Seclusion.

Margot was hungry.

She trundled down the stairs of her apartment building, hoping she would meet no one. As she opened the door, she wondered how many people had touched the knob.

At the store, she looked for something healthy. Carrots: gone. Celery: gone. She spotted a sandwich.

The cashier who was wearing gloves and a mask didn’t make eye contact. Margot desperately suppressed the urge to clear her throat.

Upon arriving home, Margot washed her hands. She wiped down her purse and phone and the packaging of the sandwich.

Margot returned to her dining-table-office. She had lost her appetite.