Slug

Slug
Hisato Kawata

Early one morning, right before dawn, I saw a slug lying on the kitchen floor. I picked up a couple of toothpicks from their holder on the counter, held them together to make a little flat shaped structure. Then I slid the toothpicks under the slimy creature and slowly scooped it up. Once lifted in the air, the creature started coiling itself around the toothpicks to secure its position. Making sure the slug was okay around the toothpicks, I took it outside and threw it off into the shrubbery.

Several days later, about the same time in the morning, again a slug was lying on the kitchen floor, about the same size and in about the same spot as before. Using the toothpicks in the same way I carried it outside and threw it to the same spot in the shrubbery.

Several days later again, I found another slug on the floor, a slug of the same size, on the same spot, at the same time before dawn. “Oh, you again. Welcome back. So, do you want a ride?” Making a toothpick carrier as usual, I scooped up my new friend. Checking he had securely clung to the toothpicks, I took him outside and threw him into a moist part of the shrubbery. “There you are. That’s nice and wet. I think you’ll like it better there.”

After that the slugs stopped coming.