Written by DeAnna Erdmann
I was sleeping peacefully on the underside of my leaf when, out of nowhere, I was lifted into the air and confined in a dark cave like structure. The cave shook violently as high pitch squeals reverberated off of my fleshy enclosure. Just as suddenly as I was engulfed, I was instantly being pinched between two heavy appendages that held me up to the bright sunlight. My many legs flailed wildly as I attempted to wiggle my way out of the firm grip that held me captive. Although my face was partially mushed against something I could just make out a giant face of what we bugs terrifyingly named “humans.” From what I could see this human was very young with wild yellow hair and horrifying big eyes that were the color of the sky. Its mouth was twisted upward in a chilling victory snarly that showed its teeth, no doubt that it was attempting to show me how it would eat me.
I was helpless to the whims of this creature as it swooshed me through the air and shoved me in the faces of several humans that were much larger than it was. I could only conclude that this was some kind of ritual, a rite of passage perhaps, where the young hunted poor unsuspecting bugs and paraded them before their adult counterparts before they feasted on the helpless creature ensnared in their sick game. All these human creatures cheered the little one on in its horrific dance of flailing and twirling about. I could just make out a large… no ginormous… no HUGE shiny object in front of us that magically opened and all of the humans, and poor me, climbed into. My captor passed me back and forth between its squishy claws. I could feel my strength fading away. My antenna were going limp and I could feel my body beginning to curl up in a desperate attempt to conserve energy and hopefully survive this terrifying ordeal. The young human laid me on a flat surface and pushed at me with its other appendage. I could only assume the look of concern on its face was because it was worried I might not survive to be eaten later. The magical transport wall slowly disappeared into itself and a huge gust of wind blew by us. The youth pinched me in its accessories again and thrust me through the opening in the transport wall. The sheer force of the air made it incredibly difficult for me to breathe. My antenna, legs, and wings all flailed helplessly at the assault of the air. I don’t know how long I was held there, but it felt like an eternity.
I was barely conscious as the transport slowed and the wicked flow of air came to a halt. I lay on the brink of death, twitching and helpless in the grips of this human child as it held me up to the faces of the larger humans. They all looked at me with sad knowing expressions as they softly spoke to their young. Just as quickly as I had been snatched I was placed gently on another leaf and a deep wailing noise bellowed from the small human. My captors walked away, leaving me stunned and scared on the strange leaf in a strange place. It was ages before I was able to move enough to crawl to the underside of the leaf. I promised myself then and there that I would hide better, so that I never had to experience that kind of terror ride again.