A Computer Virus

 

          I watched the round ball making spirals within a box. Below it, in small font were the words ‘Loading 45%’. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the computer table. I had been waiting a long time for the new game to load. I usually loaded games in half the time.

 

          “It must be very popular,” I thought to myself. I contemplated cancelling the download but I decided to continue when the ball spun faster and I saw ‘Loading 60%’. There seemed to be a sudden surge in the downloading.

 

          However, a few minutes later, I regretted my decision not to terminate the download. Numerous horizontal lines filled my computer screen which blurred for a few seconds before coming on again. The vibrant colours on the screen turned a dull shade and the screen flickered so badly that I could not see what was on it. Using the mouse to click the ‘Cancel’ tab, I tried to stop the downloading of the game. Nevertheless, nothing worked no matter how many times I clicked. The screen seemed to have frozen with the download stopping at 75%. Then, as though nothing had happened, the screen came on again. The downloading showed 100% and a new screen popped up, prompting me to start playing the game.

 

          The actual problem started when I returned to my computer after dinner. I was about to use Microsoft Word to continue typing my project when I realised that all the documents I had stored in my computer previously had disappeared. I panicked. Clicking the mouse furiously, I went from one folder to another, muttering angrily under my breath each time I could not find my files. The colour drained from my face. I had the sickening feeling that what had happened to my files was somehow connected to the problem in my computer earlier.

 

          That night, when my father returned home, he spent a long time trying to find out what had gone wrong. When he turned around and glared at me, I knew what he was going to say. I winced as he started his tirade of how I should be wary of the websites where I downloaded my games from. I had unwittingly infected my computer with a virus. He knew that there was no need to scold me for I had already been punished. I was unable to listen to the music or play the games I had downloaded previously or call up my school projects. Sighing, I took out a piece of paper and a pen as I got ready to redo my project – without the computer.

 

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