FULL LOCKDOWN (Book #1)

𝕺𝖓𝖊

© 2017, @fur_el. All rights reserved.

The shouting transmogrifies into screaming. But whatever everyone is screaming at, we can't see it. A wall is blocking our view.

"Turn around!"

"Mate, watch out!"

"SAM!"

"Bro, bro, bro, behind ya!"

'It' finally comes into our sight, and as Sam spins around, it's far too late. I... I cannot believe my eyes. What I'm seeing is impossible. Beyond impossible. The word 'impossible' doesn't even come close to it. It just cannot be real. Period. That's all there is to it!

6 hours earlier...

Morning came too fast.

While half asleep, I slide my hand underneath my pillow. I disable my 7:00 AM alarm and toss my phone to the side. Just from the crisp breeze coming in through my window, I can tell it's gonna be a chilly Thursday morning. The kookaburras are happy about it though because they are louder than ever today.

I trudge into my bathroom and stare into the mirror above my basin. "Great – same shit, different day." Then I get nakey and splotch some Colgate on my toothbrush before hopping into the shower.

❖

On an empty stomach like always, I grab my one-strap backpack to head to school.

Mum's a nurse, and keeping in mind that it's her day off, I silently run down the stairs. Dad's at work already. He gets up like 2 whole hours before me. He's an FBI agent who overworks way too much, and when he gets home, he's just too irritated for anything. Knowing my twin sister, she's still snoring, fast asleep, and then wonders why she's always late to school.

So yeah, my parents are still together unlike most of the people around me, and I've got a twin sister whom I still call my lil sis because I came out of that oven first.

I grip the front doorknob, and just as I'm about to twist it, a wave of irritation washes over me. I don't wanna get another time-consuming lecture from Mum for, 'why didn't you wake your sister up when you knew she was going to be late?!' Maybe it's because of the simple fact that I ain't her freakin' human clock alarm, Mum! Jesus!

I go back up the stairs to my sister's room. "Oi, get up, Amber. You're gonna be late."

No sound, just the soft noise from her fan in the corner.

"Fucken, oi! Get up, shithead!"

"Mmmm... shut UP!" and she throws one of the 5000 pillows she has at me before turning on her other side.

"Fine. Be late. Bye." I ain't got time to deal with this.

❖

On my way to school, I put on my headphones and click shuffle; 17X's – SkuX comes on. I flip my grey hood over my head and slide my hands into my black skinny jeans pocket, a cool shiver running down my spine. It's summer but it feels like a chilly nostalgic autumn's day today – orange, white and brown type vibes.

My neighbourhood is filled with maple trees. They line the street parallel on both sides and white double-storey houses for homes. It's quite beautiful actually if you focus on it. I glance up at the sky. White. Plain white. Up ahead, I can see some greyish storm clouds forming. My favourite weather – the calm before the storm. The serenity before the insanity.

"Dean!"

Yup, that's my name. Well, it's actually Zinedine to be exact, like the famous footballer Zinedine Zidane, but everyone just calls me 'Dean'. When it's short like that, it also stands for religion which is pre' cool too.

I turn around to find my best mate, Brayson Mads, catching up to me. I mean, it'd be a lot easier for him to do so if he didn't always carry that big orange basketball. We've been best friends since Year 4 and I don't know how high school would've been without him.

"Sup, Brayson," I slide my red beats off and let them rest around my neck. "Didn't you say you was gonna go school early today?"

"Yeah, was gonna, bro, but woke up late. What we got first?"

"I got History first, then we both have Bio and-"

"-Shit," he halts mid-walk and smacks his forehead.

"What?"

"That's what it was! I was gonna do the bio homework first thing in the library today but I forgot."

"Tsk," I shake my head. "Good luck. She's gonna be fuming."

"Dean, bro, it ain't my fault she gives us such boring things to study. Like how is a 'ribosome' being the 'powerhouse of the cell' gonna benefit us all in the future? Think about it."

"Mitochondria," I correct. "But I get your point, forreals."

"You didn't do yours either, right?" he asks with a bit of hope flickering in his sea-green eyes.

I cringe... "What? I had to! She said she was gonna fail us if we didn't do it this time."

"No, brah, rip it up and we'll get in trouble together."

"Brah," I roll my eyes. "Don't worry, just copy mine."

That ain't the first time I've said that and it ain't gonna be the last time either. Brayson just struggles too much with classwork and I'm happy to help whenever. I think it's because of his dad who relies too much on alcohol these days to be there for his kid which then puts too much pressure on his mum. Brayson has hinted at it a few times but he doesn't really like talking about it.

Anyway, what are friends for, right?

❖

We arrive at Hell.