17/09/2025
๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ | ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๏ธ
๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
I am a small and scruffy creature. Though what I am exactly, I donโt know. Tall buildings overgrown by flora stood side by side all around me, a labyrinth of cold concrete and rusted metal. The many broken structures of the city made for great basins of water. I have been wandering this flooded city for a very long time, but not all alone.
As I wandered, I met little talking insects. And together we wandered. I asked them what we were. They said we were family. They compliment me and praise me. They warn me and guide me. They told me many things about this place. They guided me to where I could find food. And, most of all, they made the loneliness go away.
Later on, I realized then that I walked much faster than them. I would stop and wait every now and then so that the insects could catch up with me. Fortunately, they had a solution for that.
โChild! Child!โ they cried. โThis place is very treacherous. A naive little thing such as you would not have lasted this far without our guidance. Let us ride upon your back so that we may not be separated. We will not be a burden, for we insects weigh less than a flower!โ
โWhat a great idea,โ I exclaimed. And so I let them.
They climbed on me and anchored their teeth to my skin, and so theyโve been there ever since. They did, in fact, each weigh less than a flower, but not so much when they were this many. I paid it no mind. When they are hungry, we share the food we find. Whenever it rained, they would bite harder until I found shelter. They hated water, they said, and would bite me more whenever I go near any. I didnโt know how to swim, so it was alright. I still got thirsty, though. There were many ponds and streams with clear and pristine water, but I only drank from shallow puddles left by the rain. The insects bite less when I do. Though the insects bit at my skin, it was far better than being alone.
One day I met another creature just like me. She was wonderful; so friendly, so kind, and so very warm. Unlike me, however, she had no insects on her skin. She was so averse to insects that she almost hit me when we first met, actually. But she apologized right after and declared us to be the best of friends.
It was especially cold in the city during the rain. And so, whenever it did, we would find shelter in one of the buildings around us until it passed. I donโt mind the cold, but the insects and my friend did. She would gather herself into a ball and shiver in the farthest corner from any windows or doors, away from the chilly bite of the wind. I remembered how the insects would always tell me of how comfortably warm I am, and that huddling against me helped stave off the cold. I offered to do the same for my friend, but she refused. She didnโt like how the insects crawled on her, which they did whenever we were less than an armโs length away.
My friend had a peculiar love for water, and would jump into any pond or a stream every time we passed one. Whenever she came, weโd explore the city together and play all day. She had a favorite spot she liked to go to at the end of every day before she went back home - a very tall structure at the heart of the city. The insects called it a skyscraper; one of 15 that once stood in this city. This one in particular would have been tall enough to touch the tops of the biggest clouds, they said. But that was a very long time ago. It had since collapsed, and this portion of it now stood slanted over a great big lake.
Going back to my friend; she was very brave. She would climb halfway up this skyscraper and jump off of it into the lake below and I would watch her do this from somewhere afar. The first time she did, I was horrified. I didnโt know how to swim, and so I couldnโt help her if she got hurt. That was if the insects would have let me anywhere near the lake. Afterwards, she would then come find me, say goodbye, and then went on home. She told me that she knew a place where there were many more creatures like us. I told her that Iโd like to come and visit one day.
This continued until a certain day she told me that she couldnโt meet with me anymore. Once the others had discovered about her visiting this city, she was scolded harshly. This would be the last visit that she was allowed. She could take me there, but said that I couldnโt take my insects with me. In fact, the reason why she had to stop seeing me was because of them. She pointed at them and asked me if they hurt.
โThey do, and a lot,โ I admitted, โbut theyโve been with me for so long. They were here before you came, when I was so lonely. I canโt just leave them.โ
She told me where it was but warned me not to come find her. That, if I did, the others would chase me away, lest these insects spread and latch on to them. And then she left and hasnโt come back since. What did come back, however, was the same feeling of loneliness, even with the insects crawling on my back still.
After a few days, I told the insects that I wanted to go to the place my friend told me. I would just leave them here and then return when the sun goes down. They profusely objected.
โHow could you?! After all that we have done for you, you leave us for someone you barely knew?โ They shouted.
โIโm not leaving you. I just want to see my friend!โ I tried to reason. But they would not listen.
โLook,โ a few insects let go of my skin for a moment. โYour body is riddled with scars and wounds from our bites! The other creatures would not want to be anywhere near someone so ugly and frightening!โ
โMaybe so, but my friend wouldnโt mind! She was friendly even when I was with you, and I believe that she will still be friendly when Iโm without you.โ
โFoolish child!โ they exclaimed in unison. โGo then! Go and abandon us! But do not think that we will be here when you return! Who shall see to it that you get to eat or sleep safely? No one but us! For we love you!โ
Despite this, they did not leave me, but rather bit even harder. โFool,โ โugly,โ โtraitor,โ they kept calling me. I wanted to cry that day, but the insects forbade me, stating that my tears would get them wet.
They had since spread from my back to my arms, my belly, and my head. They started eating more than usual, taking greater portions of the food I collected. They more strictly ordered me to take paths and rest where they wanted. I was not even allowed a few sips from a puddle without their mouths punishing me.
I continued to wander as I did before, but I was thirsty, tired, and hungry. I had collected a lot of food but I couldnโt even taste it before the insects devoured it entirely. The insects then ordered that we rest as they digested their meal. I was directed to sit down in the dark corner they wanted. Before long, they had fallen asleep.
As they slept, I looked outside the window across from me. Even with the constant rain clouds preventing a clear view of the sky, I could still see the orange colors of the setting sun. Coincidentally, we had rested near where my friendโs favorite spot was. The tower reminded me of her yet again. I wonder if sheโll ever come back to visit. In my imagination, I pretended that she did and asked her:
Where did you go? Are you well? Why did you come here?
I then remembered the place she told me of. Where there were more creatures like us. And I continued asking:
Why do you always come alone? Donโt you have any other friends? Are they warm and kind as well? Is that why you never came back to see me?
Did you forget about me?
My eyes started to get misty, but I couldnโt let a tear escape nor could I so much as sniffle. If I woke the insects up, I would surely get punished. All I could do was grit my teeth as I gazed upon the sky.
And thatโs when I saw it. A familiar silhouette stood right at the very tip of the skyscraper. It took all that I could to not jump for joy right then and there. I knew that the insects would never allow me to go there. But I had to know if it was her.
I quietly made my way there. Avoiding every loose rock and crunchy leaf. Carefully planning every turn to avoid any noisy streams or corridors where the wind whistled. I couldnโt use my hands because of the sleeping insects on my arms, so I had to slowly find my way upwards inside the remains of the building. Ever so slowly, I made my way to the top. As I walked up a wet slope, my foot slipped and I fell to my hands. The insects woke up one after another.
โWhat are you doing, child? Where are we?โ they asked.
โI have to know if she came back,โ I said.
Once the insects realized where we were, they went on a frenzy. They screamed and shouted; bit and gnawed; drank blood from whichever already opened wound they could. I tore a few of them off and threw them away. They quickly recovered and started scurrying back after me. I climbed the fastest that I ever had before.
โHow dare you come here without our permission?!โ they spoke in perfect unison. Hundreds of voices, directing their fury at me. They called me many things as I felt their teeth plunge into my skin: โImbecile,โ โabhorrent,โ โJudas,โ and so much more that I did not understand. โTurn around now and this all ends! โ they said, yet I kept going. Running through broken corridors, climbing up cracked walls, anything and anywhere that would take me higher. As I went further up, I saw more and more marks and symbols on the wall. They were erratically put here. They felt old. They felt angry. They felt scared. They felt like they were trying to tell me something. Though a single symbol stood out and kept on repeating. It looked like the insects that were on me.
I turned a corner and saw the light at the end of a hallway. There! I have to go there! I sprinted across the hall, passed through the doorway, and into the light. I saw the very edge of the skyscraper and I finally reached the silhouette.
It wasnโt her; Just some cloth stuck to some rubble. It swayed to and fro in the wind.
I fell to my knees, the countless amount of wounds made by the insects finally taking its toll. I feel them. I feel every single one of them feasting on my body.
โWE WILL DEVOUR YOU! WE SWEAR IT! NOT A SINGLE HAIR WILL REACH THE WATER!โ the insects shouted.
The water? Did they think I was going to jump into the lake? Why? I didnโt know how to swim.
The insects covered almost every surface of my body. Cold harsh winds blew here. I didnโt feel it. I only knew because they bit harder. Their voices cascaded into a single one, repeating the same thing: โโwE. Eat. YOu. WHoLe.โ
Theyโve won. Iโm tired. I want to rest.
A strong wind pushes us all over the edge.
I stared at the water below me, the deepest part of the lake. It was as if I was diving into the mouth of a great and terrible fish. I felt the insects trying to tear me to shreds as I fell. I landed head first and then it was silent.
I canโt breathe. Awash in a deep dark blue, I sank further down. All I could see was the orange light of sunset shining through the water and hundreds of insect corpses floating aimlessly. No, there were more of those dead insects than that. More than the ones I brought with me. They blanketed the bottom of the lake, like fog in the morning. Iโm too tired to think about it anymore. I just want to feel this moment. Iโve forgotten how it felt not to have those insects biting me. I felt cool water on my once burning wounds. It was comforting. It felt nice.
Cold. Dark. Sleepy. Fading.
Then something entered the water.
Then I woke up. It was night, but through the full moonโs light I could see where I was; a wide and grassy plain. All around me were small and scruffy creatures, huddling for warmth in this cold night, with me and the little ones in the center. I tried to stand, but someone was holding me. I looked down and saw my friend. Despite resting peacefully, her grip was strong. Before long I fell asleep again.
I awoke to the feeling of the little ones jumping on me. They didnโt know how to speak yet. It was already morning. Off in the horizon, there stood the flooded city. So far away that it looked like no more than a group of oddly tall rocks. It was almost hard to believe that I had spent so long there. I then looked up and saw not a single dreary cloud above me. Only the warm sun and a boundless, blue sky. A grand azure space of nothingness, yet felt so full of everything. Only interrupted by someoneโs face. The kind smiling face that I had been longing to see.
โGood morning!โ she said before joining the little ones and landing on me.
My friend invited me to look at the water, and I recoiled at the sight. The bugs had left so many horrendous scars and pockets in my flesh where they bit me, where no hair would ever grow again.
I remembered what the insects told me: ugly and frightening.
So I dug and hid under a rock, thinking that they would be repulsed by me. Instead, they spent the next few days taking turns to bring me food and water, and offered to keep each other warm come night time. My friend introduced every single one of them to me. Soon enough, I outgrew the need for that rock. And when the group started to move on, I followed.
All together, we wandered the plains and the forests. I asked them what we were. They said we were family. We bickered and laughed. The others brought dyes and painted over my scars. The young ones, especially, delighted in painting on me many flowers of beautiful colors. The older ones would guide and teach. When one is hungry, we stop and gather food to share. When one is tired, we stop and rest. When we find a lake or a river, we stop and play.
Though not every day was full of joy and laughter, the loneliness was gone for good.
โ
Written by: Thomas Jardeleza
Visuals by: Maxx Ambas
