Spectrum: Book 1

Chapter 5: I like breakfast

These are three things I like about eating bugs. It's fun to eat them. It's fun because they hide and you can find them. My second reason is that you can eat a lot of them. You can eat ants, you can eat worms, you can eat grasshopers, you can eat everything. My third reason is that there's lots of them everywhere. You can find lots of bugs under rocks, on trees, in grass, and where you sleep. My favorite bug to eat is termites. They're my favorite because there's lots of them like ants but taste better. They can taste like carrots, mints, nuts, and pinnapples. I love termites.

One time I was so hungry I almost ate a moth. I don't like moths or spiders or flies because they taste weird. And then I saw the biggest praiing mantis ever. It was as big as both of my hands. It was very white with yellow spots and black eyes, and it was really really spikey. It was dancing a lot until I looked at it very close, and then it turned around. I thought it was trying to point at something but black worms came out of it's butt. The worms scared me because I didn't know praiing mantis's have worms inside them. But what was scaryer was that the worms followed my face everywhere I looked at the mantis. I wanted to take them out of the praiing mantis, but the worms touched my hand and copyed my hand and fingers. It was very slimy and cold. When I let go, the worms still looked like my hand, then they went back into the mantis's butt.

I think I know what the mantis wanted after I touched the black worms. The worms wanted to help the mantis and the mantis wanted to help me. I didn't know until the mantis flyed on my shoulder and pointed at something. It was as big as my face and it was really really cool. I kept going where it pointed all day until I found a huge termite nest! Every termite nest I found was in trees or underground, but this one was outside and looked like a lot of pointy rocks with holes. And then the praiing mantis flyed off my shoulder and I thanked it. I leaned on a rock to see the termites closer and...

It crushed the Ephora temple... just by leaning on it.

That temple was the first to have been built here.

How dare you! The elderly spoke endlessly about it!

Refugees built Tilren, that temple resembled our freedom!

I gotta stop paying attention to it, this kid needs me.
Keep calm, Lucas, you'll be with your parents soon.
(Shit! This is why I needed my wand!) I told myself.
I'll get you out of this debris, I swear!


Wha... what's that rumbling? Ephora, please no...
N-n-no! Hey! Look at me, just look at me!!!
I'll lift more and you just keep pulling, kid! I know it hurts.
ACK! D-don't look at the light, just look at me, Lucas!!!


We gotta keep our eyes closed, it should block the light!
I can feel you loosening, just keep pulling! Ouch!
(Stronger rumbling, more flying rocks. I-i-it's close) PULL, LUCAS!
YES! YES! NONONONONONO! Keep your eyes closed! (I should cover mine)


I gotcha! Now hold tight! (Shit! It'll step on us!)
(I-i-i can't outrun a f-f-fucking Djinn! While blind?! I could-)



*WHAMMM!*



ooowww...whathefu... wait...Lucas! Are you ok?! Damnit, the light! (Keep those eyes closed!)
(Please, Ephora, help me save Lucas!)



*SLAM!*



Finally! We've made it, Lucas! We're safe! (Thank you, Ephora.)
I know Lucas, we'll find your parents soon.
(We didn't even check before barging in.)
Potted plants everywhere, shelves stacked with colorful flasks, a mixing table... wait, an alchemy shop?


First, let's take care of that scar I gave ya.
Alchemists have everything. Except organization. (Damn know-it-alls.)
Did you take that subject yet, Lucas? I can't remember that last ingredient.
Alright! I'll wrap this around your head and...


Lucas... wha... what's in your eye? (No. Nooo. Nooooo. Ephora, why...?)
(That's why he was so scared.) I know. I know Lucas. I will-
(Why Ephora, why...)
I will find them, Lucas. I promise I will come back with them.


Is that what you're saying, Ephora? That I'm useless?
First, I lost my wand. Then I nearly died trying to save a kid who was already infected.
I shouldn't have left him. He'll be alone when he...
I'm so fucking useless.


Is that... no!
Did they see me? I can hear them coming! (Ephora, not like this. Please, just another chance.)
Wait, that's... the Magic Guard and the Brotherhood!
Julien?! Fiza?! Thank Ephora you're ok! Wait, survivor camps? Many people survived?!


I would love to help, but Lucas shouldn't be alone.
Are they actually dead? Isn't it possible to save them?
N-no? Then what's the point?! This is hopeless!
I'm sorry. If you guys didn't give up, then neither should I.


Damn, I didn't realize how badly Tilren got hit. Looking like a starving hurricane visited.
Julien, you're sure the shelters are safe?
What's that Fiza? Wait- you found a wand?!
What element is it? Earth? Well, no. But it'll do.


What do you see, Meng? Survivors? Really?! Then let's go!
Shit, infected are chasing them! Julien! We can handle them.
You guys just get the survivors. Yes, I'm sure!
Me, nervous? Yeah, there's a lot. But I got your back!


OOO-RRAAWW! (These damn rocks are heavyyyyy!)
HHAA! Julien, duck! WUMPHH! Get behind me! (My body remembers, like riding a horse!)
Damn, too many! Julien! I said get behind- NNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!
Get away from him! (there's so much blood.) Get away from-