Friday, October 14, 2005

Praying Mantis.. *shudders*

The one thing that I fear most is the dread praying mantis. The demonic eyes and the ever moving hands.. err.. or whatever. I hate hate hate praying mantis and I had to meet one this morning.

This morning on my usual route to work, I spotted this little greenish patch on the side of the escalator. On closer look, not by choice, but coz the escalator was doing what it should do, I realise it's a praying mantis. A small one, probably just a baby but still, it's a praying mantis. Luckily, I managed to run by it without it moving a muscle towards me *phwee* and I ran as fast as I could out of what I hope is its area of influence.

Why do I fear praying mantis so much? Probably coz of all the stories I've heard about it, the female eating up the male after mating. And ever seen a praying mantis close up? The evil eyes, the eyes that can turn in all directions independent of each other. Worse of all, the hands, in mock prayer form, snaring anything that comes into it's path. It's not just hands, it's hands with sharp point edges. That's why I don't like praying mantis.

I remember the time when a praying mantis flew into my house and happily stood in the middle of the doorway to my room. Yes, it just stood there, doing nothing by flexing its hands. So for the whole day, I could not get into my room and was stuck in the living room, trying to find someone to get rid of it for me, but to no avail.

It just stood there, doing nothing, staring at me when I tried to go past it and get into my room. But I can't get past it, it's right in the middle of the doorway, and I can't jump past it, what if it choose to fly at the moment I jumped? and lands on me?? *horrors*

That's another reason why I'm scared of them, they can FLY!!! It's bad enough having them on the floor running about, the fact that they can actually fly kinda scares the wits out of me. There was this once I met a flying praying mantis in school. I almost freaked out and cried when it flew towards me. I turned around and ran off as fast as I could. Lucky it decide to choose another target and did not give chase after me.

And there was this time when Xuan found a baby praying mantis and decided to keep it as a pet?!? I was like ?!?!? A praying mantis as a pet? For the first month or so, I refused to step into her house, I refused to be in the same space as a praying mantis. But after much persuasion from her, and reassurance that the praying mantis is kept in the cage AT ALL TIMES, i finally agreed to step into her house.

It's was bad, most of the time I have my eyes on the cage, just in case it flies out, I would have ample time and warning to run out of the house. Things only returned to normal after it died. Lucky praying mantis, like most insects, have a pretty short lifespan. Or did it escape from the cage? I can't remember already, all I knew was after a few months, her house was praying mantis-free.

I hate praying mantis, nothing can make me like them. They are just evil. *shudders*

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