The Insect Lord sent the infestation of cockroaches

The Insect Lord sent the infestation of cockroaches careening into the next house. The night preened in swamp gas, the hypopnea of slumped trees a gentle rustling in the moonlight.

The Clover family lay sleeping unaware of the pending infestation. Cockroaches climbed up the bed posts and onto the blankets... William sat straight up. Whew, that was close,

it was as bad as the dream with the white butterflies. Moonlight streamed through the thistleroof & strange shadows played on the birchwood shutters. Billy Clover heard a cricket

sing a little tune somewhere in the hut, and fall silent. Billy Clover's cat Spike muttered a little phrase while she dreamt. The cricket repeated its tune, and Spike its phrase. M

mmmmm, said Billy Clover all night long except during the space pirate plank to plank game of Chicken in an erratic orbit over Tlon IV: The Race when even I almost lost my breath.

It's not been easy to find my breath, either. Sometimes my left arm feels a little fuzzy, and I get these sharp, shooting pains from my chest and up the left side of my neck. Billy

said it sounded like a kick to the breadbasket. "Yeah," I said. Billy looked at me, clearly expecting me to say more. "Ah, i was thinking more of heart attack." Billy looked hurt.

“You know. my father died of a heart attack,” he murmured, and I looked at him, confused. “I thought it was 9/11?” “He died of a heart attack on 9/11.” he clarified, tearful

ly. My instincts were honed by my Homeland Security training, but my hearing wasn't stellar: "You say he was at the heart of the 9/11 attack?!" "No, I.." Angrily, I wrestled him to