Ping! Ping! Ping! The harsh ringing of the alarm jolted me awake. Half asleep, I stumbled out of bed, rubbing my eyes. I pulled out a grey collared shirt from my closet and a clean pair of dark jeans. After running a brush through my bed head, I slipped on socks, and my black sneakers. The lights flickered on, and I peeked at Anna's door. It was shut, and the house was silent. Quietly, I walked down the hallway to the kitchen for my lunch. I was skipping breakfast, since money was going to be a little slower now that we were under some sort of lockdown.

   An apple, and a meager sandwich, thin bread covering a few slices of ham and cheese. Not too good of a meal, but it would get me through the second half of my day. Suppressing another yawn, I stepped towards the front door. It was around four in the morning, half an hour before I had to be at the stall. I was cutting it close, but I'd long ago realized how little time it took if I ran. I closed the door, slung the bag with my lunch over my shoulder, and took off.

   Now, I'm quite aware that some people would be suspicious, seeing a boy with a bag running at top speed unnaturally early in the morning. Luckily, the residents in this area were used to my daily sprinting by now.

   Around twenty minutes later, I'd arrived at the town square, out of breath, but a few minutes early. Evan Mr. Davis wasn't here yet. I felt a twinge of satisfaction, knowing that my tiredness was worth it. "Ah, Rowan. You actually beat me here today." I jumped, until I recognized Mr. Davis's voice, and relaxed. "I didn't want to be late again." I offered, embarrassed. I turned around, and there he was, dressed in a crisp white shirt and grey overalls, casually leaning against a pillar. He gave me a grin that was far too mischievous for his age, and began walking to his stand. Mr. Davis sold many different things, from tiny glass animals to stamps. He also sold a small selection of magic charms, weak in power, and forbidden to be sold to Aurians. Despite his good fortune, Mr. Davis Cross was still an Aurian, and was bound to the same social pyramid that had crushed my hopes too many times.

   "Now, we're not going to have too many customers, because every Half-Breed is probably staying far, far away from Aurians, and none of us can leave our district, so business will be slow. And, umm," Mr. Davis trailed off awkwardly. "You'll receive two-thirds of the profit you earn today." I froze, surprise filling me. "Huh?"

   "I heard about your mother. Do you think it's the Curse?"

   Oh. Well, pity or not, it was very helpful, and I made sure to thank Mr. Davis before we opened the shop, which took about two hours. Then the early risers started to come in, all people I knew, neighbors. No one from another district. And like Mr. Davis had predicted, not a single Half-Breed showed up. Each time someone swiped their identification card, I scanned the profile that popped up on screen. Only Aurians.

   The day was fairly uneventful. I ate my lunch a bit later than usual, because apparently lunchtime was the best time to come to my stall. It was almost closing time when it happened.

I was preparing to close shop when a couple approached, glancing around awkwardly, which raised a few red flags, but I didn't have the authority to refuse customers. Each appeared to be in their early thirties, the man had blond hair and green eyes, and the woman had fawn-brown hair and blue eyes. Their clothes were elaborate, described only as Mystical. They glanced around the tiny shop's selection of magical charms, which confused me. If they were Mystics, why would they show any attention to the trinkets when they could accomplish whatever the tiny charm could, in much higher magnitude. Finally, the woman pointed out a star shaped pendant on a necklace, and spoke in a hushed voice to her companion. I chose not to listen in, because it was most likely a plan to barter to pay less. Yet, something about these two kept my attention on them. The secrecy in which they acted, the way they seemed suspicious of everyone who passed by. I looked away, deep in thought. I'd have something interesting to tell Anna later, at least. It was several moments before I realized that the stall had gone silent. I looked up, and jumped when the couple was standing right in front of me. "We'd like to buy this." The man said, holding up the necklace from earlier. "Absolutely. That'll be 3.25, please." When I motined to the ID card scanner, they exchanged looks. "Would it be alright to pay in cash?" I froze.

   Now I knew for a fact that something was up. Since the technological breakthroughs a few years back, everyone has used ID cards. They were more efficient, and easier to transfer funds. Most places didn't accept any other forms of payment, and I had no idea how this couple had gotten any sort of physical money. "I-umm, I'm really sorry, but this shop doesn't accept any ways of payment other than through ID card."

   The man and woman looked at eachother, seemingly having a silent argument. "Very well." The man held out his ID Card reluctantly. There was nothing special about it, just a plain metal square with rounded edges, but the fact that they'd both been so against using it made me nervous. When the card scanned, I caught a glimpse of a slightly younger face, along with the man's information. Earnest Hathaway. It was a nice name. There was a beep as I entered the numbers for three dollars and twenty-five cents. It seemed to scare the tense couple, who looked even more anxious than before. Shy as I was, I was becoming increasingly concerned for the two Mystics, so I asked the question that had been brewing in my mind since they'd first walked in. "Is everything alright?" My voice was quieter than I'd like. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, just as I had given up on a response, the woman spoke. "Of course. We're just a bit worried about The Curse. We heard the announcement yesterday, and were concerned." Something about the way she said that felt fake. She'd replied too fast, as if they'd rehearsed the excuse. Still, I nodded as if I believed them. "Well, there's no need to worry. The Curse only infects Half-Breeds and Aurians, so you're both safe." The two exchanged a look, and quickly left the shop. "Odd." I whispered to myself. Suddenly, a chime rang through the stall. My workday was over.

   I couldn't wait to go home, and tell Anna all about those strange customers. I packed up the supplies, and waited for Mr. Davis to return. Usually, he was here in five minutes, but soon twenty had passed with no sign of him. Bored, I went on the register's computer to see if there was a message from Mr. Davis that would explain why he was late. To my surprise, there was. I must not have heard the alert.

   Rowan,

   I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a while longer than usual for me to return. See, my niece is going into labor, and I can't miss it. If you like, you can close up the shop, since I trust you can act responsibly.

                                    Sincerely, Henry Davis

   I smiled to myself. Mr. Davis's niece, Clara, had been a popular topic of discussion among us. She was giving birth to a little boy, and sounded very excited to be a mother. As I closed up the shop, I wondered what kind of life the boy would live. Clara wasn't quite as well off as her uncle, but was still financially safe compared to most. I was still buzzing with warmth at the good news when I got home, greeted Anna, but then I noticed her face. It was pale, streaked with tears. Immediately, everything else faded away. "Anna, what's wrong?" She pointed to a letter on the kitchen table. The moment I saw it, I recognized it. Swirly cursive script, clean white paper and a crisp envelope. There was only one reason we had gotten a letter like that. It felt like a nightmare, reading it, though I already knew what it said.

    Dear Rowan Oaks,

We regret to inform you that your mother, Mary Oaks, has tested positive for the incurable disease known as The Curse. Since there is nothing that can be done for her now, we advise that you arrange a video call with her, and say your goodbyes, as in a few weeks, she will be moved to a Quarantine facility. We have provided a significant amount of funds to your bank account as compensation for this great loss. It has also come to our attention that you have visited Mary Oaks multiple times in the past month, and may be infected by The Curse. We will send a vehicle to bring you to be tested, which will also be fairly compensated.

         From, The Mystic Counsel of Aurian Affairs, Sector B

  I almost dropped the letter out of shock. It was too much to absorb, and I was so scared. But it must be even worse to Anna, and I walked over to comfort her. When I sat down with her, she said one thing to me that entire night. "Do you think you have it? The Curse, I mean." I was unable to give an answer. "I don't know, Anna. I just don't know." She left to go to her room, and I stayed there, long after the motion sensitive lights turned off, just thinking. I didn't move, and eventually passed out.