Choosing the Weapon
He scanned the room for something heavy. His slippers were too soft; he didn’t want to feel the crunch through the sole, and a slipper might not deliver enough force to penetrate that thick exoskeleton. By the back door, his heavy work boots sat in a messy pile. They were steel-toed and had a thick rubber tread. Perfect. He moved slowly, shifting his weight carefully to avoid vibrating the floorboards and alerting the intruder.
Cockroaches are incredibly sensitive to air currents and vibrations; one wrong move and it would bolt at lightning speed. He grabbed the right boot, feeling its reassuring weight in his hand. He turned back to the enemy. It was still there, antennae waving in the air, tasting the environment. Mark took a deep breath. He approached carefully, raising the boot high. He was going to end this quickly with one strike.