Page 18 of The Slug Crystal
He leans in the doorway, muscled arms crossed, gaze equal parts curiosity and mischief. “What’s so special about it? Looks like a normal slug with a shell and a paint job.”
Jake clears his throat. “It’s, uh, important to Emma. Sentimental.”
Ben smirks. “So’s my dog, which was taken by my ex-wife, but you don’t see me breaking into her place to get her back.”
I inhale through my nose, fighting the urge to throttle a man who is, objectively, a foot taller than me and maybe twice my body mass. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
He winks. “Try me.”
My brain short-circuits. I go through a mental rolodex of plausible stories, childhood pet, rare breed, family curse, and then I just blurt the truth. “My ex-boyfriend is inside that snail.”
Ben’s eyebrows try to climb off his face. “Come again?”
Jake steps up, putting a steady hand on my shoulder. “It’s true. She… Emma bought a spell kit online. Did the whole ritual. Next day, the guy goes missing, and then we find the snail. Blue shell, weird markings, the whole deal.”
Ben is quiet for a second, then lets out a bark of a laugh. “You got me. That’s a good one. Did you rehearse this on the drive over?”
I meet his gaze, steady. “I can prove it. Let me see him.”
He steps aside. The inside of the house is every bit as lived-in as the outside promised. There;s laundry on the banister, a pizza box on the stairs, and a dartboard above the mantle with three darts embedded in the ten ring. In the center of the living room, on a table beside the couch, is my snail. Alex is awake, antennae extended, exploring the perimeter of the plastic terrarium. Ben has given him a small,decorative castle and a lettuce leaf. The sight of it, mundane and domestic, makes my chest ache.
Ben notices. “He’s doing fine. Even built him a little house.”
Jake walks over, and crouches next to the table. “Does it seem… strange to you at all?”
Ben shrugs. “My mom used to rescue turtles, so I’ve seen weirder.”
I pick up the terrarium, cradling it in both hands. Alex pauses his crawl, like he recognizes me. Maybe he does. Maybe I’m just projecting. I want to cry, laugh, or both.
Ben sits on the couch, gestures for us to do the same. Jake stands, arms crossed, scanning the room like a bodyguard.
Ben leans forward, elbows on knees. “So, you believe the snail is your ex that you cursed?”
“Yes.”
“And you want to reverse it?”
“Yes.”
He whistles. “That’s a better story than any I’ve written this year.”
Jake says, “She’s not making it up.”
Ben holds up his hands. “Hey, I’m not here to judge. Hell, I once dated a girl who tried to hex me into veganism. Only lasted a week, but I still can’t eat sausage without feeling watched.”
I set the terrarium down gently. “We’re driving to Pittsfield. The woman who made the spell kit has been there recently. She might be able to fix this. If we can get Alex there in one piece.”
Ben grins. “So, you need the snail back, is what I’m hearing.”
I nod.
He leans back, studying us. “I don’t really care about the snail. I just wanted to see how far you’d go to get it back. But I gotta admit, I’m kind of invested now.”
Jake tilts his head. “You’ll give it back?”
Ben shrugs. “Sure. But I want in.”
“In?” I repeat.
