Swinging by A Thread

Beginning

Days Before Outbreak

Hour: 1:23 pm

Place: Massachusetts, USA

Josephine lazily swung her legs over her bed, blinking away the dizziness that overwhelmed her vision for a few seconds, placing down the book she had been reading for hours down. After discreetly smelling her underarms she decided to take a much needed shower. She'd been laying in bed all day and after all, it was summer. The weather was extremely hot.

So, she grabbed her bright orange Tommy Hilfiger towel and opened the door of her room slowly, giving her vision to the sunlit hallway. Looking to her right she saw the TV on and her stepfathers bald head, so without much noise she entered the first door on the hallway to her right, the bathroom. She stripped her clothes off and folded them neatly, entering the tub after putting a pink shower cap on to keep her wild, black hair locks from the frizz the water provided. There was a water shortage in her town due to the terribly dry summer so everyone in the house had to shower with a bit of water and bucket. The water in the bucket went by quickly so after drying herself off, she went back to the place she shared with her boyfriend, Anthony.  They'd been dating for 6 years and had recently started living together in her family home. The thought of him working made her smile so after slipping a cotton soft pantie, one of Anthony's big shirts came on after. It reached just above knee so it wasn't indecent to wear around the house.

"Better get some food in my system before I disintegrate.." Josephine spoke to herself after walking to the kitchen, taking an apple. Moments later her phone rang, the familiar song "I want you to" by  Weezer playing loudly from her bedroom.

"Hey, Jossie baby. Just calling to let you know that I'll be coming home a bit late. Miss me?" Anthony's voice rang loud and clear from the other end, sound of an engine running in the background.

"That's fine, handsome. I hope work isn't too strenuous today. There's been an awful lot of buzzing going around town cause of that odd flu going on. "

"Yeah, it's been busier than usual today. I've got to go real quick, though. I'll be home as soon as I can, baby. I love you so. " Josephine could hear the ambulance running now and the smile on Anthony's voice.

"Alright, love you lots!" Her eyes watered up slightly after hanging up, not liking one bit the things going on. There had been a hundreds of now increasing reports of new infected people by the HR flue and it worried her immensely, knowing that her boyfriend was a part-time paramedic in contact with this daily.

After a couple of minutes of staring into her phone, Josephine slowly dozed off, the heat and lack of sleep embracing her into a deep sleep. She was woken up by the sound of boots walking into her room and the familiar smell of Anthony's cologne, the smell of freshly cooked pasta lingering in the air. Josephine felt the gentle caress of her lovers lips on her forehead while she instinctively nudged closer to his lap, burying her face on his slender but built figure.

"Dinner's ready, babe. Go wash your face. You know how impatient your mom gets when you are late for dinner." Anthony said in a low voice, trying not to startle the sweaty, sleepy mess he had in front of him.

Work had been terrifying today, people coming and going with the HR virus into the hospital, acting all kinds of insane. Old women clawing away their own flesh, foaming at the mouth while blood coated their nightgowns. He was partly glad that his girlfriend didn't watch the news and wasn't one to ask questions, knowing that without a doubt this would terrify her. He didn't like keeping secrets from Josephine but he did it to keep her sane.

A few hours had passed since dinner time and now the sweet couple were sitting outside, on the rooftop of a cement shed on their backyard, the lively yellow golden retriever dog by their side. It all seemed well until screams from the neighbor behind them could be heard, their bodies tensing up. They could see from their higher view blood smeared on one of the living room windows. Anthony's first reaction was to move in and help but the solid grip of his girlfriends hand kept him still as the shouting descended to a barely audible groan.

"That... That doesn't sound right. Let's get back inside, now. " Josephine whispered, slowly descending the cement made stairs that led right next to the kitchen door.

Anthony didn't have to be told twice to move, they power walked silently, with the dog on toll, the small space between the house and the shed, just as the sound of breaking glass resonated  through the quiet neighborhood. Josephine closed the heavy metal kitchen door silently and locked it, closing and old iron gate that came afterwards. Her mother and stepdad had not been awakened by it, thankfully. After making sure the blinds were drawn and the windows closed, the couple returned to their room, keeping the lights off. Josephine closed the windows tightly and drew the curtains, making sure to keep quiet then sat down on her dogs bed, her eyes wide and lips dry.

"What...what was that? What is that? I know you know, Anthony. Don't lie. " The young woman said after a few pauses.

"The HR flue is turning people aggressive, is all. If anything happens we'll be safe in here. We've got the cement block fence outside plus the gates and metal bars around the windows. " Anthony said in a hushed tone. "I'll call the unit early tomorrow. Just get some rest, okay? You need it in your condition. "

He didn't get an answer from Josephine, the girls lips were sealed tight while she crawled into her own side of the bed. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of their ceiling fan and their breathing, mixed with the distant sounds of an ambulance.

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Enjoy the story. All the settings, characters and so on were created by my imagination. Any similarities to real life or events are completely coincidental.

     ~Ira