December 4th, 1958

It was finished.

Joseph grinned wickedly at his prized creation. The mutation pod was finally ready and awaiting its first test subject. Months and months and almost a year of research and planning had finally come to fruition, and just in time too.

Little Evan had been born.

He sighed ecstatically, still reeling in his happiness. His son, a perfect little specimen of a boy, with his mother's eyes and his shock of black hair. Joseph had hardly been able to contain himself with pride at such a handsome boy. Maybe, he thought idly as he made the final adjustments, when he's old enough, he could help in the lab. Lisa may object, but Joseph would swear up and down that he'd be careful.

But with the arrival of his son came the anxious parental fear, fear of him getting hurt. Joseph knew his machine, and the information he had on the near-indestructability of cockroaches, could protect both his new family and the world, so work had increased sevenfold.

And now it was ready.

Setting up the small movie camera on the tripod, he eagerly set about recording this momentous occasion. "December 4th, test of chamber number one," he said, smiling at the camera and striding over confidentally, closing the heavy door with a loud CLANG. Closing his eyes, he awaited the mutation.

There was a flash.

Then, PAIN.

What felt like fire spread rapidly over every inch of his body, tearing into him, CHANGING him. Joseph couldn't even scream, as he felt even his mouth twist and deform. The world spun, and though he narrowly avoided passing out, he knew. How could he not?

SOMETHING HAD GONE WRONG.

Fumbling around in the dark for the door button, he stumbled out of the chamber, disoriented. What had happened? Joseph shakily raised his hands to rub his temples, to get his bearings.

What he felt wasn't skin.

For a moment it didn't register. What? Why was his skin.....He rubbed his head again, eyes slowly widening in fear. His hair was gone, replaced with something very hard, very smooth, and very alien. Thinking maybe the mutagens had somehow melted his hair, Joseph giggled nervously. It would be unpleasant, but it was very fixable. That was until his hands touched something that REALLY wasn't supposed to be there. It was long, wiry, and VERY sensitive to the touch, making Joseph gasp in surprise.

"Oh no....." A terrible thought entered his brain. He'd used cockroach DNA.....His fingers ran up it again, sending shivers down his spine. "Oh NO......"

Mirror. He needed a mirror.

Making a mad dash for one of Lisa's hand held mirrors he'd borrowed, Joseph braced himself for what he could possibly look like, but it wasn't enough. The sight was so foreign, so terrifying, and so mind-crushingly horrible that nothing could prepare him for it. The cockroach in the mirror looked ready to squash itself, and Joseph suddenly realized that it was HIM.

A blood-curdling scream escaped his lips, the mirror shattering against the floor.

He was a monster.

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Lisa had been feeding Evan when the horrible scream had erupted through the silence of the afternoon. Fearing the worst, she gently set their young son down in his crib, running for the entrance to her husband's lab. "Joseph?! Joseph, talk to me!" She knocked harder on the door, a strange smell of sulphur wafting through the crack in the door. Pushing it open, the smoke burned her eyes, making her cough. "JOSEPH?!"

There was a shuffle near the back of the lab, and what looked like someone hunched over in pain. Joseph? Cautiously, Lisa walked slowly over to it. "Stay back!" It WAS her husband, though he was curled in a strange position, covering his head. "Just....Lisa, go back upstairs." His voice was strained, breaking with anguish. "Something went wrong...."

"Joseph, darling, are you hurt?" Naively, she reached her hand out to touch his shoulder.

He let out a strange, frightened sound and pulled away violently. "DON'T! Lisa, listen to me, GO UPSTAIRS."

Now VERY worried, Lisa grabbed him firmly and pulled him up. "No, if you're hurt I want to he----AAAAAAAH!!!" The giant cockroach blinked its large hazel eyes at her, feelers working furiously, and in her terror, Lisa fell backwards over an overturned chair. It couldn't be real, it HAD to be an illusion.... "Wh--What ARE you!?"

The cockroach made no effort to hide its tears. Shakingly, it sat down next to her, ignoring her murmers of terror. "Lisa...." her eyes widened. "Lisa, it's ME. It's your Joseph."

"J-Joseph?" She reached out her hand, stroking the creature's hardened cheek, staring into the impossibly large eyes.....Tears streamed down her face. "Darling, what HAPPENED to you?"

He smiled sadly, holding her hand like a lifeline. "I....I don't know, it---it should've worked, but...." He sighed, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I don't know, Lisa, I just don't know...."

"But--But you can fix it, right?" The fear had subsided, replaced by cautious hope. She smiled at him reassuringly. "You can fix it, Joseph?"

His feelers drooped sadly. "I could TRY, but....I just---I don't even know how THIS happened. It may take a while...."

Lisa pulled the distraught scientist to her, hugging him. "Darling, I KNOW you can do it. I love you."

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