"The Virus" by Azalea Lazaro Valeta

This virus runs from person to person. No one is safe: there is no preference for gender or race, for rich or poor. No one knows how this virus rose to power or how people became infected. Some say the virus strikes by words, others by physical touch, but some believe it starts with a stare. It's only a matter of seconds before someone becomes the next victim of this virus. It has been flourishing forever, gaining more and more power from the passage of time, but recently it has died down in a small village. That village lacked what was called love, every villager had rage for each other. Every day, there was vengeance in every corner, and no one knew how it began. The elders of the village tried to describe how this hate will ruin everyone, but no one believed the elders until one of them passed away. It's been decades since that death, and to this day, the village is one of the most violent regions in the world. Recently an appearance of the virus reached the village …

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"Mom, why hasn't Andrew answered? It's been three days since his last text, and it was ok."

"I don't know Lindy, just give him some time to think about it. Now finish your chores."

"Yes, Mom, but don't you think he doesn't like me anymore?"

"Lindy, I really don't know, but try your best to have some hope he will answer."

"Okay, Mom."

As I finished my chores and sunset had come to say its last goodbyes, Andrew never answered back. I don't know what I did for it to happen, but I really want to talk to him to see if it was my fault. I might be dumb, but I don't want him to have the virus at this moment. The most logical thing I could think of was to find him, which I did.

"Andrew, please stop hiding! I want to talk about this. Please come out."

I waited outside Andrew's room for twenty minutes until there was a small noise inside the house. I banged on the door until he opened it. When he saw me, he closed the door in front of me.

"Andrew, stop hiding, please. Talk to me, will you?" I yelled at him while banging at the door.

"Lindy, I don't want to hurt you, please go away."

"How many freaking nights are we going to remain like this? Gazing at our phones, not knowing what to reply, and facing each other as strangers. How many nights are we going to be awake, looking for an answer to our problems? We shed enough tears that stated we were never supposed to be together. Someone once told me, we can wish until the well runs dry. But what would happen if the sky above has no more shooting stars?"

"Lindy, STOP WILL YOU?"

"Then every wish I said under my breath was never supposed to be said."

"Lindy, listen to me. I DON'T LIKE YOU! Why won't you listen."

“Oh okay then,” I tried to swallow the tears back. “If it was like that, then I think this is a goodbye.”

And I left him standing on the door and I didn’t know where to go. I only kept running until I gave up and fell on the floor. I sobbed for a few minutes until I realized something. Every person who loved someone, often fell in pieces and never got up once more. The virus affected everyone in the world except this village because everyone has fought with everyone else. What if the virus is love and the only way to not get it is to hate everyone else? Since then, I promised myself to not love anyone--except myself.

---

“Sir, do you remember the village where the virus can’t reach?”

“Yes, I do. Is there a problem?”

“No Sir, but take a look,” the secretary showed the tablet to the colonel, revealing a small dot on the village. “There is someone who made contact with the virus for a few years. Somehow it reached other people, but all the sudden, the dot disappeared. We are looking at it, but do you think they found out what this virus is?”

“I don’t think they will know. It’s been our secret for so long that it's practically history. If the dot reappears, you know the drill. Kill the person.”

“Yes sir.”