To Bite Out of Spite

I smell human. It is a distinct smell—sometimes highly potent; other times brought vaguely on the wind, but still undeniable. My feet rest on small rocks as I stand firm, smelling the human coming closer.

The air is heavy with the scent of mimosa. A flood had come again not long before, as it seems to come all too often now, every day when the sun has almost made its trip across the sky. The flood left some high waters in addition to the heaviness in the air. I could feel the moistness clinging to my exoskeleton. One of those feathered monsters is sitting on a wire high above, making a dreadful sound—a repetitive “no birdie-no birdie-no birdie-no”. I’ve heard the human say the bird call is funny, but it isn’t at all to us little creatures.

The human draws near. I can’t tolerate her coming too close—I must protect what is paramount to our survival. It isn’t just about protection entirely though. It’s about spite. Day after day I work like a dog, and then she comes through. She is a giantess wielding a massive shovel that creates an earthquake capable of destroying a life’s labor in one blow. My jaws itch with movement. I practice a bite. Instinct will prevail—I don’t need practice—but I like to think on that moment of glory, when I can inflict a tiny piece of the pain she has caused my kind.

I hear the crash of the ground being torn up. Everywhere she goes the native plants wither, ripped from their cozy homes, large white roots tossed into the air. The colored wood that she likes to drop here everywhere like a blanket over top our exposed earth, it too is scattered now; dangerous shrapnel. My dorsal aorta thuds in my thorax as I prepare.

I know the danger involved. If I bite, she will come for me. She could crush me instantly with her massive hand, or, if I’m lucky, she’ll swipe at me and I will be flung into the grass. I then could slide down a blade of it and quickly begin the hike back to my homeland to assess the damage. You petty humans might have sweaty palms in my position, but I am stronger than you. I am a creature of instincts, and I fear nothing.

And now, my chance has come…

If you see me here, call me by my name.