Never Give Up: A Novel

CHAPTER 2 And So, My Nightmare Begins

Rain fell out of the sky continuously for days on end, as if the heavens for crying for the ruined, virus ridden earth. Every man or woman who stepped out of their door was immediately drenched with cold drops of precipitation, which caused their clothes to stick to their skin, chilling every bone. Lauren stood at the doorframe, grasping the thin wood as she stared at the landscape beyond the glass membrane that separated her from the outside world.

Tuesday. Finally, it’s Visitation Day. She breathed heavily; as she ran her hand along indents of familiarity- where her twin sister and her used to wait anxiously on the last day of every month for their mother, beaming with a magnificent smile, to come and scratch into the wall both of their heights. The ink that had so long been fostered within the marks had since disappeared, with only the scattered remains of those fragile moments.

Taking in a deep gulp of air, she slipped her mask over her mouth and grabbed her raincoat off of the white banister of her staircase, hastily slipping it over her body. Wet from the previous day, stray strands of brunette hair instantly became matted to the fabric. She hissed scornfully, picking the pieces off one by one.

The drops of liquid dare not cease to pelter the girl as soon as she took her first leap onto the damp cement of the doorstep. Cursing a multitude of profanities, she pulled the jacket tighter around her, chills rattling up her spine. The wind, howling and ear deafening, blew forcefully past her ear, brushing bits of debris into the entrance way, forming a large puddle on the soluble oak floor. The water seeped through every crack, rotting the wood as it retreated below the surface.

“Seriously?!” Lauren shouted with anger, kicking the dirt away. “As if life wasn’t already difficult enough!”

She stomped down the short stairwell, turning to the path that led up her driveway. At the end of the area, where the designated gate that outlined the boundaries of the town lay, marched a handful of uniformed soldiers, their long guns caressed over their shoulder. Unlike the guards that were supposed to be keeping wanderers off the streets beyond curfew or away from the quarantine, these soldiers were commissioned by the government to their posts, against many of their wishes. If they left, they would be fired, or worse, killed.  Against the scene of trees, their camouflage suits were discreet, making them hidden enemies to citizens who were not careful.

Lauren glanced quickly at her watch, smacking her lips tightly together as she read the time. It was late- having taken care of her family all morning and afternoon, it was almost night time. The shut down forced people in her town to follow strict visitation privileges. They were allowed to walk around freely within a curfew at their own risk, but could not travel into the other half of the town, where the spread of the virus was minimal. However, a select few were allowed to pass the gate on Tuesday’s. How one day would prevent the virus from spreading confused Lauren, but it provided the perfect opportunity for her to pay a visit to her friends, all of which lived beyond the quarantine.

She chewed her tongue, contemplating her maneuvering ideas. She planned on getting to Hannah’s house as fast as she possibly could, for if she did so, the group would have more time to spend together.

There was only one shortcut that was possible, one shortcut that was somewhat plausible but still, with no question, quite dangerous.

She had a moment to make the critical decision- Risk her life for the value of social interaction or rely mainly on the longer pathway?