The rain drops, devilish pool of liquid frost, rage against the ground as the clouds engulf what was once clear skies. The larvae lurches forward with all its might towards the underside of a leaf, having being miles from its temporary home in search of food to fuel the next growth. Each drop is like a hammer hitting its skin, causing the larvae to flinch at each impact, the hairs latching to its body barely able to feel what lies ahead. The larvae finally relaxes as it seeks shelter under the fallen leaf. 'Something...near.' the hairs twitch at the prescense of dozens of legs scuttling about, disappearing at one point.
The larvae cautiously inches out. Feeling nothing crashing down from the sky, it continues on to the source of all the miniature tremors. Then it could smell it. The crawling apparently had come from an adult beetle, which had just left the area. The larvae's mandibles click in anticipation for what could be a possible jewel. Hairs on high alert, the larvae slowly slinks forward, wishing not to end up as another beetles meal. It comes to a stop when the soil underneath becomes moister...more...upturned. No time to waste, the mandibles start digging, clawing into the earth where its prize awaits. Six round eggs lay in a perfect circle, still slightly covered in the dirt that was once protecting them. The fiendish mandibles latch around one of the nearest eggs, gradually squeezing together before...
Crack!
The top of the shell shatters into bits, the undeveloped beetle within slowly pouring out, telling its woes to the world as if to ask why it could not have its life. But the unfeeling larvae could not care, for its hunger came first. It drank the gooey innards and chewed at the shell until their was nothing to be left behind. But it was still not enough. 'More...' The larvae gripped a second egg, siphoning its life essence from the fractured encasing. A third soon followed after before the larvae was satisfied, leaving only three unborn beetle larvae left. Meals for tomorrow.
The larvae retreats from whence it came, the only sign of it ever being here are broken egg shells and drops of yellow. The mother beetle arrived about an hour later the larvae's departure. An ant carcass drops from its maw as its anxious antennae twitch at the exposed nest. The shrieks of a grieving mother and the rage of an avenger tore through the night, as corpses litter the area. Insects clawed and bit at each other for the golden feeding, with some of the larger creatures merely watching, gnawing on those that drew too close.
By dawn, the larvae poked its head out to find the head of a mantis like creature not far from its current resting ground. A strange occurrence, but welcomed none the less. After consuming the morsel, the larvae trudges back towards the vicinity of the beetle nest. 'Bad. no...good' The larvae makes itself as small as it could, for beside the nest is the mother beetle. Having lost three of her children, she now stays as close as she possibly can, hissing at any that pass by. Knowing that the beetle will absolutely destroy it, the larvae decides to play the waiting game. After all, those eggs were more than filling for its usually large appetite.
Thus, the waiting game began. On the first day, the larvae watched as the beetle fought a mantis that was trying to steal the eggs right in front of her. Needless to say, the mantis had its arms chopped and its head turned into a bowl of brain soup. By the second, the beetle had noticeably calmed, likely believing that justice was served, unaware that the real killer was only feet away from her, snacking on any unfortunate bugs within the area. Not much had happened on the third besides the beetle pacing back and forth in front of the nest. Yet the larvae's patience finally paid off by the dawn of the fourth.
It was the slight rumbling that had awoken the larvae from its slumber. poking out its head slightly, the larvae smelt something different. It was earthy, dusty, and, to its concern, inching closer towards the nest. The mother beetle must have sensed it as well, as she immediately turned around, only to be confused by a rock that had not been there earlier. The rock slowly began to uncurl, revealing glistening minerals that had caught the beetle's curiosity.
Though hesitant, the beetle slowly marched forward, antenna twitching, trying to identify what the rock was doing. With great speed, the 'rock' suddenly lunged, ensnaring the beetle in its grasp. The creature shrieked and flailed with all its might as it slowly sunk into the shining minerals.
Crunch!
The beetle's legs twitched before going still. A round grey head sporting two antennae and a pair of mandibles soon became visible. The rock bug gleefully ate at the carcass of the mother beetle, its multiple legs tapping the ground.