Chapter 1
Harry and Fran saw a sign at school about some kind of camp. A camp without the benefits of civilisation. Harry thought it would be nice if they went. Fran didn’t really like the idea, but she went because Harry wanted. Then Harry fell of the stairs, because of wearing shoes with high heels, and broke her wrist. So she couldn’t and Fran went alone. The leaders, Sarah and Rod, wanted to be called by there first names. Fran didn’t want to go without Harry, because she didn’t the courage to go without her. But she went and everything went fine.
Shahid’s father (Sajjad) was also struck by the plague. Sajjad always wanted water, but Shahid had to boil it first. Shahid was always watching reruns of old movies on television while his father was ill on bad. But when his father wanted water, he didn’t get any, because he was watching an old movie. But he had to remember that he was his father, so he got water for him and put on his gloves. Some time later he was watching a child trying to jump out the window, but it was closed.
Chapter 2
Fran, Rod, Sarah and all the others were going back to London. They were all really looking forward to it, especially the meat and television shows like Families. Fran also watched, but only to keep up with Harry. Sarah and three others went into her mini and the others went in the van. They noticed that it was awfully quiet on the streets. Somebody even thought World War III broken out, but most thought this was because it was sunday. And when even the M25 was almost empty even Rod seemed somewhat shaken. They dropped Fran at Purley in stead of Croydon, so Rod could to his wife and child sooner. There was no bus, so Fran had to walk from there. Then she saw Croydon was blocked. She found out because of two children of some kind of epidemic and people weren’t allowed to get in or get out. The boy told her how she could in without getting by the soldiers.
Chapter 3
Sajjad Kahn was still alive. The television didn’t work anymore. Then the telephone rang. It was Rahim (Shahid’s brother). He was asking about Sajjad. Shahid wanted to know if the television still worked at Rahim, but Rahim wanted to know how his father was doing first. He didn’t think the television was important now. Rahim wanted to know if his father was in pain and if ate something. Rahim was always fathers favorite. Shahid didn’t feed him for a week, because he thought it was for the living and it was useless. Rahim didn’t think that Shahid was doing enough for his father. And Shahid told Rahim when he was going Sajjad was dead. After the phone call, Shahid gave his father some fresh water. He thought about Simon and what he told about water. Then he thought about the restaurant and the joke that some French man did with Rahim there.
Fran went into Croydon. It had been scary to get in. When she was outside again, everything looked so normal, but still everybody had to wear a mask, but she didn’t have one. So she used one of her sweatshirts. She knew everything here: the houses, the gardens, etc.
Chapter 4
Fran found her own house. Fran knocked on the door, but there was no reply. Then she went to the back. The backdoor was closed. She found a spare key under one of the rocks. She opened the door. She shouted but there was no reply. She found a letter from her mum. The letter was written over a fortnight ago. Then she found a mask. Then she got to her parents bedroom and found her parents on the bed. They were all dressed up. Then she went outside again and looked for people who were still alive. When she got home again, she phoned Harry. She was still alive. Harry told Fran to get there immediatly, so she did. All the streets were deserted. When she got to Harry’s place Harry wasn’t wearing a mask. Harry was too slim, because she hadn’t been eating enough, because there wasn’t a lot of food. All she had been doing was trying on dresses of there shop and watching television. Harry’s mother already died. Then the telephone rang. Fran picked it up, because Harry didn’t. It was a really strange guy. There wasn’t a lot of food, because the supermarket was just around the corner. Fran wanted something to eat, but Harry didn’t care. All she wanted to do was watch television. Fran wanted to get some food, but Harry didn’t want to.
Chapter 5
That night they slept in a room where Mrs. Somers (Harry’s mum) kept all her out-of-date, hard to sell items. It was a bit chilly there and there were no windows, but it was safe. They talked for hours. When Harry was a sleep, Fran tried to listen to the radio that Harry got for tenth birthday, but it didn’t work. Then Fran found Harry’s diary. They read eachothers diaries all the time, so she read it. She read about herself going to camp, Harry missing her, things of the epidemic, her so-called diet, Simon Dubson and lot’s more... But Monday 16 August she stopped writing. Then they slept in eachother arms to keep eachother warm.
Chapter 6
Fran tried to listen to radio, but all the radio’s didn’t work. Harry was watching movie again. Fran wanted to see if there was news, but Harrry didn’t, so she didn’t let her. Then Fran reached for the television and put the news on quick. They had news about France and told all the Guidelines of Survival. Harry didn’t want to see movie anymore. Harry was going to put on dresses. They talked about the food supply and Fran thought they should go and get some food somewhere. Harry thought they would be rescued. Harry also said they had enough food. Fran didn’t think it was enough, so she suggested they’d go to her place. Harry didn’t really want to, but they went anyway. Harry didn’t want to say goodbye to her mother (who was already dead by the way). Harry wanted to take along a kitchen knife and some other things. All she did was screaming: “Goodbye, mum”
Chapter 7
Sajjad Kahn died in the night. Then Shahid telephoned Rahim that morning. Rahim asked how Sajjad’s death was. He told Rahim that he was going to go to him. Rahim asked Shahid how he was going to come. Shahid was going to walk. And he would probably stop at his fathers’ restaurant. He also suggested that he was going to stop at a bicycle shop to get a bicycle. Rahim told Shahid to be careful and asked him when he was going to be there. Shahid hoped to be there at the end of the day or the next morning. Before he left he tried to telephone Simon again, but there was no reply. He took along the key, because maybe Rahim wanted to see house when it all over. As he went downstairs, he heard a baby cry. The baby stopped crying, but Rahim ran away immediatly, so he didn’t have to hear it again. Then Shahid was outside and it looked beautiful outside.
Fran and Harry had also left the house, to go to Fran’s house. They went up a hill. When they went off the hill, they heard something. They thought it were rats. Then children surrounded them. They wanted their food, but they didn’t have any. But they asked what they had in there bags, but Fran said it was none of there business. Then Harry took her knife.
Chapter 8
Shahid took Harry’s knife. Fran said that it wasn’t Harry’s fault. They thought those kids probably hadn’t eaten in days. Fran told Shahid that she and Harry were going to her place to get something to eat. Shahid thought it was strange she was in London again, because he thought she was still at that camp. He asked how Fran got in. They talked to eachother for a while about things like social conventions. Then Shahid made a joke about it, but Fran didn’t laugh. Then he remembered that she didn’t really had a sence of humor. Shahid asked them if they wanted to come along to his fathers’ restaurant. They came with him.
Fran never really talked to Shahid before. They lived close to eachother, so sometimes they met eachother in the bus, when they were going to school. She knew the Kahns had a restaurant, but she had never been there. They talked about what they were going to have there. When they got there, Shahid went to the back to open the door for Fran and Harry. Fran and Harry just went to front of the restaurant. They saw glass on the ground. Then Shahid came through the door. He told them that all the food was stolen. Then Shahid went along with the girls to Fran’s place.
Chapter 9
They were at Fran’s place. They were picknicking outside. Shahid wanted to get out of London. He was thinking about how he could do that. Harry thought the soldiers would shoot them. And they also thought if they’d get out of London, they should go somewhere. But all the major cities were shut. Fran also thought if they escaped, they would give it to other people. But Shahid heard from Simon, that if this virus could only spread so fast, if it were airborne. So they stuck to Shahid’s original plan. Harry didn’t really want to again. They packed the things they needed like food and clothes. Fran cleaned the kitchen. And they left.
Chapter 10
They had to go through Brixton according Shahid. Harry thought that wasn’t such a good idea, because then the black people would beat them up. Fran didn’t think that would happen, because those wars were a long time ago. Shahid thought the girls were going to go back, but they weren’t. They went to the bicycle shop. All the bikes were gone, except one that was broken. Shahid fixed it, so they could take it along. When they walked further, a car filled with kids past them. Sometimes Shahid or Fran rode the bike for a while. They took a break at Streatham Common. Then they remembered they forgot to boil the water. Harry put on trousers so she could also ride the bike. They also saw some bodies on the ground on their way. They also thought the trains were still running, because there were tents and people there. But they found out that those people were just dead bodies. They found out they were at Westminster Bridge, so went the wrong way. Then they came to St. James’s Park. and that way they knew where they were again and how to go further. Then they talked how the plague could have gotten there.
They left St. James’s Park that evening. Shahid didn’t really know what way they should go, because normally they went by train. Then Fran thought that where they were there was the Mall. Then they went in the direction of Trafalgar Square from there. When they walked passed Trafalgar Square, they heard a lot of noise and Harry thought there was a party. Then they started at them. They got away as fast as they could. Shahid and Fran didn’t think that, because it was a strange time for that. Then it started to storm. They went into a shop.
Chapter 11
Shahid had the voices in his head again. Fran was talking to him this time. They had found a room in the back of the shop. Then they talked about what they used to when they slept at eachothers places. Shahid didn’t really count in that conversation. Shahid felt really sick.
There was nothing both Fran and Harry could for him. Harry thought they should just leave Shahid. Harry thought that if Fran helped him, than she was going to get it herself. Harry thought they should get back to Fran’s place, because there was enough food. Fran said it was only enough for a couple of days. She thought about something at school, about what she would save if her home would burn down. She’d rescue her mum’s piano. She cleaned the shop a bit. Then she made tea (she had to cook the water anyway). Harry didn’t think it was the right time for tea. When Fran was finished with it, she gave what was left of it to Shahid. Harry was going to try to phone people. Fran didn’t Harry to phone her house. Fran found a pair of rubber gloves under the sink that morning. She gave Shahid some tea. Fran and Harry were going to stay indoors. Harry wanted to go to the party. She thought Fran should come along because Shahid was going to die anyway (according to her). Then Harry went away while Fran was with Shahid.
Chapter 12
Fran started a journal on monday the 6th of September 1999. She wrote about were you could find her old diary and when she started it. She was wrote about Shahid and the disease. About Harry who left and how the accomodation where they were. Then she wrote about Shahid’s and the disease again. Then she wrote the 3 reasons why she writing this jounal (for when she survives so she can read for her children or for other people, having something to do and that she would go mad if she didn’t write it down). Then she wrote about Harry being frustrated and screaming at her. She had been really scared, etc. without her. Shahid hasn’t been eaten since he was sick. She also went outside. She had searched and picked up certain things. She also wrote that the television didn’t work. She also sometimes saw people outside. There was one girl she saw once or twice. She also tried phoning people. Also a girl from her camp called Susie Jenkin-Wright. She also tried Steven Prior from camp (she couldn’t remember any other names at first). She also found Shahid’s condom that morning. She also tries to phone her grandmother every day. She also tried to phone Steven Prior again. She got a girl and then that girl shouted for her mum and after a while she hang up. She didn’t try that number again. She wished someone was with her. She also wrote about the older guys getting the younger women in films.
The next day (it was the 12th day she had been in the shop) she wrote that she found six litres of soya milk. Shahid was also getting better. He even drank a cup of soya milk. She also thought that Harry wasn’t braver than she. She decided that if Shahid dies, she would too. She also found paper on her foraging expedition. She used it to draw pictures of landscapes. She also saw the thin girl again. In the afternoon Shahid had drunk some more soya milk. She also tried phoning her gran. She also wanted to phone Rahim and wondered why she didn’t think of that before. But she couldn’t find his number in the phonebook because it wasn’t in it, so she felt less guilty.
The next day Shahid was even getting better. He couldn’t believe that he had been sick for that long. They had a long discussion. She also found a box full of tampax and ten masks. Shahid reminded Fran about the nuclear disaster Chernobyl and that may be the cause of the disease. They also thought that it spread all over the country and that it may have left London a bit, because of Shahid getting better. They also thought it had spread over the rest of the world, because it was airborne.
The fourteenth day Shahid was getting more masterful. He didn’t want Fran to forage for food anymore. The fifteenth day Shahid was eating properly again. Fran was glad, because she thought the disease might take over him again. They talked about going to Barnet (to his brother). The sixteenth day Fran found candles and they set down at night with cups of soya milk. The seventeeth day they went to the telephone that was five miles away. It was vandalized. They also saw the thing girl again. Shahid didn’t want Fran to go and talk to her, because she might be part of a gang. The nineteenth day they talked about going to Barnet again, because of the foodsupply running out. The twentieth day they were woken by explosions. They thought at first they were bombing London or there were gang wars, but a factory exploded. The twenty-first day practised to go to Barnet by walking down the Edgare Roa
to Marble Arch and back. Shahid also suggested they’d go past Trafalgar Square to look for Harry. But Fran used Shahid being tired as an excuse.
Chapter 13
Shahid didn’t really remember anything from just before he got ill. Then they went away. Shahid didn’t want to go to his brother anymore. Fran suggested that they would go to Cornwall. But Shahid thought that would be too far. And also that they couldn’t because of the soldiers. But Fran thought that if she could get in, they could get out. They head west, down Barnet Road. After a while of walking, they saw a Land Rover. Shahid didn’t want go on anymore, because there was a soldier in it. Fran wanted to just walk past it. Shahid thought he’d shoot them, but Fran went anyway, so did Shahid. It turned out the soldier was dead and so they could escape.
Okay, the book was not bad for a book. It kept you curious. I thought maybe Harry would return or something. ;\n <\/div> |