'Guys, I'm not sure I can see.' he told his frightened family.
'What shall we do?' asked his wife, her hand over her mouth, not able to take much more coronahorror after their days in the building not seeing anyone on that haunted farm.

'There's only one thing to do.' he murmured. 'We must drive to Barnard Castle - a local beauty spot - to check that I can actually see it.'
The family was shocked, but he was always like this. Brilliant. Always playing 4D chess on a distant planet via the medium of thought.

'It's a 60 mile round trip. What if-'
'BE SILENT BIRTHDAY WIFE!' he commanded. 'I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion! I've seen C-Beams glitter in the darkness at Tanhauser gate! Now get in the car, for I may be blind! BLIND!'

And drive they did. Tears of sheer non sight flying out of his face as he accelerated to 70mph, never faster, for he believed in the rules.

On arriving at Barnard Castle he knew. He knew he could make the journey to London. 'I knew it would work.' he smirked. 'I just wish...'

'Wish what?'
'I just wish we could have celebrated your birthday properly in isolation instead of coming to a beauty spot and me risking everything with my blind driving. The humanity! Oh the humanity!'

'Will they believe us?'
'Oh course they will.' he said. 'And if they don't? We'll always have Barnard Castle.'

The End.