The Shrinking VirusBy Bobby
![The Shrinking Virus](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/0_439272040.png?tr=q-80)
The Shrinking Virus
By Bobby
Created on 17 Sep, 2023
![The Shrinking Virus cover image](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/0_439272040.png?tr=q-80)
As a school teacher, I had always held myself to high moral standards. Watching this unfold was horrific but I was helpless to stop it.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/1_309821481.png?tr=q-80)
The virus spread like wildfire, progressively making victims shorter and shorter until they were no larger than ants. I wished it all to be a dreadful dream.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/2_240188280.png?tr=q-80)
The day Mr. Morris shrank was alarming. A cruel man by nature, he had always belittled me. Now, the tables were ironically turned.
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I stood above him, as he quivered beneath my heel. And I felt an emotion I hadn’t expected – pity. I withdrew my foot, leaving him to his fate.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/4_264467758.png?tr=q-80)
Soon, Sarah, one of my students, obliviously squashed him beneath her sneaker. She remained ignorant of her action, and I didn’t have it in me to inform her.
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The law was clear - if you spot them, squish them. It was a law I couldn't abide by, but I wasn’t given much choice when I found an injured tiny on my way.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/6_420815209.png?tr=q-80)
The tiny pleaded with me, knowing he wouldn't survive his injuries. Wishing to spare him the pain, I did the unimaginable. I stepped on him, offering a quick end.
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That day, I carried a heavy heart and his tiny remains tucked under my heel. The world was changing, and I felt powerless amidst its havoc.
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Teachers used to foster life, and now we were forced to take it. The irony wasn’t lost on me as I stepped into my classroom, where life once thrived.
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My lessons became whispers of the past, a cruel reminder of the normalcy we had once taken for granted. Each day seemed more surreal than the last.
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My usual walk from home to school became a haunting journey. Each step I took was a potential death sentence for the unseen tiny people beneath my heels.
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Everyday objects turned into deadly traps for the shrunken. The law had transformed the nation into a land of giants, and my home into a colossal fortress.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/12_707136327.png?tr=q-80)
The virus did not discriminate. People from all walks of life, rich or poor, young or old, were affected. It was a cruel leveler of society.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/13_272383356.png?tr=q-80)
Life went on, growing smaller each day. As the sun set, I would look out my window, hoping the world would someday return to its original state.
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My nights were filled with terrifying nightmares of being shrunken myself. The fear was real and growing, just as the people around me were shrinking.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/15_65296313.png?tr=q-80)
I decided to use my position to educate my students about the virus. The hope was to instill in them a sense of compassion over fear.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/16_857840995.png?tr=q-80)
The classroom became both a place to learn and a sanctuary. Amid the chaos, we found solace in education, no longer taking it for granted.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/17_207760263.png?tr=q-80)
The students, young as they were, showed resilience. They adapted to the new world order but still held onto their childish spirit, a much needed relief.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/18_687652791.png?tr=q-80)
Despite the horrifying new reality, we held on. We continued our daily routines, albeit with more caution. Every step was measured. Every action had consequences.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/19_252612126.png?tr=q-80)
Weeks turned into months. The shrinking virus had caused us to shrink in spirit too. Yet, we persevered, constantly hoping for a breakthrough.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/20_162081000.png?tr=q-80)
Then one day, a miracle. A news broadcast announced the development of a potential cure. The world held its breath, and for once, hope felt tangible.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/21_430981178.png?tr=q-80)
The cure was not immediate, but it was a start. The world began to grow again, not just in size, but in spirit. I could see the hope in my students' eyes.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/22_695047848.png?tr=q-80)
The day the cure was distributed was one of the most emotional days of my life. We were finally getting our world back, and it felt incredibly surreal.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/23_661259403.png?tr=q-80)
As time passed, the shrunken began to grow again. The sight was overwhelming. Every tiny person restored was a victory against the horrifying virus.
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Slowly, things returned to normal. The specter of the shrinking virus was still there but subdued. Our resilience had proven stronger than the virus.
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The world had changed drastically, and so had we. Through adversity, we had learned the value of life, no matter the size.
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I saw a newfound respect for life in my students. The virus had taught us compassion, tolerance, and most importantly, the worth of every living being.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/27_632763380.png?tr=q-80)
The ordeal had made me realize that even in the face of death, human spirit could prevail. We could rise from the ashes and rebuild.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/28_399076308.png?tr=q-80)
The shrinking virus had been a curse, but also a lesson. It's a lesson I'll pass onto future generations, a tale of triumph over a microscopic terror.
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I looked at my students and felt proud. They were the future, a future that was more understanding, and more compassionate. A future we had earned.
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As I write this, I'm no longer just an average school teacher. I'm a survivor, an educator, a beacon of hope. I am Rachel, the one who saw the world shrink and grow again.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/31_344489253.png?tr=q-80)
Life goes on. We have lived through a nightmare but we have come out stronger. Our world may have once been tiny, but our spirits have always been gigantic.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/32_371175477.png?tr=q-80)
Despite everything, I'm grateful. The virus may have shrunken us, but it also grew us. And for that, I wouldn't change our journey for the world.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/33_57913564.png?tr=q-80)
Even in a world that was once shrunken, we learned that the size of one's heart matters more than one's height. This, above all, is a lesson worth teaching.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/34_544066616.png?tr=q-80)
And so, we move forward. Always remembering, always learning, always growing. This chapter may be over, but our story continues. And it's a story I'm proud to be a part of.
![](https://ik.imagekit.io/storybird/images/3d95aaf3-d86d-40e9-9655-116e7dfdda19/35_855692465.png?tr=q-80)
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