I stand there in front of my parents looking at the giant ant tied up so it can’t escape. I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know if this is really happening. Giant ants are basically the only way to travel around here besides foot. We can ride on mice, but they are hard to catch and we need to eat them. So, I’m standing here, my mouth partially open staring at this ant that is tied up and looking back at me. Surrounding it is a bunch of little ants that my mother keeps trying to get away from.
“Annie, aren’t you going to say something?” I hear Suzanne say next to me as she elbows my side lightly.
I start moving my mouth trying to say something, but no words come out. This time, Suzanne elbows me harder at the side and I let out a wince in pain. I shoot a deadly glare at her and she grins. I turn back to my parents and smile batting my eye lids, “T-thank y-you.” I stutter. “Thank you so much guys!” I yell out and start jumping around the room.
“Calm down Annie, calm down.” Suzanne says smiling and places her hand on my shoulder.
I stop jumping around and face her with a huge grin across my face. “You know what this means?” I ask her grabbing her shoulders and begin to shake here. “Do you know what this means?” I ask again jumping up and down a bit. “Do you know what this means?” I ask again, positive that she’s getting tired of me asking the same thing so I stop talking.
“No so just tell me! What, what does it mean? What does it mean?” She asks beginning to look dizzy. “Come on, tell me already, what does it mean?”
“It means I can ride this ant anywhere, and it probably means I’m allowed to leave the kingdom and visit other parts of the Kidogo territory!” I exclaim jumping around again.
This brings joy to Suzanne and she screams and begins to jump around with me. Her green eyes twinkle and she looks very happy. “Oh my gosh, this is so awesome, yay! I can finally show you around!”
I stop jumping and turn to my dad. He nods and I smile the biggest smile ever. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I yell running over to him and jump in his arms.
“Anything for my princess.” My father says putting me down and smiles.
“Now darling,” my mother begins, “it’s getting pretty late. Go up to you room and sleep. You can hang out with Suzanne tomorrow.”
I moan and walk over to my room. I can hear my parents say goodbye to Suzanne and she leaves.
I walk into my room and lie down on my bed made of some type of soft leaves and twigs. I watch the fire ball that we call the sun go down and the sky turns into a soft orange color. I close my eyes and eventually fall asleep.
“Up, up, up!” Someone yells, and that someone is obviously Suzanne. “Annie, get up now!”
I open my eyes and face her. I moan and turn around wanting to sleep more. It’s still dark out but I can see that the sky is beginning to light up and that the sun is beginning to rise. Of course, Suzanne is the only person I know who gets up before dawn.
“Annie, get up now!” she yells and I am then wacked in the face by a leaf pillow.
This immediately wakes me up. “Hey,” I yell sitting up. “You know I can throw you in the dungeon for doing that!”
“Yeah but you won’t because you care about me too much.” Suzanne says and grins.
I shake my head and sigh. “What do you want?” I then ask sliding off the bed.
“Okay, yesterday you got that ant, today we are going to ride it!” Suzanne says.
I sigh and shake my head. “I will have to tell my parents that and they are sleeping.
“Not anymore.” Suzanne says and smiles. “I came over and woke them up by knocking on the door over and over. They said we can go!” Suzanne squeaks and claps her hands.
I smile. “Yes, we can go!” I simply happily say and walk out of my room with Suzanne.
I see my parents with the ant setting it up so it will be safe to ride on. They look tired and exhausted so a glance at Suzanne and roll my eyes. We then walk up to my parents, well I’m skipping.
“Stay safe,” My father says looking down at me smiling once I reach him. I turn to my mother and she grabs me and wraps her arms around me giving me a tight hug.
I grin at them, take the ant with Suzanne and head on outside.
“This is going to be so much fun!” Suzanne yells out, spinning around while looking at the sky.
I laugh lightly and smile. “Yeah it is.” I say walking over to her tugging the ant forcing it to come over. The market is practically dead as no one but the guards and we are out. Markets don’t open till noon when the sun is high in the sky.
Suzanne grins and climbs on the ant after grabbing the leash that is tied to it. “Hop on,” she says. I climb on the ant in front on Suzanne though she still has the leash.
Suzanne knows how to ride on these because she joined a group of people to learn and now she’s an expert. She kicks the ant’s side and it starts running or walking quickly, whatever an ant does when it moves around. Because I know Suzanne is an expert, I don’t have to worry about anything because I know that we will return safe.
“Having fun yet?” Suzanne asks me and steers the ant to go right.
I nod. “Yeah, this is fun. What about you?” I then ask turning a bit to face her.
“Of course I’m having fun silly.” She says. There is a long pause of silence before she speaks again. “Whoa— um, we aren’t going the right way.”
“What do you mean?” I ask looking around.
“I mean, this doesn’t look like the town I was born and raised in.” Suzanne says.
Looking around, all I see are evaporated ponds, large rocks and pebbles and huge trees, but all trees are huge. All of a sudden, we are going pretty fast. “Suzanne, slow this thing down!” I yell.
“I’m trying, I’m trying.” She tells me and tugs on the two ropes. No use.
“What’s going on?” I ask sounding a bit frustrated and beginning to feel a bit scared. “Why isn’t this thing slowing down?”
“I don’t know! This stupid ant doesn’t want to slow down, gosh.” She says sounding frustrated. “Come on ant, slow down! Slow down!
I would never have thought that an ant can be so fast because they are usually so slow. I don’t even think they can run, but walk fast or whatever.
“Oh come on!” Suzanne screeches breaking me out of my thoughts.
“What is wrong this time?” I ask as we begin to slow down thankfully. I look up and the ant began to climb a steep large rock. Suzanne holds onto the leash tightly and I begin to fall back and then forced to lean on her. Suzanne tries to force down the ant, but again no luck.
As the ant continues to walk straight up, her hand slips on one of the ropes because her grip weakens. “Hold on!” Suzanne yells. Unfortunately, her hand releases and somehow I fall even more back.
I scream. Now I am holding onto Suzanne’s hand while I’m behind her trying not to fall all the way to the ground to my doom. What will my dad do to Suzanne if I fall? Well I don’t know; kill her! Lock her in the dungeon and the list can go on forever. My grasp around her hand loosens. I scream again as I fall down a bit more. “Suzanne, I’m going to fall!” I call out. I look down. It’s a long way down. Then I realize it— the ant stopped moving. It’s just standing at the side of the rock without moving. “Suzanne help, I’m going to fall!” I call out once more.
Suzanne’s grip around my hand tightens, but she makes no effort in pulling me up. “Don’t worry.” She says. “You won’t fall. Trust me, you won’t.”
My hand slips out of hers and I scream. “Suzanne, I’m falling!” I yell. She looks down at me in fear. Now holding on to the tips of my fingers with one hand and holding onto the ropes with the other, she struggles to pull me up. Over the next minute or so I’m holding onto her.
“Come on Annie, you not going to fall. Just stay strong, I’ll get us out of here.” Suzanne says.
It’s all ready too late. My fingers slide out of her hand and I fall. A scream escapes my lips and the same with Suzanne. “Suzanne!” I call out.
“Annie!” She screams. As I’m falling, I see the ant begin to move forward.
Suzanne turns around and the ant takes off with Suzanne on it. And that is when everything turns black.
I don’t know how long I was out, but I know that I was out for quite awhile. The fall didn’t kill me, but knocked me out pretty bad.
By the time I open my eyes, the sun is high in the sky beating down on me and its noon already. Where’s Suzanne? I think to myself looking around. Then I remember: the ant took off with her on it, so she basically ditched me. Stupid Suzanne, some friend she is leaving me alone all by myself. I’m lost and don’t know how to get back. That’s right…I’m lost. I don’t know how to get back, and maybe I never will. I’m alone in the middle of nowhere. I’m hungry, thirsty and my head hurts.
I get up and decide to find my own way back home, or at least explore. I have no idea if I’m still in the Kidogo territory or on another tribe’s territory. I have no clue so I must be careful.
Walking around, I see a large thing in the distance. It looks like a house with basically the same outside details of the houses Kidogos make out of mud. Maybe I have wandered onto another tribe… I think to myself. Maybe they can help me! I then think excitedly. Maybe I actually have a chance of getting home!
I run over to the house in the distance. I then realize that it is too big to be a part of another tribe. The biggest tribe is Kuua and they are seven inches tall maximum. Pretty much all the tribes are the same height. Still, I look over at it.
Hiding behind a tree, I begin to hear noises and screams and playful yelling. Slowly I lie down and craw hidden in the grass to see who or what it is.
And now staring at these giant creatures my heart stops. I am terrified and don’t know what to do.
What are these things? I ask myself and scream.