Isolation!

Fiona opened her eyes and looked up at the clear blue sky. She tilted up her chin, feeling the sun's warmth caressing her face.

A half smile formed on her lips. This was the life. She had felt so lucky to be able to book this perfect getaway. A real family holiday!

The idyllic, fairytale cottage sat within a small wood, just a stones throw from the white sands of the beach.

It was so tranquil. The trees whispered softly to each other in the breeze, the gulls called, soaring above her. The gentle waves lapped the shore – perfect!

She reached out her hand and scooped up a handful of sand, letting it fall back to the beach lazily through her fingers.

Fiona turned to look at her husband, who was fast asleep. He deserved this break. He had been working so hard lately. They all deserved this break!

She dozed into a light slumber, happy and content.

A child's laughter woke her. She turned her head towards the sound and opened her eyes, smiling.

Her two daughters were paddling at the edge of the sea, shrieking and laughing as the cold water tickled their toes.

She got up and ran across the beach to them, laughing. 'Come on girls, let's go for a swim!'

The three of them waded out into the cool water, and were soon swimming, enjoying the cool silkiness of the sea against their hot skin.

Ah, sweet isolation, sweet, sweet isolation. No cars, no trains, no TV. She could get used to this.

Her vision faded, lost like smoke into the Summer's clear air, silence fell, darkness pressed against her.

* * * *

The sound of a siren broke the silence.

Fiona opened her eyes groggily, looking at the clock on the bedroom wall. 7 AM!

Time to get up and at 'em, I suppose, she thought.

She rolled over painfully, and got out of bed, straightening up slowly and carefully.

Looks like another sunny day, she though, pulling the curtains open.

She hobbled to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea and carried it into the sitting room, walking across to the window of her tiny flat.

The park looked so nice down there. She was so high up that the few dog walkers and runners that were out at this early hour looked like ants.

She smiled. She loved that park. Each day she would take a slow and gently stroll around it, if her knees would let her, that is.

But everything had changed on that fateful day four weeks ago! That letter. It changed everything! Nothing would ever be the same again.

The Government letter had made it very clear. She was to stay inside, not go out for 12 weeks!

Coronavirus! An invisible and indiscriminate killer had invaded the Earth

Her world had shrunk to the size of her tiny, one bedroom flat.

She was on her own. Her husband had passed away years ago, and her children had grown up, moved away and had families of their own now.

She longed for conversation, to speak to the dog walkers, the other elderly people that also took walks in the park.

She longed to visit the shops, the hairdresser. But it was not going to happen any time soon.

Once a week, a crumpled piece of paper was pushed through her letter box – A government food parcel had been left outside.

Once a month the local pharmacy did the same with her medication.

She was lonely, unhappy, vulnerable. The darkness of her life closed around her, enveloping her in its icy grip.

She thought back to her dream of the night before, the bliss, the sweet isolation of being with her family once more on that holiday, so many years ago.

This isolation felt like a jail sentence! When would it end? Three months, maybe more? She yearned for the feeling of fresh air upon her face, the sights and sounds of normality.

She had lost track of the days, they seemed to merge, coalesce into one long nothingness.

Just hour upon hour, waiting, hoping that it would soon be over, that she could once more step outside.