Roaches: The Great Infestation

Rats and Cockroaches team up to take over the world. The great Infestation

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William Coldwater, a 24 year old unemployed young man struggles to find the key to his new apartment. He’s a lazy young fellow who was still living with his parents till a week ago. Though he’s parents were rich and influential they wanted their only son to be able to be independent, get a job, get a house and get married. The normal stuffs but it seems William had other plans contrary to their wish so they decided to do it the hard way and so they kicked him out. But they still love him and because he was an only child they got him an apartment on the other side of the city and left a few cash to sustain him long enough to get a job. He refused to leave and made a scene which further humiliated his parents. He’s always cooped up in his room playing video games and chatting with other internet geeks over conspiracy theories. He would drive his parents mad over how the government was wat5ching their every move. There was a day he refused to bathe claiming the CIA has somehow reverse engineered the pipes so that waters from bath tubs and drains would collect DNA samples for them. His parents couldn’t watch him slowly loose his grip on sanity. He wiggles through his pocket, sticking out his tongue and finally grabs a hold of the room’s key. He thought he might’ve forgotten it like he did most of the things he owned. He slides the key in and twists, the door opens and he drags a few of his boxes in. Luckily his two best friends from college were there to help him move in. Miranda Goldman, 23 year old lab assistant. She was lucky enough to get a job offer from the Zen-tech, the city’s largest lab resource. Benjamin Fiddler, 32 years old blogger and he’s life is going great. Though he’s friends have been very successful, he doesn’t feel pressured to do better. “Thanks guys, I really appreciate you guys helping out.” He thanked them as they carried more boxes in. One of the boxes was filled with comics and another with his old games which he never played but refused to throw out claiming it could be used against him.

“If you keep holding to your old junks then this place will be cluttered in a week.” Miranda advised him hoping he would listen this time but it was futile. He wipes his glasses clean with his shirt and put it back on ignoring her. She puffs and wipes a little sweat off her forehead. “At least give us a hand, it’s your apartment?” She barked at William who was busy enjoying a lollipop in the kitchen while watching movies. She drops the box she was carrying and gave him the “I’m getting out of here” look.

“Fine, alright!” He puts his phone in his pocket, “Stupid cockroach. I hate roaches!” He whined and stumps hard on the one that tried to run across his feet. He gives a hand in lifting the box and they carried into the closet. The apartment wasn’t that big but it was big enough to contain William’s collection of geeky stuffs. In a few hours the place was looking great. The TV was up on the wall and the white comfy couch was in place. The center rug was indigo which his favorite color is. The bookshelf around the corner was stacked with old comic books and magazines. His new ones which were still in mint condition were kept in the drawers in his bedroom.

“Hey Will, I gotta go. I’ll come by and we can hangout.” Ben quickly rushed out. Miranda stayed behind to help him feel more at home. But as soon as it got dark she left as well. He’s now on his own again. The first thing he does was to on his computer and joins an online role playing game.

THREE DAYS LATER…

Benjamin comes over to see Will by 10:00 am and the whole room looked liked a dump. Soda cans and pizza boxes were all over the floor. A slice was stuck on the new white couch and it was already stained. The curtains were all closed and no light came in. “What did you do to this place? It looks like you haven’t been out in years!” Ben said analyzing him. Will was still in his PJs and his shirt had pizza stains.

“Yeah I’m sorry about that. I’ll clean it up tomorrow.” He said licking lips and sniffing his breath which was really bad, “Today’s Thursday right?”

“You moved in on Wednesday, today’s Saturday. It’s been 3 days Will!” Ben shouted, “You’ve gotta stop this. Your parents sent you out here to do something with your life. Now open those curtains and let’s clean this place up.” Ben persuaded him. They started cleaning and as Will lifted a pizza box and cockroaches swarm out from under it. Will freaks out and falls back but Ben caught him. “It’s just roaches. Just kill them with the bug spray on the counter.” Ben told him pointing to the kitchen. He quickly grabs the spray.

“I hate roaches!” He muttered as he sprayed them and watched them run around crazily and eventually dies. He sweeps them away and packs everything at a corner. Ben gets a call from a source he has been trying to interview for years.

“I really wished I could stay bro but I have to like right now.” Ben dashed out in a hurry as usual.

“I would’ve been busy like you if I had only gotten a job. Huh….” He huffed and locked his doors and went back to his online conspiracy theory group discussion and later watched a few movies. He had fallen asleep while watching movies and then woke up. It was 11 pm and he was tired and week but managed to go to the bathroom and urinate. He washed his face and walked around the apartment having no clue of what to do. “Wait!” He halted and starred at the trash he packed at a corner and the dead cockroaches were all gone. “What happened to them?” He wondered and suddenly heard something small run across behind him. “Who’s there?” He asked as he slowly turned around. He didn’t see anything but then grabbed a glass of water with a cockroach floating on top. “I should probably go back to sleep.” He drops the glass and jumps back into bed. Sleep came slowly but then he felt something itchy on his lips and when he opened his eyes, a cockroach was on his lips. PAAT! He slapped it off and quickly got up. “What the hell?” He gasped in fear. He looked around for the roach but couldn’t find it. He searched his sheets well and no roach was hiding their. He brushes his mouth and washed his face again. As soon as he left, three cockroaches ran all over his toothbrush. He goes back to sleep. The next day, he wakes up weak and tired again. This time around he didn’t stay up playing games but he couldn’t sleep because he thought heard whispers.

This continued for 2 weeks and he couldn’t bear it anymore. One night the whispers got so big that he decided to find out where it was coming from. He kept looking and suddenly stopped searching his closet. He walked quietly over to his bed and pulled it up. Under the bed were many cockroaches, he was frozen in fear. Immediately they saw him, they all flew attacking him. He ran out yelling and locks the door to his room. He grabs the bug spray and sprays it everywhere and slept on the couch. The next day he called Miranda and Benjamin that it was Emergency. They came over right away.

“What is it? You sounded really scared on the phone.” Miranda asked Will who was staring at the floor lost in thought. Benjamin studied him and it looked like trauma or shock. Miranda got him a glass of water to drink, “Here, drink.”

“No! They’ve contaminated it as well.” He flung the glass out of her hands and it shatters on the floor. Miranda steps back in fear.

“What’s wrong with you dude? You could’ve hurt her!” Ben reacted trying to comfort Miranda. She kept staring at Will like he was someone else.

“I’m really sorry guys. But they’re after me, they’re planning something.” He muttered out loud shaking.

“Who are they?” Ben asked confused

“The cockroaches of course, I should’ve known but who are they working for?” He answered boldly. Ben starts staring at him the way Miranda was.

“Excuse me, cockroaches?” Ben asked again hoping he heard wrong the first time.

“Yes Ben cockroaches!” He yelled out in affirmation. He keeps exhaling excessively and it scared the two. They tried to calm him down but he refused to take thing lightly. “Come I’ll show you!” He screamed and dragged Miranda into his bedroom and Benjamin ran after them. He lifts his bed up and there were cockroaches under it. “See! They always meet here mainly and sometimes in the closet and other times in the kitchen.” He kept blabbing without thinking.

“Just because there’re roaches under your bed or in your kitchen, that doesn’t prove anything!” Ben lashed out, “Look I know you’re afraid of roaches but that’s not a good idea to go crazy about it and scare the sh*t out of your friends.” Ben tried to get through to him but he was still persistent on what he believed. “We can help you fight this but you have to let us help.”

“You guys can’t do anything, for all we know the government might be in on this too!” He said staring intensely at Benjamin.

“You think the government might be working with cockroaches and they’re after you?” Ben asked knowing he was going to say yes but keeps praying he comes back to his senses.

“Yes or maybe the government is working for the cockroaches.” He replied deep in thoughts. He really hasn’t slept well in days and his friends are really spooked by his behavior.

“Oh! Really, I see. Umm… We’ve got to go but we’ll be back to figure a way to fight these roaches.” Benjamin said playing along and He slowly leaves the apartment with Miranda in haste.

Benjamin drives off with Miranda. “You can’t just leave him in that state?” Miranda said hoping Ben had other plans to help Will.

“For now we can’t do anything. I have to speak with his mum first and see what our options are.” Ben replied breathing heavily. He had been friends with Will since childhood and his parents really helped him out when he needed money to pay off debts. He couldn’t let Will go crazy just like that.

He called Will’s mum the next day, “I think it’s getting worse and I really hope it doesn’t get to that.” Ben replied with a lot of concern.

“If it gets to that then we owe it to him and ourselves to do it.” Will’s mum said, “As his parents we should’ve done this years ago but we let him carry on with his little conspiracy theory and now it’s out of hand. He called me two days ago and told me the roaches are studying me and might attack soon.” She continues, “As a mother it breaks my heart to see my boy losing his sanity. Call the Spring Asylum, they can help him.” She concludes as she cries and hangs up.

As he was about to take a relaxing shower, Miranda calls. “Get over to Will’s apartment right now! I think he committed genocide.” Miranda sounded worried and he could hear noises in the background. He grabbed his car keys and quickly drove off.

“Hello, Spring Asylum? Yes… Come to this address quickly.” He hung up and increased the speed hoping Will hasn’t killed himself. “Will you stupid, stupid man. I hope you’re alright.” He muttered to himself as he drove.

He got there but the door is locked and the air was polluted with bug spray chemical. “Do you think he…?” Miranda asked scared but Ben couldn’t let her finish and he kicked the door open. They couldn’t breathe. The whole room was filled with bug spray chemical. The windows were shut so no oxygen came in. Luckily the Spring Asylum came on time and prepared as well. They had some men run in with gas masks and in a few seconds they dragged an unconscious Will out. He was found passed out on the kitchen floor. It seems he inhaled a lot of the chemical and if they hadn’t come, he would’ve probably been dead.

“We’ll take care of him sir.” The lady in charge assured Benjamin and Miranda, “You can visit him anytime you wish.” They drove off with him and Miranda and Ben went home.

A MONTH LATER…

“Where am I?” Will mutter weakly as he slowly opened he’s eyes. Two ladies walked in accompanied by four men for security purposes. He’s darted around as he tried to figure out where he was. The room was big and the walls were all white. Two plants were kept at the end corners of the room. The window seems to be made of an unbreakable glass. “Who’re you people and why am I here? Are you working for the roaches?

“I’m doctor Kelly Sanders and this is my associate doctor Linda.” Doctor introduced herself and her colleague. “The men are just for security, ignore them. I deal on mental disorders and your case is very critical Mr. William.”

“The roaches are behind this aren’t they?” He threw the roach question at them again.

“Yes about these roaches, your friend Benjamin tells us that you believe that they are planning something and will execute their plans soon.” She asked fixing her glasses on perfectly waiting for his reply.

“Yes, look I know I sound crazy but what I’m saying is true. I usually hear them discussing at night.” He said confidently.

“You heard them? Discussing? What were they saying?” Doctor Kelly asked more curious while Doctor Linda took notes and the four muscular men try hard not to laugh.

“It was English of course but I can hear them, the sounds they make and they seem to be monitoring me for years now.” He went on, “I think they might be working for someone and I know who.”

“Tell me who?” Doctor Kelly leaned forward in her white coat hoping to hear him clearly.

“Festus” He replied.

“Who’s Festus and what connection does he have with the roaches?” Doctor Kelly asked again.

“He’s the rat I chased out of my parents house five years ago and I think it wants revenge.” He said once more staring at them.

“I’m sorry, a rat? You named the rat and the roaches are working for this rat that you chased away five years ago and the government might be in on it too?” She asked shocked.

“Yes.”He replied as usual. The men couldn’t hold it in any longer. They burst into laughter and so does Doctor Linda and soon Doctor Kelly joined in. It wasn’t very professional to laugh at you patient’s condition but this was the craziest story they’ve heard from their patients. Unicorns and leprechauns existing are more believable and acceptable than what William told them. “I’m sorry Mr. William, can I call you Will?”

“Sure. I don’t see why you’re laughing; the whole earth is in danger.” He continued. They burst into laughter again and the serious look on Will’s face made it more hilarious. “How long have I been here?”

“Approximately a month. You were found unconscious on your kitchen floor on the 6th of July and we took you to the city hospital where you were treated for a week before being transferred here. We are in October” Doctor Kelly answered as soon as she stopped laughing.

“That can’t be, it was just an hour ago that I sprayed my apartment with bug spray to keep the roaches away.” He muttered confused.

“Fascinating, patient has no memories of the past month.” She said in to a voice recorder she had with her. “You almost killed yourself Will and also endangered others because of your phobia and mental illness and that’s why we have taken necessary precautions to keep you here till you’re well again.”

“How did I miss a whole month? Was I unconscious throughout?” He asked curious.

“Quite the contrary, you were conscious the whole time. At first you only ate and with time you started mumbling words and soon started speaking well again. I think the bug spray or the medications had a negative side effect on you.” Doctor Kelly explained, “But you have to stay here till you’re no longer a threat to yourself and others.”

“No, I can’t stay here! I have to find a way to stop the roaches and Festus. You have to listen, they’re coming. We have to start preparing for now!” He yelled trying to break free but they had him wearing a jacket that restricted him from moving his arms.

“I’m sorry but we can’t do that. Don’t worry in time you’ll realize that roaches are just insects that you can squash and stump to death. They’re only a threat hygienically and nothing more.”She gets up and leaves with her associate and escorts. They locked the door and didn’t return that again for the day. William’s case was very serious and Doctor Kelly had no idea where to begin.

That night, Benjamin and Miranda went to clean up Will’s apartment. “He’s one lazy dude I can tell you that.” Ben said picking up his clothes from the floor and putting them back in the closet. He suddenly sees a cockroach run out of the closet and stop beside the couch. “Here are the intelligent roaches he believed are conspiring to attack humans. I’ll just stump on it…” He stumps on the floor and raises his feet to see nothing under, “What the hell? Where’s the roach I just killed?”

“Probably ran under the couch, leave it let’s hurry and go home. I need a good rest.” Miranda complained but Benjamin wanted to kill at least one cockroach for driving Will insane. He lifts the couch and suddenly drops it hard. “What is it?” Miranda asked startled by the sound the couch mad when it hit the floor.

“R… Ro…Roaches!” He stammered pointing at the couch and then a swarm of cockroaches rushed out from every corner of the room, “He was right, Will was right all along!” The roaches attacked and ran up their bodies till only a big human shape cover with roaches could be seen. The murmured for help but no one could hear them.

William was in his room and suddenly he felt it. “They’re coming! The roaches are coming for us all! Run for your lives!!” He screamed his lungs out but everyone ignored him after all they all thought he was crazy like any normal sane person would. In a few minutes everyone began to scream and ran in all directions. He looked into the halls and saw roaches flying around everywhere. There must’ve been trillions of them. The roaches started crawling into his room; he draws back and watched the door open. Two muscular men came in and knocked him out.

He slowly opens his eyes and finds himself in an underground liar. He was surrounded by rats and roaches of different sizes and caliber. Humans were there two even his friends, Miranda and Benjamin. “Guys are you alright?” He asked the people he thought were his friends.

“Kikikikikiiii!” He heard a rat squeaking behind him. “They are no longer your friends but my servants” A strong male voice spoke out. William turns to see Festus on the shoulder of Mayor Cleveland. Mayor Cleveland interpreted everything Festus said. “Kikikikiiikiiii” Festus squeaked, “Their minds are mine, you humans have underestimated other creatures and now we will show you how superior we are by conquering the earth.” Cleveland interpreted.

“Why are you doing this?” William asked with tears in his eyes as he stared at what used to be his best friends.

“Kikikikikikiiiikiiikiiikiiikikikiiikiiikiikiiikii” Festus squeaked loudly, “It’s nothing personal. I owe everything to you Will, if you haven’t decided to let me go five years ago instead of killing me, I wouldn’t have been here and that’s why I’m making you this offer. Join me and conquer or fall with your kind.” Cleveland interpreted.

“Do I really have a choice?” William asked with tears still in his eyes.

“Kikikikikiiikiiikiii” Festus squeaked once more, “Not really, either way I still win. My rodents and roaches have risen up. The great infestation has begun!” Cleveland interpreted audibly.

“We are humans and we’re intelligent, there’s no way you can have the entire world.” William threw at him confidently.

“Kikikikikiiikiiikiii” Festus squeaked, “No but I’ll have a majority of the world and with time all of it. Humans will soon be extinct and rodents and roaches will walk the earth.” Cleveland interpreted again. The screams of people were loud and scary. Houses were on fire as people tried to burn the roaches. But cockroaches have a funny way of staying alive and they kept multiplying rapidly than normal. Chaos was everywhere as rodents and roaches infested every continent and every country. It really was the great infestation but who would live to tell it and whom would it be told to? William was the only human granted grace to live unharmed by the roaches and with his mind still intact as long as he pledges to serve Festus. The roaches can mind control and after years of learning it they finally perfected it. He was left with the option to live and see nothing or die with everything else.

THE END…

By El Legados

From: Nigeria

Website: http://wattpad.com/user/El_Legados

Twitter: El_Legados

Facebook URL: https://facebook.com/godswill.okeke.104?