Cockroach Terror
Raph screamed diving up on the sofa, "COCKROACH!" he hollered. Casey bent down to pick up the bug, "Dude, this scared you? Big bad Raphael?" Raph's eyes were wide with terror, "Kill it!" Casey smirked, "Oh come on Raph give it a kiss." He laughed walking toward Raph with the bug. Raph jumped off the sofa running from Casey as Casey made pursuit. "Come on Raph it just wants a hug."
Leo bowed as Master Splinter and he finished their training session when they heard a holler, "Keep it away!" They watched as Raph ran by with Casey not far behind. "Its gonna kiss you Raph." Leo looked to Master Splinter, "Was that a cockroach?" Master Splinter nodded, "I believe so." Leo took off knocking Casey to the ground, "Just what do you think you are doing?" Casey laughed, "Oh come on Leo, I'm just teasing Raph." Raph had made his way up to the landing where the periscope was, "Keep it away." Leo grabbed the bug from Casey's hand stabbing it with his sword. "its dead Raph!" Raph sighed in relief slowly climbing down. Casey grunted, "Come on man, its just in fun." Leo smirked, "So scaring someone with what they are most afraid of is fun?" Casey shrug, "Well duh." Leo stepped back, his hands on his hips. Casey eyed him, "What?" turning around Casey smacking into Splinter, who hissed at him. Casey jumped with a scream. "Rat!" Leo laughed, "not fun when the shoe in on the other foot is it?" Casey rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry Raph." Raph shrugged, "Whatever." Casey looked at Leo and Splinter, "So uh why is Raph terrified of cockroaches?" Raph growled, "None of your business." He slammed his bedroom door shut and loudly clicked the lock. Leo sheathed his sword, "We were about 4 years old…"
"" Splinter sat on the sofa watching his young sons play, Leo was watching his favorite show with Mikey as Donnie built a strategic tower out of blocks. Splinter eyed Raph as he snuck up behind Donnie, he smirked slightly fully aware of the young turtles intentions. "Boom!" Raph hollered as the block tower crashed to the ground, Donnie gasped. "Raph!" Raph laid on his back laughing, "It was ugly anyway." Raph chuckled between bursts of laughter. Leo stood up, "Will you hush, we can't hear the movie." Splinter rose, "Yamen!" The four turtles sat on their knees in front of him, Donnie pointed, "Its Raph's fault." Splinter silenced him. It was hard to be angry at his sons, the four turtles were so young, 4 years of age to be exact. Splinter had started to train them in the ways of ninjutsu, Leo showed the most promise in that area. "Raphael, do you have something to say to your brother?" Raph crossed his arms in defiance, "No Sensei" Splinter leaned down coming eye to eye with his young son, "Are you sure?" Raph felt a small shiver run up his back. "Sorry Donnie." He barely whispered, Splinter straighten, "Raphael?" his voice was stern, "Sorry Donnie!" Raph yelled causing Mikey to giggle. Splinter frowned, "Raphael, I believe some time spent alone in your room will serve you well." Splinter pointed toward the turtles rooms as Raph lowered his head, mumbling as he went back. Mikey clapped, "Raph gone." He giggled. Leo shushed him, "Now my sons, return to your play, should you need me I will be meditating." Splinter walked into his section of the sewer, Raphael's strong-willed attitude would serve him well one day, if and only if he could learn to control it.
Leo and Mikey turned back to the TV, Mikey still not able to talk as well at the rest grunted his pleasure. Donnie turned back to his building blocks determined to rebuild his structure. Leo eyed the dojo waiting till he was certain Master Splinter was deep in mediation before sneaking to Raph. Leo lightly rapped on the door, "Go away!" Raph moaned from inside. Leo sighed turning away from the door, why was Raph always so angry?
Raph punched his pillow, "It's not fair." He mumbled landing multiple blows to his pillow and head board. "Donnie never gets in trouble." He flopped on his back looking up at the ceiling, "Maybe I'll just run away." He looked around the room, sneaking out the door, and past his brothers he began to run down the sewer. He smiled with a huff, "Freedom."
About an hour later Splinter emerged from his room to check on his sons, Leo had fallen asleep as did Donnie. Mikey was still wide away staring avidly at the TV screen. "Michelangelo?" Mikey turned at the sound of his name, "Please turn the TV off, its nap time." Mikey pouted as he turned the TV off and curled up against Leo. Splinter shook his head as Mikey was asleep in minutes, the youngest of his sons had much energy, sometimes to much. Splinter walked back to Raph's room, the sound of banging had ceased sometime ago, Splinter assumed he had finally given up beating his bed and fell asleep. Opening the door slowly Splinter saw the sleeping bundle on the bed, smiling he closed the door. Now that his sons were asleep, he could get a little bit of personal practice in.
Raph moaned slightly as he rubbed his head, he couldn't remember what happened. He sat up in the darkness of the hole he had fallen in. "Help!" he called weakly. Raph felt something touch his hand jerking it away he tried to focus his eye sight to the darkness. Something else touched his foot, Raph yelped jumping up and hugging the wall. "Who's there?!" After a few minutes Raph's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, that's when he saw them, cockroaches, lots of cockroaches. Raph screamed, "Help!" he hollered as the cockroaches continued to crawl on him.
Splinter froze, twitching his ears, he could have sworn he heard something. After a moment of silence, he went back to practicing figuring it to be nothing more then his imagination. Splinter was slightly startled when Leo came bursting in, "Raph's gone!" Splinter dropped his sword running to Raph's room, throwing the door open he ran to the bed, whipping the covers off to find pillows under it. His heart sank, fear began to consume him. "Leonardo, remain here with your brothers. I will find Raphael." Splinter ran out into the sewers, he had no idea where to begin, "Guide me." He prayed as he took off down the sewer hoping against hope his fatherly instincts would lead him to his son.
Raph cried his legs had grown weak as he shook with fear, rocking himself back and forth, "I'm ok." He repeated to himself as the cockroaches crawled everywhere, seemingly unphased by the young turtles agony. "Help" Raph whispered, "Father help me!" he cried into the dark hole.
"Raphael!?" Raph jerked his head up, "Raphael, where are you?!" A voice from above hollered. Raph shakily stood up, "Father, I'm here!" he managed to holler.
Splinters heart jumped with joy when he heard Raph's voice, "Call to me my son." Raph's weak voice hollered again. Splinter looked down a small hole, "Raphael?" he called down, his eyes adjusted to see his young son, trembling in fear. "Help me father." Raph cried. Splinter looked down the hole, it was so small, he would not be able to fit down it. His mind frantically spun, "Raphael, grab my tail." Splinter spun around, lowering his tail into the hole.
Raph stared up through tear blurred eyes as the tail came closer, he grabbed onto it with all his might.
Splinter felt Raph grasp his tail as he began to pull him from the hole. He grimaced slightly at the pulling. Raph tumbled onto the surface as Splinter hurriedly picked him up in an embrace. "My son, do not fear you are safe." Raph hugged him tightly, "I was so scared." Raph cried, "I'm sorry, sorry for running away." Splinter gently lifted his face to meet his, "We all must learn by doing and making mistakes, I believe you have learned your lesson today." Raph nodded as tears fell down his face, he shivered as Splinter stood up holding his tightly as they walked back home.
Leo was worried, Splinter had been gone a long time. He watch as Donnie tried to show Mikey how to build a proper tower, Mikey was more concerned with seeing how high he could stack the blocks. Leo looked to the entrance of their home as Splinter appeared carrying a sleeping Raph in his arms. "Raph!" Leo hollered happily running to Splinter. Splinter placed his finger over his mouth, "Shh, your brother is asleep." Leo nodded, "Is he ok?" Splinter nodded. "he is ok." Splinter gently laid the sleeping turtle on his bed, gently closing the door. "Keep quiet and allow your brother to rest." Leo nodded, "master Splinter said to be quiet." He bossily told the others.
That night Splinter made his normal rounds of checking on each of his sons, Leo was sound asleep the blankets pulled up over his head, Donnie was flat on his back, arms down at his sides, and Mikey had his rear hiked up in the air. Splinter chuckled slightly as he checked on Raph, he was sound asleep curled up with his blankets half falling off. Splinter adjusted them lightly touching his head as he made his way to his own bed.
The silence and stillness of the night was abruptly disturbed as a scream echoed through the sewer, Splinter jumped up, running to his sons as the scream grew louder. Leo was outside Raph's door, "What's wrong with him?" Leo's face was tear stuck with concern, Splinter entered the room to find Raph thrashing, "get them off of me!" he hollered, Splinter grabbed him holding him down in his arms. "Sshhh, my son it is only a nightmare." Leo stood watching as Raph awoke, crying he grabbed on to Splinter, "They were everywhere, all over me." Splinter rubbed Raph's shell. "What was?" Raph whimpered, "The cockroaches." Splinter sighed, "You are safe my son, they will not hurt you here." Leo climbed up on the bed, "I won't let them get you Raph." Raph nodded, his body trembling. Leo slid in next to him, "I'll stay with you tonight, if they come back, I'll get them." Raph smiled with a nod, "Ok." Splinter smiled with pride as he left the room, turning back one last time to see Leo's arm protecting draped over Raph's shoulder. He nodded as he closed the door, truly Leo would make a great leader someday. ""
Casey nodded, "That makes sense I guess." Splinter stepped forward, "Tell us Casey why do you fear rats?" Casey's face become a bright red, "Well uh, I uh…" He looked to Leo for help, Leo just crossed his arms. Casey looked to the ground, twitching his foot. "I had a pet rat when I was little, it got out of its cage one night and I woke up to see it staring into my face, I screamed and it bit…" his face was red with embarrassment, "it bit my nose, then it ran off. When we found a few days later it had been living in my closet, I went to pick him up and he bit me again." Leo laid his hand on Casey's shoulder, "That's a legitimate reason to be scared of them." Casey nodded, "I guess so." He looked up to Splinter, "I guess I better go make a sincere apology to Raph huh?" Splinter ran his hand down his beard, "I would think so, yes." Leo watched with amusement as Casey slowly walked hunched over to Raph's room. Splinter shook his head, "We best be checking on your brothers, I have not heard Michelangelo in an awhile, that was never a good thing." Leo laughed, "My guess is he is annoying Donnie." Splinter trailed behind Leo as they made their way to Donnie's lab. Though he had lost so much, he had gained so much more.