The Nutrients War

         There once was a colony of pinworms that lived in harmony with their host. Nutrients flowed to them, fueling every aspect of their lives. However, there came a time when this resource, their very livelihood, was threatened.
         Freddie groggily awoke and looked through the window of his apartment. He could see the artery and watch the doughnut shaped red blood cells, the type the colony fed on, float along in the crimson river. Occasionally, a T-cell or two would bob by in the current to make sure nothing was amiss. It was a beautiful day.
         He swung his tail out of bed and stretched, working the kinks out of his flat, pasty white body. The Freddie’s front and back had regular ripples that made swimming easier and the paper-thin edges of his body served the same function. These edges also allowed the pinworms to carry object. By folding the excess skin, they served every function that a pair of arms could.
         Freddie exited his dwelling and moved down the street as he headed for work. His narrow tail stretched behind him to help him stand upright and it would fold up, then push back to propel him forward. Like all other pinworms, Freddie’s head tapered down to a round mouth shaped like a pinhead that allowed him to feed easier.
The route he took everyday brought him through the center of the colony and he never failed to revel in its splendor. The buildings were a pale tan color and the largest ones looked like upside down cones that spiraled up and up until Freddie was sure they would they would touch the top. The residential dwellings, including the apartment building he lived in, were much more box like and only a few stories high.
A group of school larvae noisily moved past Freddie. He felt sorry for the poor teacher as she did her best to control the boisterous youngsters and keep them all together. A jogger hurried past Freddie with his tail pushing back and forth at a steady rate. The streets were purely for pedestrians and a few vendors pushing carts. For quick, load bearing travel, the colony utilized the numerous arteries and veins, depending upon which way they needed to travel.
This stroll, even though Freddie took the same one everyday, always boosted his spirits because of its destination. The pinworms needed a never ending flow of nutrients to support their burgeoning population and he felt privileged to serve his colony. Continuing his commute, Freddie passed by a street corner where a pinworm was preaching to everyone within earshot.
         “The end of the world is coming!” the pinworm cried out. “We suck the life out of our host and there will be retaliations. Repent now!”
         Freddie shook his head. Crazy worm.
         He arrived at work and immediately jumped into the routine. He had to help redirect the blood flow into the pipeline so that the valuable nutrients could be extracted from the red blood cells. It wasn’t the most exciting job but it always made Freddie proud. He ensure the colony’s life blood always flowed, literally.
         However, in the past few months, fewer and fewer nutrients were harvested and many were sickly and had to be discarded. The once thriving colony had overreached its population threshold. More pipelines had been opened and every worm was working over-time to make sure there was no nutrient shortage. There were rumors that another source had been discovered. Supposedly, a new state-of-the-art pipeline was to be completed which would allow the colony to continue to expand and flourish.
         His shift had only begun when Freddie heard some unusual sounds farther down the pipeline, near the main factory. There were screams and the noise of fighting. But that didn’t make any sense. Although he could get in trouble for it, Freddie turned off the blood flow for his station and looked to see what the problem was.
It was a horrible sight. There were white blood cells attacking the pinworms! It couldn’t be true. The worms and their host had an unspoken agreement that the colony could take whatever they needed as long as they lived in peace. But it appeared as if that was over.
         The white blood cells were round and looked like a white puffballs but that was where the similarities ended. They made up the bulk of the host’s army and attacked anything they perceived to be a threat. Freddie could only watch in horror as swarms of them engulfed and dissolved his friends with their enzymes. A few workers managed to get lose from the main throng and tried to escape but they were swiftly caught and killed by the white blood cells. In a few quick but excruciating moments they were liquefied, never to laugh again over a pint of cholesterol or swim through the rapids of an artery.
         As quickly as they came, the white blood cells were gone. But the destruction they left behind stopped Freddie’s breath. Thousands of his coworkers were dead. The pipeline had been gutted. The entire factory was destroyed. The colony would never be the same.

*          *          *

         “Everyone, settle down,” Mr. Kenlay, the emperor’s closest advisor, cried out to the crowd. He stood at the podium and behind him was the symbol for the colony, a pinworm wrapped around a heart, holding a trident. “Emperor Shrub will make his statement now.”
         The entire colony had gathered to find out what was to be done about this ghastly attack. Slowly, everyone quieted as Emperor Shrub approached the microphone.
         “This day will live on in infamy, for we have all suffered a terrible loss,” Emperor Shrub said. “The host has inexplicably attacked us for no reason.”
         Freddie and the rest of the crowd yelled their anger about the attack. There was no way they could idly stand by after this tragedy.
         “We cannot allow this atrocity to go unpunished. We must have justice,” Emperor Shrub continued. “In a day’s time, we shall march upon the host and take the war to it.”
         The crowd roared with approval. What happened to their colony had to be answered for, even if it meant war against the host.
         But a voice in the back spoke up, somehow piercing through the cacophony.
         “Emperor, if you have a minute please.”
         “Who said that? I recognize that voice,” Emperor Shrub said, trying to spot the speaker. Freddie, along with everyone else, turned around and looked at the particular worm.
         Emperor Shrub finally located the speaker. “Mr. Sooth, I should’ve known that was you.”
         “Yes, thank you, your highness,” answered Mr. Sooth, one of the most widely known reporters in the colony. Freddie never paid any real attention to the articles Mr. Sooth wrote but he did know the reporter was often a thorn in the Emperor’s side. “I was wondering, sir, if there was any other reason you’re intending to wage war on the host?”
         “What do you mean?” the emperor said with a smile plastered on his face. “The host violently attacked us with violence. We cannot stand by idly and do nothing and let it terrify us into submission with these scare tactics.”
         “Putting aside this revenge crusade-“
“We are looking for justice, not revenge, Mr. Sooth.”
“I apologize. Of course we’re not. But isn’t it unusual for white blood cells to attack the colony? In fact, it has never happened before. Why do you think it has now?”
         “I think that – no, I feel that, I don’t think – I feel that the host has become too greedy and will not allow the colony to live and follow our way of life.”
         “These were white blood cells, Emperor. And not the kind we commonly see around the intestines. They came directly from the organs, including the liver and heart. How do you explain this? Is there some ulterior motive to this war?”
         Freddie mulled this over. He realized Mr. Sooth was correct. Those were unusual white blood cells he had watched destroy his friends. Not the docile ones that drifted idly by in the vein near his apartment but a much more militant variety that protected the organs and never came near the colony. Until now.
         “There is no interior motive. We need justice!”
         “Oh that’s good to hear, there’s no interior motive. You’re only seeking justice for a crime without a motive, your highness. Despite what you said, white blood cells would not attack without provocation. Shouldn’t we try to find out why? Otherwise, this war will never end and the colony could not survive such a thing. What weakens the host weakens us.”
         Mr. Kenlay recognized the momentum was changing and he immediately leaned in front of the emperor to get close to the microphone. “You’re looking far too hard at ‘what if’s’ and general improbabilities while ignoring the situation at hand. Our loved ones were slaughtered and here you are, Mr. Sooth, blabbing away and chasing shadows. Have you no heart?”
         Emperor Shrub recovered and quickly jumped in. “Mr. Kenlay is right. This talk is nonsense. It makes no sense. We need to immediately act now. We must take the battle to the host. Everybody who wants to make a difference and help save the colony, now’s your chance. Sign up for the army today and kill white blood cells tomorrow,” Emperor Shrub called out. “For blood and colony!”
         “For blood and colony!” the crowd recited.
         Everyone cheered as Emperor Shrub slithered off the stage and quickly forgot Mr. Sooth. There were several long tables set up next to the crowd with volunteers sitting behind them, waiting with the necessary papers. Nearly everyone without a family depending upon them rushed over to sign up. Roger, one of Freddie’s few surviving lifetime friends, brushed by him on his way to become a soldier. He stopped when he saw his old pal.
         “Freddie! You’re alive! I heard your factory was hit pretty badly,” Roger exclaimed.
         “Yeah. It’s good to see you,” Freddie answered.
         “Hey, you signing up?”
         “I don’t know,” Freddie said. “Those things Sooth said. I mean, why would we attack our own host?”
         “Why? It killed our friends and family and we deserve justice! Didn’t you hear Emperor Shrub? He’s a great guy. It’s a good thing he’s our leader through this crisis.”
         “I know but-”
         “Come on,” Roger interrupted. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s patriotic.”
         “I guess so. Sure,” Freddie agreed. He had lost most of his friends and he had no place to work. And anyway, like Roger said, it was the patriotic thing to do.
         Freddie made his way over to the tables and filled out the forms, including his length, weight, organ of birth, and egg batch number. He could feel his excitement rise as he reached the end of the paperwork. He was now officially a part of the army and would have the chance to kill some white blood cells.

*          *          *

         A line of pinworm soldiers moved steadily forward as each jumped into the vein that would take them to the army’s forward base camp. Before Freddie realized it, there was only one more worm until it was his turn. The worm in front waited for the right moment and then leaped through the tear in the tissue wall into the rushing torrent of blood. Freddie saw the worm buffeted by several nutrient-free blood cells and disc-shaped platelets. But the worm managed to right himself and shot forward, out of sight.
         Freddie stepped up to the edge and took a deep breath. He prepared to leap but stopped. The blood was running by so fast. He might drown. Freddie tried to jump again but couldn’t do it.
         The other worms behind began to grumble at the holdup. “Get moving! We’ve got a war to fight!” some of them shouted.
         Freddie heard a low voice behind him that sounded familiar. “It’s not as fast it looks. You just have to move with the current.”
         Freddie turned around to look at the speaker. “Mr. Sooth?”
         “The army’s not exactly a fan of Mr. Sooth,” the reporter whispered. “Call me Bernstein.”
“I’m Freddie,” he said. “If they don’t like you, how’d you get in?”
“A worm can have more than one name.”
“Oh. But why are you here? Do you want to kill white blood cells, too?”
“Not exactly. I don’t think Shrub’s telling the whole truth and I want to find out what it is.”
“But-“
“Enough already,” Bernstein interrupted. “Jump!” Before Freddie could protest more, Bernstein shoved him.
         Freddie dropped into the river and was immediately buffeted and thrown around. Cells and platelets whizzed by and several knocked into him, sending Freddie end over end. He gradually picked up the feel of the current and how it flowed and shifted and he began to move with it, like Bernstein told him. He gave an expert flick of the tail and shot forward. Freddie guided himself through the sharp turns of the vein by leaning from side to side.
         Soon, Freddie spotted something blinking up ahead and realized it was a beacon placed for their landing. He recalled the lessons from his whirlwind training session. When he reached the beacon, Freddie sped up and pushed his tail down to give him lift. He shot out of the river and landed on the beach. With his considerable momentum, he slid forward but came to a quick and painless halt thanks to the soft barrier that had been constructed.
         Freddie picked himself up. Behind him, fellow pinworm soldiers continued to explode out of the river as the rest of the army arrived. But his attention was focused entirely on what was before him.
         It was as if an entire metropolis had sprung up from barren tissue. There must have been thousands of tents; some were just big enough for two worms and others were the size of warehouses. On the outskirts, Freddie could make out soaring watchtowers and an enormous fence that protected the perimeter. He couldn’t imagine the host ever defeating their glorious colony. The fence was so colossal, it would have taken weeks for civilian worms to build but took less than a day with military efficiency. For the first time, Freddie felt truly proud to be in the army.
         A voice broke Freddie’s daze. “Impressive isn’t it?” Freddie turned around and saw it was Bernstein again. The undercover reporter gave a sigh. “Who cares why something happened. Let’s just obliterate anything different than us. We should just make the colony’s slogan ‘War is the best diplomacy’.”
         “Uh…yes?” Freddie wasn’t sure what he was talking about.
         “Come on, we need to get our weapons and ‘protect the glorious colony’.”
         Bernstein began walking towards a long line that meandered into a large tent and Freddie hurried up to catch him. After waiting in line for a good twenty minutes, Bernstein and Freddie made it inside. They were handed their uniforms, rations for the first week, their tent numbers, and most importantly, their weapons, a trident and net.
         The two worms wandered up and down several rows of tents before they found the correct one. Because they had been back to back in line, the two new acquaintances ended up in the same tent. They chose their cots, Freddie on the right and Bernstein on the left. After his long day, Freddie was not even able to get his tail onto the cot before he fell asleep.
         Sometime later, Freddie was awakened but it took a moment to register by what. He groggily opened his eyes and saw a dark figure leaving the tent.
         “Bernstein? Where are you going?” Freddie said.
         “Shh!” Bernstein hissed. He was already outside the tent and he stuck his head back in. “I’m just going for a stroll.”
         “Hold on, I’ll go with you.”
         “No! Stay here. Get your rest.”
         But it was too late. Freddie was already out of bed and had grabbed their military issued lantern. He lit it and illuminated the night.
         “Put that out!” Bernstein whispered.
         “Why?” Freddie asked. Bernstein grabbed the lantern and blew it out.
         “Where I’m going…”
         “Where we are going…” Freddie corrected him.
         “Fine. Where we’re going, we don’t want the lantern.”
         “It’s already well lit?”
         “Something like that. Follow me and stay quiet.”
         Bernstein hurried to the end of the row of tents, dodging from shadow to shadow. Freddie did as he was told and stealthily followed Bernstein. He imitated the way his new friend stayed in the shadows to avoid detection. They were soon at the end of the row.
         “Where to?” Freddie asked.
         “This way,” Bernstein said. He furtively looked around and saw no one in sight. Ahead of them was a large courtyard area that was not completely lit but certainly was not dark. After one last glance in both directions, Bernstein sprinted across the open space to a stack of crates next to a tent. Freddie was right on his heels and he crouched down next to Bernstein a few seconds later. They had not been seen.
         “What are we doing?” Freddie whispered.
         “Getting in there.” Bernstein pointed at the largest tent in the entire encampment. It wasn’t far, perhaps a thirty second stroll from their current position during the day, but at that moment, it seemed impossibly distant.
         “But that’s General Jingo’s tent. We’re not authorized,” Freddie reminded.
         “Sometimes you have to break the rules to make sure they’re being followed.”
         “What?”
         Bernstein ignored him. “Come on. We need to move.”
         The aisle leading to the general’s tent was especially well lit and provided sparse cover. Freddie didn’t see any guards but that didn’t mean they weren’t nearby.
         “How are we getting in?” Freddie asked.
         “So many questions!”
         “Sorry-“
         “That’s good, Freddie.” For the first time since they had met, Bernstein turned to face him and spoke directly to Freddie. “Never stop asking questions.”
         “Ok.” Freddie was surprised. He wasn’t the cleverest of worms, or so others told him. No one had ever complimented his mind before. Perhaps his tail once or twice, but never his mind.
         “Don’t worry about getting in. It’s a tent. It doesn’t exactly have the sturdiest walls.” Bernstein pulled out a knife to demonstrate his point. “We just need to distract the guards so they don’t hear the ripping canvas.”
         The two guards in question stood on either side of the entrance to the tent, each armed with a trident. The entrance they guarded had a large picture of the colony’s worm and heart symbol printed on the flap. The two pinworms were definitely bored but still alert. Bernstein looked around. Their path to the tent had no cover and they would be completely exposed until they made it inside. “This is going to be difficult.” He examined the crates they were hiding behind. Opening one, he found it was full of extra tent stakes.
         He took one of them out. “Get ready. I’ll throw this, distract the guards, and then we’ll run for it. Okay?”
         Freddie nodded and Bernstein prepared to throw. He stood up quickly and tossed it a few tent rows over and it landed loudly.
         “What was that?” the shorter guard said.
         The taller guard brought his trident to the ready position, one hand high and the other low. “It sounded like someone threw something so that we would go over and leave the general’s tent unguarded.”
         “Sphincter!” Bernstein cursed.
         He was obviously perturbed by his failure and he frantically searched for another way to get in. Freddie was troubled to see his friend this discouraged so he took out another tent stake and prepared to throw it. Bernstein saw what he was about to do.
         “Wait! That won’t-“ But it was too late. Freddie heaved the tent stake in the opposite direction of the first one and it thumped loudly off some unknown object, followed by a cry of pain.
         The short guard whirled around. “There it was again.”
         Another voice came, from the direction the tent stake had been thrown. “Who threw this? Who bloody hit me with a…tent stake?” The owner of the voice stepped out into the open, a few tent rows to Freddie and Bernstein’s left. He was clearly angry.
         The guards turned to face this new pinworm. “Sir, step back. Authorized personnel only,” ordered the taller guard.
         “Did you throw this? I was on my way to the latrine when some bacteria lover knocked me in the head.”
         The two guards approached him. “Sir, go back to your tent.”
         “Not until I get some answers!”
         Bernstein turned to Freddie and shrugged. “I guess that works.”
         The two guards were preoccupied, wrestling the angry pinworm back towards his tent. Bernstein and Freddie left their cover and dashed to the side of the general’s tent. There were no sounds of alarm. Bernstein took out his knife and cut a flap in the white canvas of the tent. “Inside! Quick!” Freddie squeezed through and Bernstein was right behind him.
The size of the tent was shocking. It already appeared large outside, but inside it was like a cathedral with its wide open ceiling. There were papers everywhere, weapon racks, and a couple trophies of antibodies to bolster morale. Towards the back, Freddie saw a door leading to another part of the tent. It was probably General Jingo’s sleeping quarters. What really dominated the space was a giant table in the center that could easily sit thirty officers. Even more amazing was the object on this table. It was vast map showing the entire known universe, like a creature laid bare on an operating table. The colony was clearly marked as well as each organ and the routes of all the arteries and veins.
         Bernstein had already delved into the stacks of papers and was going through them as fast as possible. “Look for anything that says something like ‘Plans’ or ‘War Strategy’ or ‘Lies: as written by Emperor Shrub’.”
         “How about this, Bernstein?” Freddie was studying the map. He pointed at a particular symbol. “I don’t remember these nutrient stations from when I worked in the factory. They shouldn’t be here.”
         Bernstein came over and looked at what Freddie was pointing at. “By the blood, Freddie, I think you’ve found it! You do have the makings of an investigative reporter.”
         “Thanks.” Freddie was surprised by the compliment again. “But what is it?”
          “It looks like the route of the new pipeline.” Bernstein slowly traced its meandering course, starting from the colony. He became more excited as he confirmed his suspicions. “Look at this. It seems to be pumping nutrients from two sources – the heart and the liver!”
         “Aren’t those illegal? I’ve only heard of intestinal pipelines, never any from the primary organs.”
         “Yeah, too many environmental hazards including riling up white blood cells and even antibodies.”
         Freddie shivered. White blood cells were bad enough but some of things he had heard antibodies could do would make the bravest worm lie awake at night.
         “This is proof the attack wasn’t random,” Bernstein continued. “Emperor Shrub and his rich friends including Mr. Kenlay must’ve seen the nutrient supply running low and didn’t want to lose any of their business. So they found a new source and in the process pissed off half of the host’s army.”
         They were interrupted by the sounds of fighting and shouting from outside.
         “Oh no, they found us!” Freddie exclaimed. He turned to run but Bernstein grabbed him.
         “Wait! I don’t think they’re coming in this direction.”
         The door at the back of the tent opened and its occupant emerged. The general immediately spotted Freddie and Bernstein. “I don’t recognize you two. What are you doing here?”
         Freddie and Bernstein looked at each other. They could be in big trouble. Bernstein spoke up. “Uh, shift change. Checking to make sure everything’s all right.”
         General Jingo looked at them, and then nodded. “Very good. But what’s all the shouting about?”
         There were enough shouts now for them to be audible. “We’re under attack!”
         The three pinworms looked at each other. General Jingo recovered first.          “Get out there, soldiers! Arm yourselves and die for the colony,” he ordered. He grabbed a pair of tridents and accompanying nets from a weapon rack and thrust them upon Freddie and Bernstein. They reluctantly accepted the arms.
         General Jingo shoved them forward and out the door. “Let’s go!”
         Freddie and Bernstein stumbled outside. All around them, the camp was in utter chaos. Pinworms scrambled frantically as they grabbed their tridents and nets and searched for someone to give them an order. Several tents were going up in flames from a knocked over lantern. But worst of all were the white blood cells that poured over the wall of the encampment. The guards that had been on top were no match for the thousands of white knobby balls that effortlessly engulfed them. Before the pinworms could regroup, the white blood cells were inside the camp.
         The two companions were gaping at the sight when General Jingo rushed past them, armed with a net and an enormous trident, far longer than the standard issue.
         He let loose a battle cry. “For blood and colony!” The general spotted a small group of pinworms, including the two guards, standing back to back. They were surrounded by white blood cells and the frightened soldiers barely kept them at bay with their stabbing tridents. General Jingo roared and charged into the fray. He threw out the net and pulled it back with a pair of the enemy inside. He skewered them with his trident and they dissolved into a harmless pile of proteins that looked like white dust. The soldiers took heart and attacked the others with a renewed vigor.
         Bernstein got Freddie’s attention. “Come on. We need to move before we’re killed.” After Bernstein made sure they had not caught anyone’s attention, the crazy general’s or the white blood cells, he hurried down a vacant row of tents.
         “Shouldn’t we do something?” Freddie asked as he caught up to his friend.
         “Like what? Fight? This isn’t our war. We’re here just to make sure Shrub’s supporters didn’t lose their beloved profits. Do you want to get yourself killed so that someone else can have more money?”
         “Well…no…”
         “Good.” Bernstein stopped when they reached the end of the row. “We need to get back to the colony. Tell everyone the truth.” He peered over and between tents and spotted what he was looking for. “The artery’s that way. That’s where most of the fighting is but if we can pick our way through, it should be a clear shot to the artery and the colony.”
         They took off and dodged from tent to tent but it became increasingly difficult. Much of the camp was in flames now because everyone was busy fighting. Even if the pinworms managed to win this battle, it was doubtful the camp would be salvageable.
         Freddie and Bernstein were able to avoid several small skirmishes but came upon an especially large one that completely blocked their way. There were hundreds of pinworms battling a horde of blood cells in the large aisle that led to the gates. It was unclear if either side was winning but both had substantial losses. Pinworms were screaming as enzymes splashed onto their bodies and dissolved their skin. Tridents flashed in the firelight as they were raised high and slammed through the bodies of white blood cells, disintegrating them.
         “I think I see an opening!” Bernstein yelled. The noise of combat covered up normal voices. “Stay close.”
         They gingerly stepped out from the tents and squeezed into the fray. Freddie was jostled from all sides, as the front line would be pushed back at the same time reinforcements shoved their way forward. He slid between soldiers and did his best to keep Bernstein in sight but he seemed to be getting farther and farther away.
         Suddenly, Freddie halted in his tracks before he even registered why. There was a white blood cell blocking his path, its pale body pulsating as it readied to squirt acids on its enemy.
         Freddie instinctively thrust his trident forward, just trying to keep it out of spraying distance. The blood cell dodged to the side and then darted forward. Freddie yelped when he realized it was inside of his trident’s range and he was going to be drenched with enzymes.
         But the blood cell collapsed into a harmless pile of white dust before it got to him. Freddie looked up and saw Bernstein with his trident.
         “Let’s go!”
         Freddie tried to open his mouth but nothing came out.
         Bernstein understood what he meant. “Don’t mention it. But we need to keep moving.”
         Freddie nodded and stayed up almost on Bernstein’s back as he followed him through the crowd. But they didn’t get far when the ground trembled once, then twice, almost knocking them over.
         “What was that?” Freddie whispered. The entire battle had halted because everyone was wondering the same thing. Bernstein just shook his head.
         The knocking came again and they pinpointed where it was coming from. Everyone looked towards the gates as they quivered from some unseen force trying to get in.
         “Oh no,” Bernstein said as the realization hit him. All the white blood cells retreated from the battle and gathered against the wall. The only opening in their line was the part in front of the gates.
         “What is it?” Freddie asked. His answer came from a final thunderous shake and the gates collapsed. Then hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Y-shaped figures at least twice as tall as the pinworms came pouring through the gates.
         “Antibodies!”
         The entire pinworm force awoke from its daze and threatened to break completely. But a steadying voice was heard that penetrated the fear of the soldiers.
         “Hold that line! Hold that line!” It was General Jingo, miraculously still alive. “We will die here for the colony.”
         The troops summoned up their courage and gathered into formation, with tridents pointed forward. The rest of the pinworm forces hurried in from all over the camp and gathered with the mass of troops. The antibodies and white blood cells neared, ready for the charge. This would be the last stand.
         “This is ridiculous. There’s no way we can win,” Bernstein said. “I’m not going to die for something I don’t believe in.”
         He shoved himself through the mass of pinworms and finally emerged outside the group and stopped by the tents. After a moment, Freddie also squeezed out of the throng and stood next to Bernstein.
         “What now?” Freddie questioned Bernstein.
Before Bernstein could say anything, the ground shook once more as thousands of white blood cells and antibodies charged the pinworm force. General Jingo called out to rally the troops, “For blood and colony!”
“For blood and colony!” came the echoing battle cry.
“Run!” Bernstein exclaimed.
The two pinworms moved away from the battle as quickly as they could. They dodged tents as they collapsed in flames and had to back track a couple times when their path was blocked by the fire. Dropped tridents and nets littered the ground and there were piles of white dust from blood cells. There were also half dissolved bodies of fallen pinworms piled in the alley-ways. Most were only the ends of their tails that had escaped the acids but there were a few for which the opposite was true. Freddie did his best not to look at these, the heads of his fallen comrades staring up with empty eyes.
Behind them, came shouts and yells as the host’s army clashed into the pinworms. Bodies from both sides flew into the air. Pinworms dissolved as the antibodies latched onto them and drenched them with amino acids. While the soldiers were occupied with the antibodies, the white blood cells would get inside of the trident’s range and spray their enzymes. The pinworms did their best to fight back by tossing their nets onto the antibodies and pulling the giants down so they could stab them with their weapons.
         Suddenly, Freddie and Bernstein saw movement up ahead. A handful of white blood cells, probably trying to flank the main pinworm force, were crossing their path. The two worms stopped but it was too late. They were seen. They turned around but several tents had collapsed into the aisle and a wall of flames blocked their route. To their right and left, the canvas living quarters were totally engulfed, creating a tunnel of fire with no escape.
         The blood cells formed a triangular wedge and then charged. Freddie raised his trident and surprised himself when he managed to kill one of them. Bernstein threw out his net and tripped one up and stabbed another, turning it into a pile of dust.
         But there were still three left. The one shook off the net and retreated to the others. They stood still but were prepared in case the two pinworms tried anything.
         “What are they waiting for?” Freddie asked.
         “I don’t know. But whatever it is, I don’t like it.”
         As if to prove his point, a dozen more blood cells came into view and backed up the others.          
“I think this is the end, Freddie,” Bernstein said. “I’m glad I had the chance to know you.”
         “I-“Freddie was cut off as the white blood cells rushed them at once.
         This time, Freddie knew, they were not going to be as lucky. There were far too many, nearly twenty of the colorless spheres, to hold off again. But he shook off his fears and raised his trident and gathered his net.
         He managed to snare and kill the first one but there were far too many. It was all he could do to hold them off. Slowly, Freddie and Bernstein retreated step by step.
         To their right, came the crackle of flames dying out. Freddie looked over and saw that one of the tents had burned completely and could be traversed, albeit carefully.
         “Bernstein! We can escape.”
         Bernstein glanced over and saw what Freddie meant. “Get out of here. Head for the throat and leave the host. I’ll hold them off.”
         “What?”
         “We can’t both make it. I’ll keep them off your back.”
         “But-“
         “Go!” Bernstein swished his tail and sent Freddie sprawling into the narrow path. Freddie felt the heat of the flames on both sides and quickly rolled into the next aisle, free of white blood cells.
         He turned around saw that Bernstein had backed up to block the exit with his body. Freddie thought frantically of something he could do to help his friend but nothing came. He cursed his slow mind.
         Bernstein still battled the white blood cells but he was clearly losing. Without turning around, he yelled, “You better not still be there!”
         Painfully, Freddie tore himself away and put as much distance between himself and all the death behind him. He could see the end of the tents and the edge of camp just ahead when a pair of white blood cell scouts stepped out in front of him.
         Freddie yelled in shock and tried to back up but only succeeded in falling over. The two blood cells split up and one came in from his left and the other from his right. He raised his trident and skewered the one to his right but was unable to roll over in time to get the other. Freddie could only turn his head and watch as the white blood cell contracted and prepared to shoot its enzymes.
         His eyes closed, Freddie felt it splash his face. He screamed, expecting the intense pain but none came. He peeked out of one eye and saw only the remains of the blood cell. Wiping the white dust from his face, he saw his savior.
         “Roger?”
         “Hey, man. I didn’t think I would see you here.” Roger spoke hoarsely and was gasping for breath.
         “I’m so glad to see you. You look-“Freddie then noticed why his old friend was having so much trouble breathing. Roger was lying on the ground, holding the trident he had saved Freddie’s life with, but that was all there was to him. His bottom half was gone, liquefied to nothing. Freddie swallowed the lump in his throat. “You look wonderful.”
         “Don’t bother.” Roger coughed hard, almost ending his life right there. “I’m a goner. I’m just glad I got to die for the colony. Taught those single-celled bastards they don’t mess with the pinworms.”
         Freddie had gotten up and was bent down next to Roger. “Come on, you’re going to be fine. You’ll be alright.”
         “I told you, don’t bother. Just tell me this: did we win?”
         Although he knew what he would see, Freddie looked towards the center of the encampment. The flames had morphed into one large inferno and stretched as far up as the eye could see. Sounds of the battle still raged but there were fewer yells of triumph and more of searing acids being squirted.
         Freddie swallowed again. “Yeah Roger, we won. We won.”
         “Good.” Roger smiled peacefully. “For blood and colony.”
         The trident in Roger’s hand fell as the grip holding it relaxed. Standing up, Freddie looked once more at the last hint of his old life. He steeled himself, turned away, and headed for the vein. He did not turn around, but behind him the army of white blood cells and antibodies had killed off the last of the pinworm army and were proceeding towards the artery that would take them to the colony.  Wave after wave of white spheres and Y-shaped monsters poured into the artery and were sped towards the pinworm home.
         Standing at the edge of the vein, Freddie watched the blue oxygen-less blood rush by faster than usual. The heart of the host was rapidly beating as it struggled to stay alive. He took a deep breath and leaped in and rode the current just like Bernstein had told him to, slicing through the blood with the occasional flick of his tail.
         In no time at all, Freddie had neared the heart. Instead of going inside, where he would surely be pummeled to death as it expanded and contracted, he veered off to the side through a capillary. After a few more turns and narrow capillaries, he found a large artery that he knew would lead him to the esophagus and the escape his dead friend had told him about.
         This was the hardest part of his escape. Everything was in chaos as the host went through its death throes. The blood was rushing and then falling back as it lost pressure. It was all Freddie could do to keep going forward. Antibodies whizzed by, attacking blood cells or even each other as the immune system shut down. Despite a few close calls, Freddie spotted an opening and squeezed through.
         He found himself in an enormous vertical cavern. He couldn’t make out the bottom and the top was lost in darkness as it curved out of sight to some unknown source. Worst of all, was the lack of blood and tissue Freddie could move through. He had to pull himself along the ribbed walls of the hallow expanse and it was all he could do to keep from plummeting to the depths. So much had happened to him already that Freddie wasn’t sure he could make the last leg of his journey.
         The end was finally in sight when the world shifted. There was a thunderous shake and Freddie almost lost his grip. Suddenly, the shaft was no longer vertical; it was horizontal and the struggling pinworm found the going much easier. However, moments later, the cavern began convulsing. The walls closed in on Freddie and almost squashed him, then expanded and nearly sucked him back to the opposite end.
         Freddie managed to hold on and crawled hastily to the end. Before he realized what happened, his eyes were burning with agonizing but beautiful light. Despite the fear he was filled with, Freddie headed for the bright light at the end of the tunnel.

*          *          *

         “Ewww, God, what is that thing?” Harry hiked up his coveralls and bent down for a closer inspection.
         Lee moved next to the other man and looked at the creature lying at the tip of the gaping mouth. It was white and about the size of a narrow grain of rice. “Looks like some kind of worm.”
         Harry glanced at the dead cow lying on the ground. “Poor girl must’ve been full of ‘em. Sucked the life right outta her.”