[discontinued because my partner has bailed]
Fox
A heavy rain began to fall, softening the mud around Fox's feet so that it moulded perfectly to the tread of his boots as he trekked up the garden footpath. His eyes watched the surrounding area intently, but his main focus lay in the distance. Down the hill to his right, and past the dirt-track which was supposedly their drive-way sat the village of Esterwater - a small hamlet which was spread out across the subtle rise and fall of the countryside. The village was framed perfectly in a dull orange glow as lightbulbs flickered into life and the skies clouded over, leaving little in the way of natural light. Leaves were pulled from the trees that lined the road and garden and were caught in the frenzied wind, twisting and turning before falling at Fox's feet, getting stuck against his clothing and the shopping bags he carried. He knew a gale was moving in, but that was not the cause of his concern.
The drone of a distant siren loomed in the distance, and although Fox couldn't locate its source, he was aware of the faint red and blue glow that tainted the otherwise uneventful scene of Esterwater. However, instead of lingering he nudged open the gate to the front garden and continued up the path; which he was thankful had been paved closer to the house. After crossing the small front garden he climbed a short flight of stone steps, pushed open another gate - which he closed behind him - and made his way hastily under the narrow porch above the front door. For a moment he regarded Esterwater once more, scrutinising the landscape in a final attempt to glean a shred of information. He narrowed his eyes and briefly caught the yellow and green of an ambulance, shortly followed by two police cars as they came into view along the country road leading into the village. Nothing out of the ordinary, he supposed, breaking his gaze.
"Baby, I'm home." He called, opening the front door and sliding off his boots by the shoe rack. There was no response, but he assumed Li had heard him. A quick glance at his watch - digital, to make it easier for him - told Fox that it was nearing eight o'clock. The Summer evenings meant that it was yet to get dark, but despite this the clouds gave the appearance of an early dusk.
"Something strange is going on in the village," Fox shouted, moving into the kitchen and unpacking his shopping onto the dining table. He continued to call to Li as he did so. "I saw... err, what's her name, y'know... Sophie and her husband packing up a car as I went into the shop. They looked like they were in a rush. Didn't get a chance to talk to them." He took out a loaf of fresh bread, unsheathed a serrated knife from the knife stand, and began to cut it into thick slices as he elaborated. "... And you better enjoy this sandwich because this was the last they had in the shop. The shelves were bare and-" He paused, quickly taking a mouthful of packaged ham. "-there were police cars as well, somethings up."
Without paying much attention to what he was doing, Fox slathered the bread in butter, his eyes fixated on the kitchen window which overlooked their garden and Esterwater. There was nothing new to see. He finished the sandwich he was making for Li, placing ham and cheese on a slice of bread and then topping it with another slice before moving through the entrance hall and into the living room on the opposite side of the house. He placed both his plate and Li's on the coffee table before lowering himself gradually onto the sofa, his back protesting as he did so; a searing pain originating from the bottom of his spine and spreading to his shoulder blades.
Fox reached for the TV remote and turned it on, bathing the otherwise unlit room in a subdued light as re-runs played on the screen. He paid them little attention, instead flicking through channels - hoping to find something of interest - when he found himself on the eight o'clock news. He often watched the news to stay up to date with the war effort, but rarely for anything else. This time he found himself hesitating before changing channels as a short clip of a hospital swamped by ambulances played out. The banner at the bottom of the screen read: Hospitals facing overwhelming number of patients within the last twenty-four hours, though Fox could hardly understand the words, and when the clip came to an end a young woman began to report on the various numbers of patients arriving at hospitals across the country. 'Until the cause of the rise in hospital admissions has been identified, the public are advised to keep contact with others to a minimum,' she began after reading a list of statistics. 'It is also advised that relocation be avoided until the World Health Organisation can contain the cause. We are assured that the outbreak poses no major threat to public health.'
"Jesus..." Fox muttered, lowering the volume on the TV. "Li, come down here. Tell me what you make of this."
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Fox
A heavy rain began to fall, softening the mud around Fox's feet so that it moulded perfectly to the tread of his boots as he trekked up the garden footpath. His eyes watched the surrounding area intently, but his main focus lay in the distance. Down the hill to his right, and past the dirt-track which was supposedly their drive-way sat the village of Esterwater - a small hamlet which was spread out across the subtle rise and fall of the countryside. The village was framed perfectly in a dull orange glow as lightbulbs flickered into life and the skies clouded over, leaving little in the way of natural light. Leaves were pulled from the trees that lined the road and garden and were caught in the frenzied wind, twisting and turning before falling at Fox's feet, getting stuck against his clothing and the shopping bags he carried. He knew a gale was moving in, but that was not the cause of his concern.
The drone of a distant siren loomed in the distance, and although Fox couldn't locate its source, he was aware of the faint red and blue glow that tainted the otherwise uneventful scene of Esterwater. However, instead of lingering he nudged open the gate to the front garden and continued up the path; which he was thankful had been paved closer to the house. After crossing the small front garden he climbed a short flight of stone steps, pushed open another gate - which he closed behind him - and made his way hastily under the narrow porch above the front door. For a moment he regarded Esterwater once more, scrutinising the landscape in a final attempt to glean a shred of information. He narrowed his eyes and briefly caught the yellow and green of an ambulance, shortly followed by two police cars as they came into view along the country road leading into the village. Nothing out of the ordinary, he supposed, breaking his gaze.
"Baby, I'm home." He called, opening the front door and sliding off his boots by the shoe rack. There was no response, but he assumed Li had heard him. A quick glance at his watch - digital, to make it easier for him - told Fox that it was nearing eight o'clock. The Summer evenings meant that it was yet to get dark, but despite this the clouds gave the appearance of an early dusk.
"Something strange is going on in the village," Fox shouted, moving into the kitchen and unpacking his shopping onto the dining table. He continued to call to Li as he did so. "I saw... err, what's her name, y'know... Sophie and her husband packing up a car as I went into the shop. They looked like they were in a rush. Didn't get a chance to talk to them." He took out a loaf of fresh bread, unsheathed a serrated knife from the knife stand, and began to cut it into thick slices as he elaborated. "... And you better enjoy this sandwich because this was the last they had in the shop. The shelves were bare and-" He paused, quickly taking a mouthful of packaged ham. "-there were police cars as well, somethings up."
Without paying much attention to what he was doing, Fox slathered the bread in butter, his eyes fixated on the kitchen window which overlooked their garden and Esterwater. There was nothing new to see. He finished the sandwich he was making for Li, placing ham and cheese on a slice of bread and then topping it with another slice before moving through the entrance hall and into the living room on the opposite side of the house. He placed both his plate and Li's on the coffee table before lowering himself gradually onto the sofa, his back protesting as he did so; a searing pain originating from the bottom of his spine and spreading to his shoulder blades.
Fox reached for the TV remote and turned it on, bathing the otherwise unlit room in a subdued light as re-runs played on the screen. He paid them little attention, instead flicking through channels - hoping to find something of interest - when he found himself on the eight o'clock news. He often watched the news to stay up to date with the war effort, but rarely for anything else. This time he found himself hesitating before changing channels as a short clip of a hospital swamped by ambulances played out. The banner at the bottom of the screen read: Hospitals facing overwhelming number of patients within the last twenty-four hours, though Fox could hardly understand the words, and when the clip came to an end a young woman began to report on the various numbers of patients arriving at hospitals across the country. 'Until the cause of the rise in hospital admissions has been identified, the public are advised to keep contact with others to a minimum,' she began after reading a list of statistics. 'It is also advised that relocation be avoided until the World Health Organisation can contain the cause. We are assured that the outbreak poses no major threat to public health.'
"Jesus..." Fox muttered, lowering the volume on the TV. "Li, come down here. Tell me what you make of this."
