My legs are moving quickly as I sprint over the grass back to the hill.

[What do you mean, she won't recognize me?]

[It's exactly what it sounds like! You basically turn into a different ant every time you get bigger, it's not my fault.]

[[You're right. It's Noah's fault!]

I run underneath the tree where I killed the mouse, and where the first spider attacked me.

[Yes, technically, it's his fault, but would you really rather still be a normal ant?]

[Yes! I very much would rather that nothing had happened to me!]

[Please. You would have helped the queen lay a new batch of eggs, and died.]

[At least I would have still had a colony!]

[...You never would have met me, though.]

[And I would have been fine with that!]

As I cut the connection off, I see the hill in front of me and skid to a stop.

[Queen? Are you there?]

Ants start crawling out, ants that are of the same species I used to be. Their mandibles are snapping endlessly, and I realize I might have been one of them just a few days ago.

[QUEEN!]

The ants are getting agitated, and getting in a defensive position around the mouth of the hill.

[what, you, want?]

[Can I still come back if I defend the hill?]

[...who, are, you?]

I smash my head against the ground. How could my life have gone downhill so quickly? Noah could have left me alone. He could have picked literally any ant on this dirtball, but he picked me.

I've never been angrier at anything in my life. The most I can do for my colony at this point is to leave them alone.

[Sorry for bothering you.]

[please, leave.]

I turn and walk away, my antennae drooping. I don't know where I'm going, only that I'm leaving.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I kill the spider, not even bothering to use the Bite. I really have gotten bigger, and stronger too. Spiders run from me when they see me now. It's almost ironic.

[Joule, how much energy do I have?]

I despondently wait for her answer. It doesn't come.

[Joule?]

Finally, she responds.

[You said you'd be fine without ever meeting me.]

I clack my mandibles, irritated.

[How much energy do I have?]

[Do you think I'm a mistake? Do you think I'm just a voice in your head?]

[Joule. Energy.]

[I have feelings too, you know.]

I finally, completely lose it.

[Shut up! Just shut up! I've been pulled out of my life, kicked out of my colony - I almost died from a snake, for crying out loud! Ever since that stupid human changed me, I've had no idea what's going on! I've been shoved into a shadow space, whatever that is, I have a freaking Void in my stomach, and lastly, there's an overly optimistic, excessively chipper, supremely unhelpful person in my head telling me 'no, you can't do that' and 'sorry, it's not possible' and trying to convince me that this is anything less than the worse thing that's ever happened to me!]

It starts raining. I hadn't noticed the clouds coming in.

[Well, if that's how you feel, upgrade yourself.]

And her voice is gone.