-Hello?

Would you mind coming a bit closer?

Do you follow the census by any chance?

It says the average U.S. household has between two and three occupants, but if you knew where to look, you would find the real number is much closer to 11,736.

Behind every wall, under every floorboard, there are hundreds of happy inhabitants peacefully living their lives, insects, arachnids, gastropods, and other miscellaneous invertebrates.

I would know because, well, I'm one of them.

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

If you'll indulge me, I would like to tell you a story.

Anyway, I've been hard at work on an autobiography.

I'd like to read you a few excerpts.

Like any good story, this one begins under the floorboards, with a colony of bugs.

This is the town I call home.

It was here that I met the love of my life, the most beautiful caterpillar I've ever seen.

This is one of her self-portraits.

She was a remarkable painter and a beautiful soul.

One day, something was different about her.

I never left her side.

I waited and waited, finding myself staring for hours at a painting that she never finished.

One day, she left without even saying goodbye.

I sealed her cocoon and kept it so I could keep some piece of her here with me.

You could say I had a hard time dealing with the separation.

I crawled to the top of the tallest building I could find.

Before my desperation could fling me off the edge, I saw something inexplicable tucked away in storage and it would change everything.

Now I would like to introduce you to perhaps the most peculiar creature in this house.

Despite having roughly 11,736 housemates, this homo sapien spends nearly all his time alone.

Victor Espinoza was once a successful novelist who wrote a series of books with his father, Gene.

Gene Espinoza was a giant of the literary world.

Ever since his father passed, Victor hasn't managed to finish a single new book.

To put it generously, Victor was not on good terms with any of his housemates.

Every ant on the ground, every fly in the air, and spider on the wall was subject to his wrath.

Coexistence was simply not an option.

-Yes, certainly, yes, Wednesday works.

Yes, there's a motel nearby.

Yes, perfect.

-When his bloodlust could no longer be contained, he turned to drastic measures.

I took the liberty of mailing a manuscript of my book to Victor's old publisher, and I wrapped this copy just for him.

Hopefully it inspires him to break out of this terrible writer's block.

I think all he really needs is just a little push.

Push.

That thing's heavier than it looks.

-All right, man, so with this level of an infestation, give me like three days, I'll take care of it.

-All right?

-Thank you so much.

-All right.

-I really appreciate it.

-All right, I'll see you in a little bit.

Okay, everybody needs to clear out of the house.

[phone ringing] [phone ringing] [phone ringing] -Hello?

-Hey, Victor.

It's Ed Marshall from Hampton Books.

-Eddie.

I haven't heard from you in forever.

-I know it's been a while.

Anyway, I just wanted to call and congratulate you on your new book.

I think it's great that you're writing again.

-What do you mean?

-Our office got a manuscript in the mail this morning.

It came from your address?

I'm assuming that's you, right?

-I wish I had more time [coughs] before I perish.

I need to tell you how this all fits together.

Those faces, they felt so familiar.

That painting, I could never forget that painting.

Suddenly, I understood.

I've lived this life before, with her.

We've loved each other with different bodies, but always the same soul.

We had a son.

Just like I lost her in this life, I lost her in that one too.

I left my own son alone in the world.

But no one is ever really gone.

I'm right where you left me, just in a different life, in a different body.

I've missed you so much, son.

Come find me.

Don't be sad.

Snails don't live very long anyway.

I know it's never easy to lose someone you love or for something beautiful to end, but I've learned that you don't have to look at the world that way.

Life never really ends.

It just changes.

[insect chirping]