FanStory.com - Bug Problemby Dean Kuch
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Tiny Terrors
: Bug Problem by Dean Kuch
    HOrror Contest Winner 

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
























Bug Problem

—100-200 word horror flash fiction prompt—

Ronny Rodriguez armed himself with a flashlight and a can of RAID. He threw open the door leading down to the dank, musty basement of his home. He wasn't any closer to getting rid of them than he was a week ago. The scritch-scratching of their disgusting, creepy-crawly legs, coupled with their incessant chewing on the wooden floor joists, were keeping him awake at night..

“Ronny, you be careful down there. Don't hurt yourself,” his wife, Maria, scolded. “Maybe we should call an extermin..."

“Maria, please— I'll handle this.” Switching on his flashlight, the bright beam cut a narrow swath through darkness. His elongated shadow on the landing below looked alien, like an astronaut preparing to step on the surface of some far-off planet in another galaxy.

He felt the thing before he saw it—sharp stabbing pains, burning through his abdomen. Mouth agape in a silent scream, Ronny stared into the multiple bulbous eyes of the creature. His intestines spilled out over his work boots.

Dropping his bug spray and flashlight, the last thing Ronny managed to gurgle through blood-soaked lips bubbled out in barely a whisper.

“Muh—Maria...I thu-think we got a  very big bug problem...”

 

 

 photo thCADUANN8_zps39c59d08.jpg
 

 



Writing Prompt
Write a short flash fiction story between 100 to 200 words based on the themes specified in contest details.

HOrror
Contest Winner

Recognized

Author Notes
Although termites are supposed to be harmless creatures to humans, the "accidental" crossing for its road to human civilization has resulted to the destruction of a lot of properties. Statistically speaking, termites damage about 600 thousand US homes each year. Multiply that to just ten year and you get a shocking 1 000 000 homes already! It is worth noting too that termites have already been causing property damage for so long that in some countries (like in Australia), termite infestation problems are considered to be as old as their civilization. Imagine that amount of damage.

Because of the vastness of the damage that termites cause, roughly $5B is spent for termite eradication and control on a yearly basis in the USA. This much money is enough to feed the marginalized sectors of Africa for almost a decade! However, because of the termite infestation problems, this money is spent on termite repellent products, termite control services and repair of properties being damaged by termites. Moreover, according to the statistics released by the USDA or the US Department of Agriculture, about $1B to $2B is spent on repairs alone.

     

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