The Virus
The sun was beating down on the fields as Diana rushed inside the market. She was too
much in a hurry to apologize as her elbow accidentally struck a woman’s arm. Diana could
feel the woman’s glare on her back as she navigated her way into the market.
The twenty-year-old took in a huge breath as she reached the stall. There was already a
long line, with people mirroring her anxiety. She pushed her way to the front, ignoring the
protests, thrust her hand inside her skirt pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar note.“Give
me one, now, please,” Diana said, desperately. The seller sent her a disapproving glance.
Diana could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please?” she whispered. “I need it
so badly, I- I can repay you later, promise!”
The woman’s eyes softened as she took in Diana’s shabby appearance. Sighing, she picked
up the bottle and placed it on Diana’s outstretched hand. “Here,” she murmured. Diana
smiled, holding the bottle tightly as she hurried outside and raced across the fields back
towards the cabin.
“Daisy!” her twin looked as Diana swung open the door. She smiled and held out the bottle.
“I’ve got it, now I just have to mix it with the other medicine and hopefully you’ll be okay,” she
beamed.
Daisy stared at her with bloodshot eyes. Her head was throbbing and her body was in pain.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked hoarsely. Diana had never heard her sister so unsure
before and a bunch of doubts invaded her mind, but she brushed the thoughts away and
carefully poured the mixture into the medicine.
“Drink it,” Diana tilted the bottle downward and watched as droplets dropped down into her
sister’s mouth. Daisy gulped and sat still. Her twin gave her a worried look.
The virus was spreading more quickly since it started a week ago, right after their camping
trip. Daisy’s condition had worsened, her headache was more painful and she threw up
blood yesterday.
“Now we wait,” she whispered, hope bubbling inside her.
The Virus (version 2.0)
The day was hot and terribly humid. The sun shone down ruthless rays of heat, painting the
fields with a fiery gold. But Diana didn’t care. She didn’t care that she was now sprinting
across the fields, didn’t care as the sweat began to pool on her forehead and trickle down
her back. Didn’t care that her elbow had struck a woman who was now yelling at her as she
ran away without so much as a glance back in her direction. In that very moment, time was
of the essence. She couldn’t afford to waste any second of it by pausing to tend to such
unnecessary distractions.
The twenty-year-old sucked in a breath as she at last caught sight of the stall. But one
glance at the line made her stomach twist into a tight knot. There were already so many
people queuing, the line extending far beyond her range of sight. The hope she held tightly
with both hands began to crumble. There was simply no way she could wait for that amount
of time; her sister was dying. Dying. Her eyes turned stony, hard.
To hell with the consequences. She refused to lose another person so dear to her heart. She
refused to yield to Death’s unforgiving clutches.
Diana marched her way to the front of the stall, pushing past all those who stood in her way.
She didn’t hear the protests as she thrust her hand inside her skirt pocket and pulled out a
hundred-dollar note, slapping it onto the desk. Her chest was heaving, her cheeks red, and
sweat trickled down her forehead, but her eyes were trained only at the woman in pushed
her way to the front, ignoring the protests, thrust her hand inside her skirt pocket and pulled
out a hundred dollar note.“Give me one, now, please,” Diana said, desperately. The seller
sent her a disapproving glance.
Diana could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please?” she whispered. “I need it
so badly, I- I can repay you later, promise!”
The woman’s eyes softened as she took in Diana’s shabby appearance. Sighing, she picked
up the bottle and placed it on Diana’s outstretched hand. “Here,” she murmured. Diana
smiled, holding the bottle tightly as she hurried outside and raced across the fields back
towards the cabin.
“Daisy!” her twin looked as Diana swung open the door. She smiled and held out the bottle.
“I’ve got it, now I just have to mix it with the other medicine and hopefully you’ll be okay,” she
beamed.
Daisy stared at her with bloodshot eyes. Her head was throbbing and her body was in pain.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked hoarsely. Diana had never heard her sister so unsure
before and a bunch of doubts invaded her mind, but she brushed the thoughts away and
carefully poured the mixture into the medicine.
“Drink it,” Diana tilted the bottle downward and watched as droplets dropped down into her
sister’s mouth. Daisy gulped and sat still. Her twin gave her a worried look.
The virus was spreading more quickly since it started a week ago, right after their camping
trip. Daisy’s condition had worsened, her headache was more painful and she threw up
blood yesterday.
“Now we wait,” she whispered, hope bubbling inside her.