"So Rare"

“So Rare”

    “I detest mosquitoes!”
    Shelly secured the netting that covered her from head to toe.
    “They sound like frickin’ buzz saws.”
    Shaking his head, John glared at his princess.
    “Did you use the bug spray?”
    “Yes, but it never works. All I ever get for all the tramping through
these damn jungles are bites. Big bites! You know they─”
    “Shh! I heard a loud noise.”
      “I don’t hear anything. You’re trying to shut me up.”
    Ignoring her, John took his machete and hacked deeper into the dense vegetation.
    His hat reminded her of Ramar of the Jungle, her childhood hero.  She began to giggle.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Nothing, dear. You’ll never find that rare specimen, you know.”
“I really wish you’d stop your incessant bitching.  We’ll go a little further and call it a day, ok?”
    It was no surprise that his life’s work was in entomology.  Bugs never bothered him. He studied everything, including their sexual behavior. He certainly didn’t know much about theirs.
      She questioned him again on why they couldn’t go on a real vacation for once.
    “You know why, Princess.”
    She knew the story by heart. If he just could find that one rare bug whose habitat existed in this jungle, he would be paid a pretty penny.  She prayed for her miracle.
    Suddenly, he stopped and stared at the largest and rarest insect he had ever seen, crawling along the roots of a kapok tree.
    He barely yelled out his discovery before the striped cat pounced on John.
Hearing the screams and growls, her hired guide appeared. He trapped the bug and she grabbed the machete. He was no Jon Hall and after all, it was her bug.

Word Count: 282


"Inker"