Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle. Our host is
Brenda Warren; her prompt words for this week are
shown below. Here’s where the prompts took me.
colony, rattling, still, lose, crunch, life,
fits, hunch, scan, packages, grasping, and chains
The chains of duty bound every soul from birth. No one questioned it. Life within the commune demanded total obedience.
Kai moved through the tunnels at dawn, her body grasping the weight of three packages, each one as heavy as herself. Around her, the work crew labored busily in the same rattling rhythm, a mechanical pulse that never slowed. To lose focus meant disaster. Everyone knew it.
Kai paused to scan the chamber above. Something felt wrong. A hunch, maybe …. the kind that fits between your ribs like a splinter.
The ceiling groaned. Still, she didn’t move.
CRUNCH.
Ahead, a section collapsed followed by screams. Kai dropped her packages and surged forward, pulling two young workers free before the debris swallowed the corridor whole.
Queen Rani would not mourn the lost tunnel. The colony would rebuild as it always did. That was the law of the underground: keep moving, keep carrying, keep living.
Kai hoisted her packages again, antennae twitching, and disappeared back into the dark.
Above the hill, the summer sun beat down on hundreds of tiny mounds and the six-legged citizens who called them home.
NAR©2026
#MLMM
#Wordle
This is “Back On The Chain Gang” by The Pretenders
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 
live love this Sis …a lovely twist 💜💜
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Willow. It’s not easy being an ant! 🐜
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no it isn’t easy, scratching a living but they are so clever and industrious!
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So true! Great song!
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💜😁💜
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OK, you had me convinced it was some kind of fantasy kingdom, rather than a kingdom of tiny creatures.
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Yay! That’s exactly what I was hoping you would say. Great comment, Iris. Thank you.
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So clever! I had no idea it was about ants till I saw the picture.
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So great to know! I was hoping someone would say that. Thanks, Jodi.
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Aww, so nice 🐜
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I’m glad you enjoyed my story, cara. Thank you!
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You’re most welcome ❤️❤️❤️
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Kai was living a life of intense, pheromone-driven, and cooperative labor within a massive, hive-minded colony, focusing entirely on foraging, protecting the queen, and nurturing the brood.
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They certainly do run a tight ship! Thank you, Jim.
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Fantastic, Nancy! More going on than we know.
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It isn’t easy being an ant …. unless you’re the queen! Thanks, Lois
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Wow … a fantastically imaginative story my friend … dare I play an “Adam and the Ants” song …
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Yes, you may! And I’m somewhat red-faced that I didn’t think of Adam Ant myself! Thank you, my dear friend, for your brilliant comments. 🥰 🎶
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My musical pleasure my friend 🎶📖🐜🥰
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Most entertaining!
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Do you remember the ant farms when we were kids?
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Oh yes, including the one that broke…
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Especially that one! 😂
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nice write – what a great perspective!
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Thanks for a very nice comment.
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