Monster Blood IV

17

Evan gasped in horror as Andy struggled with the blue creature. She pounded it with her fists. Pulled at its slippery skin. Shoved it with her open palms.

Evan took a deep breath. Ran over to her. And grasped the creature in both hands.

It’s so slippery and cold! he thought.

He dug his fingers into its wet flesh, tightening his grip.

Then he heaved up with all his strength.

The creature lifted off Andy’s face with a loud POP. Evan lost his balance and nearly fell.

The blob slipped out of his hands, bounced over the grass, and landed in a large puddle near the driveway.

“Ohhhhhh, sick!” Andy moaned. She wiped thick slime off her face. Still on her knees, her whole body trembled.

Evan raised his eyes to the blob. Facedown, it gulped the puddle noisily. Its shimmery blue body bulged bigger, bigger…

Until it exploded — sending a wave of water and slime over Evan and Andy. Evan staggered back as the cold gunk washed over him.

Wiping it off his eyes, he helped Andy to her feet.

“The flowers!” Kermit cried. “They’ve ruined them all!”

Evan turned to the garden. In time to see two more inflated blue blobs explode into four.

The four new blobs bounced up and down furiously, gnashing their pointed teeth.

“The new ones have teeth!” Andy declared. “Each time they explode, they get meaner!”

“I’ve had enough of this!” Evan exclaimed. He grabbed a shovel on the ground beside the flower garden. “Kermit, Andy — hurry! Get big trash bags!”

Kermit darted into the garage. A few seconds later, he came out carrying two plastic trash bags. He handed one to Andy. They swung them open and ran to catch up with Evan.

“Let’s get these guys!” Evan declared.

He lowered the shovel blade to the ground and scooped up a blue blob.

Andy held out her trash bag. Evan dropped the creature into the bag. It plopped in heavily. Andy gripped the top of the bag and held on.

Working feverishly, Evan scooped up another one and dropped it into Andy’s bag.

Another explosion sent a wave of slime flying. Evan ducked under it — and caught two blue blobs on his shovel blade. With a groan, he swung the blade hard into Kermit’s trash bag.

In minutes, the two trash bags bulged.

“Only a few left,” Evan said, catching his breath. Despite the cool night air, sweat poured down his forehead.

Beside the garage, two creatures gulped water hungrily from a puddle on the grass. Another creature bounced over the wilted flower garden, uttering low, angry growls.

“These guys are trying to get out,” Kermit complained. He had hoisted his bag over his slender shoulder.

The bag throbbed. Inside it, the creatures grunted and growled.

“What are we going to do with these bags?” Andy demanded. “These blue things are alive! We can’t just throw them in trash cans.”

“They wouldn’t fit, anyway,” Kermit said.

Evan wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Let’s get them all collected first,” he sighed. “Then we can decide what to do.”

It took several minutes to round up the final three. They kept bouncing away and sliding off the shovel.

Finally, all of the grunting, growling creatures were caught. Evan helped Kermit and Andy tie up the bulging trash bags.

“Now what?” Andy demanded.

Evan blinked as a bright yellow light flashed on.

Another light.

The lawn shimmered green, nearly as bright as day. The colors all came into focus.

Evan spun toward the house. The porch light had been turned on. And all the lights around the yard.

“It’s Mom!” Kermit gasped. “We’re caught!”