Another Bug Story...

I'm building quite a collection of "buggy" short stories. In a previous post, I offered a glimpse of "Tarantulas On Leashes." And now, "Night Lights."

    “I’d like to call to order this emergency session of the town council,” drawled Mayor Beemer. “We can all see that everyone is here, so I’ll dispense with the roll call and get right to business. As we all are well aware, the town has been taken over. And we need help. I’ve talked to our local representatives in Jackson. I’ve talked to our reps in Congress. I’ve talked to the governor. And they all say the same thing: we’re on our own.”
    That pronouncement met with a chorus of groans, followed by a cacophony of 100 voices shouting, “oh-my-ing,” and in some cases, praying. He estimated that half the town was
crammed into the tiny chamber. The mayor eyed the gavel sitting in front of him, but decided against using it. He thought he should let the townsfolk vent for a minute.
    “How could this have happened?” asked Buzz Wix, whose livelihood, the “Wix House Of Wax,” was especially imperiled.
    “To answer that question, I’ve invited Jack Pollan from the Humphreys County nature preserve. “Jack, could you shed some light on the subject?”
    After the groans of a different nature died down, the entomologist spoke. “Well, as you know, they’re usually quite docile. But it appears as though a swarm of Africanized ones have made their way up here, perhaps across the Gulf Of Mexico. They appear to have bred with some local bugs, which has produced an exceptionally aggressive strain.”
    “Damn those Mexicans,” said Buzz.
    “Now, now,” said Mayor Beemer.
    “It’s true!” Buzz continued. “Those ten-gallon hats in Texas start patrolling the Rio Grande and shoving the illegals back across. And this is how they get even.”
    “Do you really think the government of Mexico is protesting U.S. policy by launching a retaliatory bug strike?” said Mike Honeycutt, the town liberal.
    “Of course they would!”
    “You’re a dimwit!” Even though Buzz was a dimwit, whenever Honeycutt spoke out it automatically was 99 to one....

We were at a friend's house for a party this weekend. And being that he's somewhat in the boondocks, there were a lot of insects around. (In fact, the invitation included a reminder to bring Off.) So I guess that inspired me.

And, at just over 700 words, it will be short enough for Uncle John's Flush Fiction.