Dominic Smithers
No one enjoys getting up early for work, but one man's morning was made much, much worse when he saw who, or what, was sleeping next to him.
Jesse Pye was staying with a friend in San Antonio, Texas, when he noticed that he wasn't alone.
After investigating his bed sheets, he spotted a bizarre 'creature from hell' wriggling around next to him beneath the covers. Have a look for yourself:
Advert
It was only after he posted a video of the massive worm-like thing online that the 35-year-old realised that his uninvited bedfellow was, in fact, the largest centipede in North America – the venomous giant redheaded centipede.
Speaking about the scary encounter, Jesse said: "It was 7.30 am and I was waking up to get ready for work.
"I saw something black that looked like a snake or a giant worm, I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew it wasn't good!
"My immediate reaction was to move slowly and grab my glasses and phone. I started to film it because I couldn't believe what I saw."
Adding: "I knew it was a centipede but wasn't sure what type. I wasn't sure if it was venomous.
"I've never seen a centipede this big."
Sharing the footage on social media, the software engineer asked his friends if they knew what it was, writing: "They are much bigger looking in real life."
Commenting on the post, one user joked: "Burn the entire place down immediately!"
While another responded: "No way. You're in Texas! Shoot the damn thing!"
The giant redheaded centipede is equipped with a powerful venom, which typically causes sharp, searing pain around the bite, and can potentially lead to nausea and skin necrosis.
Bites from these creepy crawlies have also been known to cause kidney failure as well as a heart attack.
Jesse thinks it may have come inside his friend's home to escape the heat.
"I researched online and they say centipedes escape the heat," he said. "It's been over 100F (37c) every day for the past week so that makes sense."
Eventually, Jesse and his mate decided to get rid of their new house guest by grabbing the duvet and chucking the little guy outside.
"I folded the blanket over the centipede and carried it to the back porch," he added.
"I shook it and made sure the centipede was off of it."
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]