Night of the Living Cicada

Normally I'm not creeped out by bugs (roaches and stingy insects aside) and I've even come to like the alien-looking little cicadas that torment my cats by hanging on the screen door. If I'm outside and the little critter's within reach, I'll grab it (cuz I so love the "screamers") and then let it on its way. This usually entails about 60 seconds of screeching, fluttering, dive-bombing and body-slamming against anything in its path (including me). National Geographic style entertainment for the easily amused city-folk (me again).

So Sunday night I see one stuck on the door and my cats are gathered 'round like they've discovered the Holy Grail. I fight my way through the crowd and outside and grab the little fellow (nope, no screamer, which I'll be thankful for later) and let him loose so the cats can get their jollies watching him go nuts. After he pops me in the head about 5 times I decide I have discovered the rare kamikazee cicada and I'd better seek cover before he took me with him.

After getting successfully inside, teeth brushed, alarm on, I slide onto the cool sheets and flip off the tv. Ah, finally a chance to close my eyes, and...oh, crap! I sit up, brushing away the foreign thing clinging to my hair; a whoosh of wings and leaping cat bodies converge around me and I jumped up, flipped on the light, clawing at my hair to make sure IT wasn't still there. The crazy cicada had made his point. I didn't scream. Honest. Of course, had this particular little insect been the screeching kind you might have been sending flower arrangements and having to think of something nice to say about me.

So, after cracking up laughing at my "near-fatal" encounter, I found the terrified creature (clinging to the edge of my bed) before the cats did and released him back outside. I made sure he was buzzing the porch light before I could rest easy. Apparently the little prankster had been riding in my hair like an E.T. barrette until I plopped my big ole head on top of him (now who's laughing you bug-eyed freak?)

Only me.