Fear always creeps inside of me every time I hear that sound. That sound coming from a tiny black flying insect which is very much like a vampire, thirsty for blood.

     The sun was caged. Probably being kept locked and hidden by the dark clouds that seems to be looking for the right moment to let a heavy downpour reach the lands. Yet again, fear started creeping inside my chest as I stared outside. Fear not just for myself but also for my entire family. Heavy rains oftentimes bring along diseases. Colds, coughs, or if we’re looking for the worst case scenario, dengue.

     For hours, the rain remained unstoppable. In fact, it became stronger as if there was already a typhoon. It suddenly felt suffocating. The worry and fear for the aftermath was as if choking the life out of me. What if cleaning the surroundings was not enough to stop those savage mosquitoes from having the chance to inflict sickness to people? What if what I did was not enough to keep the people I love from having dengue? What other precautionary measures should I do to keep us dengue-free?

     The skies seemed already satisfied with the four long hours of non-stop rain. I took a peek outside and heard a voice coming from the direction of our baranggay hall, announcing that we should secure ourselves from having dengue by disposing stagnant waters that can be a home to breeding mosquitoes. With that in mind, I quickly stepped outside and looked for tires and other things that have a possibility for wrigglers to be present. And as soon as I found them, without second thoughts, threw its water contents.

     Ever since I experienced having dengue while I was young, I have always had those fears never leaving me every time it rains. It might sound being paranoid to some but for me, what’s so strange about wanting to avoid diseases so much? I have learned the hard way that even a tiny bite of an insect such as mosquito can take your life in just a blink of an eye. A bite that can take a life. A bite that can quickly send you to your last breath.