Adventures in Bug Land

By Kathleen Eastwood

Angela was sitting in her usual quite place in the woods, which was her habit when she is a bit out of sorts.  She was listening to the soft spring breeze gently encouraging the newly arrived leaves to wave, as if approving of her presence, and thinking of nothing at all, which always helped to relax her.

Looking down, she caught a glimpse of a green bug; one that she has never seen before. It was unique, interesting, and well ugly.

She decided to find out more about it and bent down to speak to him.

“Where are you off to?” Angela asked.

Angela  heard a barely audible gasp.

“Why, what’s it to you lass?” he said.

Somehow, it didn’t surprise her that he could speak. She was however, surprised at hearing a hint of an Irish brogue.

“Just curious as to what bugs do,” she said.

“Well then, come with me,” he said.

“I don’t think I will fit under a rock,” she said.

“Ay, stereotyped again! You humans think just because we are different from you, we’re somehow bad. For your information lass, the clearing over there lass, that is where we will be gathering this day,” he said.

Angela could swear he stomped his four feet for emphasis.

“Do they all look, well, like you?” she inquired..

Something that resembled a tongue was stretching out in her general direction.

“So, you think we all look alike do ya now?” he said.

“Sorry, no offense meant,” she said feeling duly chastised.

“Will ya come then?” he asked.

Not to hurt his feelings further, Angela thought she might see what all of this was about.

“Yes, I will be honored,” she said.

“Good, my name is Shamus by the by,” he said.

That figures, she thought..

“My name is Angela,” she said.

Angela followed behind him as he crawled, being very careful not to step on this strange creature..

Once there, she found that they all did look alike, different colors, but alike in shape and size.

As if reading her mind, Shamus said, “We don’t go by appearances, we go by smell,” he said. “That’s the difference between humans and us. Humans look at the surface only and use sprays and such to cover ya natural odor masking that which nature bestowed on ye.”

“I guess it’s a cultural thing. Again, I meant no offense. It didn’t occur to me that I could offend you,” she said.

“Ya didn’t offend lass; ya annoyed ‘tis all.”

Suddenly, a thousand beady eyes were watching her as they gathered in a circle around her, emitting squeaky sounds, and she wondered why they didn’t speak.

“Sit ya arse down then,” he said.

“What is going on?” she asked, suddenly alarmed.

Angela didn’t receive an answer. They started to dance their way over to her. Several were at her feet and starting to bite and crawl.

Then they were chanting something she could barely hear. It sounded like…

“Thrice around this human we go

‘Tis our turn now, to human we grow

Human to bug, we need your blood, and bug to human

We need your albumin”

Suddenly, Angela was back where started from, startled to find herself still alive. After a few seconds, she realized she must have dozed off. Then she saw a bug that looked a lot like Shamus slowly crawling on her arm. It was green.

Angela smacked it off and decided to go and look for another place to relax.

- Total nr. of readings: 2,214 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.