The Marriages of Lucifer Brown

Entomotarians in love

Gibberish: Flash Fiction Friday - In the Dark

March 7, 2025

Scoot’s Assignment: Write a short story about a favorite food, including delightful darkness, a character who isn’t human, and the sentence, “Explain it to me again.”

Highlighted in FFF (March 14, 2025) 🤗

Photo by Nils Bouillard on Unsplash

The Marriages of Lucifer Brown

I had just been laid off. There was heavy competition for jobs, so when I spotted the “Help Wanted” sign in the cafe window, I rushed right in. And that’s how I met my future husband.

Lucifer Brown was very brown indeed, with deep brown eyes and curling brown hair. His cafe, ‘Entomo,’ was completely decorated in black, but his soft, brown clothing shined like a beacon against the gloom. The other weird thing about the place was that Entomo was only open at night, but that didn't really bother me, as I was already a bit of a night owl.

During the interview, I nervously commented that I was worried that he might be a vampire, but he joked that he wasn't “that kind of bat” - at least I THOUGHT he was joking... but I’m getting ahead of myself. I was intrigued by his intelligence and attracted by his quiet, gentle personality. So when he offered me the waitress job, I was happy to accept.

I was curious about my work. “Entomo is such an exotic name for a cafe. Where does it come from?”

Mr. Brown explained, “Well, it came about because of my special diet. I had trouble finding places that could cater to my special needs. You see, I'm an entomotarian.”

I didn’t understand. “I don't get it. Could you please explain it to me again?”

Instead of replying, he simply handed me one of the menus. As I read it, my new boss’s food preferences became clear: Mealworm Tacos, Cricket Fritters, Marinated Stinkbugs, Spicy Giant Waterbug Pasta Salad, Lemon and Black Ant Cake... So an entomotarian eats bugs, then. Huh. I was both fascinated and repelled. But Lucifer Brown seemed like a good guy, and I really needed the job, so I decided to give it a go.

Entomo was incredibly popular, even with the unconventional hours. People would stop by out of curiosity or drunken bravado, but more often than not they later returned because the food was good. I eventually overcame my squeamishness and gave it a try, discovering that ants tasted citrusy and that stinkbugs actually tasted like cinnamon. The Lemon and Black Ant Cake soon became my personal favorite.

Working together every night caused our relationship to develop rather quickly. Soon I was calling him Luci, and we were thinking seriously of marriage.  Finally, Luci closed the shop for a night, so we could discuss a ‘very serious matter.’ “My darling, I love you, but before you commit to a lifetime with me, there is something you must know. Remember your comment about vampires, when I told you that I wasn’t that kind of bat? Well, I wasn't joking.” Luci paused, then continued with his explanation. “My real name is not Lucifer Brown. I chose this name because it is similar to the scientific name for my beast phase,  Myotis lucifugus, the little brown bat. I was born Joshua Goodman in 1594 and came here on the Mayflower. I fell in love with a beautiful native maiden, and we agreed to marry. But first, she needed to make me one of her kind. She bit me, and I became a Brownie. See?” Luci briefly transformed into a little brown bat and back again. “My first wife was murdered during the Salem witch trials, and I could not bear to wed another... until I met you. Will you marry me?”

Of  course I said yes. He bit me and we now live happily, running Entomo together and flying through the delightful darkness of the night skies during time off, eating al fresco.

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