered more hardships, I’d be more equipped to deal with all of this right now. Maybe if I’d been through disappointment, resentment, pain, then I’d know the best course of action to take.
***
And then, the day before the Lockdown comes around. If I’d expected something to happen, if I thought I’d find some inner strength to do what needs to be done, then I was wrong. I’m still exactly the same old me. Since the beginning of this, I’ve allowed this to snowball because I haven’t done anything to stop it. That quality—if I can call it that—hasn’t changed.
I sit in the morning meeting, shame washing all over me. There’s no time now, it’s too late. Or is that just another excuse? Either way I know for a fact that I’m not going to challenge anything.
“Okay everyone…” Jamie smiles far too brightly as he talks. “Tomorrow is the day. You’ll need to get your bags packed tonight and be here bright and early in the morning. You’ve already seen the beds we’ve set up in the canteen—I know it isn’t ideal, but it’s all for a good cause.” He pauses for a second, almost as if he’s expecting laughter. “We’ll be here for a fortnight at most, so we have the facilities for that length of time. I don’t think I need to discuss respect and boundaries with you all while we’re here—we’re all adults, after all.” He indicates round the room to us all. I see a lot of glances exchanged between the others. “So, any questions?”
Everyone’s hand seems to rise at the same time and questions fire out from every direction. I slowly tune everyone out and my thoughts return to my
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