This year I am working on a story called Bob vs. The Alien Slug Monsters. Instead of an outline I have a basic list of plot points I want to cover between meeting Bob and sending him off to fight the king of the slugs. There is more of a cast of characters than an actual outline, so we will see how the story develops. And with that intro we continue with Bob Versus the Alien Slug Monsters…
Day 37: “I wonder if she recently restocked her salt supply.”
“I wonder if she recently restocked her salt supply.” Bob darted a glance out of the open doorway. Still nothing moved. He wondered if the slugs would come back for their fallen comrade or if they would abandon him here. He didn’t know.
‘Probably best not to stay here too long. Bob had not really thought about retrieval too much. Now he realized exactly how much time he had taken inspecting everything. It made him feel twitchy. He kept the open salt shaker in his hand just in case and began to quickly move through the cottage. He went to the hall closet and hoped Lucille’s habits hadn’t changed much in the time since he last saw her. To his relieve they hadn’t. There was a box in the bottom of the closet. It contained two funnels and two over sized containers. One was pepper and the other was a five pound container of salt. It was unopened and when Bob picked it up he saw the receipt from the store in the bottom of the box. The container had been purchased only two days prior.
“I guess Lucille was ready for a refill.”
Bob hefted the container. It was bulky. It had an indent in the side so it was easier to grasp but he thought running around with a container of salt might not be his best option. “I have shopping bags in the car. His grocery started charging for plastic bags so he purchased reusable canvas ones. They lived in his trunk. When he got groceries they made the trip into the house, he emptied them and then put them back in the car so he wouldn’t forget.
Thinking of groceries, Bob realized he still hadn’t eaten. He opened Lucille’s fridge. He spotted the makings for a sandwich. Feeling bad about taking her food, he opened his walled and pulled out some cash. He placed it on the fridge shelf and made a sandwich for himself. He ate it quickly, not wanting to stay too long. As he ate, he planned.
‘Back to the car for a bag so the salt is easier to carry and leaves my hands free,’ Bob thought. Then head into town.’ Shadows were lengthening and he wondered if full dark might not be a better time to go. ‘They may not see me, but I can’t see them.’
He debated his choices as he ate but didn’t reach a decision by the end of his sandwich. He wiped off his hands and picked the salt container off the counter. Thinking he might need a couple of smaller options, he picked up salt shakers that dispensed salt easily. One was shaped like a seal balanced on a ball and the other saw shaped like a nun. Both were still full. He slipped them into his pockets and let himself out of the back door, sliding it closed before turning away. As he closed the door, he blinked, hearing the same droning sounds as before.
Ten til Midnight 