Swarm

A flash fiction

Saturday night practice was never late. The team lined up at the door to enter the gymnasium ready for their assignments.

“Carter, you get left. Jones, take on the right side of the south side of town. West, go east,” Coach smirked at the irony.

“What about me Coach?” A voice squeaked up from the back of the crowded gym. The team turned their heads and stared.

“Easten, you are not on the schedule for this evening. What are you doing here?”

An odd grin stretched across the youngling’s face revealing the jagged teeth underneath his pale lips.

“You need to go home,” the coach’s voice was shaking now.

“I want to be part of the teeming,” his voice carried wide for such a little body. His lips pursed showing his determination.

“Easten, go with Jones.”

“But coach! I don’t want to babysit!” Jones was frustrated.

The coach ignored his plea and gave the command, “Keep your wings in, keep out of the rain, and do your job!”

The younglings all spread their lips wide revealing various shades of yellow-tinted shark-like teeth. Their wings fluttered softly, but with a powerful thrust, they launched into the air.

The crops were ripe for the picking. The swarm of locusts took no prisoners, and Easten kept up with the crowd. The crops were teeming with these little destroyers. If only the humans knew that these locusts were on the brink of puberty and the devastation was just beginning.

Prompt by Promptly Written “Bonus Prompt — Write a ‘teeming’ poem, flash fiction (500 words or less), or essay.”