Today I randomly opened Detour on the Eternal Road to page 93. With my eyes closed, I pointed to the page. My finger fell closest to the word “Button.” That is our prompt.
Button by John W. Howell © 2026
“Don’t touch that.”
“Why?”
“It is a doomsday device. That button will be the end of us all.”
“How do you know that?’
“Listen, kid. I have been around to see what happens when that button is pushed.”
“If you know what happens, how do you escape?”
“That is a long story. Just trust me. We need to go now.”
“Where are we going?”
“I happen to know that, with the change to standard time, the folks are still asleep. Perfect time to have breakfast and then hide out.”
“I’m still wondering about that button. Also, what does R-A-I-D spell?”
“It spells death to us. If the folks see us, they immediately go to it and fill the air with poison. Also, when we get near the folks, stay away from the ears. They can hear our wings whine and start slapping like crazy. My advice: do your drilling on anything exposed below the neck.”
“Okay, got it.”
“Let’s go.”
I’m picturing a horrible combo of cockroach and mosquito.
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It’s the mosquito I missed swatting on the Ark yesterday
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There’s always one that survives.
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There is. 😄
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I like this, John. Plotting in the dark. Maybe I should wear the button when I walk. I get those little no-see-ums flitting around my face and I wave like crazy.
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I hate those things. Yeah, blast them.😊
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Mosquitoes?
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Yes indeed. Winner-winner, Chicken dinner
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😇😁
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😊
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Gives a whole new meaning to “buzz off”.
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This is the one I didn’t swat yesterday. See what happens. 😄
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I like all the clues here. Great stuff, John.
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Thank you, Esther. 😊
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Yikes!
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😊
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The tactic to avoid bug spray and slaps so they can get their meal and fly away will probably work for the mosquitoes, John.
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They do have to be careful, though. Thanks, Tim
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😊
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😊
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I was thinking cockroach, but I see the mosquitos that made it on to the Ark are the subject! There is a species of cockroach that flies – the Madagascar cockroach.
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These are the decedents of the mosquitoes that I missed swatting on the Ark
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Mmm, they are about 6 inches long!
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Twelve.
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Skeeters?
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Yup. You win. 🏆
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😁
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👍🏻
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It wasn’t much, but there was a bit of frost yesterday. Could we finally be past mosquito season here.
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Lucky you. Frost here is a non-event, so they are waiting for us all year.
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Whenever I hear that familiar buzz the first thought that comes to mind is F-R-O-S-T! Rotten bastards-take THAT. :o)
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The frost does that for sure. We don’t usually get frost, so they are waiting out there for almost a year. 😳
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‘Skeeters are one reason to live at altitude. ; )
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Fleas too.
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Ick! Such pests.
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Hate ’em.
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My first thought was cockroaches and then the wings came out… You gave us a purposely wrong road when you mentioned R.A.I.D.!!
Well done, sir.
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Yup. I’m like that on the red herrings. Thanks, Dale.
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Brat! 😉
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Guilty
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🤗
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😊
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“Drilling” — LOL, that’s quite the image. Well done, John, another great finger-point-prompt response. 😄
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Thank you, Gwen. I finally decided on the creature at the last minute. I think I had a mosquito on the brain from the previous day.
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I really thought this was going to be a cockroach until I got to the wings flapping. 😁 Excellent,sir.
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Thank you, Jan. 😊
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