Flies

It started with one little, common housefly.

I noticed it while making myself a coffee one morning as it buzzed passed my face, jerking back in surprise of having something zip by my face unexpectedly I waved my hand to shoo it away. I didn't bother concerning myself with trying to catch or kill it because after all, one fly isn't uncommon.

A few days later I spotted another fly buzzing around my lounge room with, what I assumed, was the first fly I had spotted; this made me frown slightly but again I didn't bother with them as I went back to my work on the computer.

By the end of the week there was about four or five of these horrid little insects buzzing from one room of my home to the next, frowning I stormed to the kitchen and searched under the sink until I found the can of fly spray; it was time to take action against these little invaders and I admit I may have chased them a little more then needed but once I finally stopped and coughed against the onslaught of the now airborne poison, I didn't see a single fly anywhere.

Opening the windows and doors to let the unpleasent scent of fly spray out of the house I settled back down to calmly finish the book I had been reading.

The next day they were back, and in greater numbers.

I let out a scream of frustration as I wildly swatted flies away, storming around the house like a woman possessed I couldn't spot what was attracting this 'swarm' into my home, I headed for the laundry swearing and swatting a few flies that came near my face; once in the smaller tiled room I pulled all the cleaning equipment I owned from its cupboard and spent the next several hours of the day going from room to room and scrubbing them clean.

My hands ached once I had finished my frantic housework and after dragging all the cleaning gear back to its cupboard I cautiously walked from each room, I barely breathed as I cautiously looked around for the flies; by the time I rounded the house and made it back to the lounge I had relaxed some, I was relieved to have not spotted a single fly.

Sighing in relief I collapsed bonelessly onto my sofa, chuckling softly to myself.

Laying out on the sofa I easily dozed off to sleep.

I woke to something buzzing around my face then zipping into my mouth, I sat up coughing and spluttering until I got the insect out; stumbling to the kitchen I grabbed a glass and filled it with water so I could swish it around and spit it into the sink, that was defiently an unpleasent experience.

Sniffling a little in disgust I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked around; I froze when I spotted the swarm of flies had taken to crawling on and under the rug behind my sofa, I grimanced and grabbed the fly spray emptying the can onto the rug then flipping it over to capture any fly already dead or dying before they could escape.

Hurriedly I carried it out the back and tossed it onto the lawn, slamming the door shut I approached the now exposed hatch that led down into the basement.

Frowning I prepared myself for the worst and pulled up the hatch by its handle, I had only stepped down to the third rung when a unbelievable stench hit me and I reeled with a gag; pulling the neck of my top up over my lower face I climbed down the rest of the steps and fumbled briefly with the light switch.

Fluorescent lights flickered alive and I headed deeper into the basement, reaching the far end I sighed with a frown; unbelievable!

I stared at the girl's dead body, bones showed through the torn flesh of her unshackled arm and her head hung limply to one side, her eyes were cloudy and a blackened substance had clumped in her mouth and down the front of her shredded clothes, more dried and clotted blood marred her grey lifeless flesh; I notice the maggots then as they squirm and chew through what's left of her ripped open stomach and I moved away with both a shudder and a gag.

I HATE maggots.

There is something so horrendous about their little fat grub like bodies that makes the bile rise in my throat.

You think I would be used to such a sight considering how often I deal with prey down here, but then again I do tend to be a little anal about cleanliness in my house, especially down here after we've had a 'visitor' but it is for good reason.

We don't want our neighbors to get nosy in our private business after all.

I hear the front door upstairs open then close, I tear my sight away from the maggot infested corpse and head back up the stairs.

As I come into sight the teenager that just came into the house freezes at the unhappy glare I'm fixing on him. "Uh, mum?" I growl deeply in the back of my throat making him shift in a guilty manner. "How many times do I need to tell you, Issac?! I don't care if you bring prey home to play with, but you HAVE to clean up the body afterwards! Once they expire they're only good to rot and bring insects that can give us away!" My son shifts his feet and shies away from my glare.

I love him, I truly do and I understand how teenagers tend to get so easily distracted by more interesting things.

Climbing from the hole I hold my arms out to my son, obediently he comes into my embrace and I stroke his hair affectionately. "I'm sorry I yelled, I just want you to at least finish a year of school before we find a need to move. It isn't good for your schooling if we pack up in the middle of a year." He buries his head into the crook of my neck and I remember how he did that as a babe. "Sorry mum..."

"There's maggots."

He raises his head and give me a desperately apologetic look. "Oh man, I'm really sorry. I'll clean it up right away." I smile at his considerate, his kind nature; it was something that he got from his father.

Oh how I miss that man...

If he hadn't expired and I had been a little less in love with him, well then I probably wouldn't have such disgust for maggots now.

"Alright, you do that and we'll order in tonight."

My lovely son beams at me with that beautiful smile and I release my hold on him so he can go get the cleaning gear.

Oh well, at least he is learning.