Eaten By Ants - Part 1

no one saw it coming they never do the phone poles were giving off sparks dogs began to howl birds flocked to the sky A Plymouth hubcap of immense proportions quivered and droned in the air over the capitol television screens from one coast to the other blinked and flashed and sputtered in unison two fetus-headed visitors from the vast starry ocean floated to the ground in a lime green light beam introduced themselves as Hoo and Watt then performed an Abbot and Costello baseball skit we bring humanity a gift in a box with a message if you open the box and read the words writ within you must under threat of annihilation do what it says you can confer and decide we'll know if you peek a murmur of animated if disorderly consternation rippled menacingly through the assembled delegates if we read the message it could mean slavery went one side and began arming themselves it is but a message how malevolent can that be went the other side who were of a trusting nature and began calling their investment bankers as the great spinning hubcap lit like a jukebox hummed up and away through the clouds but back on the surface ripples of disquiet deluged conditions grew tense fires were set mail was stolen the metal box hovered mutely in the rotunda giving off the smell of jungle gardenias women fainted children giggled and pointed dogs barked and humped one another ears back tongues akimbo butt to butt we must read the message it is salvation we must not read the message it is tyranny it was a quandary that spanned the plantations and spread a paroxysmal miasma across the land the musts and cants mud wrestled through the night the great rotunda heaved and rattled eyeballs were gouged tufts of hair unmoored the bedlam reached a crescendo of exhaustion fatigue at last brought silence and reflection the jaw grinding impasse had lasted weeks vultures circled plaster fell from ceilings then a small voice from the back of the throng a cheeky tousle haired lad blurted bravely flip a coin (to be continued)