Life After Covid-19

 The moon shone brightly and the night was dark, wild, and vicious. The stars were nowhere to be seen. The darkness, like a black curtain of velvet, hid all the perils behind itself. Somewhere in the pitch-black night, Rose heard the sound of a threatening jackal. It sounded as if it were laughing, laughing at her for being poverty-stricken. Slowly, she closed her delicate eyes.

   "How is this fair?", she thought to herself, "How can anyone do such a thing?"

   That was the last thought that invaded her mind before drowsiness consumed her.

   "Hi, how are you Rose?", Tris asked her friend.

   "Hey! I'm fine, what about you?", Rose answered.

   "I'm fine too!"

   "How's everyone?"

   "Everybody's fine, everything is going great. I wanted to ask you if you're coming tomorrow. We've arranged a gathering at eight at the Garrison Fitness Complex (GFC).

   "You all are going?"

   "Yep, everyone! Me, Daisy, Daniel, and Peeta."

   "I'd love to come but er... I have an early curfew."

   "Oh of course, Miss goody-two-shoes can't even stay out past her curfew once."

   "No it's not that, actually er... I'll think about it."

   "Oh cool, tell me if you change your mind. I can pick you up, your house is on the way. Bye then..."

   "Bye...", Rose said, but Tris had already ended the phone call. Tears glazed Rose's eyes. She was embarrassed for being poor, the reason why she couldn't go anywhere...

At that moment, Rose made up her mind that she wanted to be normal. She was gonna be normal, no matter what her parents had to say.

   Rose stood in the living room, arguing with her mother.

   "But mom, I want to go! I hate being poor! Why can't we afford anything?", she said.

   "Rosey dear, I'm sorry, I really am! But you shouldn't go! You're not immune! Your friends are safe because they have had their shots for immunity, you haven't! We have hardly enough money to buy a vaccine for your newborn sister. She's very young and her immunity system is so fragile." , her mother told her.

   "Then why do YOU go outside?"

   "We've gone through this topic before, Rosey. Your father and I caught COVID-19 before. Now we've recovered and are immune. W.H.O has stated that you can't catch it twice!"

   "How long do you expect me to not enjoy my life. Don't you get it,we have to learn to live like this, this virus won't go away!"

   "I know Rosey, it will always stay with us, it will never end... and that's why you have to be extra careful!"

   "I don't care mother! No! I WILL go tomorrow and that's final! I don't want to be different! What if I AM poor? I'll still go! I'll ask Tris to pick me up!", and with that Rose went to her room and slammed the door.

"Rosey, please listen to me! It's for your own good! Please! I don't want you to get sick! You're my baby! A mother always thinks good for her child!", Her mother said, knocking on the door Rose had just locked.

Her mother went into her room after waiting for a while. She sat on her bed and started crying.

"This is all my fault! Why are we so poor? If only I had concentrated on my studies, my life, along with my children's life would be so much better!", She said to herself.

   Rose walked forward. She was wearing a simple blue dress while Tris was wearing a beautiful silk one. She saw Peeta, Daisy, and Daniel already waiting for her and Tris. They both went and greeted their friends. Rose's mother had given her a mask to wear but she had left it at home, on purpose. She thought that she would look odd, and she would've, had she worn it.

   "You were thinking about not coming today? Like, seriously Rose! COVID-19 is gone, finished, okay? Move on already!", Daniel said.

   Rose and her friends ordered some food to eat in the café. The café was brightly lit and there was a huge crowd ordering food. Rose and her friends ordered some food.

"Hey! Did you know? The people who haven't had their immunity shots are in alot of danger. The virus is getting worse. Those who are now immune are totally out of any danger, but poor people who haven't had the shots are in trouble. I hope the vaccine gets cheaper, giving them a chance to buy it.", Daisy said.

"Right? Since all the rich people have gotten the vaccines and only the poor ones are left, why not sell vaccines a little cheaper? These people are so greedy!",Rose said.

Rose had not yet told anyone that she hadn't had her shots because of being poverty-stricken...

The dinner came and they are it. Rose had ordered a burger. One of her friends had ordered a steak, and the others had ordered pizzas. Rose had only enough money to order a burger, and that's why she had ordered that, pretending that she wasn't in a mood for a pizza.

   Rose had a great time. After the gathering was over, Tris dropped her back home.

   Rose was lying on a ventilator in the hospital, an IV attached to her right hand. A clip-on finger monitor had been put on her index finger to check the levels of oxygen in her blood. Her mother stood beside her, gently holding her limp hand. Rose's father was working extra shifts in order to pay her medical bills. Electrodes were attached to Rose's chest, arms and legs, recording her heartbeat.

   "Come on Rosey, you can do this! You can fight it! You can fight COVID-19, I know you can!", her mother half whispered, half wished. Tears flowed from her eyes, burning her slightly pink cheeks. There was a look of horror in her face. She looked at the ElectroCardioGraph. The waves went up, and down, and up, and down, until, suddenly, they became dead straight.

   The tears fell to the ground.