12. Nicolette

It was the clicking that roused me.

I’d been so tired I couldn’t even remember falling asleep, and I was still deep under when something began to tick and clack directly next to my ear, followed by swishing sounds, like someone sweeping a floor. Then more snicks. Maybe an insect scurrying past.

A moment passed before I was able to drag my eyes open and spot blurry dark patches in front of me in the lighter sandy background.

I blinked drowsily, still half-asleep.

By the time I realized it was a scorpion that had sauntered right up to within a foot from my face, it was too late for me to do anything but scream.

So, scream I did. Quite healthily.

And that’s when I realized the scorpion wasn’t alone.

“Omigod, omigod, omigod!” I screeched, jolting upright and then leaping to my feet, where I danced back on bare tiptoes, only to discover that not only was a horde of scorpions lined up next to my pallet in front of me, but there were more behind me, and to the left and the right as wel