THE VIRUS CURSE

The morning things turned bad didn't seem different at the start. The sun crept up, gentle and pale. Clouds hung still. A faint breeze touched everything. Town life ran as usual - kids headed to class. Parents drove off to jobs. Neighbors chatted on porches like any other day. Nobody realized a weird change had already slipped into the air. Something invisible, untouchable, without a scent. That’d flip the entire place upside down. I spotted something off on my way to the corner store by home. That day, old man Dan seemed worn out - his face dull, his gaze low. Red rims around his eyes made it look like he’d been up for hours without rest. I greeted him with a "morning," but all I got back was a slow nod. No grin, nothing. Usually, he'd flash that warm smile, no matter how rough things felt inside. Yet now, he seemed unwell. Still clutching his forehead, then scrubbing at his arms - acting chilled despite the sweltering air. I felt kinda nervous but kept quiet. Instead, I grabbed some bread then slipped out slow. Walking back, I spotted Mrs Tola near her front door. She leaned on the wall like she couldn't stand straight. Her fingers trembled while her hair hung wild - like brushing wasn’t even on her mind. I asked her if she was alright. But she replied that something felt off. Her arms and legs seemed weighty, while a faint hum filled her ears - like distant noises drifting in from nowhere near us. That bit surprised me. Could a person actually pick up on echoes nobody else noticed? When I mentioned it to Mum, she said they might’ve gotten sick. Still, it didn’t seem like just a bug. I’d watch folks when they’re ill - lots of sneezing, hacking, weird noises. This was nothing like that. It was different somehow. Not loud, just soft. Lurking under the surface. Patient, like it knew its time would come. Later that afternoon, I stepped out once more. Lots of folks seemed unwell by then. A few shuffled along as if their limbs ached. Others just gazed off blankly, minds somewhere else. One kid around my age crouched there, clutching his belly. He mentioned it seemed like things were shifting deep within. As he spoke, a shiver ran through me despite the warm air. As night fell, the town began murmuring. Folks gathered in little clusters, speaking quietly. Their eyes darted about - like they felt a pair of eyes on their backs. A few blamed dirty water for the illness. Others pointed at bugs lurking deep in the woods. Some folks reckoned it was tied to a weird guy who showed up last week then vanished. Nobody had real answers, yet fear spread fast. That night, the illness got stronger. Voices yelled outside. Peeking out the window, I spotted a pair of guys gripping someone twitching wildly - like he was ice-cold. His gaze seemed sharp, frantic. Over and over, he muttered about catching a powerful odor. He just kept claiming voices from creatures in the forest were pulling at him. It didn't add up - still, I felt how off things really were. My mum shut every door tight then said don't peek out no more. Still, I couldn’t stop myself. Odd noises pulled my attention. A deep rumble here. Quick steps nearby. Breathing thick and rough. Didn’t seem human at all. It felt more like some other thing. One thing I hadn’t heard before. That one hit me right in the gut. Once I actually lay down to rest, my mind wouldn’t stop circling back to those who were ill. Their stares stuck with me - also how they trembled, plus the odd tone of their words. It didn’t seem like mere illness anymore. More like a sign. A serious kind. That night I dreamed. It was about a moon - way too bright. It felt like it stared at the town, like it knew what we were doing. Then I spotted shadows creeping near the houses. They had pointy ears, claws that dragged. Shadows shaped like wolves - only they weren't regular ones. These beasts stood on two legs, almost like people. I woke up drenched in sweat. My pulse raced without reason. I took breaths to relax - yet a noise lingered beyond the wall. A low rumble crawled through the dark. Close. Too close. Near enough that I gripped the sheets hard, barely daring to exhale. The odd illness started. Even so, nobody’s put it into words just yet People realized right away this wasn't just some regular illness. People sensed a shadowy presence had slipped into our streets. What once seemed like bad luck.