It was Friday afternoon recess, time for the boys to destroy something, whether part of the school, or some innocent creature. And Sally, or Miss Flint, as she was known to the children, was off for the umpteenth time to rescue whatever needed saving.
Today the boys had cornered a large praying mantis. On glimpsing it, she gasped, impressed at its size. Unlike the other teachers who watched with dread, she happily picked up the creature and let it crawl up her arm. “Everyone come here. You have to see this!”
The boys moaned in defeat, but the little fourth-graders all crowded around, wide-eyed.
“What is that, Miss Flint?”
“That, Callie, is a praying mantis, one of the largest bugs we have around here. In many cases it's a beneficial insect, meaning it helps us. Like a spider, praying mantises often eat bad bugs.”
“It's huge,” mumbled a boy.
“Sure is.”
“Does it bite?” a girl asked nervously.
“Not at all. Look at him carefully.”
The mantis sat patiently as the children examined it, only flying off when everyone had had their chance. Longingly, Sally followed it with her eyes until it disappeared into the treetops. “I'm telling you boys,” she said, turning back to the children with irritation. “The next time I find you torturing something, I'm sending every one of you to the principal. Everything deserves to live. Now, show's over. Everyone inside.”
Reluctantly, Sally trailed after the complaining children.
“Thank you, Sally.”
The teacher froze, glancing up in shock. A woman stood before her, bedecked in strange goddess-like attire.
Feverishly, she looked around the playground. This woman had definitely not been here seconds ago. “Uh, you're welcome?” she stuttered, wondering if she should call security. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, but it simply disappeared. “Hey, my–”
“Oh, don't worry. Your little gadget is safe.” The woman now displayed it in her outstretched palm. “You just don't need it. Trust me, I'm harmless. Well, to you, I am.” Sally missed the dark look that floated over the woman's face as she returned the phone.
Sally did not put it back in her pocket, however. She kept it grasped tightly in her shaking hand. “Can I help you?”
“I'd like to thank you for coming to the aid of my creatures.”
She wondered if the woman was an escapee from the institution several blocks away. But most normal people could not perform whatever type of sleight-of-hand that she had...
“I'm Mother Nature.”
Gaping at the woman, Sally mouthed, “Right, okay...” The institution idea was looking better by the moment.
“And, to thank you, since you seem so impressed with my little mantis there...”
Again, Sally gazed off towards where the mantis had flown to. “Yes, I've always loved them. I've always found insects fascinating, especially the praying mantises.”
“Would you like to be one?”
This outlandish question took Sally so by surprise that she could not respond.
“Oh, I know you secretly have wondered what that's like. I'm willing to offer you that chance to thank you.”
The way the woman was peering at her, more like through her, she could almost believe it was possible. “Uh...”
“Yes, it's possible, no, I won't let it be painful, and yes, I'll turn you back to a human after...If you really want that. It's so dreary, but...well, your choice...”
Sally continued to gape.
“Think on it, Sally. Your decision. Finish up with your little evil darlings here, and I'll visit you when you get home.”
The woman vanished, and Sally cried out sharply. “Did anyone see that?” she yelped, but everyone else had gone inside a while ago.
The rest of the school day was a blur. Sally's mind ran rampant. The woman had disappeared into thin air, she had performed the phone 'trick', and she had claimed she was Mother Nature. Then she had offered to turn her into a bug. The whole idea of transformation was quite enticing to Sally, but as a fantasy-world event. Actually having it happen to her, if it was even possible... just seemed scary.
And could she trust this woman? If the woman could transform her, what if she left her that way?
Well, there were worse fates in life...
“Yes, it's possible.”
Sally had been standing alone in her yard, staring into the woods. She flipped around to see the goddess-woman behind her, who suddenly fell to the ground as a chipmunk. It sat up on its hind legs. “Like me like this?” it asked in the woman's voice.
Legs tottering, Sally lowered herself to the ground until she was at eye level with the animal. “That's...you,” she did not phrase this as a question.
The chipmunk nodded. “Yes, it's me.”
“You're...cute,” Sally stuttered, as the chipmunk grew back into a woman, who blushed.
“Yes, I'll admit, I'm cute as a little guy like that. But, that was just to make my point. I can do that to you if you wish it.”
“A chipmunk?”
“Well, yes, but it sounded like the mantis was far more interesting to you.”
The woman was right, and she was not sure why. It wasn't like it wouldn't be fun being a small furry rodent, but being an large insect, exoskeleton and all...that was much more interesting.
“Just what I thought. You ready?”
Ready? She wasn't even sure she wanted this. It was possible. She had seen it with her own eyes. But...
“You'll love it. I promise. If you don't like that form, I'll be happy to change you to another one of your choosing. Even, if you're really adventurous, to something inanimate. A rock, or what have you.”
Was she really considering this? But an excitement was welling up within her...she wanted this. Deep down, she almost needed it.
“But I'll eat your bugs!” she suddenly realized. “That's killing!”
“My dear, I appreciate that. I do. But that's nature, as they say. It's not malicious, it's simply the food chain, sad as it seems to you. And I know, thanks to your squirrel-killing neighbor, that you have a mosquito problem right here in your yard, due to the pool he never takes care of.”
“My neighbor kills squirrels?”
“With his car. Don't worry. I have great plans in store for him.”
Sally shuddered.
“I'll look the other way if you want to focus on the mosquitoes. They'll be quite tasty morsels for you, anyway. Yes, they're my babies too, but I was trying to control them by your house, and they ignored me and bit you anyway. So I'm not too happy with that particular swarm.”
“Do you watch over me or something?”
The woman chuckled. “Well, not like a guardian angel or whatever. But I am very aware when people are good to my children. And doubly aware when they are bad, believe me.”
Sally gulped. “I'll try not to eat anything.”
“Oh, my dear, you won't be able to resist after a while. A mantis is a mantis. Come here, take a deep breath, and let me work on you.”
The frightened teacher stepped toward the woman, and an unearthly calm filled her. Transforming would be a lovely experience, as would the events following. Somehow, Mother Nature had assured her this without a word spoken.
As she felt a sharp drop in her height, she gasped. This really and truly was happening.
“I'll make it as nice as I can for you. Enjoy,” the woman murmured, as feelings of well-being and pleasure radiated through Sally's changing body. She watched in fascination as her legs and arms thinned out and another set of legs grew from her middle. She was shrinking so fast that her head swam, or perhaps it felt that way because of her sprouting antennae. Her brown eyes growing into bulbous compound ones did not help matters either.
Even the odd spine-like growths emerging from what were now her forelegs did not match the bizarreness of the green exoskeleton that was hardening all around her insect body. She was balancing on her two back rows of spindly legs, her forelegs held out in 'praying' position, and she simply swayed back and forth as her body finished transforming.
“Lovely. Just lovely!” Mother Nature called from far above as she surveyed her handiwork.
Sally was too shocked to attempt a response.
“You're done, Sally! You're a bug! Like it?”
Sally tried to look up at her, but the images from her insect eyes were simply overwhelming.
“You'll get used to the compound eyes. They're quite useful, you know. Oh, and don't worry. Obviously you can't talk, being a bug and all, but I can hear your thoughts. I love that. Especially when I change someone as punishment. The 'help me's' and 'what have you done to me's' are just...fun.”
Flipping her forelegs back and forth, Sally emitted , I can't believe this is happening, in her mind.
Mother Nature beamed. “You're happy?”
Sally twisted her head far around and twitched her antennae. This is amazing! Can I fly? She flapped her wings experimentally.
“Well, yes, but not for great distances.”
With that, Sally rose, landing clumsily in the lower branches of a nearby tree.
“Fun?” Mother Nature appeared beside her, bobbing in the air at eye level with the new insect.
Oh, yes! Sally flew once more, further this time. After several more flights, she grew tired and alighted on her raspberry plants. Mother Nature quickly joined her.
“Hungry yet?”
Oh, I'm not going to eat anything. I won't do that to you.
“Sally, you're an insect now. It's expected of you.”
At that moment, a mosquito buzzed by, and as much as Sally did not like to admit, it seemed slightly...tempting.
“My dear, after a few days, you'll need to eat.”
How long can I stay like this?
“As long as you'd like!”
Momentarily, Sally played with the idea of remaining this way forever. She had no idea how long she would live, but perhaps Mother Nature could work something out with her. She loved how she felt in this strong predator-insect body, and she could fly, and not too many things ate praying mantises, as far as she knew...
But on Monday her students would be looking for her.
“Yes, you'd like to be back for work on Monday. Well, see how the weekend goes. You don't have to make any decisions yet.”
Sally fell asleep as she was so worn out from the flying. Hours later, when she stirred, she felt odd and stiff.
“Sally, don't forget I turned you into a praying mantis!” said a gentle voice.
Her insect eyes finally managed to focus on Mother Nature, who hovered nearby. She was about as big as Sally herself right now, and vaguely reminded her of a pixie or fairy.
“Good sleep, huh? Nothing bothers you as a sleeping bug. No human cares, right?”
It was true, she had slept a sleep so deep she had not experienced anything like it since she was a child. And as she fell deeper into the insect mind, her human life and cares seemed far off, almost non-existent.
And she was hungry.
“Eat, my child.”
Still, she refused to give in to her craving, and she ignored it as best as she could. This led to her noticing a different sensation – a peculiar tightening around her whole body. What's that? She asked nervously.
“You're going to shed your exoskeleton!” Mother Nature announced with satisfaction.
But I only just became a bug!
“You're growing, and I'm speeding things up a bit. I want you to experience all the amazing things my mantids go through. Go ahead, follow your bug instincts. Push out of your old skin!”
But Sally was already letting her bug body do what it was supposed to. She clung to a twig with her back legs and hung down, twisting and turning until she slid from the old skin – almost like pulling my hand from a glove, she thought with amusement.
She jumped down to another twig and held tight and still.
“That's good. Let your new skin harden. Good girl.”
The hardening did feel good, and soon she was once again encompassed in her protective 'shell'.
But now her hunger was almost unbearable, and when the next mosquito chanced by, she was after it without even thinking. She pounced, clasping the struggling creature in her front forelegs. She crunched into it, ripping at it and chewing, and it tasted wonderfully...
Oh, God! What am I doing? She jumped back in horror, dropping her half-eaten meal.
“What comes naturally, Sally. Now get yourself another one and eat. Maybe you'll even molt again soon!”
Sally caught a whole string of mosquitoes and was quite sated.
The night provided Sally with another restful slumber, and she was awake and ravenous at sunup.
“Go hunt, my love. Enjoy your Saturday!”
But Sally had no interest in Saturdays. Something had happened to her overnight; her human life was now furthest from her mind. She was still aware of who and what she was, but it didn't really matter.
What mattered most right now was a good meal.
She perched on her raspberry plants, motionless. She was not cognizant of the time passing, or how much even had. She was one with the raspberry stalk, appearing like one of the plastic bug figures that the boys would bring into class to scare people with.
There was a mosquito! Quickly, she devoured it without a flinch. It did not strike her at all curious that the only bugs coming near her were mosquitoes. When she happened on a cricket later in the day, there was enough humanity buried in the insect body of hers that she did not pounce on it.
The rest of the afternoon was a wonderful blur of sailing through the air, lounging motionlessly on branches, and savoring her frequent meals. Mother Nature checked in on her from time to time, but she was often too deep into her activities to notice.
She slept another night, and was welcomed the next morning with a rain shower. The light drops made a clicking sound against her body, and it felt good to be cleansed by the rains.
When the sun came out from the clouds, Sally caught a particularly juicy mosquito, and was happily munching on it when Mother Nature, in the form of a seagull, alighted above her.
“Oh, Sally, you have a gentleman caller, I see.”
A what? Sally snapped her head around the full 180 degrees it could go to view a smaller brown version of herself approaching. It was a male.
Oh...oh, I don't think I want...
“Let him, Sally.”
But...
“I promised you would experience all the lovely things my mantids go through. Wipe the humanity from your mind and just be the bug you are. He will provide you with much pleasure.”
Sally did not have much time to ponder if Mother Nature had purposely brought the male to her before she fell even deeper into the insect psyche. As before, her mind was still present, but her humanity was quite buried, and now she craved the male's advances.
As he held her in a strangely loving embrace, Mother Nature was proven quite correct. She had never had a better time than this.
As Sally emerged from her happy fog, the male backed off, and a horrible thought ripped her back from her insect urges. Don't female mantises eat their mates?
“Depends,” said Mother Nature, now in human form. She waved away the male. “I'd appreciate it if you don't.”
I'd never!
Mother Nature smiled. “Well, that's a mixture of your humanity plus me keeping you from it.”
While Sally watched the male creep off, she began to experience a new, different urge building up inside of her. Why do I feel like this now?
Mother Nature smiled, settling back against the tree. “Last thing. Laying your eggs.”
We just mated two seconds ago! That's impossible! Sally shook her head vehemently. And I don't have time! I have school tomorrow! I can't...
Mother Nature gently patted Sally's head. “That's what I figured. You still want to go back. But don't worry. I'm speeding up the whole process for you. Pretty soon you'll be laying them.”
But...but... I can't take care of them!
“They take care of themselves.”
You can really make it happen that quick? I'm seriously starting to feel pressure...What do I do? I don't know what to do!
In the most soothing voice possible, Mother Nature whispered, “Let your body take over again,” and from then on, the mantis was completely in control. Sally found herself climbing into the fork of a tree where she was well-camouflaged. Time ticked by, and her body was doing things known only to Mother Nature herself. And soon she was laying her eggs, as if she had done this hundreds of times before.
The task of creating and laying the eggs with their eggcase took several hours. Sally, her mind now more clear, stood over her work, guarding it with her life.
Mother Nature chuckled. “Are you going to protect your ootheca forever, or were your going to go back to work tomorrow? I need to know.”
My what?
“Ootheca. Your egg sac. Your babies won't hatch until spring. The female usually dies a few weeks after laying her eggs. Of course, if you'd like to remain in insect form, we can work around the whole death thing.”
Sally stepped back from her eggs. Thoughts of her human life were now flooding into her head. But these were her babies! She had no children of her own, but now she did... Can you watch them for me? she asked hesitantly.
“We both can!” Mother Nature smiled.
Oh, I intend to. I'll check on them every day! And when they come out–
“When they come out, they will make their way in the world just like all baby mantids do. They don't have parents to guide them. Ever. Even you couldn't help them. But you can guard their egg sac.”
Sally nodded her head sadly. But again, this was nature, and she was not a bug. At least, she could watch her babies hatch and grow!
“You did a great job on this sac. Perfect protection against the elements for your babies. Now, it's getting dark, so I guess it's about time for your humanity to be restored.”
The mantis glanced up at the darkening sky. The sunset was vividly colored, like ones of the late fall often are. Let me fly one more time, she requested, and she soared once more.
Winter was long and bleak, but Sally's days as a newly-restored human were rosy and full of anticipation. She checked on her egg sac every day, brushing away any leaves or snow that fell on it. And one warm spring day, she came out to find what seemed like hundreds of mantid nymphs swarming the bush. She threw up her hands in delight. “Oh! My babies! Run! Eat! Fly! Oh, I wish I could be with you all!”
Mother Nature was beside her quite suddenly, giving Sally a start. “I don't suggest that. If you were a mantis right now, you might eat them inadvertently. You'd never be able to live with that guilt.”
Sally's excitement was tempered a bit. “I'm just...so proud. I seriously have this maternal feeling towards them. I want them to be the best little mantises they can be!”
With a grin, Mother Nature patted her on the back. “I'll take care of them. You keep doing what you're doing. Teach the children to love and understand nature, not fear it.”
“I will.”
When Sally saved a box turtle from the children's clutches only weeks later, she was not surprised to be paid another visit.
“Wanna be one?” Mother Nature offered mischievously.
Sally had only to nod. After all, who could resist?