For as long as you can remember, you’ve never been a fan of bugs. Something about the way they moved, far too many limbs than was natural, spindly and hard with bloated abdomens. It’s not that they scared you, but you found creepy crawlies to be a bit... unsettling to say the least.
It was bad enough when they were small, slipping stealthily into the houses on unsuspecting people, crawling across their skin in the middle of the night. The creature that stood before you now was utterly nightmarish.
It was vaguely mantid in shape, with two sickle-like claws protruding from its forelegs, each chitinous blade was serrated with hooked protrusions developed for catching even the most slippery of prey. Its head, looming over you, was triangular with bulbous compound eyes, wicked mandibles and a pair of twitching antennae that danced sporadically, tasting your scent.
“Soft-soft thing,” it—no, she spoke, her voice was breathy and strained with effort from the vocalization, “Soft, pretty thing. So pretty.”
With a frightening burst of speed, the mantis-creature skitters towards you, bringing her chitinous frame within a foot of your body. Her clawed forelegs remain folded against her prothorax in a prayer-like posture, while her antennae twitch and quiver frantically.
“Please don’t eat me.” you whimper, unable to tear your eyes from her crescent mandibles.
The mantis-creature cocks her head to the side in interest, “No, no eat soft thing.” she breathes.
She reaches a forelimb towards you, gently trailing a tarsal claw across your cheek, fascinated by the comparatively delicate texture of your skin against her carapace.
“Soft, so soft.” the mantis exhales, “So pretty.”
She dips her head slightly, allowing her antennae to dance across your skin, “Scent. You have good scent.” she vocalizes, “Pha likes your scent, soft thing.”
The mantis-creature’s tarsus moves across your throat and down to your shirt where it pauses. The mantis, Pha, seems perplexed by your clothing,