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Centipede did not mean to flood the town. Truly, he didn't. He had not realized that his tunnels had extended so far before he, too, was drowning as the groundwater flooded his home. It was only coincidence that it spewed out of the other entrance... and into a small town.
He does not have the grace to fly, nor the fins to swim, and cannot prevent himself from floating out of the newly-made wellspring in a limp, writhing mass. Those still in the area scream in their little boats or from rooftops and even from afar while he makes his uncoordinated escape.
Centipede finds a new, more remote area to burrow after that.
It is late in the afternoon, and while the sun blazes and makes the air hazy, there is little noise in the woods. Cicadas are silent. Birds have gone still. From far off, Centipede can make out the low hum of human civilization. The only beings so unaware of their surroundings are a pair of human children.
A human had tried to kill him with a broom once. Though unsuccessful, he remembers the attempt. He skirts around the two. After a moment, he registers movement, and it seems his great size had betrayed him. Even he was not a silent predator.
There is a gasp, then excited (?) chatter.
Centipede has not bothered to learn the human language. He's not sure if they would understand his mimicry anyways, what with the lack of vocal cords and all. With a flick of his antennae, he dismisses the small creatures and moves forward. His stomach is eager for the first hunt in years. Dimly, he's aware of them skittering off, and the vibrations of their footsteps soon dull and fade away. He is much more focused on finding larger prey.
Later, two boys will return to a home, and a mother will listen indulgently as her son describes the biggest centipede he'd ever seen with theatrics and sound effects. "And- and you could hear its legs crunching through the leaves n stuff, and then it looked at Zuku and I and wiggled its weird feeler thingies, and I'm telling you it was miiiiiiiiiles long, Mom!" "Yeah Auntie! It really was huuuuuge!" 'Auntie' sets down a plate in front of the two at the kitchen table and leans down to ruffle their hair. "I sure bet it was, you two, but don't go so deep in the woods next time, okay?"
Far into the night finds Centipede in his burrow once again, curled up in a great tangle of self, stomach full. That creature had satisfied the craving for today. He would be hungry again tomorrow (a lone bear was not enough to hibernate on), but for now, he would rest.
So he sleeps.
And he dreams of encircling the earth thrice over with his spindly body and many legs.