Why Hello Scorpion...

Picture: http://www.realphoenixliving.com/2007/09/19/trouble-with-scorpions/

One of my favorite stories to tell about my adventures in the desert is when  I woke up with a scorpion. We, the 1992 Sabilla, marched to a beautiful valley, Dana, one late night and did not have time to set up our own tents with its own ground sheet. We had to sleep in tents set up by the camp people which had no bottom sheet. 

That night it was the girls' night to patrol the area before waking up the boys to have their turn. My friend and I patrolled the area for two hours. During that time we saw a Hyena walking around the camp, so exciting. After our time was up, we woke the boys up and got to bed at 2am in the morning. I remember being extremely tired, checking my sleeping bag before sliding into it and sleeping face down. 

I was woken up that same morning at 4am and found myself in the same position as when I went to bed. I turned around in my tight sleeping bag and unzipped it. I saw something crawling down my right leg, making its way to my left. The light was dim and I could not see clearly, but I thought it was a grasshopper or something harmless.  I grabbed the flashlight that was next to my head and lit it. Whoa! It was not a harmless creature at all... it was a big blond scorpion and probably full of venom. 

I did not want to wake up the rest of the girls and so I covered the scorpion and folded the sleeping bag so it would not escape and make its way to my tent mates. I ran to my friend, who was in charge of the camp, and woke him up whispering to him that there was a scorpion in my sleeping bag. I will never forget how he jumped out of his sleeping bag and grabbed me by the shoulders asking me if I was all right. 

He then asked me to bring out my sleeping bag... this was all happening while the girls were still sleeping. When my friend and some other boys unfolded the bag, they saw the helpless thing walking around.  One of the boys took a swing at it and killed it. I was so shocked and so upset that I started yelling at him. Why did he do that? it did not hurt me... it probably only wanted to get warm and that was why it made its way through the only opening in my sleeping bag... maybe even climbed over my face... besides... we are in its territory. It was so sad...I never liked killing creatures and even though I eat meat, I try not to think of what it is that I am eating or how it was killed.

Anyway, that morning we had to set up our own tents and the army officers who were with us told us to be extra careful because once we find a scorpion we would be sure to find others within a hundred meter radius. After two days they were proven right because after we took down our own tents, we found 3 more scorpions right underneath the tent.

I love that story! I am still wondering how on earth I survived that one!