Alone

Being strong enough to get out of bed was a mixed blessing. The joy of feeling better was cut short by the mother of all confusing days. Was still weak enough that I was taking a few more days off. First I decide to call a few people. Thought I might take advantage of that and catch up with a few friends. Just couldn't get through. Not to anybody. Some tone I didn't recognise. Tried the Internet. Seems my local provider is down. Crazy how isolated you can feel without the Internet.

 

The TV was still going but it was just a pre-recorded news or current affairs show. Was talking about how to help stop the spread of the current flu epidemic and what to do if you had it. I know it was bad, I'd just been through it, but hell, they are talking about putting dead people outside your house and hanging sheets from windows until they send someone to collect the dead. The dead? What the hell is going on out there?

 

I remember reading about the influenza outbreak during the First World War, how it probably killed more people than the fighting. Maybe that's what this is? Or pig flu, or bird flu or something. Shit though, people are dying. Makes me wonder how close I came.. Nobody here to worry about pushing me outside or hanging anything from these windows. Fuck, this is just crazy.

 

The really mad thing is they mentioned something about avoiding contact with other people, especially anybody with flu or cold symptoms or who may be displaying violent or antisocial behaviour. When did flu make you behave like a dick?

 

This would make a comedy sketch if I hadn't already been through the flu. The flu or a flu. Still, it was bad. I suppose there is an line you can simply go over and your body says, 'that's it. game over.'

 

I remembered an old radio in the attic. Haven't used it in years, everything now running off the Internet. No power lead but it took batteries. Got it working and had a good search around. Didn't find anything local, but BBC radio had some really interesting views on what was going down in Manchester. Screw the flu outbreak, the rioting and devastation of central Manchester was what everybody wanted to talk about. And the cannibalism. That really had people up in arms. Apparently some rioters had decided to try the other white meat. I know all shit breaks loose during a riot, but eating people?

 

There was some scathing comment about the government's handling of things too. The army are involved and have been seen firing at and shooting rioters. I guess the order of the information coming out was deliberate, cause it's hard to fault anybody for shooting someone who might eat you.

 

Seems it's just Manchester though. No talk of it happening anywhere else. Nobody knows what kicked it off either. I guess if other areas are going to riot for a cause they at least need to know what they're rioting about. After that it was pretty repetitive. The reports are likely exaggerated anyway.

 

Turning the radio off, I went to the rear window and checked the skyline. That was a shock. Should have done that first of all. The sky over Manchester is black.

 

Also occurred to me to go and check on my neighbours. That was a waste of time. Tried a couple of houses to the left of mine. Nobody answered. Tried two more in the opposite direction, and got a curtain twitch. I hammered on her door, but she never reappeared. A heaviness gripped my limbs. Not the flu, but a dread of going any further. There was another curtain twitch on the far side of the road, but I no longer had the desire for human contact and returned home.

 

I've had the TV on since I returned. It's the same few programs repeated over and over. The radio was pretty similar, all they are talking about it the flu and the rioting. They think it's spreading to other areas. I have no more batteries for it so didn't leave it on for long. I guess I will just have to wait until they return to normal programs. Until everything returns to normal. Back to bed now. Even this amount of activity exhausts me.