THE DAY THE COMPUTER STARTED MISBEHAVING

“What’s wrong with this computer?” Aaron muttered frantically clicking the mouse. The
computer didn’t blink. Aaron sat staring at the black screen. He punched some keys on the keyboard.
When the computer didn’t react Aaron punched the computer screen to let out his frustrations.

“Steve, The computer is broken,” Aaron said pulling Steve’s sleeve.

“What? You broke it?” Steve accused, slightly glaring at Aaron
“No it was broken already!” Aaron protested, dragging Steve into the room.
“How could it be broken already? I was playing it an hour ago” Steve asked seeing the blank
monitor screen. He folded his arms across his chest and glared hard at Aaron. Aaron raised his hands.
“Promise”
“I’ll kill you if you are the one who broke it.” Steve warned

Aaron sat on his bed reading a story. He just couldn’t believe that Steve would get so angry at
him. They were best friends. They never left each other alone. They never got angry. Aaron could not
put his mind on a single day they have been angry at each other, except for today. Aaron was horribly
disappointed. Still he dare didn’t tell Steve what had actually happened. Because Steve wouldn’t believe,
whatever he said.

Aaron knew was that the computer had acted peculiarly before it blacked out. First a grinning
skull came out of the blue. Just then he saw blood drops on the side of the text he was writing. He
almost jumped out of his skin, but before that he examined the screen and knew that they were false.
Still he couldn’t help shivering at the thought.

“Hey! It works!” Aaron heard Steve’s excited shout.

“What?” Aaron asked
“The computer” Steve responded.
How can that be? Aaron wondered. The computer had blacked out so unexpectedly. And now, it
has started working just as bizarrely. What was going on...?

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh” Aaron jumped out of the bed as he heard Steve’s alarmed shriek.
Aaron saw the slumped body lying in front of the CPU. Aaron gasped. He panicked. He hauled Steve’s
limp body on to the bed. Then he took a fine, elongated look at the computer. Unexpectedly the black
monitor turned a vivid, eerie green. Aaron sheltered his eyes with both hands for the hasty shaft of light.
Then what happened next was mind-boggling. Aaron felt something drawing him. Pulling him towards
the computer. He tried hard but couldn’t fix his feet firmly in position. In a few seconds he vanished into
the computer…without a trace…

“Huh” Aaron gasped. He looked around. Everything has changed. Everything was totally
different. Everywhere he looked Aaron saw the shades of green. Vivid, bright, ghostly, pale, dark,
fluorescent, light greens. Aaron stared at the moving colors in awe. He didn’t blink, he didn’t move. He
just gaped.
 What startled him was a voice. A deep, booming voice belonging to a man. Aaron jerked his
head to look over his shoulder. He couldn’t see a thing.

“Who’s there?” Aaron stammered, and then waited. He couldn’t hear a reply. Feeling jittery
Aaron tried to walk on the swirling sea of green. Then he saw the face. Actually not a face, but a pair of
eyes, a nose and mouth. Aaron fell back in shock.

“Who are you?” Aaron quizzed it again not hoping for an answer. But it did answer. Aaron, still
lying on his back struggled to sit up. He heard the words clearly.

“I’m the computer virus” It boasted. Aaron made a face. Hah! Who would believe it? The
computer virus?

“Well, whatever you think, I am the computer virus. Don’t mock me. Beware what you think,
because I can read your mind.” The face warned then exploded into a wicked cackle.

“Oh yeah” Aaron challenged “then what am I thinking now?”

The virus pulled a disgusted face. “I don’t want a boy like you. You are bold. You are no use to
me. So you are free to go”

Aaron whooped with joy as he gently landed on the living room floor. Steve was sitting on the
couch.

“Aaron,” Steve exclaimed jumping from the couch “Where’ve you been?”

“Steve, you wouldn’t believe it “Aaron said then added “I sure don’t want to see green again”