“How will I know it’s over?” Marika fretted.
“You will,” Jurena assured. A month older, she was already Bronzed.
“But …”
“But nothing …” Jurena lowered the edge of the tent and stole away. She wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near Marika. Especially not tonight.
Marika listened to the silence. She shivered and tried to not think of Undine, her neighbor, who had never reappeared. Not all did.
The darkness filled her, thick as molasses. Her limbs grew heavy. Her ears began to ring.
Perhaps it was the magic.
Perhaps it was that drink.
Shadows entered, and Marika’s mind filled with molten spears, lava on dried grass. Encroaching. Coming near.
The fire lit her from within. The biting ants. The heat. The pain.
She screamed.
Perhaps she dreamed.
By dawn the elders had removed the gloves. The bullet ants were still.
Marika’s hands were bronzed with stings.
An adult’s.
Her childhood scoured clear.
For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge
Note: I don’t know why this photo brought up the image of a years-ago-seen video about Initiation With Ants video, filmed by National Geographic. But for some reason it did, and so I let it take me where it wanted to lead.
Na'ama Yehuda 
Delighted to go through your narrative.
Fraternal greetings.
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Hi Lincoln,
Thank you for reading and commenting! Glad you enjoyed!
Greetings from New York City,
Na’ama
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It is a pleasure.
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🙂
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Lord have mercy. I just watched the video. Some cultures are simply nuts. But your story? Brilliant, as per!
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Thank you, Dale! Yes, it is nuts that this is something that happens (then again, there are all manner of ooof-why rituals and ‘rites of passage’ that I cannot wrap my mind around!). I can’t quite explain why this photo took me to the story that became, but, so it is. Associations are a well of a thing.
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Yeah… I hear ya. There are many ooof-why rituals out there. So glad I’m from such a boring race 😉
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No comment here … 😉 But, yeah, I think there’s plenty enough oy veys in the world. Here’s to less drama. Speaking of, did you catch any worms at Costco?
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Over $200 worth…🙄
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The most important question is – did you get the GINORMOUS mayo tub? 😀 I’ve always wondered who needed THAT much mayo that they got those. (Feed-an-army-sized Nutella, of course, is absolutely reasonable …) 😀
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No. I used to, though 😉
With a family, it’s easy to see. So you transfer from the bucket to a jar… pain in the ass, frankly!
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I know … I know … My sister got the same from Sam’s club at the time – seven kids, yeah. BIGGEST peanut butter tub she could find, and then she transferred to regular jars to put on the table … That mayo, though, when I first saw it … I thought it was for the Queen of Sheba’s bath … to make her skin … well … smooth … 😉
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Hahahah!! Now there’s a thought…
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😀
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It’s interesting the way your story unfolded.
I haven’t seen the film. Perhaps, I should.
Hope you’ll pop over to read my lil story.
Thanks in advance … Isadora 😎
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This sent shivers through me. Awesome short story. Brilliant. Wow. 🙂🙂🙂
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Thank you, Crispina! So glad you liked it – even if I can’t still quite explain why your photo took me there, I am glad it took me to an interesting place to share …
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Subconscious connections….I’m sure they play a prominent role in my own writing ❤️😊
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Yep, ain’t that fascinating? 🙂
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I am intrigued by the subconscious. Does that show? Yes, I expect it does
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🙂 Ditto! And … yeah, I bet it shows on me, too …
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Perhaps that’s why we gel when we come together 😊
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🙂
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