A Short Story by Terry Mooney
I'm up at 6:30am to get ready for my morning 5-mile jog. I shuffle into
the kitchen and hit the light switch. My rambling morning thoughts are
interrupted by a quick movement on the floor. A large palmetto bug,
probably about two feet long (so it seemed at the moment), was doing the 5K
run down the hallway. Like most people, I despise these invaders! They're
gross!
I'm up at 6:30am to get ready for my morning 5-mile jog. I shuffle into
the kitchen and hit the light switch. My rambling morning thoughts are
interrupted by a quick movement on the floor. A large palmetto bug,
probably about two feet long (so it seemed at the moment), was doing the 5K
run down the hallway. Like most people, I despise these invaders! They're
gross!
I wasn't about to let this critter escape, knowing that he/she would go
home and then return with an army of brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews,
and long-lost uncles. But, I hate smashing them, or stepping on them
because then I would have to use a jack-hammer and backhoe to remove
his/her entrails from my shoe.
I grabbed the windex bottle and sprayed the beast. He/she immediately
flipped over on his/her back and started break-dancing (I know it wasn't
yoga because the legs were moving too fast). I then walked away for a few
minutes to let the invader die in peace (or agony). After about fifteen
minutes, I returned and was surprised to find the critter still doing the
back stroke across the floor! I decided a stronger approach was needed to
deal with this behemoth. I then sprayed him/her with a 50-50 solution of
bleach water.
Wow, now his/her legs were traveling at least 78.7 mph ( roach speed ). I
know this to be true because I just happened to have a roachometer mounted
on the wall. Also, I could now hear him (male voice) screaming something
in a dialect I wasn't familiar with. He was probably either using dirty,
filthy, curse words, or pleading for me to dial 911. I ignored him and
left for my morning jog.
When I returned, he was gone! WTF? Was this a BOS? (bug of steel)...from
the planet Krypton? I'm thinking that his relatives tracked him down and
claimed his body for a proper burial. Next time, I may have to bite the
bullet (not the bug) and pound the alien with a sledge hammer!
And how was your day?
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Terry Mooney is a retired NASA computer expert who lives in West Virginia where he writes stories and works on his artworks. You can find him on Facebook. //www.facebook.com/terrygmooney
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