For some reason I struggled for days to think of something scary to meet this challenge. Hopefully this will work.

Worst Nightmare (William Bonilla’s Challenge)

It all started out with an itch on my arm

I scratched and scratched but it wouldn’t stop

As the spot began to swell, I could see a throbbing

It looked as though there was something moving beneath the surface

Curiously frightened I scratched harder

The more I scratched, the larger the lump

And the more active it became

From beneath the skin, I could now clearly see “something”

I tried to dig it out with my nails, scratching and tearing at my forearm

The fear within me was mounting

Now farther up my arm I was seeing

Smaller bumps beginning to come to life

I could literally feel my skin beginning to crawl

Frenzied, I had to find out what this was

I was losing my cool and I was starting to panic

How was I going to get this out of me!?

As fear eventually took over common sense

I grabbed my pocketknife and began to pick

I was going deep and it was hurting but not bleeding

Whatever it was, it was pushing to the surface wanting to be released

I gouged away at my arm and finally I could see something dark

Just another layer or so and I could see what this was

As I peeled back the final layers

A large cockroach dashed out from the slit in my skin

It was followed by another large roach and about a hundred small ones

Essentially paralyzed, I dug down deeper.  I found an empty egg sack

I also found another one ready to open

I plucked it from me in horror and flicked it to the ground

It was strange how, now, the slit was pushing up, looking like a little volcano

The top of my arm was covered with small moving bumps

One by one, an entire army of fire ants exited

Through the opening in my forearm

Once released, I noticed a couple of drops of blood

To my amazement, the gash in my arm was starting to close

Soon, there was no mark left at all

Frozen by fear, I gazed in panic and wondered…Are there more?

Sherry Gail Heim

October 29, 2004

Copyright © Sherry Gail Heim 2004