Isolation - A Short Story

Charles opened the window. Two grasshoppers long dead hung from the bottom of the windowpane. Grass, dust, and a little bit of other bits of nature flew into the bathroom. Charles groaned. “Well, I guess that's something I'm gonna have to clean that up.”

The sun was in the West but was still several hours before sunset. The sun was partially obscured by clouds but enough of it was getting through that the light blinded his eyes if he looked directly out that direction. Charles stuck his head out and then his arms. Taking a deep breath took in the grass, the dust, and even the heat into his partially stopped-up nostrils. It was warm and  he leaned out even further taking in a deep breath through his mouth as it was the only place he could do that from. Several times he breathed in and breathed out. He looked down at the grass and stared for he didn’t know how long.

“Someone could get out here and mow this grass,”  Charles said to no one in particular. “I could get out here and do it myself.”

Charles pictured himself jumping out the window and finding the garage which had to be near by and mowing the grass. Instead, he stared down at the grass. It was so green. Several shades of it actually, depending on the type that grew. Dandelions and other weeds were scattered among the grass adding even more texture to the carpet of green he so desired to touch. The wind gently blew and several of the longest blades moved giving the grass the illusion of greater movement than was actually taking place. Remnants of moisture glistened on some of the blades and sat on the ground in the few places that were not covered with grass, a reminder of the rain that had come through earlier that day.

Charles stared and listened. Off in the distance, he could hear the noise of cars on a road and somewhere a prop plane was flying close enough to the ground to be heard. He didn’t look up to see it because of the brightness of the sun and his momentary fascination with the grass.

“I’ve got nothing better to do, I could write about this.”

“A man or a woman sneaking out of their place of confinement, dropping to the ground and hoping the fall wouldn’t hurt them but knowing that one step on the grass,” he huffed, “even lying on the grass may be a reprieve from what awaited them, solitude, isolation, loneliness for who knew how long.”

Charles stopped his narrative. This was too close to the truth. He closed his eyes and raised his face to the sun, letting the heat of the early autumn sun warm his face. The sound of some type of equipment or another generator being started filled his ears. He didn’t move and the sound grew softer.

“Maybe they are doing some extra research,” Charles said aloud a couple of minutes later.

“Pull yourself back to reality. You can’t go out there. It wouldn’t be safe.” And with that Charles slowly drew himself back into the bathroom and even more slowly closed and latched the window. “It’s a nice size window for a bathroom. I’m glad it was here but.”

There was no need for Charles to say anything else. He would be safe if he went out. Whatever it was he hadn’t been anything worse than a bad cold. The doctors said as long as he kept isolated from people nothing should happen. Isolation was the prescription at least until he was over it and there was no trace in his system. If there was anything that could be said about Charles was, that he followed the rules. Well, as long as they were just and fair even if he didn’t like or fully understand them. These rules, however, were the ones he had set up and he knew the consequences if he didn’t.

Charles wasn’t going to pull a McConnell. He would stay where he was. There would not be a black death, a 2020, or a Pompeii on his conscious. He could wait to keep everyone else safe.

“Besides what I saw was worth a bit of boredom.” Then he paused and thought about all the people he cared about. “Yes, being a little stir crazy” With that he rolled his eyes “is worth protecting all of them.” Charles took a deep breath of room air and blew it out, then he lowered the blinds and began cleaning the grass and debris that had been blown in.  

Photo by Elimende Inagella on Unsplash