Fever Dream (short story)

It deals with the issues and anxieties suffered by teenagers that result from bodily change, in a somewhat Gothic light.

The local doctor diagnoses it as scarlet fever, but Charles protests that his hand has "changed" and is no longer under his control.

After the doctor leaves, however, Charles brushes his foot over a swarm of red ants on the floorboard in the carriage, killing them on contact.

It is possible that the entire story was made up of fever dreams or hallucinations by Charles, or that the illness Charles was suffering triggered latent neuropsychiatric disorder—such as alien hand syndrome, which causes his hand to act independently from the rest of his body.

However, the final passages after Charles's recovery strongly suggest that Bradbury did, indeed, intend the literal interpretation.