17 october 2024, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2528: beetle oil

Image by Jürgen from Pixabay

“So, you know why beetles shine like that, right?”

Things to do while grounded: figure out how to get grounded again with your also-grounded friend next door because your sisters felt sorry for you and loaned you their phones. This was what nine-year-old Milton Trent and nine-year-old George Ludlow were doing.

“It's beetle oil,” George was saying. “It's why they have all those pretty rainbow-like colors, so I'm thinking, we surprise the men that we love and want to be like with getting some beetle oil and shining up their shoes with it.”

“OK, so, how many beetles you think we need to make for a good shoe polish,” Milton said.

“It kinda depends on what kind – obviously, we need mostly black ones, and we gotta have about half a pound or so to put in the food processor and strain it of the wings and things,” George said. “We just want the oil, after all.”

“OK, so, I'll be out of here on Saturday, so we can definitely get started,” Milton said. “I have a good idea too – have Andrew research it for us, though. See, there are nice black beetles called dung beetles, and since I have two pets over here that have to do their business, they may attract a few. We just gotta wash them really well, but, they're nice and dark.”

“And durable,” George said. “I mean, if you can deal with rolling balls of that stuff all day for your kids, you gotta have good character and good character probably makes good beetle oil. Let me check with Andrew real quick – hey, Andy!”

Andrew called Milton back in five minutes.

“Look, I'm giving Eleanor her phone back and I'm having Velma come get her phone from you, because you are a danger to yourselves. The beetles underground will be eating y'all if you ever –!”