E Virus: The Diary of a Modern Day Girl (The Beginning of the End)

by Ward, Jessica

  We looked around the entrance. Cream carpets lined the floors, velvet curtains separated each section of the plane.

  “Let me introduce you to your fellow survivors” the Sergeant advised as he opened the first velvet curtain.

  As we entered the cabin, a long leather sofa curved round the room. Adjacent to the sofa sat 4 stools along a wooden veneer bar. There were three people sat on the curving sofa. One was an elderly man named George, the other two we all knew very well.

  Lacey and her husband Paul were here too. They were both very good friends of ours. Paul and Nick were practically inseparable. Lacey and I had been friends for a long time; we started out as work colleagues and rapidly became close friends.

  Lacey was sat with a huge grin on her face. She still had a glowing complexion, her tan still visible, from their recent holiday in the Maldives. It was strange seeing her without make up on, her hair was tied up in a bun and she was definitely dressed for comfort. She was very much like me before the virus took over. She lived her life in heels, she was always very glamorous. Her long red hair was always perfect, she never had a hair out of place. She was quite tall, without her heels she was pushing 5ft 7. She had lovely green eyes, she was the type of person that couldn’t do enough for you. She was one of my closest friends.

  Her husband Paul was also smiling. He had his arm placed over her shoulder, his eyes lit up when he saw us. He too, seemed to be dressed very casually. He was a business man. Thinking back, I can’t remember the last time I saw him without a suit on. Like Lacey, he was very tall. He stood at a whopping 6ft 4. He had a slim figure, although he detested working out. How he managed to stay in shape was a mystery to us all. They complemented each other perfectly. They never boasted, or spoke about their relationship but you could tell they were still so in love. They were the happiest couple I had ever met.

  We perked up the second we saw them and ran over to greet them. Duckface and Andy stayed back. We were all close friends at one point; however the relationship between Duckface and Lacey soon became sour. Inevitably I ended up stuck in the middle, as the other two constantly feuded.

  There were no bad feelings between any of the boys as they were happily talking amongst themselves.

  Duckface and Lacey made no attempt to communicate with each other at all. Sensing the tension the Corporal interrupted “I take it you all know each other? I will show each of you your living quarters and then we shall all get better acquainted”

  Jameson took Duckface and Andy to their room whilst the Sergeant ushered Nick and me to ours. We followed the Sergeant up the stairs towards the back of the plane, which revealed another floor. He opened the door to the first room on the left. “We were very fortunate to find this plane, I’m sure you will all agree our surroundings are rather luxurious.” He announced.

  “This is stunning” I was in awe as I walked in. A double bed stood in the middle of the room, the bed was perfectly made and was covered in elegant, intricately detailed gold cushions. A small mirrored wardrobe sat facing the side of the bed with a small walkway in between.

  “It’s not the biggest room in the world, but it’s the best we can offer” the Sergeant explained. “If you could follow me, I shall show you the dining room. We eat all our meals together. I think it’s important have at least one group meal together a day. Right now we are all family. We are all we have. Each individual is as important as the next; I think it’s important we all keep this in mind” He had clearly aimed the last part at Duckface who had joined us in the dining room along with Andy and the Corporal.

  “I will now leave you to get better acquainted; I believe you have some old friends who I’m sure have got a lot to tell. Corporal, I trust I can leave you to look after our new guests and make them feel at home?” the Corporal nodded. “I will take the first watch, I look forward to getting to know each of you” The Sergeant bowed and walked off leaving us with the Corporal.

  “You guys must be hungry, can I get you some lunch? I can teach you how these MRE’s work. As the Sergeant said, they’re not the most appealing but they do the job”

  “Sounds good, I’m starving” Nick complained. I could tell he was feeling more himself, food was always the first thing on his mind.

  As we headed back downstairs I noticed Duckface hung back. It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to around Lacey, I knew she was scared of her. Lacey always spoke her mind, which is what I always liked about her. She was always truthful and wouldn’t stand for snobbery. She had no problem in being confrontational, but she was always fair.

  Her husband Paul was a few years older than us, he was in his mid-thirties. He had a very good job which meant they were both able to live comfortably. If I’m honest I think the main reason her and Duckface fell out was because Duckface was jealous of her lifestyle. She always felt the need to one up Lacey, it was like a bragging contest between them both on who earned the most.

  The boys followed Jameson to the other side of the plane, as I went into the bar area, to have a much needed catch up with Lacey, whilst Duckface took herself off to bed.

  “I can’t believe you’re here, what happened?” I asked her trying to make sense of today’s events.

  “We were really lucky hun, we stayed at home the day it started. Paul was going to leave for the office, but I begged him not to go. Finally he decided to stay. We saw on the news what was going on and locked all the doors. We were safe for a couple of days, but then those things started coming in through the garden. We knew we would be surrounded soon, so we grabbed the keys and ran for the car.”

  I looked at her completely shocked “Did you not take anything with you?”

  “We completely panicked, we left everything behind”

  “So how did you end up here?” I asked.

  “Well we got in the car and we drove. We didn’t know where to go. We pulled over to the side of the road as soon as we were clear, to get our heads straight. It was then we saw an army truck drive past. We decided to follow it, we didn’t know what else to do. We followed them here, and they took us in”

  I was so relieved they made it here ok, I would much rather have spent the three weeks trapped in the apartment with Lacey and Paul than Duckface and Andy, who we ended up lumbered with. I’ll admit, I liked the fact Lacey and Duckface hated each other so much, I completely agreed with Lacey, and it inevitably brought us closer. At least I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like her.

  “So what happened to you then? How come you ended up with them” she whispered.

  I recounted the events that happened, from the incident on the factory floor all the way up to our escape from the apartment.

  “Wow, I can’t believe you had to spend that long with her. I would have slapped her and kicked her out. You’re too nice for your own good”

  The conversation soon changed, it was like the old days, when we used to spend hours giggling over a bottle of wine or two.

  Duckface stayed locked away in her room, we both preferred it. I had spent way too long in her company and I think if Lacey never saw her again, it would be too soon.

  Before long the boys came in, each had two pans in their hands. They looked very proud of themselves. The food unfortunately, did not look very appealing. I felt like a parent having to pretend to eat mud pie, whilst rubbing my stomach and saying mmmmmm.

  Sargent Tanner came in for lunch. Shortly after we had all finished Jameson switched places to take watch.

  “Now I know you haven’t had much time to settle in here, however I must insist we get down to business.”

  We all looked at him intrigued as to what he wanted from us.

  “We have all managed to survive for this long. But there indeed is a difference between surviving and living.” He carried on, “I would like to find more survivors. I believe we should help anyone we can. My men could be in the same situation as we are, each hanger on this airbase served a different purpose, although the main base was compromised, I do not yet know what
the others hold. I owe it to my men to find them, and I want your help with that”

  “But how can we do anything, I don’t understand what you want from us?” I asked.

  “I believe that each individual has their own strengths and weaknesses. I do not yet know what they are, but I have no doubt in my mind that each and every one of you have something to contribute.”

  Nick spoke up “I for one am very grateful for your hospitality, we would all be struggling out there if you hadn’t of let us in. Anything I can do to help I will.”

  “That is very good to hear, thank you for your support Nick. If I may be so bold. The vehicles you came in with. They will help with our mission greatly.”

  “So you want to use our cars?” I pressed.

  “Yes, with your permission of course. Now I will of course ensure both your vehicles are topped up at all times, we have an array of military vehicles stored along with a built in gas pump in one of these hangars, which is my main priority. But until we get to them, your vehicles would be a great help to us”

  “Ok, that’s fine by me Sargent, but on one condition. I’d like you to teach me how to use the weapons in there” I pointed to the ammunition store.

  “I have a pretty good shot, but my experience is limited to air rifles. I know I can handle myself, and I want to be able to defend myself. In fact I think all of us do.”

  “That’s an interesting proposal, let me think about that. Right now, I think its best we all rest up; I think it’s safe to say you have had a pretty stressful day. Try and forget about it for now and try and relax. We will all talk more in the morning”

  It was all very strange, we had barely been here 2 minutes and the Sergeant already had plans for us.

  We spent the rest of that day talking, sharing experiences, looking back on the days before the infection. We almost forgot what was happening in the world around us. It was refreshing being in the company of new people, somehow the world seemed a little bigger than what we were used to. The fact that no one was sat round playing on their phones was alien to me; we spent all night talking to each other, face to face. No texting, facebooking or tweeting, it was strangely liberating.

  I spent a few hours talking to our other fellow survivor, George. He was the airfield manager. He was assisting the RAF when the infection came. No one knew the way around the hangar like George did. He even told me about a few secret passageways in and around the base, which had been built around the time of the First World War.

  He was a very interesting man. He told me he was 76 and still had no intention of giving up his job. Ever since he was a little boy he was obsessed with flying, he joined the RAF at a young age and before long was training to be a pilot. He was one of the first pilots to be deployed in the Falklands war. He spent his time on the RAF Ascension Island airbase, flying Avro Vulcan B Mk 2 bombers. Like the others, he was a military man. Even in his old age, he was very switched on. Once he reached retirement, he and his wife moved into the Woodford area. The airfield brought him back a lot of memories; it was where he felt most at home.

  “So if you’ve flown planes before, why can’t you fly this one?” I asked intrigued.

  “My dear, planes nowadays are a lot different to the planes I flew, back then. I only flew small agile bombers. This is a corporate jet, as much as I wish I could, it’s not an option, I’m sorry”

  It was a long shot. The Sergeant came in and sat with us after overhearing our conversation.

  “It’s not just flying the plane that’s the problem. There is no fuel in the tank, we have jet fuel on site, but even if we refilled successfully, we don’t yet know where we would go. There are more important things we need to establish first, before making any rash decisions. I can assure you, we’re safe here for now.”

  A few days after we settled in, the Sergeant called us all in for a meeting.

  The Sergeant spoke first. “The Corporal and I have been discussing the possibility of training you all how to use weapons effectively. This goes against everything we have been trained, however giving the circumstances I believe it’s the right thing to do.”

  The Corporal stood up addressing us all. “We will train you how to use weapons. Buts it’s not just about shooting effectively. If you want to learn how to shoot, you must also learn how to survive, and that means staying alive”

  The Sergeant continued “We will train you all how to stay alive. That includes fitness, stealth, hand to hand combat, and most importantly working together.

  He carried on “Now I won’t force anybody to participate who does not wish to, however I will need an answer from you all now. Those not willing to take part can earn your keep in a different way.”

  Andy was the first to speak up. “I’m in!” Paul and Nick shortly followed suit.

  Me and Lacey looked at each other and nodded. “Yes, we’re in too.”

  This left only Duckface and George.

  George spoke up “I have already done my training, and I’ve served my time. If needs be, I know my way around a firearm. I’m too old for the training to be of any use, but I am happy to share my expertise”

  “That would be much appreciated Sir” The Sergeant replied, bowing his head to his senior, a sign of respect.

  Duckface was quiet. We all stared at her, waiting for a response.

  “Sorry, but I’m not going to do it. I don’t feel comfortable around guns and I don’t agree with fighting. I’m not going to get involved with any of it”

  “Typical” Lacey rolled her eyes and glared at her.

  “Well I apologise for not wanting to stoop to your level. It’s not right, and I refuse to have someone else’s blood on my hands. You’re all doing it now, so I don’t have to. I don’t see why I need to help anyway.” she scoffed.

  “To stay alive?” I asked “To help and protect everyone here? I don’t know maybe even as a thank you to these men for taking us in? Shall I go on?”

  “If you’d rather die, then I’m more than happy to have your blood on my hands. At least you could come in useful for target practice, would be much better than you sitting on your arse all day. Waste of space” Lacey hit back.

  “Of course I am” Duckface snorted sarcastically. “You don’t even deserve to be here” she continued.

  “Girls please” the Sergeant stepped in. “Lola, if you don’t want to take part you don’t have to. However, we all need to start working together as a unit. Although I can appreciate you are not keen on weaponry. I do expect you to help in other ways”

  She reluctantly agreed. “Fine” she answered.

  Ignoring her less than receptive response, he addressed each of us “As part of your training I expect each of you to help. You will be put on watch duty, learn to keep your weapons clean and will maintain a tight fitness regime. This may seem a little over the top, but you will learn to always be prepared for every eventuality. I want you all up at 5am sharp tomorrow morning, no exceptions.” With that, he walked off.

  Duckface quickly followed him out. Everyone started talking excitedly among themselves. Lacey and I stayed put.

  “She may be good for target practice, as long as she shrank that massive head of hers. I don’t think we could miss, even if we were blindfolded” I laughed.

  “I don’t know how he expects her to help, she’s fucking useless” Lacey replied, a little louder than usual.

  The feud between Duckface and Lacey had been going on for a long time. However, we were all inseparable at one point. She wasn’t always the Duckface we see now. When we first met Lola she was a slightly geeky, naïve but sweet girl. She didn’t have many friends, but the ones she had, she kept close at heart. She would always do what she could for others, she never put herself first.

  Things changed just before she met Andy. She had made some new friends through work and was going out with them more often. This didn’t faze me or Lacey in the slightest, we were happy she was branching out and making new friends.

  The more she sta
rted making new friends, the more she started to change. She started to become self-obsessed, caring more and more about the way she looked. It didn’t just stop there, her whole attitude was completely different. She started referring to her new friends as ‘the gang’ taking every opportunity to explain to us that, they don’t let ‘just anyone’ into ‘the gang’ and how amazing it was that she was always invited out to social events. We didn’t think anything of it at first. We were both a lot more established in our careers than she was, so had more important things to concentrate on.

  To be honest we thought it sounded a bit childish and were past the days where appearances ruled our lives. We were happy she was happy and let her get on with it. We were still supportive and she still came to us when she needed advice.

  As time went on she got a lot more self-involved, she was only interested about talking about herself, and spent more and more time bragging about how popular she was becoming, and how (according to her) all men were falling at her feet. Unfortunately, this was not the case at all. As soon as she opened her mouth, her whole life story came spewing out. We witnessed this on numerous occasions when we had gone out with her. It was cringe worthy. Men that originally approached her, after hearing her life story ran a mile. She expected every man she came into contact with to fall at her feet and worship her. When this didn’t happen she became even more self-absorbed.

  After she met Andy, the dynamics changed again. She made the poor guys life a misery; she became extremely possessive and flew off the handle on numerous occasions. She was starting to be embarrassing to go out with. After they had been dating for a while he introduced her to his friends and their girlfriends. She was in her element, she made even more friends and her ego began to grow.

  The problem was, the more time she spent with Andy’s new friends the less she spent with ‘the gang’. After a few weeks she went from talking about them constantly to never mentioning them at all. To her ‘the gang’ had served its purpose and were no longer needed. She stopped contacting them and never saw them again.