Bug clearly remembered how she returned home, how the old couple she served was displeased, and how her legs were whipped. Yet here she was again, in the middle of the forest, late at night. And to make matters worse, she couldn't remember exactly how she got there. Bug looked around - she was alone and still had no idea why she was there. It would be better to return to the village and hope no one saw her leave the barn without permission.

She started to move but instantly froze. Her clumsy, heavy body felt completely different. The pain had also disappeared. The realization struck her - this must be one of her dreams. A life as a hunchbacked servant without any family had never been easy. When things were too hard to bear, Bug could find solace in dreams. In those nightly realms, she could travel anywhere, read countless books, have friends to share secrets with, and encourage each other. She could even have a loving partner.

Bug made several steps forward, stopped for a moment, and then broke into a run.

She couldn’t contain the overwhelming joy: never before had her body moved so smoothly and freely. It felt as if her legs had become as strong as a bull's, and as fast as a bird's wings. That certainly wasn't the best way to describe it, but she had never read any books or heard many stories, so all she could do was compare with her own observations to them.

This dream was fantastic.

Something fell near her. Bug moved closer to the object - on a layer of fallen leaves, she spotted a small ball, the size of a nut. Strangely, without touching it, she could tell that the ball was made of resin, dry leaves, and ground. She smelled it. Why did she smell it? Perplexed, Bug raised her head, and at the same moment, another ball hit her back. The chirping sound filled her ears. On an upside-down tree, there were honey squirrels sitting. Aside from their bright yellow bellies, they were covered in dark gray fur. Long, slim tails with bushy tassels hung down from the branches, prompting a strange desire to grab and pull them. Annoyed by the intruder's presence, they scolded her with shrill voices while a few held dirt balls in their front paws.

Bug knew that these creatures used their long proboscis to collect flower nectar. Hunters often robbed their nests to collect honey that squirrels had stored in empty shells from rocky tree fruits. They were particularly fond of upside-down trees, and this one was definitely their nest. Bug's thoughts were interrupted by another resin ball hitting her head. Honey squirrels obviously did not like the idea of an intruder wanting a share of their storage. 'But it would be nice to have something sweet instead of a bland soup.'

Paying no attention to the chirping, Bug put her hand on the trunk of the tree and instantly pulled it off. It was not her hand. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the image of a large, covered in black fur, paw. Yet, when she opened her eyes and looked down, a pair of animal paws with dull claws were still there. The shrill screams of the squirrel suddenly made her feel dizzy and sick. Bug turned away from the tree and ran.

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Despite the darkness, she somehow knew the way to the nearest creek. Its fresh and cool smell led her through the forest. She stepped onto the muddy bank and looked into the running water. The stream was small and full of rocks; it took her a while to calm down and see her own reflection. Bug screamed, but her voice came out like some kind of whimper.

Even if this was a dream it was too much. She should have been a beautiful lady or at least a healthy village girl, but instead she turned into a monster - a wolf ant. As if all the insults she suffered from the bullies weren't enough, she now turned into an actual animal. Bug made a timid attempt to look into the water again, hoping for some change. But the reflection remained the same - the long muzzle with short black fur, golden eyes and impressive jaws full of sharp fangs. Overwhelmed by sadness she sat down.

The grumbling sounds on the right made Bug turn her head. There, in the mud was sitting a stork hopper and staring at her. Its pink feathers were disheveled and with every breath it took, its belly inflated like a balloon. The stork hopper opened its long beak and grumbled again as if trying to scare off the intruder. It must have really liked this part of the creek. It must really like this part of the creek, to go against a beast whose single head was bigger than the entire hopper. Normally, Bug would have just left, but the unfair dream had made her irritated. She took a few steps towards the creature, and that was enough for it to leap into the shrubs. Once again, she was left alone to sullen over the disappointing dream.

Yet she wasn't left alone for long. While thinking about how to wake up, Bug felt someone's presence. On the other side of the stream, there was an animal with a peculiar smell. She stood up, staring into the bushes. She wasn't sure if she should run away but decided that few animals were dangerous enough for wolf ants. So, it should be fine to stay. It took a while before a familiar figure appeared between the trees.

Another wolf ant froze and stared back at her. It was carrying a piece of meat in its jaws, the muzzle covered in blood. The beast was about the same size as she, and luckily it wasn't aggressive, at least not yet. It reminded Bug of the same kind of animal she had seen in her dream in the crevice. Maybe that was why she kept dreaming about it even after she returned to the village. This thought calmed her down a little.

Meanwhile, the lack of response from her seemed to be a sign to the wolf ant she met this time. It walked deeper into the forest. Even though Bug had no idea how, it invited her to follow. Confused, she crossed the creek, but there were no clues on the other side either. It just felt as if she was being welcomed to follow the wolf. Bug turned her head towards the direction of the village. It didn't seem like she would wake up any time soon.

All of a sudden, the idea of keeping the wolf ant company made her heart beat faster. Despite the danger Bug hurried into the woods.