Junebug

A long time ago, about the time we added 'in a galaxy far far away', my friend Joe and I were out riding bicycles.

We pedaled leaning back, hands off the handlebars, enjoying the warm night and cool breeze. We alternated between talking and singing and as we crested a hill and started heading down we were fully into 'Little Pink Houses'.

Midway down, right at the height of an "Oooh Yeeah", the bug hit. I'm assuming by the way it clogged my throat it was a Junebug. A big Junebug. With claws that dug into the base of my tongue. Really scary little scrabbly claws.

I screamed and veered. Joe screamed and dodged. I rammed my fingers into my mouth and our bikes collided. The three of us hit the curb, and Joe and I flipped from our bikes and rolled down the cool suburban grass. Somewhere in the rolling I stopped feeling the claws.

I still try not to think of where the bug went.