Monster Bug

By Kelly Louisa Balliu

“There’s the little fella.” The practice nurse jabs a plump finger towards an illustration of a frenetic, orange, furry bacterium. It looms over my son, baring fangs that are skilfully aimed at instilling fear into any child faced with the back of her door.

“You don’t want to have that chasing after you,” she mercilessly continues as his impressionable eyes resemble twin Jupiters.

I sit him down, reluctantly, as I realise that whatever discomfort he might experience at the unwelcome scratch of a needle, it’ll be nothing compared to the terror he’ll relive as the menacing monster bug invades his dreams.