ISOLATION

People paint dying as the worst possible thing that can happen to a human, this was before the zombie apocalypse of course, now it's the second worst thing that can happen to you. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have almost experienced both of these getting bitten and thinking that I only had a day to be with the only two people that mattered to me or to get shot and have all of it stolen from you in a moment to be stripped of everything you are in just a second as you look around the room, everyone helplessly tries to pull you back from eternal darkness.

Dying is not the worst thing that can happen to someone almost dying is the worst thing, death is very peaceful its slipping away from everything you know, but staying alive, oh my god.

I felt as if the entire world was pressing down on me, my gut hurt sending impulses of pain more powerful than I have ever felt before, I felt an almost familiar jolt passing through my chest right after someone in the room shouted, "Clear!".

The pain in my chest exploded and came resting around the bullet wound in my body, I opened my eyes to see a room with a brilliant white shining light above my face with people looking at me with concerned eyes and talked to each other through their masked mouths. I looked for any sign of recognition from them, on receiving none I quickly closed my eyes again passing out.

I woke up god knows how much later in a room with white walls and a ceiling fan that was going in agonizingly slow circles, I stopped looking at it when my head started hurting from staring at it, tracing its progression with my eyes.

I sat up straight and glanced around the familiar room with a start I realised it was the same room I had stayed in while I was in my quarantine when I first came to base, except that the windows had been barricaded and blinded from the outside which made it impossible for any amount of light to enter the room. I looked at the door and sure enough Graz was peeping in the room; he stumbled and ran away making eye contact with me I got up with a sigh and started limping half heartedly towards the door on taking just five steps towards it I fell on my face after a tug at my foot from behind, the pain in my side returned twice as strongly as I gasped taking in deep breaths to calm myself. I sat up again and saw a metal cuff around my ankle which bound me to my bed. I walked back and sat on the bed waiting for someone to come and tell me what had been going on, why was I in chains and not allowed to move.

I stayed like that for a week. A week of complete and literal isolation nobody came to see me, the signs I had been hoping for never arrived, nobody told me how long I had to live here now, how long before I could leave. In the seven days that had passed I was given food from the door, someone in a full body suit came to give me the food, he or she whoever it was stayed silent through the whole ordeal. The strange man never said anything told me anything I call him man because he finally spoke today and said only one thing step back and slide your tray forward. That's it the most interaction I have had from anything alive in days. I stayed back waiting for anything about what had happened any news that included word of gran, Albus, Carly. I stayed in there for some more time I had begun to lose count now my hair grew long and shaggy everything around me smelled, the wound around the bullet began to heal.

Then one day the chains opened, I rubbed my ankle and got up, the door still hadn't opened so I went to the bathroom behind my bed, it was very makeshift and temporary that had been made supposedly for my "comfort", it also had a bath which was too far away for me to use while I had been wearing the chains. I took a shower glad for the hot water which had been a real rarity back at the normal bath house. I washed my clothes too, I walked out to see fresh clothes out of my own wardrobe sitting on the bed. I dressed up, counting on my luck I tried pulling the door, did not open I puled harder in frustration on which the door clanged loudly, a familiar voice said, "It opens towards the outside genius."

"Graz," I said gritting my teeth.

"No little one its Santa, they are waiting for you end of the hallway room on the right."