I had just finished my second day of remote schooling and my mom asked me to go to ShopRite on Evesham Road. She requested that I pick up some milk and turkey.

  Because there was nothing to do, I accepted her plea and dashed out the door.

  Outside, all I could hear was dead silence. 

  My neighbors, who were usually going for a walk or conversing in front of my house, were nowhere to be seen. The only cars I could see were my own and my neighbor’s across the street. That “vroom” sound I heard when cars drive by was something I heard inside my head. If there was any noise then it was either the air that rushed past me, a pine cone that fell from a tree, or my very own footsteps as I was walking towards my car.

  The ongoing silence made me believe that I lost my hearing or that maybe I was dreaming and I would wake up eventually. It was only until I turned my car on that my beliefs were delusional.

  Just like that, I was on my way to ShopRite. I usually listen to 97.5 The Fanatic, but because of the suspension of all sports, I rolled both my windows down. The brisk, swift feeling of the air made the ride somewhat soothing.

  While waiting at a light, I observed the roads and noticed just how barren they were. I was the only car at the light and the customary sound of engines revving up was completely absent. There weren’t even any people walking along the sidewalks or crossing the road, it was just me and my 2008 Lexus ES 350.

  The silence became even more apparent when I put my foot to the pedal and heard the sound of my car accelerating. When I made a sharp turn, I heard my tires squeal. It just made me realize that the Lexus was getting old and had better days when my dad drove it.

  The playground, which was usually filled with chipper kids, was bleak, uninhabited, and desolate. The deli, which was usually jam-packed with people, only had one person in there. I couldn’t imagine how people running a business felt. To one day having hundreds of customers ordering food to having one customer must feel jarring for the people running a business.

  Just as I was starting to lose my mind over how quiet it was, I finally arrived at ShopRite. The parking lot was empty and vacant. What was once a pain to navigate through – due to the vast majority of people walking and the lack of parking spots – was something that only took me seconds to find a spot to park.

  When I got out of the car, I just stood still and looked around at my surroundings. There were no birds chirping or flying, no air breezing by, and no cars zipping past me. I didn’t want to spend too much time at ShopRite, so I dashed toward the front door, grabbed the requested items, and ran out toward my car.

  Within minutes I was home and relieved to hear the sound of my mom yelling at my siblings for fighting. It was a delight to hear some noise and see something actually going on. 

  The trip to ShopRite made me come to the realization that this Coronavirus pandemic might be worse than I thought.  I don’t know how long I can go through with this situation, but I just hope that everything returns back to normal soon.