Shark Beast 2: Paranormal Sharkitivity Read online

  Alysia nodded, vaguely.

  "It started out, it started ... well, no sense bringing that all up," the blue girl continued. "No one's to blame really. It's just how... the point is, it's getting out of hand. And I've decided -- well, a number of us -- have decided to, if the right person came along..."

  Sinking, sinking, sinking.

  And then, far down there, Alysia saw what looked like a volcano. A small one, but a volcano nonetheless. The jagged opening bubbled and glowed, as Alysia and the blue girl-shadow hovered down into it. Alysia didn't say anything, just savored the feeling of it all. She wasn't exactly excited, she rarely was, even when she was alive. Or sort of alive. Or whatever --

  She had to admit, though -- this sure was a little more than just "something to do."

  And into the volcano they went, and down there, on a ledge that looked like the front bit of a broken rock bridge, Alysia saw a bunch of shadows, standing along the edge -- and some, over there! Hiding in a cave. She didn't recognize anyone, didn't really know if she was supposed to. And if they recognized her, they didn't seem to show it. Just stood around, looking over the ledge.

  "Almost there," the blue shadow girl cooed. "You can join them, if you want. They've got quite an adventure" -- for the first time, she seemed to stutter a bit, on the word 'adventure' -- "uhm, ahead of them. You look adventurous, like you can handle what's thrown at them. You're welcome to be part of that. Maybe even lead them." A lone giggle. "If you want."

  Down they went, slower now, until they were midway down the throat of the bubbling volcano, hovering just a few yards away from the ledge-bridge. Alysia still couldn't make out much from the shadows, although she did notice one of the figures staggering around numbly with a metal detector.

  "Lead them... or go back? I can do that?" Alysia asked, finally, with a little more hope than she knew was wise.

  "It will be painful, you'll have a lot of healing to do. There's no way around that, I'm afraid. But you will heal, if you want. And then, maybe you can put an end to all this."

  "End to all... what?"

  "You think shark beast is the end of it? Alysia, trust me, it's just the beginning. And 'worse' doesn't even start to describe what's going to happen." The blue girl's voice grew somber. "It's too late for them, and might ultimately be too late for you, but you have a chance, to put an end to it. It's up to you."

  "But what could I do? I don't know anything about ... anything, really. And surely not about sharks and monsters, and how to stop them. I'm just... nothing, really."

  "It's not a shark, and it's not a monster. It's paranormal. It's the twisted vindictive primal manifestation of a wicked, wicked mind."

  The volcano suddenly began to rumble.

  "You must decide, now," the blue girl said. "We're running out of time. I can help you no more, other than to say, if you accept, search for Stoop Carver. Stoop Carver -- that's the only clue I can give you... of course, that's considering if you live through the healing process. Which, as I say, will be quite --"

  "--painful, yes, I know," Alysia whispered. "Painful." Thinking of Britnee, for one (red) flash of an instant.

  She wanted to ask, desperate to ask: Could Britnee come with me? But, even in the middle of a hallucination, she knew the answer to that.

  So they hovered there, in the blue silence.

  ~ ~ ~

  Alysia continued to vaguely look down at the bridge-ledge. One of the shadows was carrying a surfboard, with a bite taken out of it.

  For some reason, that made Alysia smile.

  And, for no reason at all, made her go for it.

  "Sure, why not, send me back," she said, still thinking about that surfboard. "Something to do."

  Sure.

  Why not?

  Besides, she was dead, none of this meant anything, this was all a hallucination.

  Right--?

  It wasn't like anything was actually going to --

  There was another rumble, then a roar, then a great rush of bubbles -- and one of those bubbles enlarged and swallowed her up, and began to rise, rise, rise.

  The blue-girl stayed behind, waving, growing smaller as Alysia's bubble ascended.

  On the way up, something swam past, very fast. Hard to tell, but it looked like it had tentacles.

  Alysia tried to squint -- but the whatever-it-was was gone.

  The bubble continued rising, gaining speed. The blue became lighter, and the light became brighter, and -- rushing, gaining more speed, too much, maybe -- it looked like she was about to break surface.

  Her last thought was of Britnee, in the dune buggy, on the way over, and her sweet little giggle.

  Bright.

  Splash.

  -- B R I G H T --

  And, either she died, or was already dead, or she started another hallucination.

  Or something else entirely.

  But for now, her part in the trilogy of Parrot's Cove, was over.

  Tentacle TWELVE

  Seven Interesting Things

  Happened Next

  Then came the weekend -- 2 glorious days -- where no one was attacked in their cars, no mini-fridges or air conditioners were dented or destroyed, no cats mysteriously disappeared, and no horny couples, lesbian or otherwise, were dragged screaming into the surf.

  But seven other very interesting things did happen over those forty-eight hours...

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #1:

  The Arrival Of Sadie Sienna

  "She's here! She's here!"

  "Who? What?"

  "She's here! She's here!"

  "Who-wha -- do you know what time it is? It's... what! midnight!"

  "She's here! She's here!"

  "Quit saying that! Why are you telling me anyway! Go do your usual star-bum-kissing producer thing you do so well--!"

  "She's not here now. She's on her way. Eventually."

  "If she's coming ... eventually ... why are you telling me... NOW? Wake me when she gets here...!"

  So Jake the P did. Three hours later.

  "She's here! She's here!"

  "Who? What?"

  "She's here! She's here!"

  "Who-wha -- do you know what time it is? It's ... what! three o'clock in the morning!"

  "She's here! She's REALLY here! Or will be, in about five minutes!"

  "Well, wake me in five min--"

  "No! Get up now! As your Producer, I command you!"

  And so down the steps and out onto the front stoop, Jake the P wide-eyed and enthused; Mike leaning drowsily face-first against the door.

  ~ ~ ~

  It was 3:57 am, when out from the woods, a rumble. A roar. And then a growling, rowling, humping, thumping, sparking

  -- muffler.

  It was dragging in the dirt, hanging off a motorcycle, one that looked about a hundred years old, complete with side buggy. In the buggy was an Irish Terrier wearing a plastic Viking helmet. Tottering on the bike, trying awkwardly to work the kickstand...

  The Diva.

  The Trainwreck.

  The Recent (and good chance future) Fugitive from the Law.

  "Show me to my trailer, boys!" she shouted, waving a large bottle of ... something...

  ... right as she slumped into the buggy.

  The Irish Terrier didn't seem to mind. Seemed pretty used to it, actually.

  "Welcome to Showbiz, kiddo," Mike and Jake the P whispered, in sweet knowing simultaneousness. The Irish terrier's tongue hung out as the Viking helmet titled friskily. Head bobbing, as if in agreement.

  Yes, Sadie Sienna had officially arrived.

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #2:

  Sadie Sienna Throws Her First Tantrum

  The first day with the celebrity went pretty smoothly, as she slept through most of it. The bad part came when she actually regained consciousness.

  "Everyone hates me! Everyone is out to get me! EVERYONE IS MY ENEMY!"

  "Sadie, sweetheart, everybody loves you. I love you! Nobod
y wants to get anybody! It's all you, baby!"

  "And you -- quit smiling! You're out to get me most of all! I know your deal! And what kind of movie is this anyway? You're going to film me in bed? With you? I'm not falling for that again!"

  "Didn't you ever see 'Paranormal Electricity'? HUGE hit. Audiences, critics--"

  "Critics, hah! They're all out to get me, that's a known fact."

  "Hey, you're safe here. We're all cool -- it's like a beach house club--"

  "Yeah, a rockin' little beach house club... THAT'S OUT TO GET ME."

  "Sadie, sweetheart, doll, gorgeous, you got it all wrong --"

  "I'm going for a swim."

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #3:

  Sadie Sienna Goes For A Swim

  (Part 1)

  Down the stairs, leaving behind her shirt.

  Across the den, leaving her sandals. (Where'd they come from anyway? Did I sleep in them? Ahhh, who cares) Out into the patio, porch, whatever, leaving behind her jeans.

  Out into the beach.

  No idea where her panties ended up.

  ~ ~ ~

  Off: came the bra.

  (I'm wearing a bra? Where'd that come from?)

  ~ ~ ~

  Stepped one crazily painted toenail into the surf.

  "OOooOooo," she OOooOoooed.

  Still cold. She put her whole foot in.

  "OOooOooo."

  And she felt really good. For about a million-billionth of a half-instant. She turned around, in all her topless diva trainwreck splendor, and glared at the beach house. Nobody better be watching me...

  Her mind shifted. Tilted. Almost blanked. Sparkled. (Wheeee!) Pouted for a moment. And instantly forgot what she was out here for.

  "OOooOooo," she OOooOoooed.

  Then: out into the water.

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #3:

  Sadie Sienna Goes For A Swim

  (Part 2)

  And then:

  Something grabbed her foot.

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #3:

  Sadie Sienna Goes For A Swim

  (Part 3)

  She screamed.

  She splashed. Out came Jake the P.

  (he had been watching, bastard)

  "Something's got me! It's biting -- eating me!"

  "I'm coming, sweetheart!" He was halfway to his hips in water when he had a bit of a jolt. Something's biting--? eating--?

  "HEEEEELLLLP MEEEEE!"

  "Oh, right -- coming, sweetheart! I'm--" Splash! he grabbed her -- or tried to; she was waving her hands uncontrollably, smacking him in the head, face-- "Sweetness, please, I'm here to -- ouch! -- Please, careful! I'll get -- wuuuf! -- you --!"

  "HELLLLP--!"

  "I'm -- UHHH! -- tryyyy-ing--!"

  ~ ~ ~

  It took awhile, but he finally dragged her out of the water onto the beach.

  "HELP-help-HELP--!"

  "-- UHHH! -- You're -- OOoof! -- saved! You can stop -- Uhh! -- hitting me now-- anytime, really would be, y'know -- uhhn!--"

  She flopped on top of him, distracting him with her large--

  "You idiot! It's STILL ON ME! I CAN FEEL IT! MY FOOT!--"

  Terrified, Jake the P looked down, expecting to see whatever a hideous hungry, hungry shark beast looked like --

  "IT'S GOING TO EAT US BOTH YOU MORON-JERK!"

  He gave her a shake -- (mmm, boobs! Nice!) -- Then grabbed her head and --

  "No! DON'T! I don't want to SEE IT--"

  "Look, it's gone. It's off--!"

  Finally -- more face and head slaps -- she looked down.

  A very annoyed blue-shell crab was skittering in dizzy circles, searching for the water's edge.

  "Ewwww," she said.

  "See?" Jake the Producer, smiling mightily. "All gone. I saved you."

  She looked up at him.

  "Whatever," she said.

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #4:

  Sadie Sienna Rewards Jake The Producer

  With Surprisingly Loud Sex

  Next To Mike's Office

  "Oh, Jake the P!"

  "Oh, hot hot famous you!"

  And so on.

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #5:

  Mike and Katherina Attempt To

  Get Away From All The

  Surprisingly Loud Sex

  Coming From The Next Room

  Mike and Katherina bailed from the too-loud sex fest and went out looking for background atmosphere (or anything, really) to film, when they came across something Mike hadn't thought really existed.

  The so-called Island of Rock.

  Mike started to explain what that was, or supposedly was, but Katherina already knew, being the only person connected to the film who'd actually read the research. She knew it was, among other things, the place where two of the bookstore workers had supposedly tried to swim to, to escape the wild shark beast.

  Did they make it?

  There were rumors.

  There were "seance eyewitnesses."

  There were even political conspiracies.

  But no one was sure.

  The two co-workers were never seen again.

  "So it's real, then?" said Katherina, staring out at the little island of rocks out in the rolling moonshadows.

  "Well, the Island of Rock part, anyway," Mike said. "As in, there's an island, and it's made out of rocks."

  "You going to film it?"

  "I'm going to film it."

  And he did. From the beach, of course. Mike might not believe in shark beasts, but he sure enough believed in regular sharks. And the hundred other biting and stinging things that liked to sneak around underwater -- especially at night.

  So he filmed it. From the beach. Got a lot of good shots.

  Might be good as credits roll, and the "The End" would roll up with a big "?"...

  He filmed some more. She helped.

  He filmed more than he normally would have, because she was helping. He liked her helping.

  Finally, they were done.

  Just standing there, looking out into the night.

  At the Island Of Rock.

  ~ ~ ~

  "What do you think happened out there, a year or so ago?" asked Katherina, in a vague whisper.

  Mike just shrugged.

  "Romantic, in a way, if what was in that book was true," she said, in a different kind of vague whisper. "You know, the book never said what happened. You know, to the two bookstore kids who went swimming out to the Island Of Rock. To escape the shark-thing. Supposedly. The book didn't say for sure that they got, you know... you know."

  They stood there, quietly, looking out there.

  "I kind of like to imagine they survived, you know?" Again, vague whispers, all kinds now. "Like they made it to the rocks, and -- I don't know, maybe one of them got attacked -- the guy, probably, he was carrying her through the surf to get to the rocks. Anyway, the shark-thing gets his leg, he screams, but he loves the girl so much, he can't fall down, won't fall down into the crashing waves. He keeps going, through the water, the pain, focusing on that Island Of Rock, determined to put his girl on there, to safety. And he gets there. It hurts, and he's bleeding, and it's impossible, but he gets there. He crawls up onto the rocks, his girl tight in his arms. He's bleeding, they're both cold, the shark-creature is swimming, waiting for them to slip back into the cold blue -- but they don't. They sit there, shivering, in the night, waiting for the creature to go away. They wait hours, days, even maybe. But the guy, he sits there, holding her, protecting her, on the Island Of Rock."

  A vague silence.

  "That's what I like to think happened," Katherina sighed wistfully.

  The water ebbed gently around their toes.

  "That," Katherina whispered, almost inaudibly, "then they run off, get married, and honeymoon incognito in the Bahamas."

  Then, totally inaudible now, merely mouthing the words:

  "That's what I like to thin
k happened."

  They stood there, quietly, looking out there.

  ~ ~ ~

  The water ebbed and splashed, around their toes, their ankles...

  ~ ~ ~

  "You know what we should do...?" (Katherina)

  "Now, now..."

  "C'mon. We should. It would be like a tribute. To the two co-workers." (Katherina, giving him the kitten eyes)

  "I think exploiting their mysterious unexplained disappearance for crude financial gain is tribute enough."

  "C'mmmon. We owe it to them." (Katherina, BIG kitten eyes)

  "You'd have to get me so drunk to get me to go out there."

  "Well, we should be getting drunk whether we go out there or not." (Kathering, all kitten now)

  (Mike looked at her)

  (She looked back)

  Purrr.

  ~ ~ ~

  "Well, let's do the getting drunk part, at least."

  They did the "drunk" part.

  They sat there in the moonlight.

  ~ ~ ~

  Katherina got those kitten eyes going again.

  "You know what we should do now...?"

  Looking out at the Island of Rock.

  "Oooooooh, no."

  "Oooooooh, yes."

  "Oooooooh, no."

  "Oooooooh, yes."

  "Ooooooohhh--"

  She sat there, just being a pretty girl.

  "--kay," he sighed.

  ~ ~ ~

  And they waded out, very drunkenly, into the waters.

  Toward the Island of Rock.

  Tentacle THIRTEEN

  Interesting Thing #6:

  They made it.

  They climbed onto the Island of Rock, and looked around.

  Sure was pretty.

  Mike looked at Katherina.

  She sure was pretty, too.

  Katherina just sat there, with a smile on her pretty lips, and naughty thoughts in her pretty mind.

  She leaned toward him.

  ~ ~ ~

  "I don't think we should do this."

  "Oh, c'mon. It'll be fun."

  ~ ~ ~

  They did it.

  It was.

  Tentacle FOURTEEN

  Trainwrecked

  And, last but not least ...

  ~ ~ ~

  Interesting Thing #7: