Dash Dash Dot Dot

Census says 42,000

"We are now receiving reports of the virus spreading across the English Channel into France and Belgium, as well as into Scotland, Wales and Ireland. There is still no news as to how this virus is spread but it is happening very fast, it is quickly becoming a pandemic. Germany and Russia have closed their borders which will only be the beginning. Flights have been grounded into and out of Europe with Africa and Asia planning to do the same, ports have also been closed down to minimize the spread. Only time will tell if the virus will make it across to Australia and the Americas."

Willow stared at the TV, her mouth hanging open. The world was going to shit. Considering how fast and far the virus had moved in three days meant there was no doubt it would hit the rest of the world too. Nowhere was going to be safe, it would all be up to infection and immunity. And luck. People on social media were starting to freak out about the very real chance of the virus hitting Australia. They were posting about travelling to be with family or other friends. The roads were hectic, petrol stations hiked up their prices. Once the virus hit money would be worth nothing so no one spared a second thought about spending money. The camping stores were inundated with people buying survival supplies. Batteries had become a hot commodity and were limited to a certain amount per customer.

Willow risked a trip to the supermarket, buying as many canned goods as she could as well as batteries and a simple radio. She knew from the past that there would be an emergency broadcast, and she wanted to be ready for when the power went down and took out the TV and internet. Communication with the outside world would be no more. The armed forces would probably revert back to Morse code or something just as archaic for communication. Modern technology would become archaic itself, outdated and unusable, nothing more than a paper weight.

The supermarket was crazy; everyone seemed to have the same idea about stocking up on canned and shelf goods, as well as medical supplies. Willow didn’t spend too much time looking at the products; she saw what she wanted and just threw them into her basket. The next problem would be the heating or cooking of the food. Her stove, unfortunately, was electric only instead of gas so she wouldn’t be able to just turn it on with a spark. She was going to have to come up with a way to heat her food or deal with it being cold.

But that wasn’t something that she would be able to buy from the supermarket, she would have to make a trip to the hardware store too. She groaned inwardly, she really didn’t want to have to travel anymore that she had to. But fire pit or portable stove would be an item of necessity. A fire pit would require some form of fuel and so would the stove. She shook her head to clear her mind. She couldn't think about that now, she had to focus on the food first. The last thing she grabbed before heading to the checkout was a case of water, better to be safe than sorry.

***

"Europe has become overrun and the virus has edged its way into Africa and Asia. We know the virus is spread through a bite, but we still have no idea what started it. Theories wide and varied, such as contaminated drinking water or a bite from a bug carrying an unknown pathogen. Governments are putting all of their resources into finding a cure, or into making a vaccine." The reporter on TV said. She looked worried. It had been six hours since the last report of the virus spreading across the English Channel. It seemed that until the virus hit the shores of Australia, half the population were continuing to work. In some areas of the country there was rioting and raiding happening. The police and armed forces were trying to keep the country from falling completely apart but the public were scared. When a group of humans scare each other enough, they rile each other into a frenzy and turn from civilized to wild animals.

There was a group of religious fanatics on social media who believed that the country would be saved and that the other parts of the world to fall to the virus were all part of god's plan to remove the unworthy and repopulate the earth with those who believed. With the looming threat of the virus reaching Australia some people became highly suggestible and gullible, making it easy for those looking out for only themselves to intervene and accumulate followers.

Willow was in shock at how fast the reports were rolling in about each new place the virus had spread too. She wondered about the survivors in those areas and what they were doing to survive. Did they maybe have some form of immunity? Was there even such a thing? She had moved her furniture around, dumping any non essential items and knick knacks into the spare room, leaving the lounge room with only the necessities and a bag near the front door in case she needed to make a run for it. She had pushed the couch into the entryway so the door didn't open more than a foot, the more she could barricade herself in, the better a chance she had of somehow surviving. She had scrubbed the bathtub down and then filled it with water just in case she needed it.

She was on the second floor of her apartment which would make it harder for someone to get in, but if someone was intent on doing it then they would likely succeed. Willow gathered the weapons she had, simple weapons; guns weren't as readily available in Australia like they were in America, so she had to settle for her baseball bat, some kitchen knives and a hefty cast iron fry pan that would definitely leave a dent in someone's skull. She had settled on a fire pit, thinking that wood and kindling would be easier to come across than a gas bottle; she had also stock piled a dozen lighters, several boxes of matches and a flint striker. When it came time she figured she could use the wooden fence separating the property from next door for firewood to start off with.

She looked at her set up so far, if the virus didn't reach Australia then she was going to become a doomsday prepper. Willow laughed to herself. She was far from being ready for what was coming, but at least it was a start, even if it only helped for a short while. The TV played nothing but updates on the virus and scenes recorded from around the world showing the zombies attacking the living. The pandemic was devastating, animated charts floated across the screen showing the rate of spread and then the estimate of time it would take to reach each state in Australia. In some areas the virus had outnumbered the living by nine to one; and it continued to climb. That meant that around ninety percent were infected.

Willow thought about Queanbeyan, last census said there were 42,000 people living in town, which would make a lot of zombies, her heart sunk a little. Was it even worth trying to survive? Could she really be in that ten percent of survivors? She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, she wiped at her cheeks as she stared out the window, watching the neighbors from downstairs load up their vehicle. Maybe she should just succumb to the virus, then she could see her sister again.

"Don't be stupid lil sis." She heard her sister’s voice as though she were standing in the room with her. Willow jumped and looked around, convinced that what she heard was real, but she knew was only in her head. Those words may not have actually come from her sister, but they may as well have had. It was exactly what she would have said, accompanied by a punch to the arm. She took a deep breath and watched her neighbors back out of the spot and drive away. It definitely looked like they weren't planning on coming back. In fact more than half the vehicles in the complex were gone, were they getting supplies or would they never return?