The Fear Behind the Mask: a COVID-19 story

The Unavoidable Truths of a Global Pandemic

This chapter is a few excerpts from a letter that Lizzie Read wrote to a friend of her's. Obviously, all personal information in the letter has been excluded from this chapter, however I thought that some of the things that are mentioned in the letter should be shared in this story as well. 

Dear C,

I hope that you are doing okay. As okay as we can be right now with no one to talk to and nothing really to do. I guess I just hope that your day doesn't feel as shitty as mine does. 

Everything feels so weird, right now. You'd think that we'd all be used to all of the ways that our lives are different, now, but we aren't. I live downtown, you know, and so I see people every day who seem to not quite believe that the Pandemic is all-the-way real. They walk around in clumps of five or ten or more and they walk too-close to the strangers on the sidewalk. Not one of them wears a mask unless they are going inside or something.

I know that (REDACTED) was so excited when they passed the law that people had to wear masks if they were in public indoors or too close to people outdoors, but nothing seems to have made much of a difference. The policeman that patrols the sidewalks on his bicycle could hardly care less. I guess it's the burden of catering to tourists. 

Although, to an extent, I get where they are coming from. Not the recklessness, of course; as someone who wants to be an epidemiologist some day, I would never promote such careless behavior in regards to the worst Pandemic since the Spanish Flu. But I understand how they don't really seem to believe in it all the way. Something about all of this still seems like a bad dream that we can pretend around, even after nearly six months. Besides, it's not like we have much of a life, right now. 

I don't know if you'll be coming back to school, or doing the online version, or whatever. I hope that I'll see you, though. I can't imagine what school is going to look like anymore. It honestly doesn't even feel like much to look forward to, although I was nearly paralyzed at the thought that I wouldn't be able to go. My best friend, (REDACTED), isn't going to be there anymore. I honestly don't know what I am going to do without her. I nearly went insane the week that she was home with the flu.

I'm scared, I guess. Not even really of the pandemic. Sure, the virus can kill me slowly and painfully, but the thought of being alone again is so much worse. More alone than this, I guess.

Anyways, you probably won't write back, but I hope that you are doing okay. Please don't get sick. I hope that I'll see you again, someday. 

Much love,

Lizzie

A/N I'm sorry that I haven't updated in the last few weeks. I talked about my summer depression, last chapter, and I guess that that has really been impacting my life. Not like it'd be interesting to just keep hearing about that for pages and pages, though. Love to you all! Stay safe! <3 Lz