Friday Night's Massacre

Originally Written 7/30/07


I itch. Badly. I have the most giant bug-bite on my back that I've ever seen.

The story is odd. In fact, when I think about it, I wonder if I've lost my marbles. I'll probably tell my therapist about it at our regular appointment this Wednesday, and he'll assure me that I'm completely sane. Like his opinion's to be trusted?

It started late last Friday afternoon. The boys were home, still fresh from their surgeries. They were only 24 hours post op, so there was no way they were going for a walk.. Sunny might run into a small dog and feel that he had to fight his leash-and-collar to try and eat it, bursting his stitches. They were restless and in some slight pain. They kept asking to go in and out and in and out our front door onto the patio. In desperation, despite the heat, I opened the front door and screen, giving them free access as they pleased.

Afternoon turned into evening turned into night. Busy working on my jewelry, I didn't notice, and the door was still open against the dark. My fan was running in the corner of the living room; a continuous wind that assured air circulation through the condo.

It must have been around 8:30 pm when I walked into my living room, well past sunset. There, it was a creepy scene right out of a horror movie. At least a dozen Japanese Water Beetles (think 2" long cockroach) were entering my condo through the front door. At least another 10 to 15 making their way across my living room towards the fan. And another dozen of them were gathered directly in front of it, facing it and the breeze.

I'm not one for girly panic. Quietly making my way into the kitchen, I grabbed my can of Raid Earth Options Roach Killer. Thus armed, I made my way to the fan and sprayed. It was cockroach pandamonium, but most of the spray disbursed into the wind. Note to self: Turn off the fan before spraying an aerasol can.

Stopping only to turn it off, I ran in pursuit. Water Beetles were covered in spray, dropping in death throes. I went to the front door and sprayed all of those just entering, stomping on a couple too. Then shutting the door, I walked around, killing all the others that were to be found. And then it happened. With a sputter hardly worth sputtering, the can of bug spray ran out!

The vast majority of the bugs had been sprayed; it was just a matter of time before they died. They were all disappearing down cracks and crevices. I figured I was ok.

Later that night I went to bed. And woke up in the morning with an odd sensation on my back. Under the stealth of night and darkness, some kind of bug had bitten me. You probably don't realize what an oddity this was. I don't get bitten by bugs. Ever. Not even mosquitos. My theory is that I take a lot of drugs that alter my body chemistry and they are either not attracted to me in the first place, or if they are, I don't taste good. So the fact that I was bit on this night, of all nights, has left me with a cold pit in my stomach.

Could it be that the Japanese Water Beetles bit me? If yes, was it coincidence, or do they have enough intelligence to be angry that I killed so many of them all at once? And exact retribution?

I don't know. I haven't been bit since Friday night, but it's really hard now, to turn off the lights and go to sleep.

31 Posts in 31 Days; Today is Day 14.