Summary

A cockroach's harrowing experience of evading extermination by human "gods" is juxtaposed with a domestic scene of a family dealing with the same pest.

Abstract

The narrative unfolds from the perspective of a cockroach, portrayed as a monster by the gods—human beings—who are determined to eradicate it. The cockroach, aware of the lethal intent of the humans, flees to the safety of darkness beneath a mountain, symbolized by a sofa. The gods, feared by the cockroach for their size and destructive power, use a vacuum cleaner as their weapon in this ancient and deadly game of predator and prey. The cockroach narrowly escapes being sucked into the vacuum and later exposed when the sofa is moved. In a final act of desperation, the cockroach evades a stomping foot by taking flight, a detail that reveals its true identity as a mere insect in a human household. The story concludes with the cockroach finding refuge and the human family, oblivious to the drama, resuming their daily life, vowing to kill the cockroach next time.

Opinions

The cockroach perceives humans as gods due to their immense size and power.
The narrative suggests an instinctual and historical conflict between humans and cockroaches, framing it as a game.
The cockroach's perspective anthropomorphizes it, evoking empathy as it faces the threat of annihilation.
The human family's actions are seen as a routine nuisance, contrasting with the life-and-death struggle from the cockroach's viewpoint.
The story implies a cycle of hunting and hiding, highlighting the inevitability of this conflict.
The cockroach's survival is a testament to its resilience and adaptability.

SHORT STORY

Gods and Monsters

An ancient deadly game

“If they see you, they will try to kill you.”

“But why?”

“It’s just what they do.”

I hear the loud, thunderous war cry of the gods behind me. With bated breath, I listen and feel the vibrations of their giant, lumbering footsteps. Are they coming towards me, preparing to attack? Or is it a false alarm? No. The ground shakes around me with increasingly violent force. I need to run to sanctuary.

A large mountain looms in front of me, with a tight space underneath, where they can not follow. I scurry in, plunging into the darkness. I feel the stomps of the gods outside creating palpable tremors around me. The gods presumably continue to search for me. I pray they abandon soon.

“They hate you. Despise you. And will try to kill you”

We were always taught that. But it was instinctual to run away from them. From the first moment, I felt the shock waves from their giant steps. My feet took off on their own, scurrying to disappear in the nearest dark nook. It was as though my body knew that it was playing an age-old game of gods and Monsters.

Monster. Is that what I am? My only crime was being born as what I am. My birth condemned me to be always hiding and fearing the gods. Many of my kind have been lost to their wrath. A wrath that ignites at the mere sight of us. Over one thousand times our size, the gods can end our lives in an instant, leaving not a single trace to say that this creature ever existed or even mattered.

Perhaps I could stay hidden in the shadows, seeing only glimpses of our wide universe. Perhaps monsters like me have no right to explore any universe outside the darkness. But the light and food outside continue to beckon to us.

Our two species do not speak. We just play our deadly game of hunting, running, hiding, searching, and running again. I stay hidden now, in the space under the mountain, awaiting their attack. I can hear them, exclaiming loud cries of anger and fear. Fear. They fear us. Who knows why? But their fear drives their rage.

Their shrieks surround me. The world shakes violently as the gods surround my sanctuary. Hunters trapping their prey. The streak of light under the large mountain becomes a black and yellow kaleidoscope as the gods prance around my haven.

The shadows stand still for a moment. Then I hear a dreaded heaving and groaning. Everything is still for a moment, followed by a loud deafening roar. Not from the gods, but from their weapon — a long, gaping mouth at the end of a giant pipe. I feel the powerful suck from the mouth, an invisible force that pulls me. I scurry forwards, staying as close to the ground as I can, struggling to place one leg in front of the other. The hungry sucking mouth rips pieces of debris from the ground, which roll helplessly through the air before flying into the mouth and disappearing. I desperately hold myself to the ground as it continues to suck harder and harder, pulling me towards it, all the while continuing to roar.

Then suddenly the sucking stops. A brief relief washes over as the mouth is pulled away. The world is calm, but only for a moment. I still see the dark moving shadows in the crack of light between the floor and the mountain. They still hunt me.

Then a loud deafening groan, and suddenly I am bathed in light all around me. The gods have moved the giant mountain that covered me. I stand before them naked and exposed, barely able to see any higher than their giant feet. One foot alone is larger than one hundred of me. I see a gargantuan foot get lifted towards the sky and hear an angry screech. And so I do the only thing I can — run!

Their feet come crashing down, making the whole world shake as they try to crush me. I just run, narrowly escaping their attacks. Left, right, straight… everything is a blur. The gods shriek and howl as they continue their rampage. The wall. I must get to the wall. I can see it in front of me. But as I close in, I feel an almighty crash coming to destroy me. So I pull out my final weapon — I open my wings and fly. Over the attacking foot, towards sanctuary. I hear a shocked cry, followed by an almighty smash.

I don’t look back as I scramble through the crack in the wall, into the safe, secure darkness. I have survived, for now. I could stay here and continue to merely exist. Or I could go out to feed. To experience the world. To live.

“Dad, are you okay? Your fall broke the lamp.”

“I’m fine. But next time, I’m going to kill that bloody cockroach.”

“Yeah, you’ll get him next time.”

“Alright kids, let’s put the sofa back. And one of you put the vacuum cleaner away.”

“I hate cockroaches, Dad.”

“Me too, son. Me too.”