[SCENE START]

EXT. DUSTY PLAINS - DAY

A lone cowboy, DUSTY (30s, weathered, weary), rides his horse across the vast, sun-baked plains. He squints, the sun beating down on his weathered face. He’s clearly tired, his movements sluggish.

Suddenly, he swats at something on his arm.

DUSTY (Muttering) Get off me, you…

He looks down. A cockroach, remarkably large and brazen, scurries up his arm.

DUSTY (Louder) Dang it!

He tries to brush it off, but the cockroach clings on, seemingly mocking him.

EXT. PLAINS - CONTINUOUS

Dusty spurs his horse into a gallop, trying to outrun the cockroach. The cockroach, however, seems to effortlessly keep pace, clinging to his shirt.

DUSTY (Shouting) This ain't right! A cockroach… chasing ME?

He tries various methods to dislodge the pest – slapping, shaking, even attempting to flick it off with his hat. Nothing works. The cockroach remains stubbornly attached.

EXT. CANYON - DAY

Dusty rides his horse into a narrow canyon, hoping to lose the cockroach in the shadows. The cockroach, however, seems unfazed by the darkness.

DUSTY (Panting) I’m gonna… lose… my… mind…

He pulls out his trusty six-shooter, aiming wildly at the cockroach.

DUSTY (Yelling) Take that, you infernal insect!

He fires. The cockroach, surprisingly agile, dodges the bullet.

EXT. PLAINS - LATER

Dusty, exhausted and defeated, sits slumped on a rock, the cockroach still clinging to his shirt. He stares at the insect with a mixture of disbelief and despair.

DUSTY (Whispering) I… I surrender.

The cockroach, seemingly satisfied, crawls onto Dusty’s hat and perches there, as if victorious.

EXT. SUNSET - PLAINS - DAY

Dusty and the cockroach ride off into the sunset, an unlikely pair silhouetted against the fiery sky. The cockroach seems to be directing Dusty's horse with tiny, almost imperceptible gestures.

[SCENE END]