Mantis Roach

by jelliebeers

I was shopping at a GAP store.  The usual crowd of homeless people was hanging out inside.  There were two old women sitting down in front of the winter coats.  They would always push around a baby stroller so no one would bother them. The schizophrenic women with the scraggly grey hair and tattered clothes was sitting in her usual place on the stairs. GAP was having an event where they were selling comic book related fan art on the third floor.  I sifted through the stacks not finding anything I liked.  Too many superheroes.

A store employee picked up a megaphone and announced, “This is only a temporary thing that the GAP is trying.  Please check out our clothes.  You can’t spend the whole time up here…”

I’m annoyed by the announcement and continue to look over the crayon drawings of superman.  Suddenly, the stack I am going through falls over.  A pan of forgotten green bean casserole falls on the floor.  I wonder how old it is and why there are lemon slices on top.

Giant cockroach, preying mantis hybrids run out from where the casserole lay rotting.  The mantis roaches flew onto the wall and started fighting.  They shook and twitched as they threw punches at one another.  I started to scream and could not stop.