The Journey of a Sophisticated Beetle

A Story by Mikel

A small black beetle shares his thoughts through a wide range of vocabulary.

Matthew Lucas O'Brien

Original Day Written

12/6/11

Date Typed and Edited

6/17/12

9/6/15

The Journey of a Sophisticated Beetle

Hello, Hello there I am Mr. Black. I am a Pterostickus Melanarius, or for you vernacular folk, a common black ground beetle. Yes I am just a common beetle but have you ever thought about me? In reality I am not so common, you see I like to enhance my language. Some would say I am recondite or even soporific. Some call me eccentric but I believe them to be ludicrous. Anyway enough about myself, let me delineate my story to you and not squander your time with any more extraneous hiatus.

I was in a structure where many humans gather for reasons I do not comprehend. As the older human walked in conspicuously and quelled the chatter, the expression on the younger human's faces changed to a nonchalant one. I was hiding under a metal box watching the humans and I thought that I was discreet. I was mostly anyway, one human spotted me. He studied me as I studied him. I started to walk where he was seated. I wasn't to far way and it should not take me to long to reach him. On my way there I was almost obliterated by a glutton who put his foot down right in front of me as if I were just a trivial nuisance. Once I got by that human I continued on to the one that I studied. On my way I found another hindrance in my way. At first it seemed insuperable. It was a large stack of the blocks that the humans in this building carried. I found it was not as hard to climb as I originally thought. I touted to myself on my debunking of this situation. I had finally arrived at my destination and walked around his colossal foot for awhile and then sensed something. I walked into the area between the seats that the humans were sitting in and looked back at my new found friend to try to say that I'd be back. But the look on his face wasn't the interested appearance he had before, he now had a horrified look. I pondered for a second when my thoughts where interrupted by a nefariously strident noise. I was dazed but regained my vision to see all the humans rise and start to approach me. I turned to my friend but I had been betrayed, he was gone. I scrambled to avoid the feet, it was complete anarchy, nobody had the decency to look out for me. As I avoided one foot another came up and I gazed up at it as it descended toward me. I thought to myself. It is imminent, my future. I stood my ground and once again thought, the one thing I was good at. Here is where I die, in this building for humans and not for my kind. We are unwelcome and unwanted. Hated even. I thought to myself, was it my friend who induced this? Or was that horrified look a warning signal that I was to gullible to understand. Or is every word I say, every thought I think, and every action I do just pretentious? Yes it must be. Because who would care if they stepped on me, worthless little me, effaced from the Earth. Humans are just greedy and avarice creatures who take no consideration to that they are not the only life that lives on this fruitful planet. Here it comes.

My last thought. Maybe this shouldn't be a moment of despair, but a moment for curiosity. The question everybody would wants to know. Now in only a few seconds I will have more knowledge then any living creature. This thought excited me and I will learn the answer soon. Will I see the incandescent lights of Heaven or the conflagration of Hell or will I just be enclosed in perpetual darkness for eternity.