A hiss of smoke, and the colony began dying. The young first, then the mature as they attempted escape, choking on air as they screamed: Mercy!

No respite came—only suffocation.

Above them, Eliza stopped spraying and peered closer at the bodies.

It looked like the flies were finally dead.

Ophelia Lee is the pseudonym for Caitlin Hensel, whose short story has appeared in Eye Contact, an award-winning art and literary magazine. She spends time skulking in corners and procrastinating.