This. Means. War.

During the day, my bed is just an ordinary couch. But at night...it becomes a war zone. Last night, I had a huge victory. It was the first night I did not get one mosquito bite!!!

The backstory: When I was little, we would drive to Northern Michigan at least one weekend a month to visit my Grandparents. They basically lived in the middle of the woods. My brother and I would play outside all day, and by the end of the night we would come in with these WELTS. I mean, like golfball sized bumps, protruding from our arms and legs. That is when it all began. The mosquitos loved me from an early age. For the rest of my life, I lived in stickiness...putting on gobs of bug spray to do outside activities when my friends would have no problem.

When I learned I would be moving to La Réunion, I started doing some research. One of the first things I read was that mosquitos here were terrible. I sighed. I knew that this war was coming. My first night here, P.A. put in some random electric «anti-moustique» thing in the socket next to my bed. Everyone sleeps with the windows open here because it's so nice outside. But it was never a problem, and I never thought about mosquitos again. Until I moved to the apartment....

The first night here I was sound asleep next to my giant opened window when I started feeling itchy. Once, twice, all different places. That's when I realized it...I was being attacked!!!! I sprang out of bed and turned on the light. It was 3am. In sheer terror, I realized I was unarmed. I didn't buy ANY bug spray or electric magic things! It was decided—I had to kill.

I left the light on and started to read my book...just waiting for another attack.

After ten minutes, I saw the enemy. I tried to make my skin look yummy, and to give off a nice, blood smell. He landed. POW!!! I swatted him. To no avail, he was too quick! It was like he already knew.

After a few more minutes he came back and landed next to my pillow. SWAT! Again I missed.

Asshole Mosquito.

A third time he landed on my arm and I swatted him again. I totally got him that time. Now tell me how this happens; I had a weird bug shaped smudge, almost like a snow angel, on my arm. But the bug body was nowhere to be found. I figured...you know...he was little, the body was probably flung somewhere in all the commotion; a casualty of war. I turned off the light and went to sleep, satisfied that I won the battle.

In ten minutes I iched my cheek and felt that familiar, disgusting mix of blood and mosquito body on my fingers. I smiled, finally at peace. But only for the night...

The next day I bought an arsenal. Electric magic thing, sprays, traps, everything you can possibly imagine.

For the next few nights, I sprayed my bed and myself down before I went to sleep. I would get bit in the middle of the night once or twice (nothing like the 20 times from that first night...) and I would just wake up, spray some more bug spray, and go back to sleep.

Last night I heard the bone chilling sound of buzzing in my ear. I shot straight up in bed, immidiately grabbed the bug spray next to my bed, sprayed again, and switched sides. I waited.

Nothing. I went back to sleep.

And today?? Five nights after the war began?? No bites!~ VICTORY IS MINE!