Haunted Organic (2014 Watty Award Winner)

Thirteen: Prey (Part 2)

THIRTEEN - Prey (Part 2)

Glass flew everywhere as one giant, slithering eel tentacle slammed through the glass doors, and then another, and, another, until the freezer cases along the far wall were obliterated.

With them came the rush of sea water pouring in.

The doors gave way and flew out into the market, a rush of green sea water slammed through the aisles. The eels slithered through and over the aisles, counters and shelves. They hissed and grabbed boxes and bottles of food and tore them open with their knife-teeth and spit out whatever they didn't inhale back out onto the floor.

They were oily, these eels, and when they moved they secreted a black oily stink, that made trails behind them, so that the room was like the bottom of the sea, while the beasts searched for prey to ease their hunger, in one aisle, down the next, their rabid eyes always searching, their bodies slithering, always moving.

Grotty Greg stood there. Not sure what was happening or where to move. He picked up the imbecilic dog that was attacking his feet. If the eels wanted food, this dog was going to be a little snack. He plucked Bacon under his arm, while the dog whined and wiggled, trying to free himself.

Grotty was not sure at all what he was seeing. He had not even imagined something so great and fearsome in his mind. And so he watched the stinking sea water pool at his shins, and the black tentacle creatures slinking and moving around him.

Bacon, flung himself hard against Grotty, trying to get away and Grotty dropped his phone in the water.

"Stupid, mutt!" he yelled at Bacon, and swatted him on the top of his head, a little too hard.

Bacon squealed.

Then, not sure of what else to do, he ran as fast as he could through the thick swells of water, dog under his arm, and dove behind one of the check out counters in the front of the store. He did a whopping belly flop, and Bacon yelped, and water splashed up onto the front windows and the cash register, like great tidal wave.

And that's when the eels heard him and Bacon, and turned toward the sound and echo of the water. Food, they thought in their primitive, simple brains.

Get the food.

&&&&

Manhattan and Emerald could not get the lid off the tank.

What they found when they got back to the lobster tank in the little alcove in the very back of the store, was two small kids terrified and very aware that there was a stream of water filling the tank, and when that water got to the top, and there was no more space for them to open their mouths and breathe air, when it covered them completely, they would have seconds until they died.

Manhattan thought the bottom of her world was going to fall out when she got to the tank and saw Marty, his eyes, wide and on fire, banging his hands against the lid of the tank, the water, skimming his chest.

When he saw her he stopped and pushed his face and hands to the glass.

"Ra- Ra," he said it softly, it was his name for her.

"You came." There was relief in his voice, as if he was certain now he and Trinket would be set free.

"Of course, squirt," she said, as if she had just found him in the backyard of their house.

"We'll get you out. No sweat," she said, as if it were just that easy.

"Where's Bacon?"

Manhattan looked around. She wasn't sure, but he was never far away. Teta said he was like velcro. She wasn't worried. He would turn up.