Out brief candle!

[muckefuck]

I came in this morning to find yesterday's captured critter supine. I asked Mrs Smith, "Why is Mr Roach on his back? Is he sleeping?" He smiled and said, "Yes." I went and looked at him again, then came back and said, "But I keep poking him and he won't wake up. Maybe he's sick?" He smiled again and replied, "This parrot isn't dead!"

Does that mean what I think it means?

How tragic! To spend your last day trapped under glass instead of roaming free across the walls or at least being surrounded by your children, your hundreds of grandchildren, and your thousands of great-grandchildren. Was it just the trauma of the experience that did him in? I don't think so. I smell a rat (or something just as filthy). Nobody touch that glass until I can get it dusted for prints!

Comments

[go-wade-in.livejournal.com]

it probably starved to death.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Overnight? A creature that can survive two or three months without food? Are you suggesting that it was just on its way to break a long, long fast when it was trapped?

[go-wade-in.livejournal.com]

roaches can survive that long without food? wow! and such svelte figures too!

[gopower.livejournal.com]

If it was trapped under glass, wouldn't it have suffocated? Even these hell-spawned creatures must need air.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It wasn't an airtight fit--neither the glass rim or the windowsill is even and neither was wet. But maybe an immobile three-inch roach needs a surprising amount of air.

Perhaps further speculation will have to wait until the autopsy comes back.

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

I would suggest heart attack triggered by 1)realization that escape was impossible or 2)being surrounded by total disgusting humanness all over the glass. (Cockroaches wash themselves thoroughly after being touched by humans).

[pacotelic.livejournal.com]

Could've also been solar heating if the glass was on a windowsill with exposure.

[go-wade-in.livejournal.com]

which begs the question, "what human would touch a cockroach?"

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Nope, it's north facing--and we have such deep eaves on this bizarre structure that I doubt any direct light gets in.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

There's no question-begging going on. Humans touch cockroaches, whether they mean to or not.

[bunj.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was a brain aneurism. You should call Scully.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Funny, his eyes don't look bloodshot. But it could've been anaphylactic shock. We should get him tested for allergies to humans.

[currawong.livejournal.com]

Are we all assembled? Then I can tell you messieurs, that the cause of death was , without a doubt, dehydration!

You have given me inspiration for a whole string of Agatha Cockroach novels...to be followed by a Patricia Cornweevil forensic thriller.

[robling-t.livejournal.com]

My rather prosaic guess would be that the reason he wasn't moving very fast when he originally staggered out into view is that he was already doped-up on whatever chemical measures the building may have been taking to dispose of him and his kin, and he wanted his inevitable demise to be a grand public gesture...

Or not. But it makes a good story, anyhow. :)