The grass was becoming too distracting

(chapter originally by doragom333 on writing.com)

Chie continued to keep still, but she kept feeling the grass as it tickled her body. Partly across her chest, but mostly along her hands and legs planted on the ground. Annoyed, she raised her hand to shake off the feeling, only to **** back a scream.

Her hand was covered in crawling ants!

"N-NNN-No, nonono," Chie squeaked, shaking her hand wildly.

While there were few things the aspiring fighter was afraid of, bugs, be they insects, arachnids, or any kind of creepy-crawly thing, were one of those things. It was bad enough normally, but bugs crawling on her in this state? Out of the question!

With the ants gone, Chie caught her breath, then lost it again when she heard a buzzing noise, followed by something landing on her buttock. "W-W-What's that?" she whimpered. Could it be a cicada? Dragonfly? Just a nasty old fly? Whatever it was Chie hoped to God that it would just leave. She was just swimming after all, why would bugs be attracted to her!?

The bug soon flew away, and Chie sighed and slowly blinked in relief. "Ha... what was I even afraid-"

Her eyes opened to see a grasshopper leaping right towards her.

"SHIT! NOOO!" she swore, falling over backwards onto her rear. Panicking, she clambored onto her feet and sprinted on the path she thought was next for her.

Unlike before, Chie was completely heedless of her surroundings as she ran. All those bugs... that was the last straw, it was time to get out of the brush!

With her legs pumping, Chie ran quite a bit more than she had intended to. This flight response, while effective at gaining distance, led to an unforeseen consequence: