Cecil felt the blazing sun beating down on him. First day at work and he gets this. His assignment was simply to carry a crumb about two feet to the cave where Queen Patty lived. Then he had to repeat this act about twenty times before his day was done.
He mouth was dry as he lugged the crumb in his front pincers. Around him, his peers worked silently. So many crumbs. The human was sloppy removing toast from the toaster. Didn't care about a messy counter.
When he finally arrived at the cave, Cecil's whole body was shaking. He had never met Queen Patty. When he entered and dumped the crumb against a wall, he saw her in the back getting her legs shaved. Whether it was the heat or nerves, he began dry heaving.
Her voice echoed--my worker ants do not weaken! They have strong backs and strong stomachs. How dare you?
He quaked in fear. He'd heard that she fed underachieving workers to George, a Praying Mantis. He thought of fleeing, but realized how humiliating it would be for his family. He envied roaches and their classless society.
Nineteen more trips. Sweat dripped from every pore. Cecil's world had, indeed, become a very dark place.
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