Redhawk Caldera Back at base, bugs in the software

He did not hear the concerns of his family and packmates, nor would he have paid any attention to them at all. The boy lacked the ability to see past the swarm of locusts, in both a literal and a figurative sense. He was too consumed by his game of chomping and chasing, distracted only when one of the insects caught in the back of his throat and caused him to gag and sputter until he had wretched a small, slimy glob of spit and crushed bugs at his black toes. He gave the mess an audible sniff, and then nonchalantly scooped it back up in his mouth, swallowed, and carried on.

Yet he was halted, when he happened to glance toward everyone else, and realize that they were all gathered together. Curious, he strolled over to them, completely unfazed by the locusts buzzing around his head as he clutched one more unfortunate bug between his teeth.