Jacob Bell was not what you would call a happy person. He just got rejected from the fourth job this week, bills were stacking up and his parents were on the border of stop giving him money. Not to mention the world wide pandemic shutting down everything. He was just about to loose everything, his apartment, his.....actually that might be the only thing he has of value....

‘So not even Mac burgers are hiring?’

‘Yes! That’s what I’m saying!’

‘Well find something else then!’

‘I’m trying damnit!! Everything is shut down! Everything! I can’t even go outside for most days because of the virus!’

‘Well what are you gonna do then?’

‘Hell if I know...’ Jacob slumped back into his chair.

‘Well you better think of something cause you’re not moving back here!’ his mom said on the other line, the frustration clear in her voice.

‘GREAT! JUST LEAVE YOUR OWN SON TO BECOME HOMELESS!’

‘Don’t you take that tone with me!’

‘FF...SHOVE OFF!!’ he hung up before slamming his phone onto the table, rubbing his face. His head spun, heart beating faster and palms sweating. He had not slept for days nor eaten anything since last night. His tiny apartment had no kitchen to speak of, just a small desk with a sink and a empty refrigerator. How did it all go so wrong?

Two years out of his parents house, aged twenty five, and everything was falling apart.

He could swear he was starting see some gray strands in his dark brown hair already, waiting for that eviction notice...

What was he supposed to do?

All he could do right now was to sit on his uncomfortable wooden chair and stare out the window, watching the rain glide down the glass, legs feeling weak and tears slowly starting to build.

He wanted to fall asleep but even in his tired state he could not get any rest. The anxiety kept him awake constantly, driving him to a breakdown. Well he supposed he better look up how to survive while being homeless, prepare himself for the worst.

A few minutes later he gets a text message from John, his best friend since their last school days.

‘Hey bro still looking for work? I found something for us both. Some guy needs a couple of delivery boys.’

‘What are we delivering?’

‘A bit of everything, its a small company transporting stuff for bigger companies in London. The pay ain’t much but its something, and they give us free masks cause of the pandemic.’

‘Alright, I’ll take it.’

‘Sick, we start eight tomorrow, sending you the address.’

*

The job took place out of a warehouse basement somewhere near Wardour street. It was small, tightly packed, and the air was awful.

At least the masks were true as the boss just handed them out.

‘The job is simple. Take the packages to whatever the address is says, we provide a car so don’t mess it up. Questions?....

No?...ok then get to it boys!’

Without as much as a word they loaded up the cardboard boxes in the trunks from the shelf marked with the days date.

Jacob typed in the address into the GPS and set off, driving trough the streets was now unusually easy, lockdown had all but cut traffic down to half the size. Perhaps there really was an upside to it..

And that was the start to his job. Didn’t pay much but it was something. The first few days went by smoothly and he got his much needed paycheck. And all he had to do was deliver a few boxes when traffic was at its lowest.

Days turned a week, then the second week. Jacob got into the routine of things. Pick up the boxes of the day, deliver, eat lunch and pick a few more. For once things were looking up, he wouldn’t have to become homeless, he got to keep his shitty flat!

He talked to his dad about it over the phone. The old man felt relieved, that despite all the odds Jacob found some income.

‘By the way I got some good news for you. The lockdown is set to end in a few weeks. How about we catch up? I’ll by us some lunch.’

‘Sounds great! See you then.’

‘See you later son.’

Soon there was knocking on the door. Right in the hallway stood John, a six pack in hand.

‘Sup dude?’ Jacob let him in and they both sat in the worn couch, random trash on the TV in front of them.

‘Delivery boys huh? This is not where I saw us ending up.’ John muttered as he took his first sip.

‘We do what we have to bro. That’s life.’

‘Ya but we had goals. We were gonna be rich, learn stocks and get a mansion and shit. What happened to all that?’

‘Its still gonna happen! Just gotta hold out, wait for our opening. Dreams don’t die unless we let them.’

‘That or the world kills them.’

‘Fuck the world dude. We’ll make it anyway, just gotta hold out a little longer.’

‘But for how long?’

‘Long enough bro, long enough.’

‘I dunno.’

‘Look remember Leah back in school?’

‘Ya?’

‘And how you to scared to talk to her?’

‘Don’t remind me.’

‘I will! Because what did you do on our third year?’

‘I only talked to her because of you!’

‘But you still did it didn’t you?? You might have needed a little push but you still got stuff. So again, trust me. We’ll make it big.’

*

On his third week he got a rather interesting destination. A package for FHS, Future Health Science. A lab that researched everything about the human body, developing vaccines and such.

The building stood out somewhat. A huge futuristic building with clean, glass looking walls and neon lights above every entrance. The main entry had automatic glass doors, the room was white and almost shining even. Some green plants and orange benches stood as a stark but colorful contrast to the room itself, the reception desk had some colored waves of purple, blue and green gently floating along the white surface, facing the entrance. A woman wearing a black business costume greeted him from behind the window separating them.

‘Hello, can I help you today?’

‘I’m here to deliver a package.’ he showed it to her.

‘Hold it up to the scanner please.’ a little black machine attacked to the side beeped to life and a line of red light appeared. He held the box up and the light turned green with a second beep as soon as it hit the bar code.

‘Very good, proceed lab 394 in cryo research please. They’re expecting you.’

Following the signs in the pristine corridors was surprisingly easy. Within five minutes he reached the cryo research department, the white walls had lines of dark blue going along them as if it was their color.

A little further in he came across a blue metal door with no handle, marked 394. He was unsure how to get in so he tried the small panel next to it. He expected it to be some sort of call button but it gave a electronic sound and the door opened.

Inside was a pretty big lab white, silver ish equipment scattered about. Square metal rooms that looked like storage facilities stood lined up neatly. He approached the elderly man in the typical white coat ‘Excuse me I was told to deliver this.’

The man looked up from the console and took the box without saying a word, looking it over.

‘Ah yes the congitator, just put it in there.’ he handed the box back while pointing to the nearest storage, box thing. Shrugging it off Jacob did as he was told, the door opened by itself as he got close, showing a empty room with blue neon lights along the top of the walls edges.

Putting it down on the small table on the back wall he jumped upon a sudden sound right behind him.

He turned to see the door was closed. Calming down he assumed the automatic doors was just working strangely and they would let him out.

He walked up only for them to not move a inch. There was no button or panel anywhere, just him and the table inside. He started feeling a bit nervous, this had to be some minor mistake right?

He knocked on the door loudly, shouting ‘Hey! I’m stuck in here!!’ no answer, but the scientist saw him enter! Surely he could just open the door right?

He took out his phone only for it stop working. He pressed the button only for the screen to throwing random colors and shapes without response, off all the times for it to break!

He knocked on the door again, as hard loud and hard as he could.

‘HEEEY!! HEELP!’ no answer, great! He was officially stuck inside!

This was such bullshit... And cold.

He hadn’t noticed when he entered but this thing was cold, freezing even! It was like standing inside a freezer, suddenly he could see his breath like smoke, just like during winters. But was pretty sure that wasn’t the case when he first entered. Was the temperature dropping?

For the first few seconds he dismissed the idea, why would they lower it in there?

But then it kept dropping more and more, the cold seeped trough his clothes and he began to shudder and tremble, holding his arms together. It quickly became unbearable, to the point where his head actually began to hurt, feeling was fading from his feet and hands, a icy blanket entering his very flesh and digging towards his bones. And then....