That Popping Sound
By Doug McIntire
The natives here call them wicga. They are an insect that resembles the earwigs of Old Terra with their long, flat bodies and abdominal pinchers, though they are much larger, being the size of a large sewer rat. Unlike the Earth variety, these alien earwigs are carnivorous and aggressive, attacking small animals, including infants and young children. Their exoskeleton is tough. They use their pinchers for both holding their prey and stinging, whipping their tail up reminiscent of a scorpion. But just like the Earth variety, that popping sound you hear when you step on one means you’ve killed it.
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Doug McIntire is a central Texas author of speculative fiction. He has been published here in Weirdyear, in Six Sentences, Sex and Murder, AlienSkin Magazine, The Drabbler, and The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine. When he’s not writing, he enjoys riding his motorcycle and spending time with his wife and two children. You can find out about him and his writing at www.DougMcIntire.com.
By Doug McIntire
The natives here call them wicga. They are an insect that resembles the earwigs of Old Terra with their long, flat bodies and abdominal pinchers, though they are much larger, being the size of a large sewer rat. Unlike the Earth variety, these alien earwigs are carnivorous and aggressive, attacking small animals, including infants and young children. Their exoskeleton is tough. They use their pinchers for both holding their prey and stinging, whipping their tail up reminiscent of a scorpion. But just like the Earth variety, that popping sound you hear when you step on one means you’ve killed it.
- - -
Doug McIntire is a central Texas author of speculative fiction. He has been published here in Weirdyear, in Six Sentences, Sex and Murder, AlienSkin Magazine, The Drabbler, and The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine. When he’s not writing, he enjoys riding his motorcycle and spending time with his wife and two children. You can find out about him and his writing at www.DougMcIntire.com.
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