Little creatures (part 1)

I wrote this a few years ago when I was living in Florida. It suits my mood today.


So it's been one of those late start weekends. You know, one where you sleep more than anything else. Sure, you get up, check your email, maybe watch some tv, but then you flop back into bed.

Round mid-afternoon, I'd finally showered and compiled my grocery list. I still hadn't had breakfast yet. Even though I was hungry, there was nothing here I wanted to eat.

I took a few more swigs of water, slipped my list into my pocket and set the alarm.

When I opened my door, I noticed one of the ubiquitous salamanders resting on my door frame. With some alarm, I tried to shoo it onto the landing outside. It started to move, I cried out, "No, no, no, no!" and then it was inside my apartment heading for my bookshelf. Apparently it didn't speak English.

In the following moments, all these thoughts crossed my mind:

If I don't shut the door, the alarm will go off.
I'm not sure the number I have for the alarm company is still right since they were bought out, and I haven't read through the new paperwork carefully enough yet.
If I shut the door and stay inside the alarm will go off unless I can make it to my room.
I don't think I have enough time to make it to my room.
Fuck!

I shut the door. Me outside. Salamander inside. I walked downstairs to post a letter and to give the alarm enough time to set so I wouldn't blow it by opening the door too soon.

I went back upstairs. Opened the door, looked around... no sign of my lizard stowaway...deactivated the alarm.

It was a baby salamander, relatively clear with black spots, much like one I'd discovered in my apartment a couple of weeks ago.

In that instance, it was late and I was freaked out by movement caught in my periphery. It sort of looked like some large centipede. I went to squash it first, missed, and then realized it was a baby salamander. Then it actually became more traumatic trying to capture it without injuring it. I used the old cover it with a container method. (Yes, I was too girly to pick it up.)

This was fine, except that I'd covered it on a vertical surface. Then the challenge was covering the bottom without injuring it. It was going pretty well till I had to deactivate the alarm so I could set it free outside. It wasn't dead, but it wasn't in the best of shape either. I really didn't want to repeat the experience.

At this point, I should mention that these salamanders are truly EVERYWHERE. I see them everyday skittering along the walls as I walk up the stairs. Just now one was sticking to my window screen outside. They don't usually hang out on my landing that much though. It's just these two little ones... god, maybe it's the same damn salamander. It would figure.

Anyway, I was still very much hungry, and there was no sign of the little bugger, so I went to the store. Later on I vacuumed thinking that might scare him out of hiding but no luck. So now there's this little salamander crawling around my apartment somewhere and it really could be anywhere since they can climb walls and stick to whatever. I'm at a loss.

I suppose I'll just have to resign myself to my new roommate who will eventually freak me out some day once I've forgotten about him as he makes his appearance likely at some deuced inconvenient time. Feh.

(NEXT>>>)

tags: salamander, anecdote