NaNoWriMo Day 16

Angry Gary and Angry Larry the Leopard Slugs

Vengeance
Gary sat outside Larry’s nook as his impatience grew waiting on him to come out.
“Come on Larry!” He yelled into the nook again.
Slowly Larry made his way out and upon joining Gary said, “okay, let’s go”.
“What the hell took you so long?” Gary’s annoyance showing in his voice.
“You said I should clean up so I did. Let’s go eat, I’m starving,” Larry replied.
Gary shook his tentacles then without a word lead them into the grasses and to the decomposing log. The white mycorrhizae stood out bright against the surrounding grass and the dark color of the log. Gary went right to it and started biting off mouthfuls, chewing, and swallowing in rapid succession. Larry sat and looked the log over a bit as Gary began to devour then he made his mind up and went to the left side of the log and squeezed between it and the grasses. In the space between he found a variety of different insects all scurrying around as he rustled the grass.
Pill bugs and earwigs ran off as he pushed forward then a small centipede climbed onto the grass to let him pass. Larry scanned the log and found what looked to be a particularly tasty looking patch of myco and took a big bite. The myco melted in his mouth and he felt sudden surprise at the speed with which it was gone. He quickly took another bite and it melted away like the first. He looked around him at the other myco and found a section nearby that looked to be a bit different texture. He moved to it and took a medium sized bit to test it and found it to have actual texture to it.
Gary was chomping away at the myco and he watched Larry go between the grass and the log. He hadn’t taken the time to look at the rest of the log as what he was eating was so tasty. He took bite after bite and after a while noticed it had been a while since Larry had entered. He took a last big bite and still chewing began to head towards the small opening to find Larry. He poked his head into the cavity and let his eyes adjust a bit before he could make out the form of Larry along the log. He moved the rest of the way in saying, “find something good?”
Larry turned from the log and looking at Gary said, “have you tried this? That stuff over there melts in your mouth and this stuff is just delicious.”
Gary looked up and down the log at the various tendrils adorning it and exuding from it then went to the spot Larry indicated. He took a large bit of the myco and it instantly began to melt in his mouth. He swallowed the melted myco and looked to Larry with eyes wide.
“What is this? I’ve never had anything like it,” Gary said.
“Myco of some kind. Amazing isn’t it?” Larry asked.
“Truly incredible, and I thought the stuff out there was good. I wonder what the other sides are like,” Gary said as he started to move towards the end of the log.
“It probably similar to this if it is under cover. Wait for me,” Larry said as he turned and moved to catch up.
They worked their way through the slim gap between the overhead grasses and the log, inspecting the myco as they went. Taking nibbles from various spots they continued around the end of the log and turning hte corner to the other side Gary was in the lead when he suddenly stopped, Larry bumping into him from behind.
“What’s going on?” Larry asked.
Gary said nothing and sat rock still his body halfway around the corner. Larry pushed up onto his keel with the front of his foot and stretched to get his tentacles around the corner to try and see what was going on. He stretched and shifted his weight enough that he just was able to peek his eyes around the corner. His eyes focused and he then knew why Gary was not moving. Along the log in a wide cavity in the grass sat a large striped snake coiled around on itself.
Larry pulled his tentacles back and pulled back away from Gary saying, “turn around”.
Gary twisted his eye stalks around looking for room to turn around but with his body bent around the corner of the log and the grasses tighter against him he could only move forwards to turn around. He slowly and cautiously began to move himself towards the snake who had not seemed to notice him yet. He worked his foot around so that he could turn and move back around the corner as fast as possible. He took a breath then turned his head away from the snake and began to move back around the corner. As he made the turn he went over the top of a stick that shifted and nudged the snake who lifted its head to stare at Gary.
Gary’s eyes rotated around as he felt the stick shift and he watched the snakes head rise and its forked tongue flick out of its mouth. Gary’s eyes got extremely wide and he gasped before pushing his body forwards and around the corner. The snake sat flicking the air with its tongue watching Gary’s body disappear around the corner before it lowered it again and rested it on it’s coiled body.
Larry had turned around and was back on the side of the log waiting for Gary to make it back. He had bolted at the sight of the snake and was hoping that Gary made it. Soon Gary’s tentacles popped around the corner of the log and he was quickly back on the side with Larry.
“That was not fun,” Gary’s exasperated voice said.
“Glad you made out of there. I think I’m ready to get out of here. That was scary,” Larry said motioning towards the exit.
“Yeah I’m not really hungry anymore, that snake took it right out of me,” Gary said as he began moving towards the exit.
Larry silently followed him until they popped out of the cavity and were back at the end of the log. “What now?” he asked.
“Well, the man is gone again and we could go check out the house?” Gary offered.
“What are you talking about? Why would we go in the house?” Larry asked feeling fully confused.
“I found a bunch of different foods in there and you haven’t seen it from inside. I was in there but that was when he came home,” Gary replied.
“That is not very convincing. I have no desire to go in there. Really, you go ahead if you want, I’d rather go back to my nook,” Larry said shaking his tentacles in refusal.
Gary stared back at him as he emphatically refused. He hadn’t really expected him to want to go but it was worth the try. He glanced to the log and then back to Larry before saying, “alright, whatever, it’s your choice”.
The sound of a car became audible and quickly got louder before it stopped on the street and parked. The man and Vivian got out of the car and walked towards the house. As they walked Gary and Larry could hear them talking.
“Many times the police are given immunity from their actions but this was obviously not a police action. We’ll find out who directed this against you and why. Do you have any means of communication now?” Vivian asked the man.
“They took everything, tv, wifi, my cell phone and my land line phone. The cell was just an old flip phone, I don’t like smart phones,” the man replied.
The two made it to the front patio with the front door still standing wide open. They stopped and continued talking.
“Let me get you a phone so you and I can stay in contact. No one else should have the number and it would help if you could use wifi with it so we can keep it off the networks. You said they took you box?” Vivian asked.
“Yep, everything. The neighbor has his that I have used before when my service provider decided I was deceased and kill my account,” the man replied.
“Do you think he would let you use it again? Considering your house is in shambles,” she asked.
“I still know the password so it doesn’t matter. Stupid easy one too, 12345. I mean really even I know better than a password like that,” the man said with a chuckle.
“Well, let me get you a phone then and we’ll get you setup so we can talk. I will have a number of questions for you in the coming days most likely so this will make things much easier. There are services available that will help get you some new furniture and it looks like you’ll need most everything else as well,” Vivian said as she tapped notes into her phone.
“That would be great. They killed my bed and my couch. Emptied the inside out and kicked it into the corner. Whoever the hell did this deserves some serious retribution. Be nice to see this happen to them,” he said.
“That’s always an option,” Vivian said with a wry smile.
The man raised an eyebrow, tilted his head, and stared at her quizzically. She looked back down at her phone and continued tapping notes.
“Since your house is trashed how bout a hotel for the night and we can work on the furniture in the morning?” Vivian asked as she stuffed her phone in her pocket.
“Might as well, I have no bed,” the man replied.
Gary and Larry had been sitting next to the log listening to the conversation. When the man said the wifi password Gary looked at Larry with wide open eyes, then looked to the man, then looked emphatically back at Larry. The movement and stares caught Larry a bit off guard and he was busy wondering what Gary was doing that he didn’t hear the password.
“What?” Larry asked.
“Didn’t you hear it? He said the password for the neighbor’s wifi!” Gary exclaimed.
“He did? Damn I didn’t hear it. What is it?” Larry implored.
Gary smiled and said, “I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t tell you”.
Larry glared at him before saying, “you better tell me. I need to know it.”
Gary stared at him for a moment then said, “it’s 12345. About as easy as it gets. I’m surprised you never tried it”.
Larry’s eyes lit up and without a word he began slugging away from Gary who could only watch him leave. He listened to the last of the man’s conversation with Vivian as he returned to munching on the myco on the end of the log.