Cockroach Enlightenment?

Some mornings, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. At least, that's what Adrienne was thinking this morning, what with the damn waiter at the restaurant, the ex-boyfriend who decided today was an excellent day to reconcile all ills, and now the cockroaches.

She'd seen one first this morning, before the ex called. It scurried out of the light in the bathroom when she'd turned on her light, but she didn't think much of it. Later in the day, there was the one doing the backstroke in the public toilet in her office, but she solved that problem by going into the next cubicle.

Now, though, there was one staring her right in the face, on her keyboard.

She didn't know where it came from, but it was there when she turned back to her computer after yet another phone call from her ex. It stared at her, watching closely, it's head cocked slightly to the right, looking almost inquisitive.

For a moment, she thought it would look "scholarly" if it had a pair of glasses on.

For a minute, they just stared at each other, cockroach and human, insect and woman. There was an understanding, a kind of quiet truce.

Then the cockroach began to move across the keyboard, stepping on keys with his tiny feet in a seemingly random pattern. He weaved back and forth, entrancing Adrienne with his movements.

Finally, he disappeared over the edge of the keyboard.

The spell was broken, and she reached for her phone book and picked up the keyboard, intent on smashing the insect.

It was gone.

She set the keyboard and phone book down again, and sat back. She settled back to work, and looked at her computer screen.

She was surprised to see words written on an open document. Apparently, the cockroach had not been random after all.

Seeing this, she was enlightened.

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