Monday Monotany Madness: "Well I'll Be"

"Well I'll Be"

Officer Williams stared at the puddle of goo that glowed a dull yellow in the fading light. Farmers in the area had been reporting strange behavior among their animals. Even Williams' dog, a lazy old golden retriever had seemed a little skittish the last couple days.

He saw the glow of the puddle as he drove by on the way to the station. He had been called out on account of the Davis boy who had been caught peeping in young Cindy Barstow's window. He almost missed the glow, and so stopped about 20 yards down the road.

The glowing goo quivered a little, yet there was no wind, and nothing coming down the road that might cause the shake. He picked up a thin stick and squatted down to poke it. The stick sank to its center. When Williams tried to pull it out, it stuck. He yanked harder and the stick broke, which caused him to lose his balance and fall on his rear.

The puddle changed color from yellow to red and sucked the rest of the stick in with a soft slurp. After a moment the stick disappeared, having been dissolved. A butterfly drifted over off of a nearby wildflower. As it passed over the goo a club-like shape shot out and struck the insect. The butterfly, stunned by the blow and caught in its stick grasp was pulled into the center where it too dissolved.

"Well I'll be," said the officer.