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 78: He doubted full calm would be his for a while, but he could breathe again.
He doubted full calm would be his for a while, but he could breathe again. Once he felt a little less panicked about being caught, Bob moved towards one of his favorite childhood bully watching stations. He slipped silently through the machinery and settled himself near one of the holes. He could see the king of the slugs. He had taken one of the trophies from the wall and was studying it. Bob wondered what he thought of it. Clearly it was shiny and gold colored, but the names would mean little to him even if he could read them.
The other two slugs maintained a steady distance but kept the king in sight. ‘Maybe they are body guards,’ Bob thought.
It seemed reasonable for a king to have body guards. Bob’s thought’s quieted, his pulse rate returning to normal. It seemed the salted slug eggs hadn’t sent out a distress call, or if they had, these weren’t the slugs receiving it. Bob also realized there weren’t any more slugs in the Bowling Alley. While they could elsewhere in the building, there weren’t a lot of options. From where he was he could see the bowling alleys and the small café area as well as into the kitchen. If he craned his neck he could see the shoe return desk.
‘’I suppose they could be hanging out with the bowling shoes,’ Bob thought. But even if they were there was a finite amount of space in between the sore racks. ‘And I don’t know why they would.’
If there were slugs, they were elsewhere. Bob thought about his neighbors and the others from the Retirement community. If the slugs tried to climb inside them, then their salt covering would be lessened. ‘I could try and add more salt as well as check on the status of the slugs.’
He was reasonably certain that from the bowling alley he could take the back alley all the way down the end of the street. Providing there were no slugs patrolling behind the building he should be fine. ‘I can’t just watch the king slug studying bowling trophies,’ he thought. Bob also suspected that when the slugs did check on the eggs, he should be as far from the scene as possible.
Bob eased himself back and made his way back to the exit door. He unlocked the machinery door, and after a heart stopping moment checking to see if the corridor was occupied, he slipped out and relocked the door behind himself. Bob kept the key as he exited the building. He made certain the door locked behind him though in case the slugs were looking for the way an intruder would enter. He didn’t want to advertise the routes he was taking. ‘If nothing else they may try to follow me.’
Bob shivered from the thought and slipped into the alleyway behind the building. While there were dumpsters stationed periodically behind the buildings, he could see all the way down the alley. It would be a clear straight shot. Bob swallowed hard. He would be visible if anyone looked down the alley but if they stayed in front, he would remain hidden.
‘I’ll just be careful at the building’s corners,’ he thought deciding the risk was worth it. Not only did he want the others as safe as he could make them, but he wanted to know how many slugs were out and about.
Bob took a deep breath and raced to the edge of the building, sticking close to the shadows.
Ten til Midnight 