1 Week in Self-Isolation-Brighton

Today is the first time that I felt really happy since self-isolating. I loved seeing my days change from being anxious or fearful to calm or acceptance of this situation that we're all going through to happy. Living under a cloud of tiredness or grumpiness from work and bringing it home has affected me more than I thought it did. A sense of gratitude and appreciation for this time off work has made a few things stand out. The important things in life. My passions, my hobbies, recreating routines and a sense of peace.

I've spent less time on Twitter and Instagram. Wrote more, read more and slept more. I got ready when I woke up, showered, dressed, put some fun make up on, ate more regularly and did more chores. I wrote more poetry. I'm thinking of doing more art. I guess I feel like a renaissance woman.

You may laugh at me. That's OK. I will carry on trying to get published. The thought of querying more agents at the moment is so daunting. It's always daunting. Sometimes I feel like I'll never get published.

Anyway, I was going to share a few things with you.

I finished reading Frankenstein! Yeay! It's so good. There are so many layers to it. It really did surprise me. It's definitely on my favourites list.

I love this cover of the book. It has raw edges and makes it feel like it's just off the presses.

This is my cosy writing desk.  I edited it and made it look warmer. When the lamp is on and a candle is lit, I am in my element. There's usually a podcast or audiobook playing. 

If you want to listen to some podcasts, here are a couple of links. I think you'll enjoy them.

The Box of Oddities:
The hosts of the show share true weird and fun stories.
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/theboxofoddities/the-box-of-oddities

My Favourite Murders:
The hosts share true crime stories and are very funny.
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/exactly-right/my-favorite-murder
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/exactly-right/my-favorite-murder

Take care everyone and stay safe. 

Wonder Woman XXX 

How To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse 2

**********************************This is fiction and for your entertainment only. 

**********************************

                  Chapter 2

The sound of gargling followed me all the way to Boots. I pushed over the zombies that slowly shuffled towards me with a shove, and occasionally a kick with my foot. 

They collapsed in a sad heap. I knocked on the front door. Rick and five of his unzombified colleagues have locked themselves in since the outbreak. 

He ran towards me like he's never seen a human before. 

"Caleb! Come inside. Quick!"

"What's the rush?"

"Did you see what's going on outside?" 

Panick broke him out in a sweat.

"Yeah, but they're slow."

"Come with me. The others are foaming at the mouth."

I followed him half tripping over my own shoe laces. When we got to the pharmacy, he turned around and pointed to the chairs in the waiting area. 

"Where are the others?"

He sat on the floor in front of me rocking back and forth. 

"T..They're gone. All of them. In the end, I had to dump them outside near Windsor Street."

"Oh God. I'm sorry. Why don't you come and live with us?"

He waved his hand as if shooing a fly away. 

"I have a better set up here. Endless food. Drinks. Cold medicine."

"Cold medicine?"

"I've got a little tickle, thirsty. One sec." 

He grabbed a half full bottle of coke and downed the rest of the bottle in one go. The bottle slipped from his hands and rolled across the floor. I stopped it with my foot. 

"Rick? Are you alright?"

His lips started turning blue. I got up, grabbed a handful of paracetamols, three pregnancy tests and a box of organic tampons. 

"Caleb. I'm thirs...ty."

Rick hobbled towards me. I couldn't watch this. My feet carried me towards the door. Then I remembered something. 

"What's the code, Rick?"

"Code...why..."

"Supplies. There are others out there who need urgent supplies."

I ran my hand through my floppy hair. My eyes were watering. No. Not watering. They were filling with tears. There goes another friend. 

"6...3...4...1."

"Thanks Rick."

I ran out jumping over bodies and letting the tears roll down my face. 

Friday Night Frights 4

Chapter 4

   “Would you like a cup of tea?”

   
   “I’d love one, thanks.”

   
   Heather poured hot water in a couple of plain white mugs. She felt nothing while she watched him pull the wet hoodie over his head. His shirt lifted, and she spotted an attractive flat stomach. When was the last time she had sex? She couldn’t even remember. Her views of sex were animalistic and even gross. It’s not something she even enjoyed or sought after, but it didn’t stop her from exploring her own sexuality, by herself. She unzipped her own hoodie and dropped on the floor.

   
   Tom pulled her close to him. They kissed briefly before they headed towards the bedroom. He stopped at the threshold.

   
   “Why is everything white?”

   
   “I like it.”

   
    He shrugged off the uneasy feeling at the pit of his stomach.

   
   “Why don’t you undress? I’ll just go to the bathroom.”

  
    “Okay.”

  
    Heather pulled a drawer open in the bathroom. She removed a pair of hair cutting scissors and slipped them into the waistband of her underwear. In the bedroom, Tom was lying back against a couple of white pillows. The only thing that wasn’t white was a small metal bowl. It looked almost surgical. She placed it on the side of the bed.

   
   Tom moved towards her, but she pushed him back. She unhooked her sports bra and let it fall on the floor. Her admire her slim figure. His hands moved up and down her back.

  
    “Close your eyes, Tom.”

   
   “Okay. Are we getting kinky?”

  
    “If you lay very still and be quiet, you’ll find out.”

   
   She moved the bowl next to his neck. With a swift stab, blood ran thick and fast into the bowl. He attempted to sit up, but she pushed him down until he didn’t move at all. The blood slowed and eventually stopped.

  
    Lifting his right eye lid, she aimed the sharpest part of the scissors at the corner of his eye.

Day 1 Self-Isolation Brighton

I've recently completed my first 24hrs in self-isolation. It was OK. I'm an introvert, if you didn't already know. 😂 I do enjoy spending time by myself.

I couldn't tell you what I actually did yesterday. I have watched a decent amount of videos on the coronavirus. There is this a brilliant episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. He had Michael Osterholm on and they talked about the coronavirus, how it might have developed and other diseases. The link is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw

I did find this video quite informative. An infection disease expert weighs in on COVID-19. Dr. Harvey Rubin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZFi8DEbXtw&list=FL7Z-mTWKppXa7iQY0Kcl6ww&index=2&t=0s

Today I'll be writing a lot more. I'm excited to share this with you tomorrow or the next few days.

Stays Safe!!!

Wonder Woman XXX

Uncertain Times 1

Last week felt like things were going down the zombie apocalypse slide. Most of my colleagues were tense, worried even angry. Uncertain times like these tests our emotions and the way we behave.

As our numbers dwindled, the few staff that were left picking up the pieces, serving customers as best as they can, keeping themselves healthy and not hoarding food, hand sanitisers and toilet paper. 

Pasta, meat and bread is also being hoarded. If we all take what we need, there will be plenty to go around. 

We work at Opticians X. Just like you, we don't know what will happen when everything shuts down. It seems like we will get our full pay this month. The next few months, 80%. As far as we know. 

There are amazing companies out there that are paying their staff full pay while they're temperarily closed.  This is amazing! I wish more companies would learn from them and be human.

We don't have the luxury to work from home. To not use public transport. To not deal with rude angry customers.  Managers don't have to deal with customers shouting at them. Please be kind. We are also human. 

If work shuts down, we will isolate ourselves.  It seems like the world is falling apart.  NHS heroes are putting themselves on the line. Look after yourselves, your community might need you if they get sick. Some of my neighbours are helping people who are self-isolating / vulnerable with food, toilet paper and picking up their pensions. This is amazing! It would be amazing if we all helped each other like this. 

I read on Twitter that crime has continued since people started self-isolating. Offenses include drug/drunk driving, assault and theft. Please report crime to them on 101/online orlo.uk/Report_Online_. Please see below. 

Stay indoors if you can and practice social distancing. 

Take care.

Wonder Woman XXX 💜 

Friday Night Frights 3

Chapter 3

   Rain pelted down Islingword Road staining the pavement black. Vapour illuminated the almost pitch black night while Heather ran down the hill. She turned down Upper Rock Gardens street and forced her feet to run faster along the sea front. Her foot tripped against a loose pavement slab and she fell straight into a wet hoodie.

  
 A pair of damp strong hands pulled her up on her feet. Her eyes landed on a pair of dark blue eyes. An electric shock went right through her.

   
   “Are you okay?”

  
    She stood up straight and pretended to limp.

   
   “I’m not sure. My ankle. It hurts.”

   
   “I’ll take you to A&E if you want.”

   
   “Oh no. It’s okay. I’ll just get a taxi home.”

   
   Rain drops saturated his black metal rimmed glasses. He put an arm around her and hailed down a taxi. She told the driver where she lived.

  
    “Let me look at that ankle.” He pulled her leg over his and unlaced her trainer. “I’m Tom by the way.”

   
   “I’m Heather. I’m sure my ankle is fine.”

  
    She looked away, annoyed at the whole situation. His fingers made their way up her calf. He looked at her in that way. He wasn’t unattractive. She pretended to smile when she climbed out of the taxi, reminding herself to limp.

   
   “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  
    She pulled out her hair band and shook her long blond hair loose.

  
    “Why don’t you come in?”

How To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse 1

**********************************

THIS IS FICTION AND IS ONLY FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT 

**********************************

Day 1

1:13 AM 

I dipped the pizza crust in mayo, because we've run out of ketchup. And so has every supermarket, corner shop and market. 

My girlfriend Maya has stashed our last toilet roll under our duvet. Our housemates are out trying to find tins of baked beans. 

A month ago, we could go outside without wearing face masks. We could go to the cinema. We could go to work.

Now, people are dying, and coming back sicker. It's the strangest thing I've ever experienced. 

It started with my grandmother. Granny Ivy was 82 when she got the flu. I visited her that Sunday as I usually do for Sunday lunch. When she removed the roast potatoes from the oven, she colapsed. The potatoes rolled all over the kitchen floor. I've never had potatoes like those again. 

I carried her to her bed. She was so still that I thought she was dead. Later that night, I heard some noise in the kitchen. I got up to see who it was. It was Granny Ivy. She looked blue. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her lips were also blue. 

She was doing the washing up. I touched her shoulder and she turned around drooling at the smell of my hand. 

I backed away and ran back to my flat. I couldn't understand what was happening until Maya told me that something similar happened to her mum. 

"Caleb, we have to stick together. Something weird is going on," said Maya. 

Those words still haunt me. Her hands were shaking. A key in the lock made me jump. My housemates Ian and Terry slipped in and locked the door behind them.

"No beans, I'm afraid," Ian slumped down on the floor. 

"But we did find three tins of tomato soup," Terry smiled.

He pulled them out of his jacket pocket and lined them up on the floor.

That night we split one watery tin of tomato soup between us. 

Fear and Hysteria

These are strange times we're going through. It feels odd. It feels uncertain. It feels sort of anxious. 

It feels like it's spreading a lot faster than expected. People are freaking out and panicking. They're stockpiling toilet paper, bread, chicken. Most processed meat is still on the shelves. Some dairy is still available. A lot of tinned food is gone. The cleaning shelves are wiped out. I couldn't get sponges. There's no bleach. No EGGS! WTF? Nuts. 

So a lot is gone. I think supermarkets are trying to restock. Well, a lot of snacks were left. Yeah! Snack lovers unite. 😂 Chocolate is still available. Thank God for that. 

At work, several people are off with symptoms of you-know-what. We are scared that if work closes, we won't get full sick pay. I hope we do. There are a lot less customers coming into the building where we work, some customers are worried about collecting their purchases. Which is fair enough. They are being posted out to vulnerable people who are self-isolating. 

Everyone who comes into the building is made to wash their hands. We regularly sanitise and wash our hands. Public areas are wiped down every 30 minutes. These are good measures.  

We are noticing that people are behaving out of the norm and being rude, overly anxious and panicking over pretty much everything. Hysteria is very real. I guess these aren't normal times. 

These are my opinions and observations including some of my friends experiences. 

How are you going through these testing times? Are you managing well? Do you have basic supplies? Let me know. Take care of yourselves. 

Wonder Woman XXX 

Friday Night Frights 2

Chapter 2

   Heather scrolled down the appointment diary wondering if her first patient of the day will show up. A knock on the door pulled her attention away from the diary.

   
   “Come in.”

   
   Sarah, an assistant manager at Roots Opticians, smiled nervously at her.

  
    “Hi, Heather, your first patient just called in sick.”

   
   “Okay, thanks Sarah.”

  
    She walked in and brushed her red curly hair behind her left ear.

  
    “I tried to find Samantha Cox-White’s and Richard Reading’s record cards, but couldn’t find them. They were both here in June of last year and are overdue on their sight tests.”

  
    “Okay, thanks for looking.”

  
    “You’re welcome.”

   
   She closed the door behind her.

   
   Heather pulled her handbag over her shoulder, noted down the two names on a Post-It note and made her way into the lab, which is also called the filing room. Grace and Liz greeted her as she walked in. ABBA were singing Mama Mia on the radio. While Grace had her back turned filing away at the Gs drawers and Liz was on her phone, she pulled an almost empty drawer open, and placed the jar of blue eyes behind a wad of files. It was the last S drawer. Standing up, she straightened her white shirt and pretended to look for the Samantha Cox-White’s file.

  
    “Can I help you with anything?” Grace asked.

  
    “Oh no, it’s okay. Sarah tried to find these files earlier, but couldn’t find them.”

  
    “I can have another look. You never know. Fresh eyes and all that.”

  
    “Ah, alright.”

  
    She handed her the Post-It note.

  
    While testing her next patient, all she could think about were fresh eyes.

Friday Night Frights 1

Chapter 1

The colour of the water changed from red to pink to clear. Turning the tap off, Heather dried her hands on a couple of hand towels. A fruit knife lay drying on the table near her.

She turned towards her patient, pulled the body feet first into a bin bag, folded her body at the waist and tied the top of the bag with a couple of knots.

Next, she placed her patient's eyes in a recycled pickled onion jar. They barely floated up towards the top. Heather wrinkled her nose at the smell of formaldehyde. She hid the jar in her black fold-over handbag. 

The clock on the monitor read 1:45 PM. She smiled at her accomplishment. This was her earliest kill. She grabbed the bin bag and walked quickly towards the fire exit stairs. A large Sainsburys truck blocked her view and hid her from the crowds on North Street. She jogged towards a large black bin and hauled the bag with both hands over the top. 

Her heart beat fast and her stomach rumbled. Lunch time. The only time she'd ever felt anything. At all. Other than the thrill and peace of hunting down her next victim. Recently, it's been more plotting than hunting since her victims tend to come to her. Perks of an optician. 

She took her time walking back up the stairs. Back in her testing room, she removed a thermos from her bag and a pair of chopsticks. Spicy noodles gave her so much joy. Or what she thought was joy. It was the only type of carbs she ate. Today she ate it with chicken and broccoli. A pair of blue eyes stared out at her from her handbag. Cold and beautiful. Just like her face.