T5 Countdown

by Rumpelstiltskin und Vladimir

100 Tremors prompts to be posted every day from July 7 to October 15th. Two updates a day, from both Vlad and Rumpy for each prompt. (if you wish to know more about the challenge, visit our profile, there's a link at the top of the page) Tremors 5, Here We Come!

26. Graboid-Vlad

13-Graboid-Vlad (a group of worms is called several things, I chose squirm)

The ground rumbled and shook, rearranging sand and pebbles. It startled a herd of wild burrows. They scattered but regrouped soon after as the shaking moved on.

Underneath the dirt, a large white graboid sped along. It wasn't hungry. Only bored and playful. There were no new humans in the valley to inspect or terrorize, and its usual human squirm seemed to be taking the day to relax and ignore their subterranean counterpart. So it raced, moving its many individual spikes in tandem to push itself through the desert soil and zigzag across the dale it called home.

A little later perhaps, it would go explore the odd smooth structure at the other end of the valley. It didn't know the wall's significance, but it was curious. The loud human was always going there, walking around atop the dirt as if looking for something. The graboid wondered if it was looking for the things that made strange sounds on the other side of the wall. Its squirm was always fighting strange things like that.

Speaking of which... The graboid slowed to a stop and listened to the thudding vibration of a new creature running along the valley floor. It turned and sped towards it, feeling both curious and territorial. The new things always ended up being bad news. What else was a worm to do?