After a bit more nagging from Anni, I left Happy Place Supermarket with a begrudging grin. My beat up Sketchers almost gliding on worn gray asphalt. It was a bit after noonday, and yet it was cool. A light layer of condensation forming on the glass looking into the supermarket. Everything had an almost surreal orange hue, the sky already taking that color you'd expect of a sunset. The Blood Moon's omen, certainly. Blood Moons are technically independent from the physical moon. If there's no moon in the sky, it will just make an image if one until the real thing aligns itself. Meaning that the damn thing can just pop up in the middle of the day and send half the world into an early night. Doesn’t make a lick of sense, but it doesn’t need to. It just… happens.
I picked up the pace, going from a slow walk to a brisk jog. The rustle of a plastic bag and the sound of footfalls rang out. CDAM already put out an alert, telling folks to shelter in place. The streets were dead, silent and weary. I caught a glimpse of a younger man peeking at me through his blinds, before shutting them again.
But I wasn't too worried, about the Blood Moon. I only had four blocks to go, and I'd be in my apartment. Sure there was that funky ass, spooky ass construction site nearby, but I didn't plan on snooping around. It was across the street from my apartment, the beginnings of a rather grand cathedral. Scaffolding around the spire, stained glass installed last week. It's been a real pain in my ass, the thud of hammers on two-by-fours, the whirring of a circular saw, and the fucking priest that come by and micromanage every step.
I don't exactly live in the best part of town. It isn't the safest, and it seems like there's a new missing person's flyer up every week or so. But the rent's cheap, $150 a month for a studio apartment. I'm not exactly a billionaire, so it'll do for now. Even though my parents are for all intents and purposes, loaded, I won’t take their money. My pride won’t let me.
I eventually made it to my door, slipping in the chrome key into the lock. But when I turned the key, there wasn't the telltale weight of the deadbolt. Fuck, I left the door unlocked? I'm getting sloppy... I open the door, stepping onto the cheapest "Live, Laugh, Love" rug I could find on sale. I took my beat up sneakers off, leaving them by the door. I walk into the kitchen, stowing away my haul. The beat up A/C unit lodged in my living room window was whirring in the silent apartment. It wasn't too loud, but in a dead silent apartment, it might as well have been an air horn. My bare feet hit the hardwood, sauntering into the living room. I swiped up my remote for the unit, punching the buttons to shut it up. Nothing happened. I pressed and I pressed, but nothing. I finally flip the remote over in my palm, prying open the compartment on the back. A thin dull blue layer of powder stared back at me. Corrosion, just my luck. I checked all the drawers in my apartment, and of course I didn't have any more AAA's.
Defeated, I flopped onto the couch, staring at the A/C unit. I didn't just walk over to turn it off. It wasn't about the noise at this point, it was a matter of pride. If I caved in and just walked over to turn it off manually, It'd be my loss. I wasn't going to buckle or yield to a damn box. So that's where I am now, writing my day down. There is a new article put out by CDAM, a comprehensive file on Vantaa Wasp. A nice piece of info. I'll probably skim it and write down the important bits.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Vespa vantaa
Vantaa Wasp were first documented after the Fall of 2001 in Vantaa, Finland. Easily identified by their polygonal shape, incredibly black exoskeleton, carnivorous diet, and the deep hum they produce when flying. Averaging at 4.2 inches (10.7 cm) in length for adults, they are the second-largest known species of wasp on earth. The largest queen was recorded in 2014 at Stonehenge, measuring 11 inches (~28 cm). The most notable trait of these wasp are their unusual flight mechanics and hunting strategy.
Vantaa wasp are one of the few wasp species that lack wings. But this does not mean that they are flightless. Though it is not fully understood, a gland in their thorax produces an anomalous oil (dubbed Vantaa oil) that allows them to interact with Earth's gravitational field, allowing something akin to standard flight. Their signature black color is in part a result of Vantaa oil secreted from the thorax. The wasp are such a dark black that depth perception can fail, allowing for Vantaa wasp to approach their prey far more easily than other species of wasp. These wasp are especially dangerous because of this. Their nest are constructed from a chitinous secretion, similar in structure to a paper wasp nest. Due to the presence of Vantaa wasp and the influx of Vantaa oil, the nest begin to float, resting at about 32 feet (10 meters) in midair.
These wasp are extremely prone to overheating in direct sunlight. Due to this, all Vantaa wasp are nocturnal hunters, taking advantage of their naturally dark bodies to become virtually invisible under the correct conditions.
The sting of a Vantaa wasp is comparable in pain to a fire ant's sting. But with the sting, a mild venom that contains a small amount of Vantaa oil is injected into the victim. One sting is not deadly, only causing mild inflammation and a sensation of levity. But a swarm can easily pelt a victim with dozens of stings. The influx of Vantaa oil will cause their prey to float off the ground, where they cannot escape the swarm. As the prey is covered in stings, their body will eventually become light enough for the wasp to ferry their body to the hive. From there, the wasp nip and bite, slowly but surely eating their prey alive, stripping them down to the bone.
The most notable instance of a Vantaa wasp swarm occurred in their namesake, Vantaa, Finland. An estimated 30,000 wasp flooded the streets like locust, stinging and stealing away humans, pets, and even horses. 100,000 people lost their lives, and almost as many fled the area. Ultimately, the town was burned to the ground by CDAM's European branch. This did kill a good many of the wasp, but the smoke also drove thousands of wasp out of Vantaa, into the surrounding countryside. Through the years, and anomalous phenomena, Vantaa wasp have spread to every continent, including Antarctica. The population appears to ebb and flow in accordance with other anomalies, acting as normal animals in one instance, and natural disasters in the next.
There are a few known deterrents of the wasp. Since Vantaa oil is an oil, spray on degreasers and solvents are one way to combat them. In other words, soap. Smoke and fire also harm the insects, but it is typically used as a last resort, since wanton use can make the wasp scatter or fly into a frenzy.
