April 10th
17 Days After Quarantine

He’d ran on further before realising, after the nightmares, after what his subconscious had been trying to warn him of, that he’d been wrong and he’d made a huge mistake. Within moments, it seemed like Charlie then found himself back in the nightmare. The fetid air rose up from somewhere below deeper down in the subway. The lights had been obscured by the gruesome, fleshy growth he’d come to know so well. The tunnel had grown dark, the floor wet and sludgy, everything around him moving gently with the pulsing of the grotesque meat. Voices, screaming like they had done during the night came through from somewhere deeper in the subway, their sharp noise cutting through the vile air like a knife through cloth. The sight of the hive, its hot, moist surface reflecting the light and creating the image of what it could have been like being trapped inside some dreadful creature. But it was real. The nightmares, the visions, everything weren’t just some vision or dream, but it was real after all, somehow crossing over into reality. He’d just wound up like an overtightened sailors knot, every muscle in his body stiff and non compliant with terror. His stomach had felt as though he’d had some nightmarish creature coiled into a ball there, something he needed to get out, the sickness of fear going straight through him like a black dye colouring the water. Then the full horror of it came to him again. The full realisation of just what he’d stumbled into, of what nightmare he’d entered and its reality in the real, waking world. Piles of it had grown in the corners. Of veins, of muscle and sinew, of things that once lived and now only remained as ghastly, disgusting travesties of the living world. At that point he’d panicked as the memories, the trauma of it rushed back to him like the return of a forgotten sickness. He hadn’t even remembered where he’d entered from, which way was out or which would lend him any kind of escape from the nightmare. Arms, legs, faces, pieces he couldn’t put names to moved, writhed in the horrid gelatinous flesh where all things became one, where all was consumed, annihilated and disseminated throughout the pus of humanity.

March 17th
1 Week Before Quarantine

You always knew something was up when you heard people talking about whatever it was that was wrong in the world on even the shortest journeys out.
“They’re saying we’re gonna’ be on lockdown by the end of the week.”
“Have you seen how many more people have caught it in the city?”
“I can’t believe how it’s spreading, soon it’s gonna’ be everywhere.”
Charlie Frost had heard it all just on his way into work that morning purely by overhearing other peoples conversations. The talk about it all had been as if each and every person were a bleating siren warning of the dangers of the disease, and as far as he was concerned, he’d had enough of it all. For the weeks leading up to that point he’d heard nothing but the panicked bluster pouring out of peoples mouths about it. He’d pretty much resigned himself to simply having to tell people he wasn’t interested in talking or hearing about it.
As far as he knew the disease had started over in the far east somewhere but in all honesty he hadn’t cared that much as to exactly where it had come from. Apparently it was the older people that were more susceptible and he was twenty eight years old and hadn’t been ill for over what was probably over five years now, so right at that point in time he didn’t give a stuff about it all.
The walk to work from his apartment that morning hadn’t been any different than usual. People were out buzzing around in a busy hive of activity, the children on their different ways to school; a picture of the modern world.
He’d seen his friend Adam that day at work, a tall dark haired guy he’d known since school who had rolled up into the forecourt to refuel. They’d talked like usual, about having a drink at the end of the week at the local, about their girlfriends, about the kind of bluster most twenty something guys talked about before Adam decided to talk about that thing that everyone was on about.
“I don’t know how much longer we’ll go on like this, have you seen how many caught it over the weekend?”
“No, and I don’t care.” Charlie had retorted.
“They’re saying they’re gonna’ issue a lockdown by the….”
“End of the week yeah I heard it all. Come on, you too? Give it a rest mate.”
“Hey I’m just saying.”
“Yep, it’ll be alright, you’ll see. Besides you sound worried, ya’ poof.”
Adam looked around with that smile he always did. “Worried? Nah, it is all a bit weird though, that’s all.”
“Eh did you see the Cougars last night?”
“Course I did, that Suarez literally saved their arses.”
“I know right, was it me or was Mathews like..totally out of sync with the rest of the team, that one shot at forty five minutes, where the hell was he?”
“Yeah I know, running down the left side leaving the mid field open.” Adam nodded.
“It’s alright though, we’re still 20 points up from the Sharks.”
“They only need one more win and our lead’ll be basically finito, you understand me punk!” He called out playfully.
“Eh eh I’m from Detroit Michigan! Don’t play with me!” Charlie replied, quoting a video from the internet they’d both seen.

The rest of the day at work had been uneventful but the upside to all that had been that Stacy, a girl he’d been dating had invited him over to hers that night, which of course he politely accepted. They’d only been seeing each other a couple of weeks but their rapport together had ensured that their relationship had gone along like a well oiled machine. She was a nice girl; educated but no too educated, good looking but not too conscious of her own image, sensible and smart but still with impulses and spontaneity to keep things lively. In all honesty Charlie could see himself with her in the future, but he wasn’t really one for projecting such things into the future so he’d just left it there.
That evening though, he’d eaten dinner, chewed his food with his mouth closed, smiled at her whenever she’d smiled at him and indulged in a healthy conversation that, in no way had anything to do with the disease and all that crap floating around out there. They’d talked and joked for the earlier part of the evening before their hormones had struck them into a hurriedly parade of undressing, and indeed after that, he’d made sweet love to her through the late hours of the night.

March 26th
2 Days After Quarantine

The national lockdown had finally been issued, the disease had finally spread far and wide enough that the government had taken action to try and prevent its spread any further. Charlie had seen the announcement over the internet, schools were to close, all none essential work places were to close as well, that meant all bars and restaurants, and all none essential shops. He was temporarily working at a fuel station for the season, which meant it was considered essential and would continue opening only with reduced opening hours instead. But he’d felt the difference in the air now, the announcement somehow making the whole thing all the more real to everyone who was thus yet unaffected by it. Walking to work that morning, the atmosphere had been tense, the uncertainty of it all palpable and the streets eerily quiet as everyone stowed themselves away to weather the storm of disease. Of course the human race had done what the human race do very well and panicked. Stores and supermarkets had literally been emptied over the course of twenty four hours essentially creating a man made food and supply shortage. So now nowhere was open and to top it all off strict social distancing rules had been put in place. No one was to get within two metres of anyone whom they didn’t share a household with and none essential travel had become an enforcible crime by the police.
Charlie’s take on the disease itself hadn’t changed. It still hadn’t worried him but the way things were, were simply the natural progression of the spread of an infectious disease. So he still went to work for reduced hours while for the rest of the day he’d have to spent at his apartment alone, in isolation. Of course everyday he was at work he was fortunate enough to be able to get out from the apartment and go out, but he was at the same time, being exposed to the filthy masses of the human race.
Later that morning Adam had passed through. He didn’t know what he was doing driving around because the guy wasn’t to be working at the moment. Most likely just getting out to keep himself sane, the guy wasn’t exactly built for staying cooped up inside for days on end. He’d come through the door with a dust mask on, his posture now far more sheepish than it would usually have been.
“Alright?” Charlie had said.
“Yeah.”
His reply had been quiet, subdued, as if shaken, unsettled.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Well it’s not nothing is it? You’re quiet as a mother fucker. What’s the matter?” Charlie replied, trying to get something out of him.
Adam had just shook his head as he went in and picked up a few things. He went around the place in silence, very unusual for him. To Charlie it was obvious the guy had been unsettled by it all, the empty streets, the surreal quietness and the supposed threat of a disease looming over them.
“Look you need to stop thinking about all that shit, you’re gonna’….I dunno, break your brain or some shit.” He’d told Adam once he came up to the counter.
“Have you seen the news?”
“You know I don’t watch the…”
“They’ve been going on about how the infected are having nightmares now.”
“Right.” Charlie replied, not sure now any of it was of a great importance.
“Literally, they say that like….two thirds of the people that have it are experiencing these really vivid nightmares.”
“Look, all that stuff on TV’s just making it worse, switch that shit off, man listen to yourself.”
“Switch that TV on up there.” He said pointing to a small unit on the wall behind him. “You’ll see.”
“I don’t wanna’ see, I don’t wanna’ know about it all. Besides it’s not unusual to have nightmares and shit when you’ve got a fever anyway.”
He’d decided to not follow his conversation about it all as he was obviously quite fired up about it all and all to ready to go into way more detail about it all than he’d rather. Charlie had decided to himself that it was actually quite strange to see how the whole situation was changing people, how people were not themselves. The human race had for so long been within the peace and safety of their own comfort zone. Their world of constructs and warm familiarity, that when that system was stopped, it were as if the world became cold and unfamiliar to them, that what came before meant nothing anymore.

On his way home at midday he’d seen more examples of people not being their normal selves. Most shops had started a customer regulation plan. Only letting in a few people at a time to help with social distancing and all, and they were obliged to see that waiting customers outside were lining up at least two metres away from one another. A long line of people waited outside one of the local fresh produce stores; a slightly older man shouting at someone else in the line.
“You’re to stay two metres apart, get back, stay away!” He shouted, his finger swinging between two other people behind him as he held his face mask over his mouth.
“Go on! Get back, I don’t want it! I don’t want the disease!” Charlie heard the man shouting as he carried on around the corner.
Even if he didn’t want to hear all the bluster being announced on the TV about it all, one thing he could say from experience was that it had people all very on edge, that social tensions were high. To them at least, the disease was dreadfully real.
He’d stopped by the mini market just down from his apartment block for just a few things before having to shut himself away for the rest of the afternoon. Indeed they were limiting the people entering as well. The one other person in there with him said nothing and steered clear of him as if just looking at him might turn them into stone. He’d gone in line after picking up his supplies, the person in front paying in silence as if the disease were literally everywhere, as if you could catch it just by talking to someone else.
“GET BACK!” The cashier shouted at him.
“YOU HAVE TO STAY BEHIND THE TWO METRE LINE!”
Yeah alright, fuckin’ hell. He thought to himself as he took a single step back.
By the looks of the cashiers face she’d obviously been screaming at people to stay behind that damned line all day. It were as though her face had been stretched thin from it all, her nerves run ragged. No more room for subtlety and politeness, just the hard unforgiving screech of her throat.
Later that evening he’d spoke to Stacy over the internet for a good couple of hours. More than enough time to settle that fact that once all of this blew over, he was going to give her a good tumble, which in his mind, was his way of raising the centre finger to all this disease bull. But it had been after that, that he just happened to see something on the internet about what Adam had mentioned earlier, the nightmares. Usually he wouldn’t have bothered with something like it, just more bluster the media were spouting to stir up the already shaky people of the world, but in that instance, his curiosity got the better of him.
“And we have confirmed reports that over two thirds of the patients here at St Andrews Hospital have been experiencing vivid dreams, nightmares as the patients themselves are calling them. How or why such a high number of patients are experiencing these nightmares is unknown but it is all too clear that this is not an isolated incident. Hospitals around the globe have reported patients complaining of horrific nightmares, some strong enough that they’re calling them hallucinations, nightmares that continue even after the patient has awoken. Dr Samuel of the chief…..”
That had been enough for Charlie, based on just those few shorts minutes it was no wonder people like Adam weren’t themselves. If you were someone that followed all that crap, it must have been terrifying. It changed nothing for Charlie though, he’d still have to go to get up in the morning, go to work and be far closer than he’d like to the greater unwashed. Life went on.

March 29th
5 Days After Quarantine

Charlie hadn’t been that worried about what had been happening, but he had at least felt a little more secure at work after they had transparent screens erected on the counter to keep people the hell away from the staff. The last several days at work had been, for the most part painfully quiet after the national lockdown had gone into full effect. Over the last couple of days he’d heard a lot of crazy talk going around by the people coming and going at the fuel station. Just as Adam had pointed out last time he saw him, there was a TV set right behind him but he still hadn’t cared enough to switch it on and verify any of it. The people he’d seen had seemed slightly shaken by it all, by not being able to work, to do the things they’d normally do but they’d seemed alright. They were obviously just keeping their heads down and getting on with whatever it was they could get on with in and around their homes.
Charlie could remember the exact moment when all that had started to change. The exact moment that terrible ball of dread had been set into a slow, but all too steady motion. Alan was a heavily built forty something who had easily carried the reputation as a local hardman after fifteen years of military service before working as a doorman. A bald, hard faced individual who, in spite of having a healthy sense of humour had a spiteful gaze that probably would have been enough to turn anyone to stone if he wanted. He was a calm, very well grounded individual. The type of man whos lessons learnt throughout his career showed in times like these; in short, not much panicked him at all. But on that day Charlie just knew, as soon as he’d walked through that door, something somehow had shaken him. That thin, wide eyed expression as if everything he’d assumed was wrong, and it had been etched all over his face. He’d done little more than glance at Charlie with those unusually wide, glistening eyes before just nodding and walking through. He’d almost wanted to say something to him but he was still quite an imposing man based just on his huge, Jötunn like physique and he was known for having quite the intense personality. Charlie decided to sensibly not confront him about his sheepishness.
Alan had approached the counter to pay, those eyes now painfully wide like a dog who’d had their tale put between their legs in a fairly brutal series of events. But he still hadn’t said anything. Charlie had said hello, asked him how he was, but all he’d got back were just mumbles; short yeses and nos, the tone of someone that didn’t want to talk. The guy had just left without even stringing together just a few words, very unusual. But it had been after that, that it was as though people had been shaken by something. One after another customers came through the station. Their faces stark, eyes helplessly wide like an abused animal looking for some kind of a way out, an escape. Half the people that he’d seen that day he hadn’t known so he had little existing context to measure their current behaviour against. But he just knew something had obviously changed somewhere or somehow, because it had almost been as if the exact same set of expressions had been somehow written onto nearly everyones face that he’d seen. Even still, no one said anything about anything that might have been going on. After probably two hours of wondering why, he’d decided to go against his usual set of habitual activities and switch the TV set on behind him. The thing fizzed into life before he made his way to the twenty four hour news channel in a staccato of button presses. But as soon as the video of the news channel began he felt a knot in his stomach as if a sailor had been practising his rigging with his digestive tract.
“…Sharp rise in the number of fatalities over the course of the last twenty four hours as patients all over the world suffer what appears to be a mutation in the disease that seems to be affecting not just some patients, but all patients. Symptoms of the affected have gone from simple flu like symptoms, to severe rashes, bleeding sores and some even reporting bleeding from within the body. The bizarre and horrifying evolution in the disease is quickly being dubbed The Plague by doctors here at St Andrews hospital, and has left medical experts stumped as to how and why people are being affected simultaneously in spite of there being no contact between patients.”
He stood there for a good several minutes watching footage of the infected turning up in their droves to hospitals like a pack of zombies being attracted to the noise. By the looks of it the rate of infections had risen sharply along with what couldn’t help but come across as a fairly worrying set of revelations. He had to assume the news footage of it all had been going on about it all for probably the last twenty four hours, so it was no surprise he was late to the party on that front of information considering how he usually never paid the news any heed. He’d seen the news, watched it for several minutes purely for the spectacle that it was then decided he’d seen all he needed to see.
But even into the evening, what he’d seen, the slow evolution of the whole situation stayed there in the back of his mind, laying in wait. He hadn’t looked at the news again that day yet that horrid weight in his centre had stayed there with him, a constant reminder of what was happening out there in the world. He’d eaten, sat there for a minute or two after doing the washing before he heard the voices from the neighbours upstairs. At first it had come across to him as just that low undulating hum of the human voice, then after a while his ears adjusted and he realised the tone of what it was they were saying. The girls voice; Karen he thought he remembered her being called had quickly shown him all was not well with the couple as he listened on.
“We’re fucked! Look at em’, why…..but why? How?” She shouted out before breaking into what sounded like a near hysterical sob.
He could hear the boyfriend talking, presumably trying to calm her down but it hadn’t sounded like it had worked too well.
“We need to leave! I think we should leave, like now, like right now! I fucking swear we’re gonna’ get it if we stay! I don’t want to fucking die!”
She’d gone at it for at least another several minutes; her anguish sounding like the soundtrack to what was going through the backs or maybe the fronts of everyones minds. That dim echo of the defeat of the human spirit, the subtle but all too real dread lingering like a hungry shark circling the bloodied waters. How the weight of it pulled at him; as if the world he knew was changing, right there in front of his eyes. But with that he’d then pulled himself out of it. It’d be alright, they’d make it through just like they always had. The Playstation had sat there inactive for a while now and he still had games he still hadn’t played on it. With that, the headphones went on, the game disc went in and he indulged himself into a healthy session of video game escapism.

CONTINUES IN EPISODE 2