chapter 1 - before the virus

Isabelle and her husband George were spending their weekend jogging in their neighborhood. Both Isabelle and George cared greatly about their fitness and wanted to maintain their cardiovascular health. As they jogged, they would talk about life and politics. Today was no different from any other jogging day for the Spellmans. As they turned the corner, Isabelle spotted an overweight middle-aged man sitting on a bench on his porch.

“Check out that guy! He should star on My 600 Pound Life!”

“No, he should play Jabba the Hutt in the next Star Wars movie.”

Isabelle laughed at George’s joke. They jogged past the man on their way home. Once they made it inside, they prepared a grilled chicken dinner with vegetables and wine. Eating healthy was of great importance to the Spellmans. They resented fat people and looked to impress others with their fitness. After dinner, the two watched TV and eventually went to bed.

The following morning, before getting dressed, the Spellmans continued their habit of weighing and measuring before breakfast. Isabelle, being five feet seven inches tall, weighed a healthy 138 pounds, while George was four inches taller, weighing 185 pounds. Jill’s waist was only 25 inches around, with George’s waist measuring 34 inches. Both had visible abs and defined jawlines. They both were only 25 years old and were in peak physical condition.

Isabelle was a personal trainer at a local CrossFit gym. She worked five days a week in the afternoon to evening hours. George was a nutritional expert at another gym who specialized in weight loss. Their active lifestyles followed them everywhere they went.

Isabelle and George never ate fast food. They packed healthy lunches for themselves to ensure that they wouldn’t be tempted by any other restaurants or options while at work.

Every Wednesday night, George would play recreational basketball at a gym with his friends. Isabelle would play volleyball with her friends on Wednesday nights as well. The Spellmans lived by fitness and nothing could prevent them from pushing their bodies to peak physical condition.