Cough, Sneeze, Blood Spatter

Cough, Sneeze, Blood Spatter

               The bus whizzed by right in front of her face. She barely found the time to jump back, now desperate, panic stricken and late Ana ran down the block hoping to make up for lost time. Of course grace was not this young woman’s best quality, and running in heels, well that was another event she was, lacking in. Little Ana crashed into the pavement.

               It was no surprise to her that no one even acknowledged her fall. Big cities have a way of reminding us of our absolute smallness, and on that dirty concrete with her scraped elbow and blouse Ana was as interchangeable as the rats in the alley, or the vendors on the street. In the vast interconnectedness of the city, everything became another part, and each part became alienated from the others as it was specialized and given a purpose.

               What was Ana’s purpose? Well, she was late for one, and for two, she was some administrative person of little significance. She was conscious of her lack of purpose, of movement, and most of all of the ever eroding years of her twenties. Ana bought travel books at local bookstores and dreamed of vacations. Or romances and dreamed of being rescued from this monotony, this alienation.

               Getting up from the gutter, she felt the sting in her elbow and a slight tear rolled down, just enough to ruin her mascara, it was going to another awful day. Another dreadful meaningless day, as awful as the last and with nothing to do. And with nothing to believe in.

               When she got to the office, the door was locked. Ana stood staring at the glass confused and tried to phone her boss. Finally she noticed a document posted on the wall, Due to the Outbreak non-Essential Businesses Are Closed. Outbreak? Ana had no idea what they were talking about, so she headed to get a cup of coffee and maybe head home.

               Staring at her shoes as she walked down the street she noticed they were a little scuffed. The clumsy girl fell far too much. Ruining so many nice outfits. Her mother had always told her, most likely she’d never amount to anything or find happiness for that matter.

               The coffee shop was closed too. It looked like the glass had been smashed in, and most of the workers were sleeping on the floor amongst so much spilled wine. Why hadn’t she been invited to such a wild party. She thought she could be a pretty fun girl if the time was right.

               The streets were less crowed than usual. This was good, all the hustling and bustling usually worked against her. In the bizarre emptiness of the city Ana felt more herself. Freedom from some of her clumsiness. Freedom from the judging eyes of those around her.

               Although she heard some rustling in alleys she didn’t bother to look up. She kept her head down. It was safer that way she thought. Passing block after deserted block she saw the connivance store across from her apartment building. The door was unlocked and the place was trashed, but she hardly considered it her place to judge.

               She brought a bottle of wine to the counter and some chewing gum. No one was there, so she reached over and grabbed a pack of cigarettes. Menthol. She left exact change plus a two dollar tip, and a little note with a heart and a smile. Walking out into the road, Ana looked over at her apartment complex, this section of town is really getting bad she thought. It’s starting to look like a warzone.

               She had to force open her apartment building door, but did so. Now they’ll raise my deposit she thought. Some kids had spray painted the wall on the stair case. It said Solomon Flu and it was written in bright red. Shrugging her shoulders, she walked up stairs went into her apartment and locked the door.

               Ana didn’t have a television so she poured a glass of wine lit a cigarette and stared at the white walls. Solomon Flu, what a weird name for a gang she thought. As the bottle emptied she smoked cigarettes and sat there alone and quite defeated. Eventually dozing off with her head on the table.

               The sound of a car backfiring woke Ana up; she walked over to her window and looked outside. There was a mass of people moving confusedly towards a set of barricades. Men in green were shooting at the regular people as they ran forward. Trying to understand what was going on Ana put some pants on and walked out on her balcony. She lit another cigarette and stared at the mass of people. The green suited people were being overwhelmed.

               What a weird sight she though. She thought she must be dreaming. So she walked back inside and lay down on her couch. There was a loud pounding on her door. Ana opened it confusedly looking at four men in green. They looked at her then ran in. One barred the door with her chair. She wanted to speak but stared at them silently, finally she asked, “would you care for a cup of coffee?” The men in green looked at her incredulously. She went and made coffee while they stared in silence out the window.

               Bringing out the coffee she smiled, “It’s been a while since I’ve had guests, what do you do for a living?” The men in green blinked incredulously at Ana’s vapid outlook. Finally one spoke, “We are in the national guard.” Ana blinked, “Oh that sounds exciting, what are you doing in our fair city?” They looked at her with utter shock, finally another spoke, “You don’t pay much attention to what’s going on do you?”

               Ana smiled, “Yea I guess not, work was canceled today, I know that. I have a little wine left if you’d like some.” The man spoke, “You mean you were out there today?” Ana nodded, “Yea missed the bus, and then sprinted down the street trying to be on time.” And suddenly the soldiers had a very different picture of the events of the day.

               A terrible virus had broken out; people brains swelled up and they went crazy. Ana’s walk to work and back had been sheer suicide. Her survival while all this was going on was but chance. The bus she missed had crashed up the street and everyone on it had died.

               When she fell she was nearly mauled, except a soldier had killed the infected running towards her.

               Her coffee shop had been a massacre too. But the infected were in the back by the time she had gotten there.

               When she went into the store to get wine and smokes. The owner was upstairs fighting desperately against death.

               Finally her apartment had been spared the worst of it, because no one had broken in yet, the soldiers had come in looking for shelter after their unit was wiped out.

               Ana laughed, then told them, “They are good comedians.”

               At this moment the door was broken down and a wave of infected poured in. Failing to fight them off Ana and the last soldier were on the balcony. He shot himself and fell off leaving Ana alone with only glass between her and the human plague.

               She fainted. And when Ana awoke she was still on the balcony. Her room was filled with convulsing corpses. She got up but slipped on the soldier’s blood. And little Ana went soaring off the balcony to find the hard pavement come up and greet her. Their bleeding to death, head cracked open on the pavement, Ana wished she was a little less clumsy.