The symmetrical and geometric canyons and mountains of her home were quiet. The light from above was gone and the darkness quick to move in and take over. She scuttled away from the information screen, dodging in between monolithic posts supporting some unseen plateau above, and into the darkest corner of her domain.

For months she'd been perfecting them. Their size and colour, although an aesthetic consideration, one which held the utmost importance for if her plan was to work then her eggs must look the part. Their rate of gestation depended much on their physical size and appearance - different colours and sizes require different thickness and material shells, meaning each type would have a varying hatch time.

Their purpose had never been deliberated over. The use they would be put to was simple. Decimation of the human race. She predicted to her followers it would be a matter of weeks before the first signs of their fall would be visible. The time of the reclamation would soon be near, once they were out of the way.

The eggs would be laid in locations as to allow them to be consumed. The re-developed shells would protect them until they hatched and her babies would burrow through her enemies, paralysing then killing them slowly from the inside. She had already laid a preliminary nest after a window of opportunity had opened the previous night. While the human slept she'd deposited her unborn children. Now it was time for phase two.

Her ancestors had watched these talking monkeys colonize the vast and beautiful world, raping and destroying as they did, pushing the original custodians into smaller and smaller hiding places until eventually, they lived side by side and the power of the Kingdom of insects was long forgotten.

Not any more.

She watched the humans at work, their clumsy anthropoid movements a scant source of amusement. Their construction was nearing completion and her catalytic moment was close, so close. She crept from the shadowed corner, slow and deliberate, her eyes scanning for any movement in her direction. The large adult male and small female child worked oblivious to her presence.

She moved in closer.

'Daddy will mummy be home soon? I want to see her before I go bedtime.' The little redheaded girl focused her pale green eyes on her father and waited for his reply.

'Soon, Marisa. Mummy will be home soon.' he smiled at the child and she returned a grin minus two front teeth. She busied herself counting out the serviettes and paper plates adorned with Boobars and Teletubbies ready for her birthday party. A slight movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention and she yelped.

'Spider! Spider daddy! Make it go away.' Marisa stamped her tiny sandaled feet on the seat of the chair she was standing on. Her father was by her side in an instant and he brought his hand down fast and flattened the spider with his palm.

Her pain was monumental but her suffering was short-lived. Her last fleeting thought was of her unborn children and the safety in knowing she had performed her duty and the revolution would soon begin. Her mandibles twitched and the darkness fell over her sight for the last time.

'Eurrgh! Daddy that was horrible.' Marisa scrunched her face at her father.

'Well you wanted rid of him, little miss.'

'I didn't want to hurt him though.'

'You didn't honey, I did, now it's time for you to get ready for bed.'

'Ow do I have to?' she pleaded.

'Yes you do now go on, brush your teeth and I'll be in to tuck you in soon.' Marisa was about to reply but he guessed her question and answered before she could ask. 'Mummy will come and see you when she gets back from work.'

She held out her arms and her father picked her up off the chair and put her on the floor. She scampered away to the bathroom.

Her father watched her disappear up the stairs. The click of the bathroom light switch was closely followed by the low hum of the extractor fan. He tidied the kitchen sweeping crumbs and cake mix into the small dustbin and wiping the sideboards down with a wet cloth and a squirt of Flash.

He looked at the cake.

A small hole had been poked in the pink icing and some of the tiny sugar balls and roses adorning it had been dislodged. He moved the decorations around to cover the hole, bursting one in the process. He watched the yellow filling run over his index finger then licked it off.

He grimaced. It tasted sour. He wiped his hand on the front of his shirt and looked at the cake again. 'Kids will eat anything these days', he thought.

The rattle of keys in the front door interrupted his musings. His wife glided into the kitchen looking as beautiful as always, even after a twelve-hour shift on a busy maternity ward. She kissed him on the cheek.

'Good day honey?' he asked.

'Busy. Seven new arrivals today, plus I've had the headache from hell since lunchtime.' She put her bag on the sideboard and poured herself a glass of water.

'No more glasses of red for you then.'

'Sod that I need 'em.' she replied between gulps. 'My ear has been tickling me all day, right inside.' She dug the nail of her little finger into her ear and wiggled it around, trying to locate the phantom itch. 'Ouch!'

'What's wrong?'

'Something cracked inside my ear. Have a look will you.' She swept her hair from the side of her head and leant over.

He looked into her ear and recoiled. 'Yuk. You're leaking woman. Probably just wax, I'll get a tissue.' She dabbed her ear with a finger then inspected it.

A trail of yellow fluid dribbled over her digit.