I

“What’s that?”

“It’s gooey!”

“Don’t touch it!”

“I’m gonna touch it with the stick.”

“No!”

“It’s stuck!”

“Drop the stick, drop the stick! Hurry up!”

“It’s on my arm, crawling! Argh!” His friend ran. Leaving behind a gray gelatinous quivering thing.

***

I…I am…

The gelatinous thing changed color. Gray became red, became pink, became flesh tones. Orifices of various sizes opened then formed into eyes, ears mouth and the rest. Consciousness was taken from the boy.

The boy wandered from the woods. His nakedness attracted attention. A mother ushers her children from the backyard as the father walked over with a beach towel; as he placed the towel over the boy’s shoulders, his left hand brushed the boy’s right arm. He was finally noticed by the boy.

“I…” The father tried to separate himself, but the boy’s arm had fused, become one with the father. By the time a scream registered, it was the boy, now a man that was screaming. The father was no more. The creature had progressed and was now headed for the house. The mother had seen everything and was running upstairs for the gun in the closet.

“Get in your bedrooms, now! Lock the door and don’t come out until I get you!” Everyone is running upstairs. Doors slam.

“Honey, stay back. Please, I don’t want to shoot you.” Her eyes were streaming. It was hard to see. She was afraid that she would miss.

“I…”