The Gathering

Sitting in my quite place in the forest, listening to the soft
spring breeze gently winding through the newly arrived leaves and I'm
thinking of nothing at all.

Looking down, I spied a bug that I have never seen before. It was quite
ugly and the song by Burl Ives "The ugly bug ball" scudded through my
mind.

I wondered then what would a bug do at a ball? Will they need to wrap
their legs around another to slow dance? Would there be a limit to how
many legs can be wrapped around a bug body? Would there be chaperones
to ensure a leg rule?

I decided to find out. I bent down to speak to him.

"Where are you off to? " I asked.
I heard a barely audible gasp.
"Why do ya want to know lass?" he said.
Somehow it didn't surprise me that he could speak. I was however,
surprised he was Irish!
"Just curious." I said
"Well, come with me then." He said.
"I don't think I will like it under a rock." I said.
"Ay, stereotyped again! See that clearing over there lass; that is
where we are gathering today." He said.
"Yes, are they all going to be as ugly as you?" I asked.
Something that resembled a tongue was stuck out in my general
direction.
"Speak fer yerself lass, we don't think such things." He said.
"Sorry, no offense meant." I said feeling duly chastised.
"Will ya come then?" He asked.
"Yes, I shall be delighted."
"Good, my name is Shamus by the by." He said.
That figures, I said to myself.
"Mine's Anne."

Off he scurried to the clearing. I followed behind being very careful
not to step on this delightful critter.

Once there, I found many bugs, all looking very much like Shamus.
"How can you tell each other a part, you all look alike?" I
asked.
I heard grumblings amongst the crowd. Shamus stood up.
"Now then, she is human isn't she? She has not seen the likes of us.
Tis innocent enough." He said. I felt like I had been saved from being
bitten by the whole lot of them.

"We don't go by appearances. We go by smell. That's the difference
between humans and us. Humans look at the surface only and use sprays
and such to cover up ya natural odor, masking that of which nature had
bestowed on ye." He said.

"I guess it's a cultural thing. Again, I meant no offense. It didn't
occur to me that I could offend you." I said.
"Ya didn't offend Lass, ya annoyed tis all."
Suddenly they were gathering in a circle around me.

"Sit ya arse down then." He said.
I was starting to become alarmed but did as I was told.
"What's going on?" I asked.

I didn't receive an answer. They started to dance around me and coming
ever closer. Several were at my feet and were starting to bite.

They were chanting something I could barely hear. It sounded
like??

Thrice around the human we go.
Tis our turn now to human we grow.
Human to bug and bug to human
Tis something we need, your albumin

Suddenly, I was back where I started from, startled to find myself
still alive.
After a few seconds I had realized I must have dozed off.

I looked down at the ground and spied a very ugly bug crawling on my
hand.

I squashed it and went home.