Ants

19. Ants

The ants didn’t come. Why? They could have easily dealt with me if they kept chasing me.

Should I go back to eat the ant I killed?

No, not yet at least. I need to rest a bit and get my strength back. I am still really hungry but at least I got some of the green liquid. It doesn’t hurt that much anymore.

I look at the ball of fur while I am resting. It just keeps hopping around and occasionally eating some grass. What a weird creature. Why do you stay with me? Wouldn’t it be better if you were alone? Or if you were with other balls of fur.

I guess being with other balls of fur might not be the best idea. They would just eat your grass and they might fight you for the grass. Even your parents could keep you away from grass and not let you eat anything.

Don’t worry, I won’t eat your grass. I will do what I can to let you eat as much grass as you want.

The ball of fur jumps around and then it comes toward me. It jumps on top of me and then comes closer to my face. It comes so close that I can feel its breath on my face.

It starts licking my face. It feels ticklish and wet. For some reason I feel better when it does that.

I gently place my right hand on top of it and stroke its fur. It is smooth and warm. I like it.

The ball of fur stops licking my face and jumps on the ground.

I start feeling my hunger again. I need to get something to eat. I can either go back to the ants or try another direction and hope I will find something to eat soon. If I go another direction, I could end up with other beats that I can’t beat. I might not be able to run away from them either.

I know the ants. I am sure I can survive even if they attack me again. I should go to the ants, right? Yes. There is even the ant I killed already. If I can just eat it then I would be happy.

I get up with the help of the tree. I still feel quite weak but a lot better than before. I walk slowly to get used to moving again. It is weird how it feels a lot easier to move when I am fighting something or running away.

I walk past the trees. I need to move carefully since I feel I might fall if I move quickly. I see the clearing again. Which tree was it where I killed the ant? They all look the same.

I start circling around the clearing and soon see some green liquid on the ground. This must be the place where I killed it. Where is the rest of it though?

Did the other ants take it away? Luckily, I took my dagger and didn’t leave it behind. I couldn’t even kill the ants if I didn’t have a dagger.

I really need to take better care of it. I can’t lose it.

There are no ants around here though. I don’t really want to go to the clearing since they might all attack me if I go there. All I can do is wait until they come out again.

Should I sit down and wait?

I am tired so it wouldn’t hurt saving my strength. I should have enough time to get back up when I see them coming out.

I sit down up against a tree again in a way that I can see to the clearing.

I occasionally glance where the ball of fur is hopping around. I feel better whenever I watch the ball of fur.

The sun is going down and it is getting darker. I have been sitting here for a long time. I am getting hungrier too. When are they coming out again? Suddenly the ball of fur stops hopping around and looks intently towards the forest.

Is something going to the clearing? I get up slowly and when I do, I see an ant running from the forest towards me.

How did it come from there? It must be returning to its home now. I grab my dagger tightly and prepare to fight it.

It sees me and then it makes a weird screech and charges at me. It comes close fast and when I think of going forward myself to stab it; it jumps at me and I am quite surprised.

I don’t have enough time to react to stab it in the air, so I guard my face with my left hand.

I feel something pierce my left hand and it is painful. I fall on the ground with the ant and I stab the ant with my dagger.

My left hand is pierced still, and I feel some weird things touch my fingers trying to push it toward its mouth.

Soon it stops moving luckily and I get up again. I let go of my dagger and use my right hand to take the things that pierced my hand out of my left hand.

My left hand is bleeding and it hurts moving my fingers.

This time I won’t make the same mistake of trying to eat it here.

I grab my dagger again and lift the ant with it. I use my left hand to help lift it and carry it even though it hurts a lot.

I look back to the clearing and see that the ants are running towards me again. How far will they chase me this time?

I run past the trees as quickly as I can. I don’t feel like turning around to see if they are chasing me still.

I run as far as I can until I don’t have the strength to run anymore. I don’t even have the strength to go near a tree. I collapse on the ground with the dead ant and everything goes dark.

Chapter eighteen. Chapter twenty.