"By the by...do you know...Praying Mantis?" "You're lookin' at him."

[thesummerqueen]

Oh no. It was a praying mantis. What I didn't tell you is that it swooped in like the Green Goblin when my roommate came home from work. My bathroom (TINY ROOM) is right next to the backdoor so as soon as this big green blur comes in I slammed the door (I was chucking clothes from it to the laundry room it opens into). But I guess the thing landed, because it scooted right under the door! I threw clothes on top of it and did the bug-jitter out. So we're standing there watching my clothes and it shrugs them off and stares at us. That's when Heather lost it. It cocked its head, used it's praying mantis powers on her, and she went yelling for the cat. We threw the cat onto it twice, and El Fat-ass-who-does-nothing-but-sleep didn't want anything to do with it. The mantis didn't move for a while, but then suddenly lifted back off, and that's when *I* screamed. It flew AT us and all around the kitchen.

I had no idea I could either. I make all sorts of noises, but I never have occasion to scream. I've hit black ice and spun out and thought I was going to crash into the surrounding forest, as well as one time also hitting the ice and going over the median into on-coming traffic. Didn't scream - didn't even yell. I wake up from dreams yelling and punching. I've handled snakes, I've handled bugs, I've even handled pretty big spiders (by smashing them) and still only yelled. My M.O. when REALLY scared, which might be a holdover from my father, is to get very silent and focused and generally get to the point that whatever's happening will end up with me or the other entity dead. But this was exactly like Mulder described. Another piece of nature was revealed to me, and instead of saying "oh, shit...I never knew that!" I was thoroughly shaken and repulsed.

Dragonflies look like they're speedracers. Not scary.