ANT PYRAMIDS - Final segment (Scroll down for earlier segments)


     This is when the clothes started flying.  I tried to calm Ernie down, but it was useless.  It was looking like I might have to move before the going-away party.  I knew if anyone shined a light on us, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight.  We not only had a fire going; we had a naked body with arms flying, dancing around a blazing ant hill. 

     I could just hear the neighbors…”Harold, get up and look at this.  If my medication isn’t causing me to hallucinate, it looks like there’s a naked person in the vacant lot, swinging his arms wildly and dancing around a fire.” 
    
     “It’s probably those crazy neighborhood kids practicing some ancient rain dance.”

     “I think it’s more likely to bring on a severe drought, although those boys could use a good soaking.” 

  

    While everyone in camp worked feverishly to subdue the fire, Ernie had, once again, stumbled away in the darkness.  I hoped Ernie wouldn’t attract any attention, since he’d left his clothes scattered about the campsite.  Then I thought how nice it would be if he had the lantern, because there were many more ant pyramids in his path.  Ernie would have to watch his step, although his quick movements probably wouldn’t have given any more ants time to react and jump aboard.

     As I looked at the broken lantern, amidst the smoldering ruins of the ant hill, I heard a door slam.  Ernie had made it back to the house.  How he weaved his way back in the dark was considered a miracle by some.  After a shower and a couple days sleep, Ernie was like new, but he never again camped in the land of the ant pyramids.

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