Alan and Abby present Creature themed stories for you this week! Featuring works with monsters similar to the Creature From the Black Lagoon. Stories by Hector Carlo of the Re: Shoot Movie Podcast, Matt O'Brien and Lily Cedarbaum.
lunaticsproject.com
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Listen to the paranormal playlist I curate for Vurbl, updated weekly! Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep.
Alan and Abby present Creature themed stories for you this week! Featuring works with monsters similar to the Creature From the Black Lagoon. Stories by Hector Carlo of the Re: Shoot Movie Podcast, Matt O'Brien and Lily Cedarbaum.
lunaticsproject.com
Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Listen to the paranormal playlist I curate for Vurbl, updated weekly! Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep.
Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the lunatic radio hour podcast. I'm Abby, Brer sitting here with Alan Codan. Hello. And today we present to you creature stories. What. Does that mean? Well, I'll tell you last week, we did an episode all about the history and the mythology behind the film franchise, the creature from the black lagoon, which. We like. Which we like, even though we were kind of harsh last week, we love the creature. We hate the way he was treated. Well, I listen, I've, I've sat with this for a week now for. A week. Yes. And I wanna revise my opinion. Okay. Creature is once again, the greatest thing ever. I agree. It's just, he's so fun. And I like, you. Were just fussy last week. I just, you know what the thing is? I like the idea of him more than the execution. I like the execution. I like the idea of him. I don't like the way that he's treated, which makes the films hard to watch and not entertaining. Well, I like the idea of him. Okay. So. We. Disagree by stepping away for a week. It just gets better because you just remember with rose taking classes. That's that's right. Very good. So of course, today, as always in our lunatic library, follow up to our deep dive themes, we are presenting to you stories about creature amphibian type monsters. I think this is gonna be a very fun LUN library. I. Agree. Now we, during the deep dive, we realized that the creature was, is so steeped in established mythology, but the idea of an amphibious monster is just so accessible. You know, it's not like, ah, you're ripping off the creature. It's like, no, this is just a trope that you can already imagine. Sure. So, uh, the, I, I think, but the first story specifically mm-hmm.<Affirmative>. Is one that I believe is tied more to mythology. So to kick things off, we have someone whose paranormal stories have been featured on the podcast before, but not their fiction writing. Oh. Yes. So the first story was submitted to us by Hector Carlo of the reshoot movie podcast. Hector was born and raised in Puerto Rico for the early years of his life. And he was writing to me when he sent this in about how they have bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico. Oh. And one of them is open to the general public. Oh, I've I've experienced this. It's really beautiful. Yes. And so that's sort of like the scene setting for, for the story that we're about to experience and Brio. The name of his story actually means glow in Spanish just to kind of set that up. Oh. But the re-shoot movie podcast is super cool. They sort of go through different movies and just talk about what they would do to, if they remade them, like what elements they would change. So it's kind of a fun, different format. Oh. Like if they were to remake the movie, how would they go about it? Yeah. Like what would they take out and change about it? That's cool. Like what they liked or didn't like, but kind of in the, through the lens of filmmaking. So. It's like when we just lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how we wish we'd done things differently. That's but that's exactly right. But in movie form, that's correct. Yes. I should also say that Hector agreed to record this story for us, which was really special. So without further ado, we're gonna let Hector take it away. Roll the tape. Real ring and red. My Carlo. The air feels thick enough to swim in. It leaves you the shirt Dred with enough sweat to keep you tethered to the ground a week ago, you could sleep with just a fan running, but now the humidity's so strong that you feel yourself melting into the darkest hours. The landlord said the air conditioner will get repaired in a week at most. After saying that he ignored your questions about what the last month. If any of your online friends asked you to describe this heat, you only need one word hell. For the first time in years, you were looking forward to work. The usual clamor of the super Macado would annoy you. Nothing says dead end job, like having tourists, try to impress their loved ones. By asking the cashier for directions to the Bara in the most broken Spanish today was different though. Today was a double shift, meaning you had cold air inside while the sun would shine. It's scorching radiance to everyone else. As soon as the bus, door's open, you walk briskly to the store. And when you step onto the parking lot, there's never been a stronger urge to fight than the urge to run inside. The electronic door is silently open. When you get near and you close your eyes, waiting for winter to hug like a boiler, you feel no air conditioning, just the same humidity is outside the memory of overhearing your manager. Tell his boss that they needed to cut back on air conditioning Springs into mind you clock in with the heavy side. People say, you can choose how your day's gonna be. Those people don't have to be trapped in the cement oven and it's lunch. And you eat a sandwich. You kept in the fridge, enjoying the coolness of the ham. Your coworker, Miguel sits down a foot away. His black neck length hair is slick and flat. Not its usual bounciness. The two of you wordlessly eat together. You're about to go stand up to stock items. When he looks at you the same exhaustions in his eyes, but also some warmth. You wanna ride home tonight. You're gonna be miserable waiting for the bus. He says, you open your mouth, but before he can protest, he interjects, I'm not gonna let you back out of this. He lets out trouble before continuing you get out the same time as me. You sign nod. Knowing deep down the bus will probably be late. Again. The rest of your shift is uneventful. At one point, a customer goes up to you and asks don't Parra. A smile crosses your lips that you hope looks genuine enough as the same directions, exit your lips for the, is it the sixth time today? She nods with a grateful EJA and we out to the grateful ation and leaves to the cash. Registered to get her groceries. It's 10:00 PM. When you clock out, you're upside Miguel's car waiting for him to finish. Closing the store year is not as thick. Now that it's been dark out for many hours, a small Mirage of Miguel gets bigger as he runs to the 99 accord. And he unlocks it right as he gets to the door, you step in and as soon as the car's on you immediately turn the knob for the air to come out. Nothing. Miguel gives an apologetic grin. As he opens all the windows halfway, it's still broken. He mutters quietly I'll have enough saved a month of nothing else happens to this piece of shit. You nod trying to hide the disappointment in your eyes. Miguel pulls out the parking lot and it's quiet. He's leaning back and talking about the date he has planned for his partner. You're barely paying attention. Something you'll apologize. For later, as the cool breeze flows across your face. Soon, the wind slows down. You open your eyes. Ag grown escapes your lips. As you see all the cars, leaving the parka, deciding to clog up the road, red fills your vision and it feels hotter than anything else. Today. You look at Miguel to the point of Exodus that's causing this annoyance. Let's just park there while shit calms down. You say the calm you try to muster is betrayed by your tone. We Miguel looks at the destination with ice. Widening, trying to understand if you're saying what he thinks. You're saying, you look ahead saying it still is a statue until he parks the car right in front of the sand. The park is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island, a special bay. And it's obvious why at night you walk along the water's eggs with your bare feet and a Azure glow follows close behind you. Haven't been here in years. You dunk your head into the water and stand back up a light haze covers your head. As you feel refreshed for the first time and weeks, you smile and turn back to face. Miguel, who's sitting there mouth. The gap will a chuckle. You face away from him and dive in. You embrace the quiet around you. The water has that chill. Like when you exhale after sippy and cold drink, your eyes are closed. Embracing that personal void, a pain hits your lungs and you realize you're running out of air. So you kick your feet in surface. Miguel's yelling at you from behind something about going back to the car. It doesn't matter. And he won't get it. Anyway. His home has all the nice air. You went through the depths. Again, his voice is fading into a memory. You start to remember the last time you were here. It was years ago. It was you Miguel and Lu. Everyone was drunk and decided to go for a swim. The light was shining up to your faces, which was fun. As long as you guys were on the surface, Louis saw something in the water and tried to point it out to you. You laughed it off and told him to go pick it up. If there really was something you would come to regret those words. The next thing you remember is that you didn't think Louis could hold his breath that long you and Miguel start to look for him. But the lights, salt sting, your eyes, the breath is stuck in your throat. Two days later, his body was found arm out, stretched. According to the divers. That's when your caught breath turns into a sob. This memory's giving a, a headache. You want a different feeling. You open your eyes. Why the hell not? But sadly doesn't sting. Wait, what the hell? An air bubble escapes near surprise. You look around at the Brio around you. It swirls and patterns across your eyes. It's a peaceful, Persian color. As you swim around with it, the chill grows. Still pattern the heat. You start to surface when the light spirals around the helix dives under you and starts to is, is that Louise he's different. Now his skin is a pale Sapphire and the base. You're both floating on his long blue hair, floats in all directions, shining bright. He points to something unseen, Becks you to follow him with a wave, stealing yourself, head in the daze. You start to follow him. The brightness is growing along with the cold. You wanna turn back, but you're not going to lose this second chance. The chill is unsettling, but you push through it for Louis. The cascade of iridescence flows all around your depraved senses. Everything is crystal clear to you. As you follow Luis, as your vision gets bright and starts to fade, you release more of your breath, the bubbles glow, as they emerge, arms outstretched, you reach out towards the glowing figure. The last thing you feel as the Brio and Philips you is the feeling of ice. So what'd you think? I mean, I loved hearing kind of a story from Hector's perspective and the bio and just the heat of the summer and the air, like it all just, I think he did a great job at like evoking, the physical visceral feelings of the scenes that he wrote. About. It's almost like he's been there.<laugh> it brought back memories of, uh, swimming off the coast of Puerto Rico in the middle of the night. You did. That. I did do that. I was, I was on a film shoot that was working crazy, crazy hours. So like, you know, we are working before the sun comes up and we weren't done until after the sun goes down. Yeah. So we never got to actually enjoy the space. Mm. Until, until it was like midnight, midnight. Right, right. And first off the ocean at night is, can be a very terrifying thing. <laugh> uh, and, but it, it takes on this magical quality. Yeah. When everything is dark, you see the stars above you, but then like the ocean is glowing. Mm-hmm <affirmative> it feels very surreal and supernatural. Yeah. I went to Puerto Rico last year and I'm bummed that I missed the bioluminescent beaches that would've been so beautiful and stunning, but Puerto Rico itself is just such a beautiful, awesome place. And I'm again, loved kind of Hector's description of it. I'm just glad that I didn't encounter Hector's fish monster friend.<Laugh> yeah, totally. They're lurking beneath the surface. Everyone. Please remember to check out the re-shoot podcast and thank you again, Hector so much for not only for, not only submitting a story, but also recording it for us. Okay. So next up mm-hmm <affirmative> we have a pretty special story. Mm-hmm <affirmative> this, this is one. Are you saying that? Cuz you're gonna read it. Yeah. Uhhuh. I mean, no, that's not why Uhhuh? Uh, I it's special because this is written by a very long time friend of the pod. Long friend of the pod. Matt O'Brien. Our wifi password is named after him. Don't tell people that. Well, there's a, they won't guess the password based. Off of. I wanted to no take you can't leave that in. I they're not gonna get close enough to our network. I'm not worried. About it. That I bank on that network. I'm I'm not worried about it. I'm gonna leave it in. You gotta delete. It. Nope. I'll delete this take right now. No, you won't. No, you won't fine. I'll take it. Out. Thank you.<Laugh>. Okay. So this next one is very special written by a long time friend of the pod and friend of ours, someone that even, uh, he was instrumental in the last Lunix movie that we shot. The one, the only Matt O'Brien and we are about to hear his rendition of a fish monster story. I've I've never read this before. Uh, so this is gonna be just a blind read. I here, here goes nothing. Here we go. Let's do it. Red moved red by, by. Hi I'm di host of the history of the Germans podcast. What is the history of the Germans? It's a mess, a complex surprising, but never a boring mess. We start early in the year, nine 19 so that we can get as many of the twists and turns in as possible. Episodes are 20 to 30 minutes. Come out on Thursday morning and contain at least one lame German joke. Each right now we're talking about Frederick Barbara Rossa, a man of infinite resource and Sega. Every time he gets beat, he gets up again until finally blow, blow, blow, check out the history of the Germans on your favorite podcast app.
So after 9:00 PM, I better not hear at peep. His father threatened the young boy could only respond with a slight nod. As he felt a shiver come over him. His father turned away closing the door behind him. Aside from the faint Moonlight outside, Josh was in darkness. He pulled the patchwork blanket up. It was another cold night and there was a draft coming in. He didn't dare complain. The last time he did his father made sure he couldn't sit comfortably on solid surfaces for a week. His father did not like having to deal with little annoyances, especially when his shows were on the popping of a beer can being opened, could be heard from the other room. Josh turned over, rolling himself into a ball to try and get warm. In his six years of life. Josh had never known anyone aside from his father. He was somehow able to recognize this was not natural. There was a distance that Josh felt, but lack the vocabulary to express words like neglect abuse. Abandonment had no meaning for him yet. He understood the feelings behind them. He was an incredibly intelligent boy, despite no official lessons or care by his father for education. Josh picked up language and even reading quite well. That being said, there wasn't much to read in their two bedroom shack. Aside from old fishing magazines, there was one lesson. However that his father did impart, never venture out of the woods and never approached the lake. There are monsters out there. They're the ones that killed your mother and will kill you too. Josh. Wasn't sure if he believed this, but the threat of his father's breath was enough to keep him away though. There was a question that Josh pondered, if this was a lie, what was the real reason behind this rule? Josh's whole world was the surrounding forest in the interior of the shack. He wasn't allowed anywhere else. Even when his father ventured out for groceries, he would lock Josh in his room. The fear of the lake was real though. At some point, his father must have spent some time there in the corner of the shack was a collection of fishing rods that had collected dust over the years, Josh didn't believe he saw his father pick them up once in his room, Josh contemplated his surroundings, a dresser filled with old hand, me downs and old stain Teddy bear laying on top it's single button, eye staring back at him. Most nights were like this, him alone in his room, laying awake for hours until he'd hear his father begin to snore the sounds of the TV. Still playing, looking out the window. He could see it was a clear night and the full moon was shining. He paused a realization dawned on Josh. It was red. The moon was red. He had never seen it like this before. It was incredible. He slowly and quietly got out of his bed and peered out the window. The trees were obscuring the moon, but it was no doubt. Red, not a trick of the eye. Josh wanted to see it all had to see it. All. He heard a snore on the other side of the door now would be the best time to sneak out, looking at the window. He considered the screws that kept the pains secured from being opened. He would have to go out the front door, putting on a pair of pants. Josh approached the door to his room, carefully opening it. He saw his father surrounded by empty beer cans, loudly snoring with some black and white sitcom playing on the TV. He tiptoed to the front of the door, slipping on a pair of shoes. Josh hesitated for a moment. He was about to directly disobey his father, which could probably result in a lot of pain, but he had to go out something about the moon was calling to him. There was a small hanging mirror by the front door where he could see himself. We don't even look alike. And with that disobedient thought, Josh stepped outside. Despite being cold moments before something about this little adventure had invigorated Josh. He saw the bits of the moon shining through the tree that direction. Having explored much of the forest during the day, he knew his way around and could easily find his way at night while any other six year old out in the forest alone, maybe terrified Josh had absolutely no fear of the dark. Even as a small possum nearby ran through a nearby Bush. Josh merely acknowledged it. It all seemed natural. He felt no threat. His hand touched a bright red string. The marker his father made signaling where Josh was supposed to stop. It went up to his waist and height and seemed to go a full circle around the perimeter of the shack. Josh ducked underneath it, his back catching and pulling firmly on the string. Josh stood up SI relief. He'd never been this far. He smiled and began to run in the direction of the moon. Back in the shed. The pole string brought alive a series of bells that shook Josh's father awake. The tree line began to thin out and the moon was seemingly becoming more and more clear. Josh slowly broke into a run, his heart pounding and excitement. There was something primordial about it. Piercing the forest line. He looked out the full red moon in the clear sky, unobstructed by the trees. It was beautiful and huge on the horizon. It's reflection, dancing on the water surface. Josh suddenly realized he was looking out at the lake. The water looked almost like glass. It was so calming and peaceful. How could anything dangerous live there? As he walked towards the water's edge, he began to hear a sound. It was harmonizing, squinting his eyes. He could see shapes sticking outta the water. At first it looked like only three, but then more started to pop up 10 20, 30. The sound continued to grow louder. As more shapes continued to appear on the water surface. It was beautiful. What the hell do you think you're doing? Josh turned around to see his father standing there, rifle and flashlight in hand furious. The alcohol on his breath filled the air. Josh, what the hell were you thinking? Josh felt the hard slap of his father's call's hand. Are you really? That's fucking stupid. I'm sorry. Josh sobbed. This was the first time he felt such fear tonight. Something in his father's eyes made him think he might actually be killed unseen by either of them. The shapes in the water all turned to face the commotion on the water's edge. The shapes all had eyes. Josh's father smacked him again, grabbing his shoulders. He shook Josh you on grateful little bastard. You had no idea what I had to go through. I'm sorry. Cried Josh. Oh, you'll be sorry. By the time I'm done with you through his tears, Josh realized the harmonizing had stopped and then he looked around, there were shapes surrounding him and his father. No, no, no, no. His father's voice oozed with fear. He reached for his rifle, but before he could aim it, he was restrained by the figures. He screamed as he was slowly being dragged into the water. Josh was picked up by a single figure and carried towards the water as well. He looked up at the figure. It was covered in rainbow scales with ink black eyes where its ears should be. Where fins along its neck were gills. Its hands were graced by long claws and its body was slender, but muscular. It was a human fish. Josh's father continued to struggle and yell right up until he disappeared under the water surface. Josh soon followed having a momentary panic. As he held his breath submerged beneath the water. Josh was held in the arms of the figure he watched as his father continued to struggle restrained by three of the figures, air bubbles began to escape his father's mouth. As he thrashed helplessly and slowly became still dead and lifeless. Josh watched in horror and realized he was about to suffocate as well. He struggled to break free holding in his breath. The figure reached its clause to Josh's mouth and forced it open a rush of water entered Josh's throat. They were gonna kill him too, but death didn't come in fact, quite the opposite. He could breathe under water that fish human hybrid knowingly let go of Josh. Despite never being in such a large body of water, he was surprisingly comfortable. It felt natural. Looking down at his hands. He realized that his skin had been transformed into rainbow scales and he now had claws at the end of his hands. What was going on? The figure that had held Josh underwater was joined by another more slender fish human creature. There was a complex emotion on his face. Was it sadness? Happiness relief. Josh didn't understand the three of them stared at each other. Josh was struck with a realization, an instinct that shook him to his very core. He swam towards the two of them and they all embraced each other for the first time in his life. Josh experienced a warmth and comfort from another being's embrace. He was home. He began to sub behind them. Josh's adopted father's lifeless body was torn apart and fed on by the rest of the fish creatures. The blood moon had risen and they needed their meat. Amazing. Very proud of Matt. O'Brien on that story. That was so good. What a good story. And we have two nighttime creature stories, which I think is interesting. That's true. We got these lunar lunar fish creatures. Lunar amphibian stories. Yeah. That was a fun one. Yeah. Thank you so much, Matt. That was lovely. I love a blood moon story. You know me? I mean, I'm always a fan of Matt O'Brien's writing mm-hmm <affirmative> I wish. Oh yes. I wish he did more of it. I agree. Uh, he just like turned this out so quickly and it's so well written. It was like, Hey man, we got, you gotta write a fish monster story. You have. To. And he's like, huh. And then we explained a little further <laugh> and then he did. And it's so good. Yeah, it was so great. And we gave him a very unrealistic timeline. Well, well done. Uh, Matt's just one of those creative types that it, if you just, you just gotta push, set him at a task, do the thing and he is gonna do great. You. Saying he needs direction. It, uh, I feel like this is a common thing about among so many creatives where they've got all these ideas stewing and they can just like whip out these amazing, this amazing world building, right? Yeah. But we just do it, you know, I'm guilty of this myself. I rarely write. Yeah. You're very guilty. Of it. But I have all these ideas doing. You. Have great ideas. But you know this, let this story be a Testament that all it takes is someone saying, Hey Matt, write a fish monster story. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and that's all it takes to whip out a cool fish monster story. Next time you like have this a great idea and you're dragging your feet writing it. I'm just gonna look at you and say blood moon and you'll know what it means. I'll forget by then.<Laugh> so speaking of Matt, writing this story for us, that's not all. No, it's not. Matt's partner Lily. We're also a big fan of Lilly. Longtime friend of the pod also wrote a bonus unexpected, amazing story for us as. Well. What a twist it's like when you cast that lure, I, instead of one fish, you get two. I was gonna make some sort of like present analogy. So yours was better because it was fish themed. Like, like past present? No, like when you open a present and instead of one book it's two. Oh yeah. Okay. Like bonus it's just like bonus book like that. Yeah. Two. Two books. Yours was better. Lilly has been instrumental in luks project for, uh, a very long time. Yeah. She helped with lots of film. She's been part of the podcast before exquisite corpse episodes. Great salsa dancer. Oh my God. She goes above and beyond to help us out every time when we need her. So, and this story was fully unexpected and, and. It's the headliner it's. Here. Yeah, exactly. Welcome to the headlining story. Here goes nothing. Here. We go. The Cedar ball. This is Dr. X HZO I'm broadcasting in the hopes of reaching an audience with an interest in my field of study. Through my years of research, I have scoured the globe in search of the unordinary and uncanny. Some of you may call those fines, myths, folk law, or even urban legends, but I can assure you, they are nothing of the sort new episodes every Friday, listen to fear frequency, wherever you get your podcasts for more info, go to historic media.com. Tap, tap. Susan felt the slight reverberation in her left point. Her finger, as she attempted to catch the attention of two sleeping Chihuahua puppies at the pet store around the corner from her office, she almost immediately regretted this decision. When both woke up with sudden ferocity and started dipping menacingly in her direction. I deserved that Susan whispered to herself making her exit towards the next aisle. Susan typically would go to the Chinese buffet across the street from her job for lunch. When she needed to eat her feelings, a pretty regular occurrence. But now she was officially engaged and dieting had started. She decided to replace her egg roll edition with a calorie free one. She had been to this new pet store twice so far and had only cried about a missing report from finance once. So it was a pretty promising new outlet still though. She tried to get even an ounce of love or attention from any of the dogs or cats up for adoption. No one would give her the time of day. Maybe she was too desperate or awkward puppies would growl. Cats would hiss. Susan even saw a turtle fold into its shell at the sight of her. I must just be too thirsty. Susan thought, as she glanced at her phone for the time while walking down the fish aisle. If you're thirsty, maybe think about a pet who likes to get wet. A low charming voice crawled across Susan's brain. She looked around to see what speakers were delivering this announcement and then realized she had her noise canceling headphones on geez. Podcast commercials are getting good at targeting these days. She thought to herself. What's a podcast. The low voice and toned. And this time Susan was sure the sound was coming from inside her head. She started sweating and put her forehead on the nearest fish tank to cool it, all the fish scattered, but one a tiny brightly colored goldfish. Its right. Fin seemed to wave in her direction. What the hell is this? She closed her eyes and tried to center herself. Closing your eyes. Won't make me any less real. The voice like butter melted over her mind and cajoled her lids upward. There. That's better. Your eyes are beautiful. Aqua like the home of my ancestors. Susan couldn't help, but blush. Am I really speaking with you there in the tank? Yes. Yes you are. The name is Simon. Simon did a little loop to loop as if, to prove his identity. No point in being coy about it. Would you mind taking me home with you this afternoon forward? I know, but I think they're gonna kill me tomorrow. If no one Oh my God. That's terrible. Susan had never even considered the idea of adopting a fish as a pet, but at least Simon hadn't his or barked or hidden from her yet. Plus it would be nice to have a new friend to talk to as if in response to her thoughts. She heard the buttery voice reply. I agree. I think we'll get along nicely. Then it was settled. Susan gestured for the nearest employee to help transfer Simon into a little bucket decaled with ocean rocks and starfish on the to check out along with a classic round fishbowl, a bag of pink rocks and some plastic starfish for decoration late back from her lunch break. She quickly set Simon to the side of her cubicle and started signing in for the afternoon. End of quarter deadline was this Friday and she was way behind on her sales quota. Hello, Ms. O'Brien. Do you believe in miracles in one minute? I can prove to you that they exist. Oh yes. I believe in Jesus, Mrs. O'Brien hollered back awkward. Oh, well good. Then if you already believe in miracles, then you'll have no trouble believing in the power of our new miracle weight loss drug. PRAL dear, I pray for you. The line went dead. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Susan thought to herself. She was never going to make the cut here and she was going to lose her job. If it continued like this. If they're going to fire you, then maybe you should just quit. Simon suggested nonchalantly from his bowl. I can't quit. I'm saving up for a wedding. Even a moment's thought about the cost of the venue. She had looked at over the week and sent her into a cold sweat. Yeah, but you're obviously not good at this. And you'll only find out what you are good at. If you go out and search for it. Simon, wasn't wrong. She'd been the lowest salesman for the last three months since she started and despite trainings to help her improve, there had been no change. The only problem is that she had no idea what else she could be good at. Knock knock her manager, Bob Robertson, all of a sudden was leaning almost suggestively onto the edge of her cubicle. Caresing the top of its walls. Like it was a living breathing thing. Have a moment to chit chat Suze. She hated that nickname. Sure thing, Mr. Robertson, please call me Bobby. He swooped in and perched his rather roun bottom on the desk beside her with almost complete disregard for her purse or Simon. Um, this guy is an obese hassle asshole. Simon bemused. As Susie tried to focus on the words coming out of her boss's mouth. As she faced him at almost crotch level SU you're really going to have to pick up the pace. You may be used to leaning on your looks in the outside world, but with phone calls that just doesn't translate. Believe me. I had to learn that myself the hard way. When I first started here, Susan could barely hear the words coming out of her. Boss's mouth due to the loud belly laughs emanating from inside her head. This man has never had books. Simon struggled out between bouts of laughter. Shut up. Susan responded. All of a sudden Mr. Robertson looked taken aback. Had she said that out loud, you cannot speak to your superior that way. Ms. Allen, I came here to help you and you throw my help away. You know what? Mr. Robertson leaned in towards her has read sweaty face shaking so much that little droplets landed on Susan's pencil. Skirt. I was going to give you a chance to make up numbers by the end of the week. But my patience has officially run out. You're fired. Get your things. I'll escort you out and we'll send you your last paycheck via mail tears blurring her vision. Susan hiked her purse as high as possible on her shoulder grabbed Simon's bucket handle and the additional bag of purchases from lunch and hu down the aisle of cubicles to the elevator coworkers GED. But no one said anything. At least to her, it could have been just her imagination, but she thought she heard a couple of Snickers. Susan drove her Toyota Camry home very slowly, accounting, both for her tier impaired vision and Simon's bucket precariously balanced in the front passenger seat. It didn't seem like you were good at that job. Anyways, I was looking at your desk bulletin. Is it true? You delivered the lowest numbers on the team for the last three months. I was going to get better. I was stressed because of wedding planning. Oh, you're getting married. What's his deal. How did you meet. Simon was frankly showing more interest in her than anyone had in a while. And so Susan welcomed the distracting questions. His name is mark. He's an accountant. We met in college and I've been together now for seven years. He's a big golfer. So about two months ago, he took me on a put, put golf date. And in the final hole, there was a ring box. I'm not really a golf fan, but it was sweet in its own way. You'll meet him tonight. After work, Susan pulled into the driveway and was surprised to see Mark's car already there. She immediately started to panic realizing that she would have to explain her firing to him sooner than expected. Hoping not to give away her arrival just yet. Susan quietly entered the front door of their home, placing Simon's bucket by the key bowl in a collection of family photos, Simon gestured to a photo of her mark at a golf course where she had suffered a bad sunburn and he was kind of distracted by the next hole, but she had been able to get him to pose for a few seconds. Despite his question, mark posture and slanted Grimes, it was the best couple photo they had. Is this guy. Mark is he unwell. Simon swam up to get a closer look at the photo. It was a hot day. Susan turned the photo away from Simon's disapproving eyes and began to head into the downstairs bathroom to clean up her mascara allowed crash from above stop turn her tracks years with living with mark taught Susan that when it came to messes, it was better just for her to clean them up rather than let mark get frustrated and upset she side and grabbed the dust pan on her way upstairs turning the doorknob to the bedroom without even stopping to think why it was closed. She started to announce her entrance. Hi honey I'm and that's when she saw mark naked in bed with Patrice from the office beside him, the bedside lamp shattered on the floor. Broken pieces of lamp were mixed up with a pair of underwear that were most certainly not Susan's. I should have known. Susan said aloud as the broom and dustpan fell out of her hands. Patrice was always well under par. Susan only knew how to drive a golf cart, all just call a cap, Patrice slid out of bed and snaked around in almost catatonic. Susan mark begrudgingly sat up in bed and gestured Susan to come sit by him, mark cleared his throat and placed his hands over his still somewhat present erection. You know, this was bound to happen, sweetie. Actually, I'm glad it's finally out in the open. Susan remains still. We've been trucking away the last seven years, but sometimes I feel like we're playing on different courses like I'm at pebble beach and you're still putting around and Patrice. Well she's a whole in one. Susan started sobbing uncontrollably despite knowing this was one of Mark's biggest pet peeves about her visibly disgusted. Mark slipped out of the opposite side of the bed towards the bathroom, by the bathroom door. He turned one final time. Why don't you take the next few days to go spend some time with your parents. I can box up your stuff and have it ready for pickup by Monday. And you can keep the ring as my gift to you. And with that, he closed the door and within seconds, Susan heard the shower water running. 20 minutes later, Susan and Simon were driving the scenic route between her parents' house in the local lakes public beach line. Susan had always found the water calming and she needed some peace. Now more than ever, she pulled her car to the side of the road and carried Simon over to her favorite bench. It was still midday, not a soul was out and about. The two of them were alone. The water looks nice. Do you think we could go swimming? I'd love to show you a bit of my world. Simon smoothly whispered to Susan his voice reverberating like a well tuned guitar within her. If I go in with you, I might catch a cold or even drown. I'm a terrible swimmer. At this point, Susan felt fine. Speaking out loud into the world. No new shame could outcompete the terrors that had already occurred today. It. Wouldn't be so bad. You have no use in this world, but where I take you, you have a value. You wouldn't be alone. Alone. Susan echoed her tears slowing as Simon's caramel voice wrapped its arms around her. She almost felt his voice caress. Her fingertips. Come with me. You're no good here. You saved me. Now, let me save you. With these soft words. She felt him lift her body up the decorated bucket, still in her grip. She slipped off her flats and buried her feet in the cold silky sand. Okay. She closed her eyes as the first wave lapped at her toes. She kept walking the warmth of Simon's voice, protecting her from the chill of the world. It wasn't until the water reached her neck that she opened her eyes, the bucket floated right beside her with Simon nipping at its top. She clicked open the top and Simon swam over to the edge. Come along. You'll be of use where we're going. You will be mine. Susan's final thought. As she sunk below the surface was how nice it will feel to finally belong. Lily swinging for the goddamn fences. Look at that. It was I'm like almost like emotional. I <laugh>, I really liked that story. I, I was surprised it ended. This is, I was so involved. Lily, we need part too. What happens next? What happens beneath the waves? Is, is she, is this like a malicious Simon psychic fish? Well, I think there's two options, right? Option one. Simon is actually some sort of like fish creature that will make her a fish creature as well. Mm-hmm <affirmative> or this was all happening in her mind, which I think Lily points to quite often. Right? And she was in, she was involved in a car accident years ago and. She's no, and this was her sort of ending it as she had this terrible thing happen to her. It's pretty, that's pretty. Bleak. I mean, that's a pretty bad day. Pretty bad day. But, but if there is a part two Lily, we would love to hear it. I mean, I don't wanna blame Susan, but she should have seen the red flags in Mark A. Long time ago. Anyone that describes their relationship with golf analogies is a big is, is a big stop. Big, hard pass. Fair enough. But you know, we're all, we're all fallible. That's very true. I mean, listen, anyone who plays golf in general? No offense. I just can't hang with that. It's a whole, it's a lifestyle. Hey, nothing on golf, love golf. I just, I'm not compatible with it. I'm not judging anyone who plays it. I just know myself. I mean, I love golf, love golf culture. You love golf col. I've never in our five years of life together seen you. He like ever talk about golf or play golf. Well, I have, I have my secrets. Golf equipment is like pretty hard to. Hide. I don't play golf. Mm-hmm <affirmative> you secretly watch it. No. Okay. I. Great. Don't don't make me spell my secrets. Okay, great. <laugh>. But yeah. You read golf fan fiction. Uh, but I don't like people that would use their cheating analogy. Okay. That wouldn't explain their cheating behavior through a yeah. A golf analogy. Patrice. She's a whole in one. Yeah. Screw that guy.<Laugh> yeah. Screw mark. We hate. Mark. Yeah. I wanted, I was waiting for Simon to just go like full telekinetic fish and just like rip the guy apart. Mm. That I didn't write this story. Lilly. Did. Lily did a great job. Lil did an amazing I'm trying to amend her work. It's it's not that I'm trying to amend it. I'm just so en like I'm so enraptured mm-hmm <affirmative> like, I wanna this and Hey, Matt is guilty of this too. He does this all the time. You tell him a great idea. And he is like, Hey, what if we did this also great idea. And we're like, that's also a great idea. And then we just get excited. Yeah. You, that is you and Matt 1 0 1. Yeah. Having worked on several creative projects with you. It's the most frustrating. Thing. It's so fun. That's that's how we get through our day. <laugh>. Well, oh my gosh. Okay. So thank you so much to Lily, Matt and Hector, we owe the creature some love and it was really nice to have these kind of different takes on the, the theme to round out the little mini series here on creature from the black lagoon. Absolutely. That and that. And I think that's one of the reasons why I was so excited about these stories specifically, cuz each one of them was so starkly different. Absolutely. If you would like to submit stories to us or, and, or get on our writer's mailing list or I send out the upcoming podcast topic, so you could write something to be featured, then please email me at the Lunix project, gmail.com. And I will get you added to that list. And as always, thank you all so much for being here. Thank you for listening. I hope everyone is staying safe, staying well, staying spooky. And we will talk to you soon. Bye bye. Thanks for listening. 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