Emma The exterminator Part 1

A Story by AllGall

I'll add a new story in Emma's saga as soon as I come up with them.

This must be the place. I hop out of the company’s ugly dark blue van with white and orange stripes. We’ve had this old jalopy advertising our business for over a decade. But the boss insists to invest in electric vans once they become profitable. Yeah, a micro sized company in a nowhere town in Oklahoma is shore to get a big discount on it any day now. At least the mascot’s kind of funny. An anteater trying to attack you with bug spray. Anteaters can stand up like that when threatened. Not a lot of people know that. But it's hilarious when it happens.

I walk through the driveway and into the sidewalk leading into the house. I knock on the door three times and ring the doorbell twice. Bosses idea, not mine. A woman somewhere in her thirties opened the door. She had copper skin and long bouncy black curls with red highlights shining in the sun. Her hair was a little messy. It is the weekend after all.

”Are you Ms.,” I glance down at my clipboard. “Thomson?” I ask

“Why, yes.” She spoke.

“You must be the bug man, yes?”

“Yes, mam” I replied.

“Oh, thank goodness” The woman exclaimed. “I thought I’d miss my kid’s therapy session.”

“Well don’t worry, by the time you get back, I’ll have cleared this place of any critters. Except the ones rooming around in your child’s head!” I teased. Only to meet a blank, odd stare crawling on her face.

“Well, we better get going.” Miss Thomson said embarrassed.

It seemed like she didn’t appreciate my since of humor. My brain starts to workshop for next time as I head upstairs. Company policy: Start from the top and work your way down.

“Andrew, time for Dr. Maxine.” Ms. Thomson yelled throw the stairway.

“Coming, Mom!”

A kid who looks like a middle schooler comes racing towards me. Not only did this kid’s speed caught me off Gard but he was also white as an egg yolk. Either he’s adopted or he just has a white dad.

This should be a simple job. No big rodent report. No roach nest to protest. Just a standard, house inspection and spray. However, just below the surface of this suburban, Midwestern home lies a unruly, untampered place. Ware only the best of my field can handle. I should be lucky that I’ve only had this job for two years. But an expressed reaction was not on my side as I unknowingly entered the kid’s bedroom. And It’s disgusting. Of all the rooms I clean out, unclean kids’ rooms are the worst. The shelfs were dusty and disorganized. Rotten apple cores and tops of strawberries where almost unreconcilable and starting to fuse with grape stems. And the carpet looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed in years. Giving off its own unforgiving orders of nail clippings and male fluids. And how the hell did a shirt ended up on the celling fan. I can’t start here! I tried to focus cleaning the next room. But my hands start to shake. I fout for what felt like an hour to ignore what a freakshow I just witnessed. No dice. I sighed.

"That kid beater have been grateful since I'm sparring him one less chore."I mutter.

Ok, all I’m going to do is straighten out the books. That’s all. then get back to work.The next customer won’t even think I’m late. But in which order? A to Z or by genre? I pluck book after book of the shelf. a plastic case thumps to the floor in the shuffle. I pick it up. It’s the latest game for the Yipi U Game consul, Blickraca. I pick up the little disraction.

“That explains the mess.” I thought to myself.

"I missed the boat on gaming when I was old enough to not let my mom buy expensive things for my birthday. And once in my teens I figured it better to save for college. Although, I am short on cash lately, maybe I could- “

I stopped myself as soon as I saw my hand reach out for the game. No! No! The whole reason your boss cut pay was because of last time you puled a stunt like this. You should be lucky you didn’t get fired for something like that. Besides, it’s not like the kid goes to therapy over a game like this. Right? He’s not one of those little s***s who acts like a mentally challenged person every time he fails a level, right? Although, the money I could get from selling this thing would-

“Selling what?” A stern voice growled at me. It was Ms. Thomson.

She glared at me. Seeing right through my weakness. Ever since I was a kid, I had the most interesting conversions and questions. Of course, the most fascinating person I could talk to and can always count on to lesion, was me. The only time anyone would ring in on my ideas was when I got just a little too excited. Like the time in third grade I found out why our teacher' classroom smelled like a bartender.

“Oh! Ms. Uh, um, I was just talking about selling my own retro games online. At least one of them got to be worth-

“Leave now” Ms. Thomson yelled.

The hostile glare in her eyes was a sign that I couldn’t weasel my way out like last time. Shame, I have an old bookshelf I could trade for the same price.

“Ok, Ok. But just so you know, our policy for any interrupted service is an extra-”

THUNK! I snaped my head behind me to see she’s starting to throw her child’s books at me. I got to get out of here! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

“Ok! I’ll go! But you’re going to hear from my boss about this.”

I slowly walk out of the room. I put my hand on the stair rail.

“I just wiped that down” The woman growled.

On that they I knew what it’s like to fear for your life. I head back into the van. You don’t have to worry about Ms. Thomson. Never had the guts to my boss about her. My job doesn’t offer refunds. Besides, she was in the right. You can never tell who your next client will be you know? I wondered if I would be able to composes myself for the next job.