A Terrible Idea | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: A Terrible Idea | Previous Challenge Entry
By Francy Judge
03/02/23
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Reading in the reeds is a terrible idea. But if you do read in the reeds, you better wear a disguise to camouflage, so ticks can’t find you. They will probably think you’re their next taco dinner. They will hang on, and you won’t notice. Remember the time a sock stuck to your sweater coming out of the dryer, and you wore it all day not knowing it was there? Ticks are like that sock.

You might enjoy a picnic, eating sandwiches and juicy strawberries, while Mr. Tick enjoys your leg. It could be a beautiful sunny day, the kind of day that makes you sing, “This is the day the Lord has made…” You turn the pages of your favorite bear story, and it’s the good part, so you keep turning pages. All this time, Mr. Tick munches away, as sneaky as a thief.

If you brought a friend to join you for this terrible idea, he may have a tick passenger too. He might bring a book about monsters, and it’s hard to stop reading until reaching the end. His tick will grow bigger and bigger just like yours grows each time you turn a page. When you both finish reading your books, you might stand and stretch and have a frisbee catch until you’re hot and need water. The ticks are probably glad you stop bouncing around, interrupting their meal.

You might sit down for cookies and juice and talk about your books until the sun begins to set and casts a warm pink glow across the horizon. The low tide reveals a fishy smell you don’t mind. It reminds you of your favorite tuna casserole, topped with buttered Ritz crackers. The ticks don’t care how pretty the purple streaks of clouds look or if the air smells fishy. They’re too busy gobbling leg tacos. They don’t even notice they’ve doubled in size since they don’t wear a belt. And you won’t notice either.

You bike home before it’s too dark to see the winding road, and the ticks hang on. After you say goodbye to your friend and put your bike away, you might smell garlic and rush inside to eat a slice of pizza. Your dad will thank God for the food, and you’ll thank God for a fun day.

When your mom asks, “What did you do today?”

You’ll answer, “I read my bear book in the reeds.”

Your mom will open her eyes wide and look like the bear in your book. Then she’ll say, “Oh no. You need a bath tonight, so you can check for ticks.”

“Ticks?” You will echo because you forgot about ticks.

When the tub is full of water, you’ll undress to check and find a new mole on your leg. But it’s not a mole—it’s a well-fed tick who ate too many bloody tacos.

Your mom will be ready with tweezers and a match to scare Mr. Tick out of your skin. He doesn’t like the smell of fire and will finally stop eating. You’ll flush the tick down the toilet and pray you don’t have dreams about vampires sucking your blood.

Before you go to sleep, your friend will probably call you and say, “Guess what I found on my arm?”

You’ll say, “I know. Reading in the reeds was a terrible idea.”

“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.” Proverbs 12:15

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