Frozen Caterpillar

Time can be a friend, but it can also be an enemy. As time moves forward we have learned much and made mistakes with tragic consequences. Through all this we learned to move forward. There are parts of the past that remain hidden, secrets we will never uncover, or so we thought.

My employer found a way for small organisms to go back in time. She has given me a huge task. I have traveled back into the past to learn. With each passing day I can’t forget what I really am. I have to remember the questions.  What is going on around me? Where am I? What year? What is there to learn?

I could easily lose myself in this life, but then my employer would be angry. She wants to control the future through changing the past. She can’t do this unless I learn what needs to change about this period in history.

I am nervous and excited. I am not in Kansas anymore and I don’t have Toto to tell. I am on dirt. It is quite tasty, but tasting the dirt is not my mission. I need to stand up and act like the man I am. Did anyone see me licking the ground? Where am I? Looks like a road. Oh these leaves look quite delightful…crunch, crunch, crunch…oh my I have never tasted leaves so fresh and untarnished. Do humans eat leaves?

I wear the strangest clothes. The underwear, pants, and shirt are all made from a fabric I don’t know. It is soft yet durable, heavy, yet airy. My boots are warm and cozy. You don’t pull them on. They lace up. I am wearing my own warm superhero cape. I don’t think I could fly. The cape is heavy and warm. I am carrying my own personal blanket on my back. My hat also ties on. I feel all wrapped up like a present. I am warm.

I finish my quick snack. This country is so beautiful. I would be happy living in any plant, but sadly humans don’t live in plants. Those leaves were quite tasty. I need to focus. I have much work to do. It is 1201. I am in Iceland. This country is quite unique. I need to study the government and judicial system. My employer is very interested in how the unique government here works. What makes it successful? Are the people happy?

Iceland is quite green. I thought I was going to a place made of ice. I don’t like the cold, but as a human I am able to tolerate it. Oh look, up ahead is the man who tried to sell me fire insurance. I wonder if that covers being burned at the stake?

Written by: Collette Cottingham; Boot Hill