Vile the Virus vs Erma the Human - a short story for younger children. Written and illustrated by France Dot.

Vile the virus was very happy. The humans were helping the virus army to win. Hee hee!!

‘The humans can’t see us so they pretend we are not here.’ It thought.  ‘We are so lucky.’

Vile moved from the hand onto the next thing that was touched – a screen. Yay!

Vile could see lots of other bugs already there.

Vile high-fived a tummy bug who had been living in the toilet. Vile high-fived a nice little bug who had been living under a fingernail.

They all moved back onto the hand together.

As the hand touched a plate, they jumped onto that and then onto the fork that came towards them.

All the time, Vile and its buddies were making more and more of themselves by dividing in half. There were millions of trillions of them now!

Vile waved goodbye as the others went into the mouth on the fork.

Vile moved back onto the hand.

Oh yes! The hand was heading for the nose. Vile was so happy, but the human would be sorry now! Vile divided itself more and more.

They would soon rule the world!

Erma was eating her lunch. It had been a good morning because her mum had let her watch Bluey on her phone.

It hadn’t been so much fun earlier. Every day was the same.

Have you brushed your teeth?

Have you washed your hands?

Have you put your breakfast bowl in the sink?

Blah blah!

She smiled in secret pleasure as she remembered what she had done. ‘Yes’, she had said to every question. Her mum and dad had actually believed her!

Erma was nearly five now and just didn’t feel like doing those things any more. After all, what did it matter?

Her nose was itchy so she put the fork down and touched her nose.

There was a booger stuck up it, so she pulled it out.

No one was watching so she popped it into her mouth.

A few days later, Erma began to feel sick.

Her tummy was hurting and her throat was sore.

Her dad took her to the doctor who ordered some tests.

 Erma started feeling worse and worse.

She was hurting everywhere and she felt very sick.

Erma had a nasty virus and was taken to the hospital.

When she was in the hospital, she learnt how to make it really hard for viruses to make you sick.

Erma felt very bad that she had been helping the Virus Army to win.

Even worse, everyone had tried to tell her:

Her mum and dad had told her …

Her Kinder teachers had told her …

Why hadn’t she listened?

 A few days later, Vile jumped onto a human’s hand.

Vile had been on an amazing journey and didn’t know it was back on the same hand again.

Vile was not worried about danger. Humans were so silly!

But … what was this?

Before it could move, Vile realised it was being wrapped up in foam.

With a little zap, Vile was forced off the hand and then being swept away in the foam. Oh no!

Erma was very happy to be home and feeling so much better.

She stood at the hand basin, carefully washing the soap from her hands.

She watched the foamy bubbles flow into the basin and disappear down the plug hole.

Erma dried her hands and felt very proud of what she was doing.

Erma was on the front line.

She was fighting the Virus Army and she was winning!