Zzzzt, zzzzt.....A fat black fly buzzed at the window in Michael’s bedroom, trying unsuccessfully to break through the pane of glass. It could see the outside world, it was just unable to penetrate the clear barrier that separated him from freedom.

Michael looked up from his Leapster game to focus on the fly at the window. Like all six year old boys, he was drawn to bugs like girls were drawn to play jewelry and Barbie dolls. Once the drone of the game’s music stopped, Michael could hear the fly butting against the window glass and got up to get a closer look at the trapped insect.

“Hey there fly! Not gettin’ out that way!” With a quick scoop, Michael closed a fist around the little creature and enjoyed the light tickle of the fly’s frantic buzzing in his hand as it tried to free itself from this new dark prison. “Aw, settle down-I won’t hurt ya’!” Michael grabbed his bug jar with his other hand and flipped the door open, then released his captive into its new home. The fly whizzed around the interior of the jar, even more confused by this confining space as it bounced off the sides of the container.

Michael took a closer look at his new fly friend. It had settled upside down on the lid and was nervously raking its hind legs over its wings and frantically rubbing its front legs over its red round eyes and antenna. Its thick black body bristled with short, prickly hairs and the two tiny wings gleamed with a reflection of the afternoon’s warm bright sunlight. “I think I’ll keep ya’ little fly-and I suppose you’ll need a name. Hmm, a fly name. Zzz, zzz, Zed! That’s it! I’ll call you Zed!” Michael announced to the caged black bug who didn’t appear to be intrigued or interested in the least. Zed had other things on his mind, like just how he was going to escape from this jar and find his way to liberty, flying free on the wind once more.