Quarantine Round 1: Lina

8/12/2020

Prompt:
Write a scene about someone who works at a quarantine hotline. Amidst the pandemic, people from all over the world are ringing this worker up with the strangest questions, leading to the most absurd conversations. Write about how one of these phone calls may take place.
Word Count: 150-275 words

Expectations:
-Remember that you are writing for the King's Academy community. Please be respectful of that community.
-Respect the word count
-Your work should have a title--this is not part of your word count.
-Include your full name and word count at the end of your submission.
-Have fun with this challenge.

Deadline:
22:00 Tuesday, August 18th

Photo Credit: goodluz, Shutterstock

8 Comments

Sanad Al Khatib

8/14/2020 07:58:18 am

Forbidden Chemistry

“But Milady you must! There is no one with the power to defeat those creatures except you! You are the founder!” screamed the caller with a deep British accent that trembled with fear.

“Sir, I have to kindly decline your offer, as I don’t have the slightest idea of what you are talking about.” said the employee with a kind voice.

“Milady, it seems you have lost your memories… Even your tone has changed! It used to be such a commanding and bossy voice, but now you have turned into this woman capable of doing nothing to assist her subordinates.” whimpered the old man.

“Wait! I can help, if you tell me what you need!” screamed the terrified woman.

The employee was scared that she would be the person to cause the fall of an entire empire.

“Milady, the empire needs you to come here with two tons of Uranium-235 in order to supply all units on the front lines. We are planning on detonating the entire empire along with these powerful creatures. There is no doubt that they will perish! We will, of course, perish with them but this is for the sake of humanity!” yelled the man with a courageous voice, that has just been revived.

The woman sighed knowing she could do nothing for this man… She started to realize that this was probably a prank call.

“There is no way I could provide you with such a dangerous element. This is the end of our conversation. I am sincerely sorry I could not help you. Goodbye.”

The employee hung up.

*loud ringing noise*

“Hello! This is the COVID-19 hotline. How may I help you?”

Sanad Al Khatib
Word count: 268

Hyunso Yim

8/15/2020 10:56:24 pm

The Happiest Birthday

Yesterday, Lina entered her office as usual, with a cup of coffee. However, what waiting for her was not the usuality; everyone was crazily busy and their coffee was cooling down without even a sip. Sensing that something weird was going on that day, her boss ran toward her and quickly said “What are you doing Lina, thousands of people are on the waiting call. Get to work!” With the moment she set down on her chair, a call rang. She replied, “Yes, this is Quarantine Hotline.” A familiar voice, about the same age as her daughter, replied “Hello? Is it the Hotline?” “Yes, what's going on?” The stranger answered “I am Hailey Boston Daisey. I was wondering if Birthday wishes can protect my family from the virus.” Lina got confused and her mind stood between either to end the call or to continue the conversation. She decided to end the call. “Hahaha, I am not sure” the moment she tried to end, Hailey said “But I wished instead of you for our family not to get the virus” Something flashed in her mind…it was her birthday! “Mom, have you forgot it is your Birthday?” after that phrase, everyone in the office shouted “Happy Birthday Lina!” Lina said with amusement “How did you all know that it is my Birthday?” The boss said, “Since there was no case of the virus for a month, the country got into Safe Condition, so we wanted to celebrate it. Searching for an event, we found that your Birthday is at today!” She thought this moment would never fade out.

Hyunso Yim
Word Count: 266

Tamara

8/17/2020 09:57:29 am

Another day, Another dollar

“COVID hotline, how may I be of assistance?”
“I don’t trust dishwashers”
“umm, excuse me?”
“I mean think about it. Microwaves, ovens, and washing machines have transparent doors. They are honest in their ways and therefore are trustworthy. They are, pun intended, transparent with me. However, I have no clue as to the machinations of dishwashers. How am I supposed to feel safe in my own home, random person on the other end of the line? HOW?!”
“sir, I don’t quite understand the problem here…”
“it’s simple. Washing machines, microwaves, and ovens: open, honest, and show how they get the job done. Dishwashers: mysterious, untrustworthy, and keeps its cleaning methods a secret.”
“may I recommend doing the dishes yourself?”
“I already do that! I don’t own a dishwasher.”
“then why are we having this conversation?”
“I am reaching out to you. There are about 80 million households in the US alone that own a dishwasher and you might be one of them. I feel like we have really bonded over this call and I don’t want any harm to come to you. Please stay safe. Get rid of the devil’s machine.”
“sir, I believe you need a friend to talk to. May I recommend this other caller who had a suspicion that tongues clean the dishes in the dishwasher? I really feel like this would do all of us some good.”
*silence*
“that’d be swell. Thank you”
“your welcome, sir”
*hangs up*
The hotline worker sighs, but they know that all they could do was start another pot of coffee because it is gonna be a long day.

Tamara Lutfi
word count: 268
(inspired by something i read off of reddit a while ago)

Yasmeen Abu Elezam

8/18/2020 01:21:42 am

They won’t stop

“Please help me!! They won’t stop, they won’t stop!! Why won’t they stop?” The hollow man laid his arched back against the wall trying to escape what he though was his inevitable fate of existing in perpetual fear and alarm.
“Sir calm down, please. Who won’t stop? What is going on?”
“Not who!! Not who!! But what?” The horror in his voice trembled down his spine, crawling and consuming every inch of what seemed to be flesh and not a soul, a void of a desperate and deserted man.
“Sir please start from the beginning and explain to me what is going on.”
“Their eyes! They won’t stop glaring at me, carving their stares into my skull! Their voices are deafening to my ears, pulsing, and tapping within the walls of my head. Their hands scratching the depths of my house, my phone, my surroundings, of me. They are everywhere yet when I look at them, they are motionless. When I look at them, they stop screaming, and tapping, and scratching, and bashing, and moving. When I look at them, they become still.”
“Sir I still don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you get it? The clocks. I hear them as they tick by yet when I look at them, they never move. In these lifeless months, time has stopped. It hasn’t passed. It keeps glaring at its victims, watching as they rest motionless waiting for some refinement to happen in their dull lives, yet nothing seems to occur. But when the victims watch the clocks back, they imitate us. Their movements paralyze, and they choke time by the neck forbidding it from ticking away.”

Yasmeen Abu Elezam

8/18/2020 06:31:58 am

Word Count: 275

Sami Qandeel

8/18/2020 06:10:56 am

A “Life” Decision

*Phone rings*

“Hello, this is the United States’ hotline for quarantine question, how may I help.”

“I like the flowers in your garden, the green grass, the Carmry in your garage, the white bricks of your house.” Said a mysterious man, without an introduction.

“S-S-Sir, what are you talking about?” Asked the terrified Linda, with a frightened voice.

*New message from unknown number*

“Check the message.” Said the man in a creepy and excited voice.

With horror trembling down her spine, Linda saw the message, a picture of her home, with every thing the creepy man described.

“You know what I like the most?” Asked the mysterious man, “ I like your children, so innocent, so adorable. Black hair, brown eyes, wide smile.”

“Please, don’t hurt them, they are the only thing I have!” Screamed Linda, crying.

“Look in the bottom left drawer.” Said the man, with the most hoarse voice.

*Drawer opens*

“Please, no.”

“Choose quickly, I don’t have time.”

“You promise you won’t hurt them?” Asked Linda, with a low, hopeless voice.

“ I’ll never break my word.”

“Now do it.” Said the man with the most crazy, rough, satisfied voice.

*AAAAAA*

Sami Qandeel
Word count: 194

Oscar Depp

8/18/2020 08:48:45 am

The Girl with the Lost Arm

“What does my arm taste like?”

“Why don’t you taste it?”

“What time is it?”

“Half-past four.”

If not for the long and awkward pauses, Frank might’ve thought this girl called the wrong number. Who would ask anyone what their arm tastes like at five in the morning? But her voice–so unafraid and vibrant, so without hesitation, and so full of joy–kept him talking. Frank briefly closed his eyes before the peculiar girl asked another question.

“Will you listen?” She asked.

“Of course.”

She didn’t say anything back, but he could hear her making mouth noises against the phone. He was curious by the puzzling voice in his ear but also hardly listening–it was too hot and early to be answering her questions. It reminded him of a time when he also wanted to taste everything in sigh. Her untamed voice brought him back to the call.

“Hey old man, where do the stars sleep?”

“Under the sky’s blanket,” he firmly replied.

“Then… where does the sky sleep?” she pressed.

“In the clouds,” he riposted, with a big yawn coming over his face.

“Well then, what does my arm taste like?”

Before he could answer, her voice faded into a murmur and wandered out the room. Frank’s eyes started drooping, and his head crumbled into the desk. Sweat from his right arm clung to his skin and drizzled down to his wrist, where it finally hit his mouth. The salt hit him like a slap in the face.

He ended the call shortly after, left in a confused state. But at least he knew what an arm tasted like.

O.D.

274 words.

Lina Obeidat

8/19/2020 12:39:40 am

Congrats Oscar, you won this week’s round. Your piece was written beautifully. I found it very vague but at the same time also compelling. I think you did a really good job of portraying both characters’ personalities in only 275 words. I especially loved the ending, and that you took it a step further. It was almost as if they were connected by more than just a phone call the way you hinted at her presence next to the hotline worker even though she was probably very far away. It was all tied together nicely at the end with the last two lines: “he left the call shortly after left in a confused state. But at least he knew what an arm tasted like.”

Followed by Oscar in second place is you, Tamara. Your piece was very funny, very amusing to read. I love how you captured the paranoia of some people in quarantine. I also love the plot twist, how instead it was the hotline worker who was being given advice. I like how blunt the guy was at the begging, his first words being, “I don’t trust dishwashers.” Also that pun, “they are, pun intended, transparent with me.”

Yasmeen, I love how dramatic this was. The man in your story reminded me of myself. My favorite lines were, “the horror in his voice trembled down his spine, crawling and consuming every inch of what seemed to be flesh and not a soul, a void of a desperate and deserted man.” I really enjoyed how intense and panicky the description was throughout your piece. I loved these lines too: “But when the victims watch the clocks back, they imitate us. Their movements paralyze, and they choke time by the neck, forbidding it from ticking away.”

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