Beware, They're Coming This Way

         "They're coming this way," shrieked Veronica running past me flailing her arms.

         I stopped and watched her fade into the distance. I glanced along the dusty road. No snapping snarling dogs pursued her. There was no evidence of a shouting crowd waving weapons. Even her older brother, Steven, was no where to be seen.

         Huh. I shrugged my shoulders, and resumed my stroll to the campground store. Feeling a bit peckish, I fancied a bite. Raking dead leaves stirs an appetite.

         I turned my face to the warm sun's caress. My skin tingled. Winter weary muscles stretched. I inhaled deeply, and recognized the unique odour of freshly mown grass.

         My grateful commune with Spring shattered. A shrill scream startled me into a stumble. Steven danced around me, swatting and sweating. "They're coming this way."

         Frowning, I saw nothing. I reached for the wriggling boy, but he skipped away. His eyes seemed to be bulging, and he shook his head. Sweeping his hands through his hair, and slapping at his reddening ears, he could only stammer and moan. First his sister, and now him? Stomping and swirling, Steven left me. Clearly something was bugging him.

         On a mission, I stepped forward. Ouch, what was that? A sudden, sharp sting pierced my shoulder blade. Almost instantly, my skin itched. Reaching to scratch the area, several more stings struck. What the... ? Within seconds my skin recoiled and rebelled.

         Something crawled along my neck and nibbled on my ears. My bare ankles throbbed and tingled. This itchiness was so intense. Reflexively, I stomped, shimmied, swatted, and slapped. All of this only stirred my attackers to a frenzy.

         In search of a snack, now I was being eaten. Voracious blackflies had decided I was on their menu. I realized too late that I'd been warned. ( 300 words )