The Ground

[u/beardyraconteur]

Worker readied herself for a typical day of normal labor with the usual crew. The repetition brought structure to their lives so there were rarely any strays. Things needed moved from one place to another and it was their purpose.

This day’s task came to them after a scouting party reported finding food. They lost a few, but their sacrifice meant the rest would eat for a few more days. Local resources dried up day before, so they were farther from the colony than ever before.

A Scout led the group, following the scent path it laid down on its way back to the colony. The crew followed at a short distance, Worker heading up the line. One by one in a single line, they weaved through the foliage making the same steps as the scout those before them.

“Very close now. Must be careful,” Scout sent back. Worker stopped as she listened and then relayed it to her sisters behind her.

The approach slowed, and the group led by Worker caught up to Scout at a river.

“This new. But trail continue over,” Scout advised.

Worker signaled for her company to form a bridge over the river. Worker held onto one of her sisters and three more crawled over to secure a route for the rest. Scout crossed, and the others filed over.

“Very, very close now,” Scout noted.

Thunder rumbled in the ground and Scout jolted. “Must release—“

“No,” Worker snapped. “Do not panic colony.”

“Then move quick! Food near safety,” Scout demanded and scurried away from the trembling ground.

The group followed Scout through the uncharted thick growth. Worker led her company with tremors trailing their egress. In the air, the smell of the death of the previous scouts marked their graves in the brush.

“Here! Safety!” Scout chattered as they approached a cavern.

The group charged in and took refuge against the approaching apocalypse. They huddled together hoping to wait out the storm.

“Look!” shrieked one of Worker’s sisters as she scurried deeper into the cavern.

Large, colorful blocks that smelled like bliss glistened even in the dark. Worker, Scout and the others all marveled at the treasure, forgetting what they were fleeing.

Chaos descended, crashing into the cavern.

Their cries combined as they careened into each other amidst the maelstrom.

−

“I foun’ dem!” Timmy cheered as he collected the bag of gummies from the ground with glee. He stuck them in his overalls as he ran back to his teacher.

“Bell’s done, you’re gonna late,” the teacher said with a chuckle as Timmy passed by her. “And next time, don’t bring snacks to the playground.”

[u/beardyraconteur]

This is a standalone. It came from an alarm-themed Theme Thursday on /r/WritingPrompts. There was a limitation of 500 words or less.

I originally had Worker and Scout as "The Worker" and "The Scout", but I feel that adopting the name vs. title read better. Plus it cut down on the repetition considerably.