Reading: "KALAS" (A.Glass 2020)

 

Sarika Kalas sitting in her bed with her back against her bedroom wall, sheets pulled up over her legs, with only a crop top and knickers on, stares at her laptop computer screen and the mass of words she has written down for her new book. Raising her left hand, outstretching her fingers, she leans her forehead down, so that they rest in the middle of her head. Closing her eyes, she gently massages the area above her eyes “Am I normal?” Kalas says to herself. Feeling the residual effects of alcohol, yet she has never really, in a psychological way been affected by the resultant. Stretching her neck out, she thinks about the evening, deliberately spewing up after drinking heavily and not the least bit perturbed. Nor bothered what her friend may think, but for a moment she ponders whether her actions or her social inclinations are like other people. Looking down at her laptop, she moves it aside and walks towards her kitchen. Opening the cupboard above the sink she takes out a packet of Aspirin from the top shelf, removing the foil wrapped array of pills from the box, tearing off a sealed strip. Placing the box back onto the shelf, she closes the cupboard doors. Walking towards the sink, lifting a glass from the adjacent bench, she opens up the metallic wrapping, placing the single pill into the empty glass. Leaning forward she holds the glass under the tap with her right hand, whilst turning the cold water tap. Watching the water flow into the glass, turning the tap off. Kalas holds up the glass up.

“A glass half full...” She says to her self smiling. Walking back to her bedroom she has a sip. “...Mmm fizzy, nice.” Putting the glass down on the bedside table, she sits back down onto the bed folding her legs across, whilst with her right hand she flips the bed sheets over. Reaching across with her left hand, she sips back the rest of the pleasant tasting painkiller. Setting it back down onto the bedside table.

“Normal? What the fuck is that?” Shaking her head. Kalas lifts up the laptop, propping up the pillows, she leans back. Setting the computer onto her thighs, looking at the screen again. I am, what I am. She thinks to herself. To what ever predicament maybe Kalas's thoughts, they are clear and focused, aware that she, at times, recounts her personality and matches it against others. Yet, knowing that there is no other way of being. Unable to write anymore, she saves the written dialogue. Moving the screen arrow of the internet icon, Kalas brings up the latest news links.

“THE OUTBREAK OF A DEADLY NEW RESPIRATORY VIRUS CONTINUES TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT CHINA, WITH INFECTIONS RECORDED IN ALL THE MAJOR CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.”

Kalas clicks on the link.

“A new coronavirus has spread rapidly within two of the provinces of China and with rising cases in Beijing and Shanghai, outbreaks have been detected in New York City and Los Angeles. With European cities such London, Paris and Berlin also reporting cases of the infectious disease. There is no vaccine, however virologists are racing to produce a vaccine which could be several months away. Meanwhile, authorities in China have restricted access to the Epicenter of this viral outbreak; Nanjing, within the province of Jiangsu. Over nine million of the city have been in locked down since the viral outbreak, in an effort to stem the spread of the virus leaving the city. American and European citizens have been airlifted out on chartered flights, as the evacuation of the non-Chinese citizens begins...”

She moves the mouse arrow to another article, scanning over it quickly, the story relates to how the markets are being affected by the spread of this new virus.

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Reading: "KALAS"  (A.Glass 2020)