i have this concept of a short story i was so into and desperately wanted to write for weeks but i gave up on it because i suck at the whole 'show dont tell' thing without making it sound too much like prose.
the concept was a man at the fall of society. apocalypse or otherwise. never got that far. but he (Mitchell) was a shut-in with schizophrenia who rarely left out of comfort. being around too many people triggered more paranoia and discomfort than he felt necessary so he just bides his time in his apartment. he doesn't realize the end has come because he doesn't watch tv or really use the internet (both make him paranoid and can be triggers). he only notices something is off when his monthly grocery order doesn't show up and his psychiatrist missed his appointment. most of the sounds outside are typical of his hallucinations and he's learned to tolerate them.
eventually, someone starts to break his door down. he just opens it to be like "what the fuck man." the guy there gets to sit down and chat for a moment, explains what happened, and offers to let Mitchell come with him. Mitch reluctantly agrees. The main conflict arises as he counts up the antipsychotics he's saved over the years and counts how long he can survive out there with a rough estimate. there's a time skip to the end of his supply. the settlement he lived with were, for the most part, kind people, and he got to use skills from before his psychotic episode to help develop a safe area for them. he doesn't find the people uncomfortable to be with. no screens, no cameras, tolerant people, so for the most part he's been stable. when he gets down to about a week left of the wrong medication, he starts to make excuses for why he has to go and false promises he'll be back.
Elliot, the man he met originally, keeps pushing for some answers until Mitchell tells him the truth. Mitch was afraid of hurting people, afraid of being a risk. Elliot declares he's not going alone and that they'll take the four wheeler into the closest towns and cities to see what the pharmacies have left.
i like thinking about what disabled people would do during an apocalypse. most main media (outside of the quiet place, really) depicts, for the most part, nondisabled people, or just mild hidden disabilities.
