The Cockroach

Fandango

“In my culture, it’s not appropriate to kill another living creature,” Asma said.

“What about a cockroach?” Hal asked. “Isn’t it okay to step on and squash a lowly cockroach?”

“No, not even a lowly cockroach,” Asma said. “Cockroaches have an integral ecological role. They are professional recyclers, feasting on just about anything, including dead plants and animals, and animal waste.”

“Okay, well what about a werewolf?” Hal asked. “In your culture is it okay to shoot and kill a werewolf with a silver bullet?”

Asma shook her head, and thought, this conversation is turning surreal. Then she looked at Hal and said, “You know that werewolves are fictional beasts and don’t really exist, don’t you?”

“That’s irrelevant,” Hal said. “Answer the question. Is it permissible to shoot a werewolf with a silver bullet?”

“If you want to shoot a mythical creature with a silver bullet, knock yourself out, Hal,” Asma said. “Just not a cockroach.”

“Whatever,” Hal said dismissively. “I’m thirsty. Do you want to share a lemon-lime soda?”

Asma nodded and Hal took her by the hand and they walked into kitchen. When Hal turned on the light, Asma screamed when she saw a big cockroach streaking across the kitchen floor. Hal ran over and quickly stepped on it. Then he turned to Asma and sheepishly asked, “Are you angry that I killed that cockroach?”

Asma smile and said, “No, but I would have preferred it if you’d have used a silver bullet.”

Written for these daily prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (culture), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (squash), Your Daily Word Prompt (integral), The Daily Spur (wolf), Word of the Day Challenge (surreal), and E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (lemon-lime).

19 thoughts on “The Cockroach”

  2. Marleen October 4, 2022 / 11:28 pm

    Oh shit 👻. Why’d you do that to me? I click to go to your website and this is what I see! Ick! Blechh! Ppll-ppll-ppll!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango October 5, 2022 / 10:02 am

      Remind me to never eat a cockroach!

      Like

  4. Ron. October 5, 2022 / 3:20 am

    Delicious! (The story; not the cockroach.)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango October 5, 2022 / 10:14 am

      Thanks. As to cockroaches, I don’t know how they taste but they’re supposed to have a lot of protein.

      Like

      • Marleen October 5, 2022 / 10:23 am

        I saw, on a show called This is Mexico, that they cook (I think fry) grasshoppers in various flavorings like garlic and/or or hot pepper. I would eat those, but not a roach.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Marleen October 5, 2022 / 11:14 am

        Oh… the host of the show said they (grasshoppers) taste somewhere between fish and chicken (I knew the taste of chicken was going to be involved).

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Nope, Not Pam October 5, 2022 / 4:07 am

    I hate cockroaches, but they do have a place in the ecosystem

    Liked by 1 person

  6. newepicauthor October 5, 2022 / 5:06 am

    What if Asma woke up and there was a cockroach crawling on her face?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango October 5, 2022 / 10:16 am

      She’d want Hal to shoot it with a silver bullet, maybe?

      Liked by 1 person

      • Marleen October 5, 2022 / 10:20 am

        😅

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Carol anne October 5, 2022 / 6:59 pm

    Lol. Well, cockroaches are nasty so I would’ve killed it too!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Marilyn Armstrong October 6, 2022 / 6:07 pm

    You have to save your silver bullets to give to the Lone Ranger.

    Like

  11. leigha66 October 12, 2022 / 11:17 pm

    Eewwww! I greatly dislike roaches after one crawled across my pillow years ago… icky!!!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.