Stay home, stay safe.

In a dimly lit room Jason wakes up in his pyjamas, he checks the time, it is 3PM. He yawns while he gets up slowly to move to his calendar, ‘December 21 2053’ he smiles, he picks up a pen and crosses off the date. He slowly sits in front of his laptop as he aggressively searches the keywords “Corona Virus" “Covid 19” “Pandemic" “new cases", he stretches a bit then he goes over to the kitchen to get something to eat “I must boost my immune system for the new wave” he mumbles to himself. He blends ginger, garlic, turmeric and lemon zest, he pours it into a glass and gulps it down slowly squeezing his face. 

His old father walks out in slow calculated steps “Good morning son" the old voices crackles “I hope you’re keeping safe" he smiled, Jason laughed. “the only way to contain this is to stay home and stay safe.”

 “Never mind the garbage on the internet telling people the world is Corona virus safe, remember....” 

“Grandfather went out without a mask and he got it, he died few days later because he was old and the virus is harsher on people with weaker immune systems" Jason says as though he was reciting lines from a script. 

His father pats him on his shoulder “Good job son, we must also help little kids to stay safe” He says sternly “most definitely Papa, it starts with us.” Jason nods. 

He goes back to his laptop, he checks social media and he is disgusted “they are out there not wearing masks?” he shakes his head “they would not survive the new wave" he keeps checking the internet for tricks about how the blacks were able to manage and contain Corona virus. After a while, he checks his virtual work schedule and began to work. 

A little girl walks into his room, she pokes him. Jason is startled “what do you want?” the girl begins to sob “when can I see my mummy?” Jason looks at her, then he finally calms her down, patting her head he says “You can see your mummy after the 90 day lockdown that is if the virus hasn’t killed her yet" 

“But that was what you said during the previous 50 day lockdown, I just want my mummy" she wipes her tears with the back of her hands. “Do you want to die? Do you want the virus to kill you?” Jason asks, the girl shakes her head rigorously. “Then I suggest you stay put" the girl fell silent. He led her out of his room into the kitchen where he poured the remnants of the ginger concoction into the glass and handed it over to the little girl. “I don’t want that" she says. “Fine, then the virus would get you" Jason looks over with disgust. 

He hears some noises and he moves towards the window to see people outside talking, playing and moving around freely. He was disgusted at the sight and at the same time he was curious about what being that free meant.

“Johnny don’t play too close to that building" his mom screamed, “okay mum” he says. Johnny keeps running around with his ball in his hands, he kicks it while his mum chats with a friend. “Lydia, don’t tell me you believe the cock and bull story about the building being haunted" Penelope laughs. Lydia shrugged “haunted or not, I don’t want my son anywhere near it" 

“Well, there is a man there, he gets supplies from time to time" Penelope adds. “So it’s not a ghost I presume?” Lydia smiles. “Yes, he has just been stuck in there for years, rumour has it he takes children and traps them indoor so they never get out......” she keeps talking. Lydia cut her short as she looks over to Johnny to ensure he’s far away from the building then beacons on her friend to keep talking. “He said everyone is to stay indoor to prevent another wave of the Corona virus pandemic” Penelope laughs “This is 2053, that happened about what? 30 something years ago?” Penelope nodded “He didn’t even witness it, why is he so obsessed with it?” Lydia adds. 

They keep talking while Johnny runs and kicks the ball too hard hitting the door of the very building his mum asked him to stay away from, he looks over and sees that his mum is still chatting with her friend. Swiftly, he ran towards to the building to recover his ball, while he was there he sensed someone call out to him, he moves towards the window and he sees nothing. “oh little boy” the voice calls out in whispers. Johnny certain he heard someone peers into the window. Lo and behold, he saw a man with pale blue eyes breathing rapidly in a dark room. “Hi mister, have you seen my ball?” Johnny says confused. 

“What are you doing outside without a mask!” Jason screams.

 “A mask?” 

“Don’t you know the Corona virus would get you and you’d be very sick” 

“I just want my ball mister" Johnny fidgets

Jason stays quiet for a while “Okay, come to the front door to get your ball"

“Okay mister" Johnny says as he walks slowly to the front door. 

“I heard his grandfather died because he failed to wear a mask and disregarded the social distancing rules, his father grew really upset and obsessed so he trapped himself and his family indoors, his wife couldn’t keep up so she ran away leaving their little boy behind, he probably transferred his fears and paranoia to the infant, now he grew up to be anything else but human" Penelope suddenly stopped talking and looked over, Lydia traces her eyes “Johnny!” she screams looking at him walk towards the front door, in a split second Jason came out wearing a face mask and surgical gloves, he grabbed Johnny and he screamed “Stay home, stay safe!" 

Lydia and Penelope ran over to building, banging on the door aggressively, it was never opened.