The Saga of the Giant Cockroaches

[xaara]

It was lunchtime for the members of the DC Youth Orchestra, so naturally we were camped out in the cafeteria, complaining about Bach, various brands of violin strings, and the relative humidity of the stage versus that of the classrooms. It took all of ten minutes for everyone to finish eating - after that we settled into the seats and began to jam with drumsticks on tables and pluck violas like guitars. This was when the cockroach decided to make his grand entrance.

At least, we think it was a cockroach. A five-centimeter cockroach. I've never seen any bug that huge in my life.

It skittered from under the covered radiator and skidded across the smooth laminate floor until it finally stopped under a table occupied by many of the female members of the wind section. naturally, they panicked, snatching their instruments up and pulling their legs onto the benches, which led to mass tangling and confusion. Screaming ensued, and the conductor appeared in one corner of the cafeteria, brandishing a baton and inquiring as to what seemed to be the matter.

The explanation sounded something like, "EEK! It's THERE!" Unhelpful, to say the least. The conductor shrugged and walked away again, whereupon the cockroach sped from beneath the table and sprinted to and halfway up a wall. More screaming, and a scattering of the cello section which had staked out the wall as its territory of choice. At last, one cellist with initiative took a music stand, knocked the bug off the wall, and stepped on it before it could run away. It made an audible crunch.

I love my orchestra - we're all so special in so many different ways. ;)

Comments

[ravenclaw-devi.livejournal.com]

Well, I've never seen a roach this size, but I did see ones who were really non-shy, and would crawl around people's feet. You know, normally, you're told that cockroaches scuttle away and vanish into the cracks as soon as you turn on the light, but those were different.

[xaara.livejournal.com]

Ooh, we have those at school. They've taken over parts of the basement, and you can't kill them unless you're using some sort of super-powerful nerve agent and a large chemistry book. :P