A Mother centipede once Said

“You call me a monster. But look closer… I’m a mother.” I don’t cradle. I coil. I don’t sing lullabies. I stay silent in the dark. Every beat of my venomous heart is for them — the pale, fragile lives curled beneath me. I won’t eat. I won’t run. I’ll starve before I leave them. If you touch them, you’ll meet my fangs. Not because I’m cruel… Because I was born in a world where mercy is weakness — and protection is everything. So fear me if you must. But understand me, too. Because even monsters know love...