ATTACK! a tale of the kingdom of Culicidae
I sometimes challenge myself to write a story in less than an hour. This is the result of the last time:
The room was filled with a buzz of conversation, but all grew silent when a commanding figure rose from his seat and held up his hand.
Into the silence he spoke, "Fellow Culicidaeians, we have gathered together to pass judgement on an extremely important decision."
A murmur of assent ran among the crowd. The speaker waited until all was still and then continued, "My revered companion, Lord Stingher, will now address us."
A round of applause echoed through the room as a tall individual mounted the platform.
"Fellow Culicidaeians, I have traveled half across the country to be here today. (More applause) I have traveled here because this matter is of the most urgency. Our country of Culicidae is under attack! We are only a matter of months from being completely and utterly wiped out! We must not allow this to happen to our people! (Cheers) But, you ask, what are we to do? We will do the only thing we can: DECLARE WAR!" Lord Stingher shouted.
Cheers and shouts filled the room.
"WAR!!!!!! Wipe them out!" the shout rose louder and louder.
The opening speaker, his name was Baron Bhuzz, motioned for silence. Slowly, the shout died down.
"Yes, we must wipe them out!" Baron Bhuzz proclaimed, "But, we must do it in a neat and orderly fashion. Gain recruits! Arm them! And then go out and attack the enemy! Yes, our enemies are giants, but we aren't afraid! We'll give our lives if necessary but we shall DESTROY THEM!"
Then, one by one, everyone received their instruction on where and how they were to attack. Soon the council room was empty of all but the Baron Bhuzz and Lord Stingher.
"Do you really believe that we can defeat the enemy this way?" inquired the Baron.
"Certainly! We have weapons," said Lord Stingher, "That can draw their life from their veins."
"Yes," replied the Baron hesitantly, "But sometimes I wonder if they are only too powerful for us."
Lord Stingher shrugged, "Well, we'll never know unless we try!"
- - -
"ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The entire Culicidaen army raised their weapons and dashed forward into the fray. Many were equipped with fighter planes, and they whirled and buzzed above the enemy. The enemy, often called "The Destroyers", ignored them and stepped onwards. In their hand they held guns that contained deadly poison, and they sprayed it across the Culicidaen troops mercilessly. Many of the Culicidaeians caught a full blast, and died. Others only caught a whiff of poison, and were carried crippled from the field of battle.
- - -
"Forward!" screamed Ralph Kneedle, as he drove forward into the fray.
Ralph was only a young boy, but he was one of fiery spirit and he would never give up! He leapt forward and drove his spear into an enemy soldier, and used it to suck the very life from his veins.
Ralph's best friend, Christopher Stylets, drove his spear into the giant also. He flashed a grin at Ralph and waved. Ralph waved back, and then watched in horror as the giant crushed Christopher. Ralph rushed over to his friend, but it was too late...Christopher was dead.
Ralph turned from the battle, sickened. All he could think was how fruitless this fight was. Just as he fled out of range, he was caught in the spray from a enemy's poison gun. With an agonized scream, Ralph felt his very being melting away under the acid of the poison.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!" he tried to scream, but failed as he collapsed to the ground in agony. In moments he was dead.
- - -
"ATTACK!!!!" screamed Baron Bhuzz, as he raced forward. Thousands of warriors followed behind him. The Baron fought back his fears that he would never leave alive. But as he watched thousands of his troops die, he felt hopeless. He drove his spear into the enemy, and then fled. He glanced behind him, and saw that all he had done was form a slight wound on the soldier's arm. The giant raised his poison gun.
"RETREAT!!!!" the Baron screamed. But as he fled, he caught the edge of the spray of poison and dropped to the ground in agony. A few of his followers paused and lifted him up.
"No! Save yourselves! Forget me!" the Baron cried.
His men refused and carried him out of the battle's fray. After setting him down, they returned to the fight.
At last Lord Stingher saw that they could not defeat the enemy, and he sounded the retreat. But, as they fled, the enemy all fired their poison guns and the entire Culicidaen army was destroyed.
- - -
The battlefield was empty except for the bodies of the Culicidaeians. The entire army was wiped out, but not one of the enemy had been destroyed. It was a complete and utter defeat.
The Baron, crippled for life, dragged himself along through the dark forest.
"Perhaps," he murmured to himself, "The world was meant to be ruled by the giants: The Humans, and not by Mosquitos."
The End
Note: Culicidae is the scientific name for mosquitos.