This morning I saw it when I walked outside.

So, I suppose I was prepared. My grandmother had always said that the emperor beetles brought one thing, and one thing only.

Superstitions always feel silly, and yet - deep in our mind, those things take root. They nag at us until we grab the salt and toss it over our shoulder. But today? I wasn't going to give in to the temptation.

All day, I felt the need to reverse that fortune. Stubbornly, I pushed my way through the dense fog, heavy with anticipation - determined that I would not be a statistic of fate, destiny, or the path of an emperor beetle.

I drove up the mountain, snaking with each turn - cautious that I stay in my lane. As I hugged the road at mile marker 45.8, with the cliff to one side of me - I heard it before I saw it. The sound of a semi-truck heading down, its brakes burning as it took the turn way too fast.

By the time I did see it, it was in my lane. Do I turn left into his lane to avoid impact? What if he swerves at the last second and I only manage to make things worse? Careening right is sure death with the severity of that cliff.

No. I'm ready.

I was prepared after all, by the presence of that shiny black bug this morning and my grandmother's warnings that I failed to heed.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling a total sense of peace. I must have blinked that final blink a little too long, so I wouldn't see the impact. Just poof - gone.

But there was no impact. I opened my eyes and looked in the rear view mirror as he continued down the mountain, barreling quickly - on HIS side of the road. He had managed to swerve at the last second and my car (and my body) remained unscathed.

Ha! Goes to show you... superstitions have no weight. No weight. No.... wait. I think her warnings were about the death beetle. Not the emperor.

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This has been a post for the lovely @mariannewest's @freewrites! If you enjoyed it - and think you could do a 5 minutes freewrite with a word prompt (today's prompt was :Emperor) go for it!!! They're daily and you won't be sorry! They're so much fun and great to engage with a new crowd of people!