Travels; A Cockroach's Story

"Come Dico, partake with us the funeral feast!" I shook my head furiously, I would not go over there and poison myself with her flesh, yet I could not warn them either. I was paralyzed with grief, and in my frustration, I failed to save the rest of my family. Mercedes shrugged and told Rene what I had done.

He glared at me fiercely and mumbled at me, shaking his head all the while. Senor Ortiz was saying the blessings over her dead body, I heard scattered bits of the eulogy. "Bless her beloved soul, Oh Father. She was the best cockroach, the wisest Queen, prepare her for your open arms. Give us her strength Lord, Amen." Then he bent down and very gently broke off her antennae. It was all I could do to keep from screaming! It was horrifying. Though eating our dead is a custom among my people, I never actually thought they would eat my Mother. To see her devoured like that, and all the while knowing I should say something- anything - to stop them.

When they finished with her, for finish her they did, not a drop was left, they sat back content and full. Pepe kept looking at me still hiding in my corner, muttering, "Ungrateful son! No decency, what a lout."

I started to agree with him. Though my mother had told me at the end, "I am dying. Do not eat of my flesh." I should not have listened, or I should have warned them. I made a decision then, to exile myself from the Tribe, to go as far away from Puerto Rico and there Evil giants as I could go.

Then Pepe started to quiver. Senor Ortiz flicked an antenna at him, then he too, started to shake. Soon the whole lot of them started convulsing. I crept from my hiding place to watch, morbid as it may seem, but I felt it was my fault so I burned their dying throes into my memory. As I crawled past Mercedes, she croaked, "You knew, Dico. You knew!" I stopped and looked down at her. I nodded my head. "You knew and you let us eat of it!" Hatred shown in her eyes, and seemed to stay there when she died, accusing me. That too burned itself into my memory.

I turned and fled. I went into a part of the dwelling I had never been in before. There were giants all over this room. A loud box in the corner deafened my ears and senses. I ran across the floor. I don't know if it was my intention to commit suicide, or if I was just blind with grief, but when I saw that giant's big thing come down at me, I hid as fast as I could. In the first place I could.

Suddenly there was a loud 'Click,' in my hiding place and I was tumbled around roughly. Lucky for me though, there was some kind of cloth in the thing, and I was snug and comfortable for the duration of the time I was in there.

It seemed I was in there for days when the click noise came again and light was admitted into my dwelling. I quickly fled again. All know that light means death. I soon realized by the feel and smell of the place I was at that I was no longer in my little nest. And that my nest was no where near. I did sense other cockroaches there though and thought it prudent to search them out. I found trails leading through walls, trails seldom used. I followed them and they connected with tunnels that were used more frequently.