Moribund

One

Please avoid outside contact if at all possible, if you or someone you know has come in proximity of a supposed infected individual or is displaying symptoms including nausea, fever, bodily aches, chills, uncontrollable shaking, loss of the senses, and loss of appetite, please report to the nearest authorities or the emergency hotline using the number 1-800...

My eyes glued onto the TV, feeling a swelling in my throat, I listened to a terrifying emergency broadcast. I looked across the dimly-lit living room at my feeble grandmother, she looked back at me with sunken eyes. She began to slowly form her words, "Don't worry, Ollie." I nodded towards her, lifting myself from the concaved sofa. I walked towards the back of the small apartment, looking through the fire exit window towards the road below. It seemed deserted considering we resided close to the heart of the city. "Oliver, would you be a dear and grab my medicine? The memantine?" my grandmother's frail voice echoed towards me. "One minute, gramma," I paced towards the bathroom and scrambled through the various pill bottles, all belonging to my grandma. Finding the correct medication, I made my way back to the living room. Crouching to my grandma's height, I handed her a little white pill. Her bony, pruned fingers wrapped around a cup of lukewarm water, then raised it to her pencil-thin lips. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought she was one of the people on the news. My attention turned from my grandmother towards the door, particularly the rustling behind it. The footsteps sounded hastened and graceless. I made my way to the door, eyeing the peep hole. The visual emptiness was interrupted by a man,  clambering to the door across from my own. "Please, please just let me in," the man whimpered quietly. He reached down to his pocket, grabbing a small object. "I have children with me, please just let me in," I peered down the hall as far as the hole would allow me, no kids.

Where were his kids? Does he even have kids? No big deal. I need to calm down. I'm overthinking.

My eye traveled back down to the man's hands. Right there. A small blade. The man shot around and faced my door. What the hell? Does he know I can see him?

His face seemed to morph, softening from what was once a hostile image. Eyebrows raised, "Can you please let me in?" The man whined towards my door. "I just need a place for my kids, please." My mouth was glued shut. No way in hell am I letting him know I'm here. He waltzed closer to my door, "C'mon man, I know you're home." "Please?" "I'm a human being! Don't treat me like I'm not!" His voice becoming more prominent, deeper. Slowly, I retreated backwards, remaining towards the door and doing a double-glance at all the knob lock, dead-bolt, and chain lock. There's no way he can get in. It would take a battering ram to do any damage. My mind raced as the silence between us continued. I heard Gramma's news buzzing in the room over from me. Shit. I not only had myself to worry about. But he won't make it in... We're fine.. It is an old door though... Wasn't there a hinge problem like 3 weeks ag- Stop. I took a few breaths, and after freaking myself out enough, I realized that it had already been a good minute since any activity occurred. Hand on my chest, I reapproached the door. I closed one eye and drew my breath in as I closed the space between the peek-hole and my head. Gone. I stared, dumb-founded, into the glass that revealed an empty, quiet hallway. God, I'm going crazy, I need to get out more. 

"Who is that, honey?" Gramma's voice trailed from the lounge, prompting my feet to make way towards her. "Nobody," I answered as I walked into the gloomy room. "Are you alright dear, you look as if you've seen a ghost, do you have a temperature?" Gramma clamored up to put a shaky hand to my fore-head. Grabbing her hands and placing her back into her lousy chair, "I'm fine, Gramma." Her shoulders relaxed, "You always are, sweetheart. So strong... Look at the world out there," she began, gesturing towards the chaos broadcasting on the TV, her eyes becoming misted, "I could have never made it without you, my beautiful boy." She gave me a weak smile and then began to bite her bottom lip, which already had residual marks from previous efforts. "Gramma... we've talked about that..."