The Cockroach

Something caught my eye. Something black. Something sly. Something horrible. My worst nightmare. It froze and looked at me. I exclaimed in fright, gasping for air. I slowly slipped down off my bed and headed toward my closet for a shoe - any shoe. My work flats would have to do. I crept over to where the creature was. It was gigantic, but it moved quickly, and scurried under the TV cabinet. It was gone. But it couldn't be! I knew I would never sleep if I let it be, so I declared war and decided to battle it to the death. I cautiously banged at the furniture, hoping to scare it out of hiding. It didn't budge. I grabbed the TV and set it on the floor so I could tip the cabinet on its side. I lowered it slowly and peeked around the bottom corner, dreading what I might find. Sure enough, it was there. It was taunting me. I whacked at it with my shoe, but again it was too fast and sought refuge under the dresser. It occurred to me that my shoe was not heavy enough and wouldn't inflict the deathly blow needed to finish off the monster. So I ran back to the closet for more appropriate ammunition. I headed back to the battlefield armed with my heaviest, flat-soled shoe and peered underneath the dresser. It paused, waving its antennae menacingly, trying to feel out its foe. I couldn't reach it, so I had to move the dresser. It moved to the opposite side. I hit the dresser with my shoe, trying to scare it. It moved, but barely. Finally it made a run for the corner in broad daylight and I ran after it, whacking my shoe in panic. It clung to the baseboard for shelter, but it wasn't enough. At last I had the upper hand. I inflicted my final blow, skinning my knuckles against one of the objects I had knocked over during the battle. I stood triumphant, bleeding, and panicking, unable to catch my breath. The horror of what I had faced washed over me and I felt as if I would pass out, throw up, or collapse into a full-fledged panic attack. But I knew I could rest easy now that my foe was vanquished. It would no longer haunt me, for I had claimed the victory, while it perished eternally to the watery abyss of the toilet.