Page 3 of Stone Seduction
Something wasn’t right. What the hell was going on inside my head? The memories of that night were wrong. Lies. Manipulated to hide my new power from me. I only recalled the argument and the monster, not the other stuff Seth said happened.
God, what a blur.
A big wave crashed to shore, almost reaching my feet. I watched the foam, falling into a bit of daze.
Water.
A watery power taken from the monster who hurt Finn.
Water.
Water.
Water.
What was with the water? Why did I fixate on it like this?
Movement cut off my thinking.
A few feet away, the sand moved as if a mole burrowed through it. But moles weren’t native to beaches, as far as I knew.
First came a pink spike, next a crab-like claw.
I folded my arms, rolling my eyes as the rest of the monster popped out of the sand.
“Hello, there!” it called sonorously.
“Pretty big voice for such a little monster,” I responded.
The pink crab-thingy scuttled to the side on skinny legs, waving its right claw at me. One big, humanoid eye blinked on its back. A train of purple seaweed trailed from its rear. The spike stood upright, bursting out of its back close to its eye like a radio antenna.
“How are you, Luke Garland?” it asked.
Monsters always knew our names, and here in Brinecrest they always came with a sea theme.
“Cold,” I answered.
“Come with me to warm those bones. We can talk, we can enjoy some tea together, even?—”
I lifted a hand to shut it up. “Save your crabby breath. I’m not in the mood.”
“But—”
“You really need to try harder.”
It snapped both claws aggressively. “One day, human. One day we will break down your walls and feast upon the bones and the flesh.”
“Uh-huh.”
My indifference didn’t stop its rambling. “We will open the doors of the terror houses and watch as the world falls, as the gargoyles’ work is undone.”
I turned to walk away.
The fucker scuttled closer, staying out of reach. Getting too close would deliver Crabby an arse-kicking from my inner monster repellent.
Oh, go on. Try pinching my leg.
“Foolish Luke. Foolish, foolish Luke,” the crab waffled.
