On Sept. 30, the eve of the spookiest month of the year, the staff of The Rambler got a blast from the past that was not welcome by any means. As many avid readers of The Rambler recall, last year an article was published titled “Scary Bug Spooks Junior Journalists.” For those who did not read the original news story, it chronicled the appearance and demise of a very grotesque insect. In said article, Brian Buseck, current senior editor of The Rambler, speculated that perhaps the behemoth of a bug had already laid eggs somewhere deep in the labyrinth of Cathedral Prep’s framework, leaving behind a new generation of heathens to avenge its death. This past Friday, the surfacing of a new, but eerily similar bug confirmed this hypothesis.

The aspiring journalists in Prep’s 7th period journalism class, juniors and seniors, had just settled in for a relaxing day of reporting. Their assignment was to work on their articles, and they were feeling particularly comfortable, as many of them had purchased a dress down pass for the day. Right after Managing Editor Nicholas Frisina sat down from the weekly brainstorm session, his eyes crept slowly toward the ceiling. “Brian there’s a bug,” he stated. When Brian asked where the unwelcome visitor resided, Nick pointed and replied, “On the ceiling.”

Brian, embodying the leadership qualities that being senior editor-in-chief demands, took it upon himself to investigate the scene. The new critter was black in color. It had hundreds—if not millions—of spindly little legs that carried it from point A to point B in the blink of an eye. Its lengthy antennae poked around its surroundings, searching for unsuspecting prey to sink its teeth into. More unsettling than all of these traits was one undeniable truth: the new bug suspiciously resembled the bug that had terrorized the same class just last year. This led everyone to believe that the new bug was likely the offspring of the old bug, back to avenge its kin. Though smaller than its alleged mother, this sinful centipede, perhaps sent by Hades himself, had a fierce fire within.
Flashbacks immediately started running through the minds of those who were present for what came to be known as BA I (Bug Armageddon One). Frisina crawled into the corner and began rocking back and forth. Fellow senior Jaryn Simpson, who had quite the fear of insects the last time he confronted one, put on a brave face. “They can’t hurt us if we stand together,” he said. This was met with little response.

Having blocked out the traumatic insect-related incident of the past, Brian’s flashbacks came as quite a shock. As he approached the icky creature, Brian remembered how last year’s bug almost outsmarted Mr.Hubert. How could he, an inexperienced high school student, take on a menacing specimen that almost bested the knowledgeable Mr.Hubert?

Brian almost stepped down from the top of the desk, potentially allowing the creepy crawlie to wreak apocalyptic havoc on the Cathedral Prep community. However, gazing around the classroom full of students, he realized he had to take a stand for something bigger than himself. Classmate Ryan Misko’s terrified, ghostly pale face fueled Brian’s paternal instinct to protect his fellow journalists. With an immeasurable amount of courage, amped up on adrenaline, Brian grabbed a tissue box and squeezed the insect against the ceiling with all his strength. The bug died on impact, but it’s gooey insides left it stuck to the ceiling, and not one soul was brave enough to scrape it off.

As Brian climbed down from the desk, sweat on his brow, still trembling with terror, he locked eyes with Mr. Hubert. The excitement of the day and the cheering of the people he had just saved made it difficult to hear, but he’s fairly certain he saw Mr. Hubert mouth the words “I’m proud of you.”