Bug Off
As Aaron tried desperately to come to terms with his transformation into an ordinary fly, a scaly visitor crawled down the wall near the showers. Using its claws to grasp the rough walls, the Eastern fence lizard crawled down the vertical surface, slowly, step by step, deliberately scanning for prey the lizard hoped to ambush.
The lizard had a body about three inches long with a tail that contributed another three inches to the total length of the reptile. From the perspective of a puny fly, the small lizard looked more than 70 feet long, more like a dragon or extinct dinosaur.
As the lizard approached the floor, it noticed the twitchy movements of a fly perched atop an overturned shoe. The lizard froze, one limb lifted in the air, and focused all its attention on the potential morsel.
Aaron hadn't even detected the stealthy approach of the reptile as he kept busy going over details of a plan that so far consisted of flying back to the campsite and attempting to communicate his dire situation to a father who was extremely averse to all bugs. Despite the glaring defects in his plan, Aaron refused to face the plain facts. For a tiny insect, the entire world represented an existential threat.
The lizard monitored every movement as the fly rotated its position, twitched an antennae, and made its wings flick over its body. Moving farther down the wall, it prepared to get within range of an ambush strike.
Meanwhile, the teenager, distressed at finding himself in insect form, hadn't even noticed the lurking shadow creeping down the wall.
He clung to the notion of his Dad putting everything right. "That's the best plan," Aaron told himself, unrealistically certain that he could get his Dad to see the real him even through the guise of the fly body.
Aaron moved his new wings and lifted off the shoe. He hadn't flown far when he heard a strange rustling. Turning, he saw the giant reptile, jaws open wide, hurtling toward him.
"No!" Aaron exclaimed as the lizard's jaws closed on his puny fly body. "Stop! Wait! I'm not a real bug!"
The lizard lifted its front legs and pushed the struggling fly deeper into its mouth.
"No!" Aaron continued to scream. "Help me!"
The lizard's throat muscles contacted as it pulled the prey down into its stomach.
Aaron felt the walls of the stomach tighten and press against him, buckling his wings. He whimpered and tried to come up with some plan of reversing the calamity.
Outside, Aaron heard the sound of footsteps on the heavy tiles. "Who's there?" Aaron screamed weakly. "Someone! Help me!"
The feeble protests of a swallowed fly didn't even register to the human entering the campground bathroom.
The giant individual's movements did register with the cautious lizard, which scurried into a crack in the wall as Aaron's dad entered the bathroom. The man never even noticed the tiny creature as it fled his huge, overwhelming presence, its stomach now full.
The lizard had a body about three inches long with a tail that contributed another three inches to the total length of the reptile. From the perspective of a puny fly, the small lizard looked more than 70 feet long, more like a dragon or extinct dinosaur.
As the lizard approached the floor, it noticed the twitchy movements of a fly perched atop an overturned shoe. The lizard froze, one limb lifted in the air, and focused all its attention on the potential morsel.
Aaron hadn't even detected the stealthy approach of the reptile as he kept busy going over details of a plan that so far consisted of flying back to the campsite and attempting to communicate his dire situation to a father who was extremely averse to all bugs. Despite the glaring defects in his plan, Aaron refused to face the plain facts. For a tiny insect, the entire world represented an existential threat.
The lizard monitored every movement as the fly rotated its position, twitched an antennae, and made its wings flick over its body. Moving farther down the wall, it prepared to get within range of an ambush strike.
Meanwhile, the teenager, distressed at finding himself in insect form, hadn't even noticed the lurking shadow creeping down the wall.
He clung to the notion of his Dad putting everything right. "That's the best plan," Aaron told himself, unrealistically certain that he could get his Dad to see the real him even through the guise of the fly body.
Aaron moved his new wings and lifted off the shoe. He hadn't flown far when he heard a strange rustling. Turning, he saw the giant reptile, jaws open wide, hurtling toward him.
"No!" Aaron exclaimed as the lizard's jaws closed on his puny fly body. "Stop! Wait! I'm not a real bug!"
The lizard lifted its front legs and pushed the struggling fly deeper into its mouth.
"No!" Aaron continued to scream. "Help me!"
The lizard's throat muscles contacted as it pulled the prey down into its stomach.
Aaron felt the walls of the stomach tighten and press against him, buckling his wings. He whimpered and tried to come up with some plan of reversing the calamity.
Outside, Aaron heard the sound of footsteps on the heavy tiles. "Who's there?" Aaron screamed weakly. "Someone! Help me!"
The feeble protests of a swallowed fly didn't even register to the human entering the campground bathroom.
The giant individual's movements did register with the cautious lizard, which scurried into a crack in the wall as Aaron's dad entered the bathroom. The man never even noticed the tiny creature as it fled his huge, overwhelming presence, its stomach now full.
