2.45pm - Public Health Organisation Quarantine Zone Hampden Park
Doctor Rosetta Lawson brushed some of her thick curly brown and caramel highlighted hair out of her face. The way her mask was sitting over her nose and mouth was pulling on her hair causing it to flop annoyingly into her eyes. She was helping Doctor Finch Davidson set up the quarantine and the large mobile medical truck to examine patients if and when they were allowed out of the train crash.
Finch was a nice guy, just simply that, no other real traits to make him stand out other than ‘Nice’. He spoke politely, was clean and tidy in his appearance, ate only organic and went to the gym five nights a week, that’s if he wasn’t busy doing overtime, which he always put his name down for… ‘Nice and workaholic’ definitely came to mind with him. Rosetta was his polar opposite in many ways, she considered herself clean and tidy in her appearance but her ex-fiancé of three years might say otherwise about their once shared apartment, although now she had her own it didn’t really matter and she didn’t particularly care. Messy minds are clever minds, she always told herself when the mess became too much for her to look at.
She loved fast food takeaways too, never went to the gym but was blessed with somewhat a fast metabolism but she knew one day weight gain would come, it had to her grandmother, mother and sister. She also enjoyed her work but didn’t care much for overtime, not unless it was a clear emergency, then she opted to be on call and on the scene. She was head of her unit due to her outstanding microbiology degrees, experience in the field with the Ebola crisis and that she could speak English, Spanish, German and French. The English and Spanish came second nature to her being that her father was British and her mother a Spanish woman with the full dark hair, tanned olive skin and love for Paella. French she had learnt from her roommate at Uni when she helped her with her studies but it came in handy when there were tourists that needed speaking to in a crisis. The German, well that had just been an extra lesson she had attended at school to give her another exam paper to do, languages just wasn’t that hard for her to learn.
Rosetta had joined the Health Protection Team, a unit in the Public Health sector made specifically to help in times of uncertainty with illnesses and diseases five years ago right after finishing University. She had been headhunted by Doctor Elias Kirkman, the regional director for the South East and she had accepted as the pay wasn’t to be sniffed at. She knew right away she would be on frontline duty at outbreaks but she was heavily intrigued by all the germs, microorganisms and diseases that were around and hoped to help find cures and make the human race well again after they had appeared. She herself had helped in hiring Doctor Finch due to his exceptional grades at Uni and how his mind worked just like hers.
Today was different though compared to all the other incidents they had been called out to, something in the air just didn’t sit right, she could feel it in her bones. Maybe it was due to the heavy mist that was descending upon them from over the Downs but she also knew that it wasn’t really mist or fog… It was ash, volcanic ash spread by the winds all the way from Germany where a volcanic lake had erupted a couple of days ago. There was lots of speculation as to what caused the eruption as scientists had claimed that there had been no readings of an eruption going to occur. A lot of people died from the eruption too, with no warning the town of Andernach didn’t evacuate and with it only being around five miles away from Laacher See which was the volcanic lake, the lava, poisonous gases and falling debris from the skies killed many. Since the eruption Germany had fallen quiet, obviously in mourning but also most probably trying to fix the problems the eruption had caused on their own. The Germans she had found out whilst working on a case out there once weren’t ones to sniffle and grovel for help, they would deal with it in their own way.
Rosetta looked up at the ash clouds that hung heavily overhead and pulled her mask tighter to her face. She knew that volcanic ash or scientifically known as Tephra held many irritants to humans, such as pulverised rocks and minerals, small traces of volcanic glass which measures something almost microscopic at roughly 2mm and some traces of gases from the eruption. The fact that the ash had made it this far had told scientists that the eruption column had been huge and that the climate conditions for it to travel with had been perfect. The only thing that puzzled Rosetta though was how the ash hadn’t come over her side of the line yet, the side of the line she and her small team were stationed at was clear, a small warm stream of sunlight pouring in like a gift from the gods. It was like the weather and pressure had made a small pocket where the ash couldn’t penetrate yet. Considering most of the country was affected already and the ash was coming at Hampden Park from all directions via Dover, Rye, Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne itself, as well as Brighton and Newhaven way. Not to mention it was travelling steadily up past London over towards Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester.
Finch came over to Rosetta, “The police and fire crews have secured the station, we can start examining the patients now”.
“Good”, she said her mouth going dry, “Let’s bring them in two at a time, Children first, they shouldn’t have to wait”.
Finch nodded and wondered off to collect the first two patients as Rosetta gloved up, masked up, put on her gown and got all her examining instruments ready.
2pm - 2.45pm - Sussex Downs College
Alicia Dawling stood in the doorway of the entrance foyer to the college, watching intently as the skies darkened overhead and simultaneously lit up a crafty cigarette before slowly taking a long drag from it and breathing out the smoke to drift up slowly to the already smoking looking atmosphere.
Her best friends Tabitha and Ellen both stood either side of her, they all had an extra free study period today due to the fact that most of the college tutors had called in sick and only a handful had actually shown up to teach. It was awfully annoying for the three teenagers as they had wanted to go into town for some window shopping but the college had expected them to stay on campus even though there was nothing to do.
“So Alicia do you think they will catch you smoking on campus?” Ellen the dopy one out of the three of them giggled to herself.
Alicia rolled her heavily makeup’d eyes and took another drag from the unhealthy stick, “There’s no one even here to catch me at it Ellen and I doubt they will check all the CCTV footage just to give me a shouting at”.
“Why not just smoke it outside Alicia?” Tabitha the snobby and clever one of the group sniffed. She had always let Alicia know she didn’t agree with her habits and to be honest Alicia had no idea why Tabitha hung with her and Ellen as she wasn’t on their wavelength with things. Tabitha’s parent’s owned a high end jewellery shop in the town centre and they had money and by money, they meant M.O.N.E.Y! Tabitha had been to an all-girls private school since the age of five and it had been a culture shock when she arrived at college early last September to find boys and girls mixed together. Due to her snobby ways and pure expanse of money with her Gucci handbags and designer clothes most girls gave her a wide birth. She had only befriended them on the off chance one day when Alicia and Ellen were out in town shopping together and Tabitha had been mugged by some idiot who saw her as an easy target and her expensive bag an easy way to make a quick quid. They had spotted her sobbing on the pavement, her arm cut and bruised from the scuffle. Ellen had been clever enough that day to phone for the police whilst Alicia sat with her, tending to her wound with some know how her dad had taught her and spoke to her calmly to settle her nerves. Since then Tabitha hadn’t left them alone, although she never spoke of that day to anyone, even them.
“Excuse me?” Alicia said making the words come out in puffs of dancing smoke, “Do you wanna go stand outside in that storm or whatever it is?”
“It’s an ash cloud from Germany”, Tabitha sighed. “Really do you two never watch the news?”
“No”, Ellen shrugged and Alicia once again rolled her eyes, finishing her cigarette, stubbing it out on the wall and laun
ching it out onto the grass field.
“Great you’re a litter bug too now huh Alicia?” Tabitha snapped but Alicia just ignored her friends comment and lifted up her faux silk scarf which had been more for fashion than warmth but today it was all for the warmth and wrapped it around her mouth and chin. She shivered and headed back in to sit on a chair that was by the unmanned reception desk. “Why’s it so goddamn cold?” It was meant to be the middle of July but it was more like November.
“The ash cloud is preventing the sun’s heat from getting to Earth properly, causing a few degree’s slant in temperature”, Tabitha told her, her tone clearly saying ‘You should have known that’.
Tabitha was doing biology, chemistry and physics as A-levels and was destined to be a great scientist, whereas Alicia and Ellen both were doing media studies and photography. In Tabitha’s eyes they were destined for the junk pile of unemployed idiots.
“Yeah see that’s why I don’t want to go outside, I don’t want to freeze to death”, Alicia giggled just to wind Tabitha up.
“No but your quite happily clog up your lungs and die through diseases instead?” Tabitha’s tongue was sharp today.
“At least I’ll die young and beautiful”, she sniggered.
“Or old and haggard looking due to the loss of elasticity in the skin”.
Alicia and Ellen ignored their friend’s remark and instead Ellen said, “Aww well at least Glenn could mourn over your dead beautiful body”.
Alicia stiffened at his name, “Please don’t mention him!”
“Why?” Ellen said confused, “I thought you two were an item again?”
“And where did you hear that bit of rubbish?” Alicia snapped.
“From Glenn’s sister Tina”.
“Well she’s lying, I would never in a million years go back with that lying, cheating, scumbag”. Alicia scowled, just the mention of her cheating ex-boyfriends name boiled her blood.
“Well she’s been telling everyone that you forgave him and have been seeing him behind your parents back?” Ellen froze as she said it, knowing prying like this might get a snarky comeback from Alicia or even a few days of moodiness and not talking.
Alicia burned with hatred inside, yes her parents hated him and had told her not to see him again but in all truth she hadn’t. Normally she would do anything to get under her parents skin but not with this, he needed to be shown she was no pushover. “He is dead to me”, was all she replied with showing the distaste for him in her spiky tone. Ellen reeled back and nodded, her ever so playful friend now knowing she needed to keep her wagging tongue in check.
Alicia thought back to the day her and Glenn had met, she and Ellen had managed to sneak into a nightclub with false I.D’s both telling each other’s parent’s they were staying round each other’s houses but in truth they were going to pull an all-night-er and hope their parents didn’t clock on to the blatant lie. Glenn had been there with a few mates but their eyes had met over the blaring dance floor and he soon chipped them off to make his moves. He had them all, the dance moves, money to buy her and Ellen drinks, the chat and of course he was handsome and he knew it. Dark hair, dark eyes, a dark aura too which pulled her in even more she liked the danger and the thrill of it. He was loaded too, well at least his parents were, both top lawyers in their profession and due to this they spoilt him and his older sister Tina rotten, new cars, designer clothes and flash holidays that Alicia could only dream of. At first Ellen had laughed how he was the male counterpart to Tabitha but Tabitha was a clever snob whereas Glenn was a rich silver spoon in mouth kinda guy with no real brains but good looks. He had got her into smoking which her parents had argued with her about till no end and although they would confiscate her cigarettes he would just buy her more. He was so bad but he made it look good which made her want more, he had got her to sneak out of lessons for a quick fumble in the toilets, the excitement and fear of being caught made it all the more alluring to her. He left her breathless and utterly hopeless. Until he cheated, with Amber Reynolds…Then he left her fuming.
“So you two are definitely not an item then?” Tabitha questioned narrowing her clever hawk like eyes.
“No”.
“Good, cause he’s a loser”, she said bluntly which made Alicia smile inside.
Alicia leaned her head back onto the wall of the foyer staring into space and letting her mind wonder onto what he would be doing now. Would he be with her? Where they at it like rabbits right now laughing at her behind her back?
Ellen snapped her out of her thought process, “It’s snowing guys!”
Alicia snapped her head out to look and sure enough there were bits of white and grey lumps falling from the sky but… “Ellen I don’t think that’s…snow.”
But Ellen wasn’t listening sticking her tongue out to catch the snowflakes on her tongue then pulling a face, “That snow tastes funny”.
“It’s ash dip face”, Tabitha laughed which wasn’t a well-known sound, “Ellen you really need to get your brain examined, I swear you’re getting worse”.
Ellen shrugged looking down, “I really like snow”.
Tabitha sighed, “Whatever, it’s nearly 2pm, I’ve got class now and so have you two”. Without so much as a goodbye Tabitha walked out into the falling ash heading towards the other building where her class was being held. Alicia and Ellen turned back inside to walk round the corner to the back of the building to Media studies.
Once seated in their chairs in class Alicia noted how now a lot of their fellow students too had gone home or had simply not come in, their teacher Mr Goodyear explained that the sickness bug seemed to be spreading round the college and that students had been sent home, “I will quickly explain your homework for this week then leave you to go home…Ellen? You feeling ok?”
Alicia turned to look at her friend who now looked rather pasty, her eyes were bloodshot and sore and her breathing was short, shallow and wheezy, “Ellen you don’t look so good”.
“I’m fine, think I just have a cold coming”.
“Really? But you looked fine like ten minutes ago?” Alicia asked.
“Oh I don’t know”, Ellen snapped angrily which wasn’t like her normal, dopey and happy self.
As Mr Goodyear went on to explain the homework which took a good 20 minutes to dictate Ellen got worse, her hands began to shake uncontrollably and her writing became unreadable just mere scribbles. Then Alicia heard the droplets hitting the paper beside her, sounding like a thick heavy rain.
“Ellen you’re bleeding! Sir she’s bleeding!” Alicia cried out catching their teacher’s attention.
He came over to examine her, she was bleeding from her eyes, nose and mouth which made her choke and cough. “Ellen can you hear me? Do you have your phone we need to call your parents? Ellen”.
Without warning she collapsed and threw up all over the table in front of her, Alicia just managing to move out the way before the spray hit her work book.
“Alicia call an ambulance”, Mr Goodyear commanded reaching over to Ellen as she gasped and gargled chocking on her own vomit.
Alicia lifted out her phone from her bag and began to dial 999 but before she could finish dialling the 3 digits Mr Goodyear suddenly let out a scream of pain. Ellen had her teeth embedded in his hand which he was trying to check her tongue with, his blood and her own were mixing together with all the vomit on the table.
The whole class erupted into screams and rushed for the door but Alicia stayed shouting her friends name and desperately trying to pull her off their screaming teacher. Ellen lifted her hand and thwarted Alicia in the mouth sending her flying back into the table and chairs behind her. Alicia checked her mouth but luckily she hadn’t popped her lip but in the time it had taken her to stand back up Ellen had their teacher pinned against the board and now had her teeth sinking into his long slender neck. Somehow her small petite frame was stronger than their male teachers. It didn’t make any sense.
“Ellen!” Alicia screamed, “S
TOP IT!”
Ellen done as she was told and stopped, turning her bloody mouth away from Mr Goodyear who slid down the board to the floor, sobbing and clutching the wound around his neck, blood pouring out from it in bucket loads. Her attention now was transfixed on Alicia whose mouth now ran dry. Ellen’s eyes looked different, animalistic, red and wild, then she charged.
Alicia moved tripping over a fallen chair and landing next to a broken camcorder tripod that had been put at the back of the classroom awaiting repair. Ellen was on her in an instant smashing her powerful jaws together trying to get at her friends blood supply. Alicia lifted her hands to her friend’s chest and heaved, trying to push her off but her small framed friend now felt like a strong gym trained woman. “Ellen get off me, it’s me, Alicia”.
But Ellen was no longer home and forced her friend’s arms down, her face poised in prime position ready to strike down on her. Alicia wriggled somehow getting her left arm free which she waved frantically above her head feeling for something to help her, anything at all. Then she felt it. She moved fast catching her friend by surprise.
“Rahhhh”, Ellen fell back clutching her throat as blood poured from it like Mr Goodyear’s, it sprayed all up the wall she stumbled against.
Alicia stood up clutching the broken tripod, the sharp pointed end had pierced her friend’s throat. Ellen howled in pain before clocking her eyes back onto Alicia and suddenly forgetting all about it and running for her.
“I’m sorry”, Alicia whispered as she turned the tripod in front of her and let her friend run chest first into it. Within seconds Ellen fell to the floor, dead. Alicia didn’t know if she had hit her heart and killed her out right or what had really happened but what she did know was that she had murdered one of her best friends and the only true witness also looked to be dead by the board. Her teacher’s eyes were closed, his mouth unmoving, his chest no longer rising…He’d bled out.
The Amoeba From The Ash Page 2
