Sick at the festival

[Trynasneeze]

Jessica sniffled wetly. 

The sun beat down on her between intermittent rain showers and she was not feeling so good. 

It was day 3 of 5 of the biggest music festival that happened in her state. 4 nights in a tent with four of her closest friends, 5 days of live music, getting drunk in a field surrounded by crowds of strangers. 

She'd been so excited for this festival but three days in and she was over it. A bandana tied her dirty blonde hair back from her sweat soaked face. Even with a decent amount of sunblock, wearing only denim short shorts, hi top converse, and a baggy iron maiden t-shirt, had left her exposed enough to be sunburnt.

She sniffled again, wiping her nose with the collar of her t-shirt, one side was blocked today. Her nose was so red, partly from sun burn, partly from having to wipe it so much. 

Jess had had a sore throat the day before the festival. She'd known she was getting sick. 

"If you go to that festival with a cold coming on you're being very stupid, Jessica", her mum had said. 

"I'm 19 years old, mum. I go to college. I can handle a party with a sore throat", she'd replied sharply. 

"You're going to be miserable, and you'll get all your friends sick". 

 

Jess clapped both hands over her nose and bent double. 

"HAASHOO!! HAASHOO!!"

She sniffed wetly as her nose ran. She hated when her mum was right, she was miserable and two of her friends were starting to get sick with a cold now as well. 

She unzipped her fanny pack. Beside her iPhone was another bandana, this one bright yellow, that was serving as her only handkerchief. 

The first day hadn't been so bad. A sore throat and some light sniffles, then a day in the sun followed by a night in the pouring rain had seen her wake up yesterday with a very sniffly blocked nose, and yesterday night, well the sneezing had started. 

Jess buried her nose in the yellow cloth and blew her nose wetly. She winced as the cloth rubbed on her sunburn. 

"HAASHOO!!" she sneezed once more.

This thing couldn't end quick enough. She was exhausted. She dreamed of being back in bed with a box of tissues and some warm soup. 

But for now, two more nights in this muddy field, snoring through her blocked nose and hoping she could go half an hour without sneezing. 

[TartanSneezer]

Really enjoyed the first part of this one! Having witnessed quite a few people get sick at the end of festivals/party vacations when I was younger, it brings back a lot of memories. 

[william]

 a good start for a developing story!

[Trynasneeze]

Jess was curled up in a corner of the tent. It was early but she was done with the day, nighttime and a chance to sleep couldn't come quick enough. Despite the endless party right outside. 

Jess sniffled wetly at a very stuffed up nose. 

"HA'AASHOO!!" she sneezed desperately into her yellow bandana handkerchief. 

Her friends Lucy and Michelle appeared in the tent all of a sudden. 

Lucy sniffed wetly at her own running nose. She ran the palm of her hand over it to wipe it as she sniffed. 

"You coming Jess?" Michelle asked. "We got plenty of powder. Tonight's gonna be wild". 

"Snrrrfff, I do't thigk so guys", Jess replied through her congestion. "I'mb so sick right dow". 

"Snfff, who isn't?" Lucy replied. "You gave your cold to the whole tent, but-"

She pushed a fist to her small nose. "Hitchoo! Snfff"

"-we're not letting a cold spoil our fun". 

Jess could feel another sneeze building, her nose was so stuffy, she never liked sneezing in front of people but this was going to be a gross one. 

"S-sorry g-guys", she stammered. The sneeze was coming, she couldn't suppress it. 

"Suit yourself", Michelle said. 

"HAA-AASHOOO!!" Jess sneezed wetly into the folded yellow bandana. 

She quickly unfolded it and proceeded to blow her nose very wetly. 

"Ugghh", Lucy scowled. "Blowing your nose in the same tent as everyone is bad enough but do you have to use that gross snotrag?"

Lucy and Michelle turned and left the tent.