Children

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Deep down under, the word reached the worms that a meeting had been called for that night when it was dark and all the humans would be in bed. "Oh great...Now we have to go up on top," Loam groaned. "Hey, look at it this way...at least it has just rained and so we can just float for part of the way," his sister replied. They stealthily inched their way to the meeting that night, taking a route that wouldn't trace back to their home. Along the way, they saw more and more worms headed in the same direction. They whispered greetings to their friends, but always kept inching toward the rendezvous destination. They finally made it there...under the mulberry tree on the backside of the house. There were all kinds of creeping things there...baby crickets, june bug larvae, mayflies, spiders, and last but not least, the worms. They all chatted about how they had made it through the winter, and how excited they were about a new year and new duties. An aged cricket finally called the meeting to order. "Ok all of you. You know why we are here...this is the first meeting of 'Scare Linnie 2008'." A great cheer went up from all the bugs, as they anticipated the fun, the excitement, and lastly, the danger. Linnie was a human who lived in the great house near the mulberry tree. She was terrified of bugs in any form, and these bugs had gotten creepiness down to an art form. The danger did not come from her...oh no...all she did was shriek and shake whenever a bug came near. The danger came from her brothers. Yes, those valiant young boys who defended her from all manner of bugs when she called for their help. This only made the missions more attractive however. One could get glory if they managed to scare her unscathed. "Yes, I see your excitement," the cricket droned. "Every other year we have started off with the mayflies, but this year, Linnie seems to have lost some of her fear of them." The mayflies shifted uncomfortably. "That is not your fault. Humans do weird things sometimes," the cricket reassured them. "However, that just means we will have to try a new battle strategy. Since a rain just occurred, a mission for the earthworms will be relatively easy, and I think is a tactic we should try. Loam, you seem like a brave young man." A gasp went of from Loam's family, from the honor of having one of THEIR clan chosen. "Tonight, while all the humans are sleeping, I want you to sneak into their house. I will provide you with a map to get there, and a house plan for once you are there. I have it on good authority that Linnie decided to wait to take her shower until tomorrow morning, and so will be around the bathroom at the time you will get into the house. I want you to scare her however you can figure out." Loam puffed up with great importance and nodded his head. The other bugs began to disperse, disappointed, but knowing that soon, their turn would come. Loam went to the cricket and got the map and a mike and headset to be able to communicate with homebase, and began studying the map. Seeing the great distance he had to go to the back door, (the point of entry), he began right away. He finally made it to the door, and inched his way under the sill. He had to squeeze and suck in, and think skinny, but he finally made it. He didn't see any humans, but he did see some light. He consulted the house plan and realized that the light must be coming from under the bathroom door. He stopped to catch his breath and to think of a plan. Worms have very little brains and so he had only been able to concentrate on getting there, up to this point. He still hadn't come up with a plan, when the door opened. "Oh no," he thought. He lifted his head, and then braced himself. A large human foot was right above him. He screamed into the headset. The foot came down, and he felt his belly contract. "Ow, oh, ow, oh, ow," he moaned into the headset. "What's wrong? Come in, Loam," he heard the urgent voice of the cricket. "Oh, I have just been stepped on...wait, she is turning around! I think she might be coming back to finish the job!" The panic in Loam's voice was unmistakable. How could this be happening? How had the scaredy-cat become so brave as to take a bug's life with her bare feet?? As Loam looked at her in horror, she looked back and the same horror was reflected on her face. She shrieked and began shaking, and Loam's heart went back to where it should be in his body. Breathing hard with relief and giddiness, Loam told of his victory in the mike. "Now, you must get back out here before the boys wake up!" The cricket warned in his ear. Loam, confused by his pain however, began inching in the wrong direction. Linnie, on her guard, was listening for other human sounds in the house. Keeping an eye on the worm, she soon heard a brother get up. "Rusty, please, will you take that earthworm outside? I stepped on it and it was really gross!" Rusty said ok, and picking up Loam, took him to the front door and threw him out. "Ow ow ow ow," Loam cried. "Oh, he threw me into unfamiliar territory. I don't know where I am!" Cricket asked for Loam's surroundings, and realizing that he was in the far north, gave him instructions for another earthworm clan's location where he could rest and recuperate.

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