Reading: "KALAS" (A.Glass 2020)

Chapter 4 

“Why, if it was an illusion, not praise the catastrophe, whatever it was, that destroyed illusion and put truth in its place?”

Virginia Woolf

“New York City will effectively be shut down as of Tuesday morning, all clubs, bars and venues are to be closed. Groups of people will be dispersed and have been ordered to stay at home which will be enforced by police and the National Guard. Over Fifty thousand people have been infected with the NanJ-19 virus in America, which originated in China late last year within the Chinese province of Jiangsu. Congress in lockstep with the Federal Reserve have initiated a stimulus program that is being labeled by commentators as not a bailout but a last grasp to save the American and even global economy from going into a full blown depression, small to medium size businesses have collapsed since infections from the virus has spiked in most America cities. A Three trillion dollar bank underwrite and mortgage fund support has been authorized as have the Federal Reserve unlimited Quantitative Easing program, in similarity to the financial crisis of Two thousand and Eight which was heavily criticized by main street as an exclusive bank bailout. Except this time, with businesses failing daily, this maybe about a large scale support for the many that will be unemployed. However, critics have questioned that this rescue package for the economy will be, once again, to fund Wall Street, with limited amounts available to assist the millions of Americans who will be affected by this pandemic...”

Sarika Kalas yawns, then sits up, looking at her right hand.

Have I got the virus? Do I feel sick? Sore throat? Feels dry. Swallowing with a slight irritated feeling at the back of her throat, she chuckles to herself. “I'm a snorer. No headache or cough. I'm ok. But, as per usual, horny as hell.” Stepping out of bed, standing, Kalas exhales, closing her eyes. What a deep sleep. Opening them, she reaches down and lifts her cellphone up from the bedroom side table. Walking towards the kitchen area, placing the phone onto the bench, with her left hand, Kalas opens the upper cupboard door, with her right hand she takes down a glass, turning to her fridge behind her, opening its door. She looks inside, seeing how sparse it is, except for two tomatoes and a full container of cranberry juice. Reaching in, she takes out the juice bottle, unscrewing the cap. Pouring the reddish liquid into the glass. Looking down at the carmine fluid. “So, the virus has hit,” lifting the glass, taking a sip. Placing the glass back onto the sink, she crouches down and opens the cupboard underneath the sink. “Three packets of antiseptic wipes, two full bottles of Bensulklium Chloride disinfectant.” Closing the cupboard. Having another sip from the glass, Kalas looks out from her small kitchen widow, staring at the cloud cover, as bluish specs piece through its a fragmented array. She thinks of Rebekkah Lowe. Turning away quickly, Kalas, sets the glass down and walks towards her bedroom with its en suite bathroom. Checking over where she keeps her moisturizes and creams, She opens the above sink cupboard, with her left hand taking down a full container of rubbing alcohol and surgical grade antiseptic. Scanning over the ingredient list, “Ten percent povidone iodine and ten percent ethanol...” Lifting up the alcohol rub. “...This would be close to over sixty percent. Both will work, except this shit...” Looking at the povidone iodine. “...Stains your hands...” Viewing her appearance in the mirror. “...Once outside, don't touch face, apply the sanitizer constantly. Come back in here, change clothes into...” She looks at her undies and cropped t-shirt in the mirror. “...Into this? They're going to shutdown the city. I need food.” She looks at herself in the mirror again. “...But first, shower.”

Kalas standing naked under the shower recess, closing her eyes, with both hands she pushes back her short blond hair, rinsing out the fragrant hair conditioner, to which she also inhales, smelling the mixture of lime and coconut. My sense of smell is good, a symptom of the virus, apparently you lose smell and taste. Or so they say. Kalas thinks to herself, as she continues to wash over her body. Holding up a bar of hemp seed and olive oil soap, she lathers the bar with hands, until it is emulsified into a bubbly froth placing the soap back onto its small ledge beneath the shower taps, with both hands cupped, shutting eyes again, she inhales the scent once more. The unique smell of hemp oil, with its raw natural aroma. Kalas spreads the lathered soap under her both arms, around her breasts, noting a sensitivity – as the arousal is still persistent to when she awoke earlier. Continuing washing herself, leaning down, running the remainder of the soap over her legs. Kalas feels the water of the shower drip down between her ass cheeks, standing up. A memory of the past does reveal itself to her, but only as a fleeting moment, she reaches down again picking up the bar of soap. Arching herself slightly, pushing out her bottom, there is a desire to be penetrated, to be fucked. Yet, Kalas continues to wash herself – despite her thoughts of sex, with her hands lathered, she washes between her ass cheeks. Closing her eyes again, she rinses the soap off her body, allowing the warm water to lave over her face and hair. Turning off the water taps. Stepping out of the shower recess, lifting a towel off from behind her bathroom door, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she studies her naked body with an aura of detachment, as she begins to dry herself. Looking at her sink, staring at three ascending shaped bottles. With her left hand she lifts the larger bottle, squirting a small amount into her right hand, rubbing it over her face and forehead. “A facial in a time of a crisis,” she says to herself smiling. With her right hand she picks up a mid size bottle of leave-in conditioner, emitting the clear colored fluid of Argan oil and Rose blossom scented mixture onto her left hand, she places the small bottle back down, the memory returns of when she was younger, living with her father. Emulsifying the mixture together with both hands, the memory begins to fade, rubbing it into her hair, so that her short cropped blond hair is slicked back over her ears. Leaning forward, she washes off the pre-skin mask with cold water, drying her face. Applying the deodorant, she turns the bottle around, noticing the flammable content symbol. Use as a back up hand sanitizer? She places it back onto the left side of the sink, next to a nearly empty bottle of sample moisturizer, to which holds up the small bottle tipping out most of it contents. Rubbing the moisturizer over her face, neck and breasts. Kalas senses a throbbing feeling within her upper pelvis and a slight convulsive twinge again around her vulva, which she felt whilst she was showering. Remaining focused, she turns on the tap with her left hand, rinsing out the small container. Reaching over to where the deodorant bottle is, unscrewing the top, she picks up the small vile with her right hand, gently pouring the clear liquid into the small bottle, as it quickly fills to the top. Placing the lid back onto the deodorant, setting back with her other beauty products, Kalas lifts the small cap from the vile with the same hand, pushing down so that clicks into place. Exhaling, she looks over her breasts, then down to her light brown pubic hairs. “Needs a trim”, she says smiling, as Kalas with her middle finger, slightly extended down, places it between her thighs, running the tip of her finger over the open lips, sliding it around the entrance to her vagina. Noting how swollen and naturally wet she is, despite having a shower, Kalas holds the same finger to her nose, to which she inhales her own aroma. Enjoying her scent, across to the where the toilet roll is, Kalas pulls off a section of toilet paper. With her right hand she wipes upward, gathering up the building fluid of her arousal. In a casual manner she throws it into the open toilet bowl. “Period is due soon, I'll shop first, back to the unit and then release the tension.”

“...The nation wide pandemic has wreaked havoc across the US, shutting State boarders and closing up cities. Any nonessential duties are banned, President Peyton has requested that the Governors of each of the States heavily affected, to cooperate with him in relation to extra medical supplies, however there has been criticism directed at the President for not providing enough medical equipment, particularly from New York. Mayor Crogen who urged the President, early on when the virus began to impact on New York, that the City's hospital system may not cope with the influx of infected patients...”

“What to wear?...” Kalas verbalizing her thoughts, scans her somewhat sparse wardrobe. She eyes the black turtle neck bodysuit, with its deep cut back. “...This, with shorts...” Turning her head slightly, she looks towards her bedroom window as light of the dawn begins to peer through a slit between the two blinds “It's getting colder...Does this virus live on skin? Do I have to shower when I get home? Again?...” Shaking her head with a grin. “...Need a fucking biohazard suit...But, I'm as poor as fuck.

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Reading:  "KALAS"  (A.Glass 2020)