The Voyage of the Caterpillar

Chapter 3: Trixie

I held the fragment of Crystal's wing in my feet. Why did this have to happen?! Why couldn't I be back in the Thicket, and Crystal would be there too, safe and sound! If we hadn't left the Thicket to go exploring, the bird might not have swooped down and snatched my friend out of the sky! And it was Crystal who wanted to go exploring in the first place! I had only agreed with her to stop an argument from occurring! It was her fault she was dead, not mine!

As all of these angry thoughts were rushing through my little head, I realized I didn't know where I was. I was on the forest floor somewhere, as Crystal had thrown me off her back moments before her death. While we were flying away from the bird, we could see the Thicket. But things look different from above. I was clearly lost, and I had nowhere to go.

I sighed. Maybe I could walk to the Thicket? It had to be in that direction! Or maybe it was that way.... I had no clue!

I began to crawl in the direction I though the Thicket was. As I picked my way through fallen leaves and twigs, I called out as loudly as a caterpillar could.

"Hello? Help? Anybody? HELP!" I yelled, praying that some insect would hear my pleas.

I felt something hit my head from above, and hard.

"Ow!" I looked up. "What was that?" I wondered aloud.

There was a large hazelnut beside me. That must have fallen from a nearby tree or something and it just happened to have crashed down on me. But, it was a hazelnut, and hazelnuts were edible.... And come to think of it, I had only eaten about an hour ago....

"FOOOOOOODDDDD!" I cried and took a gigantic mouthful of the delicious nut. Thank goodness this had fallen on my head, or I would've starved!

"Ha! I knew you wouldn't be able to survive for long without something to eat!" I heard a voice laughing at me from above.

I swallowed my bite of food and stood as tall as I could. "Who's there? I know... I know caterpillrate!"

Gulp. I don't actually know caterpillrate.

From above me, a tiny head poked itself out from a cluster of hazelnuts and leaves. The new caterpillar crawled down the trunk of he tree with a smirk on her face.

"So," she smiled, "Are you going to kick me in the face?"

"I could, but I won't." I responded.

"Ah, you're a smart one!"

"Well, I wouldn't know caterpillrate if I was dumb, would I?"

"You got me there, nut-eater."

"Nut-eater? I should call you nut-thrower then! Is that all you do? Just sit in trees and throw hazelnuts at any unsuspecting insect that walks by?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

There was a pause.

"Say, what's your name?" The other caterpillar asked.

"Fletcher. And yours, my lady?"

"My name's Trixie, resident of hazelnut tree number five."

"Number five?" I asked .

"Yup, you heard me." Trixie nodded. "One, two, three, four, five." She pointed at a circle of hazelnut trees. "I live in number five."

"Oh, that makes so much more sense!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, I though you were smart!"

"I am smart! Even smart caterpillars can learn something new!"

"Again, you got me." Trixie sighed.

Another pause. Trixie and I crailed in circles around each other.

"Are you going to finish your hazelnut?" Trixie finally asked me.

I had completely forgotten about the nut that had been thrown at me. "Yes, I'm going to finish it!" I took a big bite. "Want some?" I asked her, although it sounded more like, "Mphhmph?"

"What was that?" Trixie said, puzzled.

"Do... You... Want... Some."

"Yes... I... Would." Trixie laughed.

We big ate the hazelnut in silence for a moment. Then Trixie said, "You know Fletcher, I like you."

Oh... My... Butterfly.

"Um... Why?" Was all I managed to choke out.

"Because... You're nuts," she smirked.

"Nuts as in crazy or nuts as in nut-eater?" I retorted.

"Both!" She smiled. I hated to admit it.. But I liked her too.

"So, where are you from?" She asked me.

"The Thicket."

"That bush? Isn't it so crowded there? Don't you have highways to control traffic?"

"Yes, branch highways. I never really liked it there."

"We all get sick of things sometimes."

"True."

"But then... Why are you so far away from home, Fletcher?"

"It's a long story..."

"I've got plenty of time before I become a butterfly. We've got a while."

"I... I don't really want to tell right now, Trixie." I sighed.

"Okay, I understand. But, one more question. Where are you going now?"

"I.. I never really thought of that. Where am I going?"

"I'm sore we can find a new home for you somewhere. I might have an idea."

"Really?"

"You and I aren't the only hairy caterpillars around here. I know a few friends who might be able to help out."

"Where are these friends of yours, Trix?"

"Not too far from here! Shall we walk?"

"Sure, my lady!" I smiled. This wasn't the last I would see of Trixie.