Page 344 - Demo

344shrapnel that exploded from each strike on the ground. He made it and sheltered beside her beneath the overhanging rock. She turned to welcome him, tapping out a few thoughts of comfort, %u201cWell done. Fear is less when beside a sister.%u201dHe tapped back, %u201cA worm is coming up. We need to muster others to attack and kill it. Food for a week if we do.%u201d%u201cOkay,%u201d the sister said. %u201cWait here and watch for it emerging. I%u2019ll go home and return with soldiers%u2014many of them.%u201dHe stood admiring her bravery as she ran out into the furious storm and headed back to their home. Close by, he watched the earth opening and saw the tip of the huge worm rising up from the water saturated ground.Suddenly, it stopped; the rain ceased. Silence. He turned to check. The worm was nearly out. God. The soldiers needed to come fast. With the rain stopped, their one-week meal will go back down. Maybe, he could delay it. He ran towards it, ran up its back, and bit it hard. The monster felt it, wriggling and squirming violently to try and shake him off. He hung on valiantly, even when his body lost grip and he hung from the mouth alone.He would not let go despite the agony in his strained neck. As long as he bit the worm, giving it pain, the monster was more bent on loosening him than returning to the depths below. He prayed the soldiers would come soon. He feared he could hold on no more, but hold he did, so determined to save the nest or die with a broken neck in the attempt.A sound%u2014the noise of a thousand feet stamping in formation, growing louder: the soldiers! They%u2019re coming. He still hung on and refused to release the monster until his soldier sisters were engulfing it. Without a single soldier hesitating, the troop engulfed the monster and bit into the beast. He let go and fell to the ground, exhausted. War