God had misplaced humanity, Priscilla was sure of it. She first noticed God's absence during school. Science class specifically. Mr. Wilson was droning on about insects when Priscilla realized God wasn't watching her anymore.

"Mr. Wilson! Where's God?" she asked, making sure her voice got extra high-pitched and nasally so no one could ignore her.

Mr. Wilson stared at the pigtailed fourth grader like a man contemplating murder-suicide, before answering, "God is everywhere, Priscilla. But maybe now isn't the best time for these philosophical talks."

His dismissive tone didn't calm Priscillas' concern. In fact, it only made her more curious. If God was everywhere, why did the room feel so empty? So without God?

"But I don't feel his 'et-urn-all' love. Did something happen?" Priscilla made sure to stretch the vocabulary word to impress everyone else.

Mr. Wilson ignored Priscilla's attempts to hijack his class and continued on.

"And don't forget to take care of your ant farms over Spring Break. Your report is due the Monday you get back."

#

Priscilla sat in her room, staring at the cartoons running across her TV. Her ant farm was stationed right beside the glowing screen, illuminating the tunnels and the tiny specks hard at work. 

Priscilla hadn't felt God's holy presence since that day. The world suddenly felt so cold. Before, Priscilla knew that she was special. That her family was blessed. That her country, even the whole world, was held tight in God's hug. But now, Priscilla couldn't shake this feeling of soul-crushing loneliness.

Cartoons helped.

Every so often, Priscilla would tear her eyes away from the TV and her cosmic ennui to quickly glance at her ant farm. Her assignment was simple: monitor the population. Because the whole of these ants' home, nay their whole world, was open to her, all Priscilla had to do was note any activity the ants did and count how many there were. Three times a day. It was a terribly boring assignment, and before she knew it, it was Sunday morning and the ant farm had gone missing.

“MOM! WHERE'S MY ANT FARM??”

“Your what? Priscilla, stop playing and get in the van! We're going to be late for church!” 

And so, antless, Priscilla was shepherded across town to church, all the while fretting over her insectile charges and, of course, her final grade.

#

God's house felt empty. Worse, Priscilla thought, as she stared at her fellow congregants, it was filled with strangers. These people, once bound by a singular divine purpose, were just puppetry now. Mommy and Daddy smiled and shook hands, and so did Priscilla, mechanically, to be polite, but no one seemed aware that God had left the building. The rituals were archaic and pointless, and Priscilla couldn't tear her eyes from the cobwebs in the rafters. There wasn’t even a whisper of God left, and for that, she began to cry.

On the drive back, with her last shred of hope well and truly gone now, Priscilla let God’s disappearance claw at her bones. She mourned that her prayers would remain unanswered now, and that the world was now on a dark path without hope or salvation. She mourned that the rest of her life would be bleak and without a true divine love. Worst of all, she mourned that it seemed that she was the only one who realized this immutable fact. She resolved right there, in the back of her parent’s minivan, that she would carry this secret alone. The world didn’t have to know, and it didn’t have to mourn with her. They would remain blissfully unaware.

“Is this your ant farm? It was behind the TV. Be careful with your things, Princess.”

Her heart began to lift, slowly, like a flower turning toward the sun. There again, between her own two sweaty hands, were the panes of glass and dirt. Priscilla watched the miniscule insects run through their tunnels. The ant nursery filled with eggs. The construction ants digging new space. Undertaker ants carrying corpse after corpse into the tomb. 

Living. Working. Eating. Dying.

She couldn’t help it. She let out a cheer, a small relieved squeal. Even though it felt as if God had abandoned the entirety of creation, she had found her ants. They would survive this much, and be acknowledged, and be loved.

And it was to Priscilla’s amazement that the ants, the entire colony, turned to face her and cheered blessed hallelujahs.