“That is a dangerous dream,”

the giant praying mantis told me

“It is a vile, vile thing for us to have

to walk this bloodstained earth—”

“—But we are doomed to it,” I finished

“It was bloodstained before us, and so it

will be so.”

“Yes, all of the blood has mingled together,

so we cannot tell which is which,”

said the praying mantis

“My love said to me that if the house

was full of water, would I swim deep

to rescue him.”

“Of course you told him yes,” said the

praying mantis

She paused

“But it is dangerous to dream like that”

“Who said it was a dream?”