I Know Why the Caged Cricket Sings
a
Bug's Life fanfic
by
C. "Sparky" Read
Chapter Four
"This is the end! I'm ruined!"
"P.T.," Slim said, "we've had no-shows before. And you're no more ruined now than...well, than you've ever been."
"Thanks a heap," grunted the flea. "Okay, everyone, that's all she wrote!" P.T. hopped out into the center ring. "Say goodbye to the neighbors 'cause we're heading out in the morning! We've bled this 'berg dry."
The circus bugs knew better than to argue with P.T. when it came to pulling up stakes, so everyone headed off to their dressing areas to start packing up their props.
"Well, it was good while it lasted," said Flash, putting the Concessions away. "Hey, maybe next place will be another college campus. Now those are fun."
"If one enjoys the company of roaches," replied Ymri.
"You got something against roaches?"
"Of course not. They are very tasty."
Blip intercepted Molt, who was once again on his way out. "Hey," said the firefly. "Ya hear that? We get to vacate this snootville."
Molt didn't answer right away. "Yeah," he said at last, stepping outside.
Blip followed him. "Yep yep yep," he went on, almost urgently. "By tomorrow night we'll be back to bright lights, big city...if we're lucky. Right?"
"I guesso."
The firefly fidgeted. "Hey, don't stay out too late this time," he said. "We uh...we'll need ya in the mornin' to help with the tent."
Molt paused, and looked at Blip. "Okay," he said, his face expressionless. And the grasshopper flew away.
Blip slumped. "Nuts," he grunted.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
"I don't understand."
Molt paced back and forth in front of the terrarium. "I mean it, I won't be comin' back no more," he tried again to explain. "The circus is leavin'."
Trill watched him, a pout only barely beginning to appear on her round face. "No more, ever?" she tried to confirm.
The grasshopper paused in his pacing, and shrugged helplessly. "Ever," he replied.
Trill was silent a moment, then she slowly turned her back to the screen wall of her home. "Okay," she said at last.
Molt rushed to the screen. "Trill," he said, "I don't want to - I mean, I didn't know the circus was gonna be leavin' so soon...but...it's my job..."
The cricket didn't turn around. "Yes I know," she told him steadily. "You need to go. It's okay. Thank you for telling me all about Outside."
Molt exhaled, and ran a hand over his face. He pressed his back to the screen. This wasn't turning out well at all.
They both stood that way for a while, not looking at one another. The mantle clock ticked away, filling the room with its predictable sound. Finally, Molt could stand it no longer.
"I'm getting' ya outta there," he said firmly, and half-flew, half-climbed to the top of the terrarium. Trill whirled around, her eyes wide.
"What?" she demanded, surprised. "You can't!"
Molt was examining the lid of the terrarium. "I know it's your home and all," he said, "but - "
"No I mean - I mean, you can't," interrupted the cricket. "Only the humans can open it."
Molt took that as a sign that she did indeed want to leave the cage. "How do you know only humans can open it?" he pressed. "Have any grasshoppers ever tried before?"
"Well...no..."
"Then I'll be the first. Here," Molt said triumphantly. "Here's a hook."
Trill clasped her hands together, and watched the insect above her with growing excitement. "Can you undo it?"
"Done," said Molt, easily lifting the hook. He was elated; this was ridiculously simple. "I'll have you out in a sec." He clung to the side of the terrarium and pushed up on the lid.
It came up about a quarter of an inch, but that was it. Finally, Molt had to let go.
"Is it stuck?" wondered Trill after Molt tried again with the same result.
"No," answered the grasshopper, deeply disappointed. "It's too heavy."
"Oh." Trill lowered her head. "Well," she said. "That's okay, I guess I can just - "
"Hey," said Molt suddenly, startling the cricket. "Bring me a piece of that."
Trill looked where Molt was pointing, and picked up a chip of bark from the path. "This?"
"Yeah. Bring it up here."
Trill hesitated, then flew to the top corner of the terrarium where Molt was clinging. "I'm gonna lift this again," he explained, "and I want ya to shove that underneath. Okay?"
Trill nodded silently.
Using his upper arms to push up on the lid and his lower ones to push down on the main body of the cage, Molt managed to raise the lid a good two-thirds of an inch. "Now," he hissed, teeth gritted.
Trill complied, sliding the bark under the lid, in the corner. With a grunt, Molt let go, and the bark stayed in place, propping the lid up by a fraction of an inch.
The cricket looked at it. "How does that help?"
"Get another one."
Using this method, Molt and Trill managed to raise the lid of the terrarium very slowly. Outside, the sun began to make its presence known, blotting out the stars on the horizon.
"Can you fit now?"
"Not yet I don't think."
Molt waited while Trill flitted back to the bottom of the cage for another chip of bark. "Hey," he said suddenly. "What's that?"
He was referring to a sound outside, which was accompanied by a pair of lights that swung around towards the house. It was a car pulling into the driveway.
"It's the humans," Trill told him, returning to the top of the cage. "They've come back."
Molt stiffened. All week, it had been him telling Trill about the outside world. Never once had she told him about humans - which was just as well, since he didn't want to know. But now he wished she had at least told him they were coming back. Somehow, he had managed to convince himself they were gone for good.
Hastily, he shoved at the terrarium lid, and Trill slid the bark underneath. "Ya gotta fit now," he told her urgently. "Come on."
Hesitantly, Trill clung to the lid and crawled forward, edging out of the terrarium upside-down. Molt hopped to the top of the lid and bent over to help her. In his haste, his elbow rubbed against the pile of bark chips, and it began to topple. Trill cried out in fear, and Molt, grabbing all four of the cricket's arms, leapt forward and away from the terrarium as the bark scattered, sending the lid crashing down. The two insects fell to the room's floor, Molt's wings only slightly hampering their momentum. They landed on the soft shag carpeting with a double "Oof!"
It took a few moments, but finally they both realized they had done it, and they helped eachother up. "Thanks," they said in unison, and they looked up at the terrarium, on its high shelf.
"I guess that's it," said Trill, not sure what else to say.
"I guess."
There was an awkward pause, then finally Molt turned towards the room's door. "Come on," he said, "we'd better get goin'." He led Trill to the gap and showed her how to squeeze under; she lost most of the flowers from her antennae in doing so but she barely noticed. They crept down the hall on their way to the doorflap in the kitchen.
There was some noise from another room as a door opened, then closed again. The sound of humans moving about was unmistakable, and Molt's panic grew.
"Hurry," he insisted, and lifted the vinyl flap for Trill, then hastily followed her outside.
"We should get away from here," said Molt, not happy with merely getting outside; he wanted to leave the neighborhood as soon as possible. "Come on - Trill? Is something wrong?"
Trill stood rooted to the spot, gaping at the sky, and overwhelmed by the sheer openness of space around her. She didn't reply.
"Trill?" repeated Molt, frowning. "We'll sightsee later - come on."
The cricket shook herself a little, and looked at Molt. "What? Oh...oh, okay." Molt turned and started walking away from the door. Before following, Trill stole another look around, this time turning in a circle. She didn't get to complete it.
"Molt!" she screamed in terror, stumbling backwards. Molt whipped around just in time to see a cat, its fur a gleaming white, step out under the vinyl flap and pause halfway through, its eyes fixed on the cricket.
The three stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity. And then, the cat moved. But Molt moved faster.
"Runrunrunrunrun!" screamed Molt, tearing across the yard at a remarkable speed. Trill, being towed after him, struggled to keep up. "You - you saved me," she gasped.
Molt didn't hear her. "Hide, hide - we gotta hide!" he wailed, zigzagging. Certain the ghostcat would be upon them any second, he failed to tread with care and suddenly tripped on something, landing without ceremony on his face, limbs askew and Trill sprawled on top of him.
Behind them, the cat sauntered to a stop and regarded the two insects with intense curiosity, one paw raised slightly. Molt and Trill twisted around to gape at it in horror.
But before the animal could lean down to have a sniff, all present shifted their attention to a metal object that rose strangely out of the ground beneath the cat.
Trill blinked at it. Molt covered his eyes with his hands. The cat appeared about to step aside but was simply too late.
The sprinkler's effect on the cat was instant. Spitting and screaming in indignation, the animal tore back across the yard and vanished through the doorflap as water spurted in all directions from this and the other sprinklerheads that sprouted out of the lawn.
Molt uncovered his eyes as the water droplets crashed all around. Trill rose slowly and marveled at the phenomenon.
"Wow," she said.
Molt was past being impressed. He stood up and took Trill's hand.
"Now would be a really good time to go," he said.
