I opened the door to my car and quickly sat down on the driver’s seat. I needed to run to the store to buy some groceries and dinner, and I’d been procrastinating all day. It was 7:00 in the afternoon. I turned the key to start the ignition before exiting the garage. I soon found myself in the parking lot of the local grocery store.

I put on my mask and headed toward the automatic doors. The wall there seemed normal at first. People, some of which I know, walking to and from their cars. Some wore masks. Others didn’t. I made it into the store and made my was through the isles. When I walked down the shampoo isle, my heart nearly stopped.

I saw a young woman, likely in her early twenties, completely covered in a substance which looked like syrup. It slowly dripped onto the floor and stained anything she touched. Purple dust-like particles gently emitted and floated in the air around her. After a few moments a worker from the store approached her and asked if she needed anything. As she replied no, a few of those purple particles flew toward him. They remained with him as he walked away. Neither of them wore a mask.

The shampoo I needed sat directly to my right, so I grabbed it and quickly dashed away without coming too close to the girl. I had no idea why she appeared the way she did, but I wanted no part of it.

More people similar to her were down different isles. One man shook hands with another who had this, and the syrup substance oozed between them. Some shelves were completely drenched with whatever this liquid was, and I tried my best to avoid it.

Eventually I maneuvered around the store and found everything I needed to buy. As the cashier was scanning my groceries, one of my close friends came through the door. She had the purple dust entering and exiting her nose with every breath, and the brown fluid was everywhere on her; it soaked her hair, coated her eyes, leaked from her mouth. The sight was disturbing to say the least.

We made eye contact and she waved before picking up her pace and extending her arms, signaling a hug. I didn’t want whatever she had on my body, but she’s the time who doesn’t take no for an answer. Before I could come up with an excuse her arms extended around me. I could feel the substance leaking through the fabric of my clothes.

The cashier rang up my total and I gave a short goodbye before rushing out of the doors. Once I was in my car I took off my mask and grabbed a towel to try and wipe off the fluid. Some of it came off, but it stained the clothes I was wearing. Some got in my mouth. Two weeks later, I tested positive for Coronavirus.