Slip N’ Slide

The mother held on to her child as hard as she could.

The rush of the water threatened to pull them apart, but she would not give up. Even as she felt her limbs strain with the effort and threaten to pop out, she just tightened her grip and held on.

The water was coming in fast, it was coming in strong and unrelenting. They would have to wait it out or risk the dark void at the bottom of the passage. It was a harsh and dangerous place where even surviving would be a Sisyphean struggle. She could not let her child face that.

She had to hold on.

Her legs kept slipping from one concentric ring on the wall to a lower one, but if she could keep them from slipping too far down, they’d be fine.

They would have a shot.

The child was trembling. He was holding on with all he could, but he was afraid that it might not be enough. She wanted to reassure him that it would be okay, that mother would keep him safe. Unfortunately, rushing water doesn’t allow for much conversation. Her words would be washed away before he could hear them.

Her patience finally paid off and the water stopped.

She sighed and pulled the child up, checking to make sure he was alright. He was shaken but fine.

Looking up she saw the light at her destination go off.

Good, she thought, it’s gone.

Tentatively, she started moving up towards the previously lit exit, junior in tow behind her.

Peeking her head out of on the holes in the Swiss cheese like doorway, she sensed nothing. Her feelers twitched nervously but did not pick up anything except darkness and silence.

The human was gone. They were safe.

They scuttled out and made their way up along the white porcelain plain stretching out before them. Clearing the sink would be easy. She was grateful for the plastic pipe that had allowed her to survive the human’s effort to flush them.

Once they left the bathroom, they would have to make it to the kitchen. Hopefully they would be asleep.

Wasting no time, the mother-roach started moving towards the door, the little one scuttling behind her. They still had a ways to go, but the worst of it was behind them.