Stay Away from Street Food

It bit me…

I carefully examined the area near my shoulders. A little red ant was biting it like its very existence depended on the nourishment of my shoulders. I brushed it off and proceeded to my room to get dressed. Hmmm… what should I wear today?

I made my way to the living room just in time to see a news bulletin that advises students - college students like me to be specific, to stay away from street foods. They say its very detrimental to our health for we don’t know the quality of ingredients and preparation is involved in them. I didn’t pay it much attention and went to school.

Damn, I’m hungry. I arrived two hours earlier than my first class. I figured I may as well get a bite to eat seeing as how I skipped breakfast, again. I made my way to the cafeteria and saw it was crammed with people on all sides. Ordering, eating, and chatting. No way was I eating here, I thought. I went outside the gates and to a dumpling stand near the side of our school. I frequent this place. No lines, quiet, the food is fast and fairly affordable. With this qualities, who cares if its street food?

Stay away from street food guys… 

Class has ended. Outside, the other students are talking about going to the mall to see a new movie. One of them asks me to go with them. I guess I’ll go. Can’t hurt to socialize sometimes… But something wasn’t feeling right. I feel… faint. Like tired. Like hungry. I decline the offer and just decided to go home instead. While I was taking a bath, it happened again. I found a couple of ants biting me near the thigh. Once again, I shrugged it off as nothing unusual. I went to sleep.

 I feel fainter… Like my body’s not functioning properly…

Afternoon classes again. Arrived two hours early again. Decided to have a quick snack again. Again, the dumpling stand. As I was eating, I felt a sharp pain within my mouth. I seem to have bitten my tongue. Stupid girl, I thought. I spat out what I was eating on the ground and out came some blood along with the chewed food. I inspected the blood that came out and what I saw ruined the monotony of my everyday life. Swimming in the blood were tiny critters that look like ants.

Stay away from street food guys…

I turned to look at my half-eaten dumpling and saw that its interiors are crawling with small ants.

Stay away from street food guys…

I was ingesting them into my body, without me noticing and they were eating me from the inside, slowly making their way to the surface.

Stay away from street food guys… 

My knees start to sag and I proceeded to empty the contents of what remained of my stomach, utterly disgusted with myself for my own ignorance.

Stay away from street food guys…