ATPnovel Episode One Hundred and Sixty-Two: Squid People
Episode One Hundred and Sixty-Two: Squid People
The doorbell rang as the door flung open and several beings entered the shop. Each stood taller than me by at least a foot and had several arms. They walked on four arms, or, rather, legs, but they appeared just like the arms. Each was a deep blue color with suction cups covering them. Dark eyes glowed on either side of their heads.I didn’t dare speak as I processed the sight of the octopus-like creatures walking around the shop. Finally, I just pretended this happened every day.
“Welcome to the shop,” I said in a cheery voice.
A tentacle waved in my direction. One spotted the clippers on the center table and darted in that direction. Within seconds, they got to work, taking cuttings of a few different plants and placing them in the plastic bags.
Bubbles erupted from one of the creatures hovering over a plant that I would have sworn was a cactus. The customer quickly snagged a bag and placed several clippings into it.
I couldn’t keep up with watching all of them, and before long one headed in my direction with a few bags.
Fear crept up my spine as the creature towered over me, but I didn’t let the smile fall or the fear show. They set the bags on the counter.
“Will this be all?”
More bubbles erupted, but somehow I knew it meant yes.
I rang up the cuttings with the pictures that appeared on the screen.
“Five stars,” I read off from the register.
Five starfish, still slightly damp, appeared on the counter.
I didn’t want to touch them. Not at all.
“I nodded my head to the creature, who scooped the bags up and headed out of the shop. From there, the rest of them hurried to bring the bags to the counter. Each paid in live starfish.
The last one left, leaving me with a giant pile of bright purple starfish on the counter, water pooling beneath them.
“What was that?” I asked.
The starfish sunk into the wood on the counter, along with the water.
Finally, the Cat spoke. “That wasn’t what the book said…”
He glanced at me, then around like he couldn’t believe what just happened. “There was only supposed to be one.”
“I mean, it was a quick stop. Why did they want the plants, anyway?”
“They are treats for the young ones…” He shook his head, opened his mouth then closed it. “They are a very rare species. I’ve never even heard of more than one appearing anywhere.”
“Where do they live?” I wanted to know a little more about them.
“On the ocean plants. Worlds completely covered in water. Plants are a rarity, mostly floating around the world oceans like large living rafts, but they discovered how to use the portals early on.”
The Cat stared at the door, then back at Betty as it rose up from the counter. “I need to research this… This isn’t right.”
He jumped off the counter and then headed up the steps, completely ignoring me as he grumbled.
“Well, Betty, do you think we can move up those deliveries? Maybe wrap today up this morning?” The positive affirmation made me smile as the shop shifted yet again. This time it returned to the familiar sight of the bookshop I loved.
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This time, I sipped on my coffee as the door swung open by itself. Instead of the new delivery guy, a rounded square on wheels rolled into the shop with giant googly eyes on it. It carefully navigated around the table in the center, then started beeping as flaps rose from the top.
“Please remove your package from the compartment.”
I blinked at the sight, and the plastic square repeated itself. Hurrying around the counter, I saw a small box inside the compartment. I quickly lifted it out, trying to figure out what the robot was.
“What are you?”
“I am Meep, a delivery robot. Thank you for accepting your package.”
A chirp came from Indigo, who must have awoken at the sound. She dived-bombed the robot, landing on one of the flaps.
“What is this?” she asked, clutching a metal flap in her claws.
The robot beeped again, almost rocking a little. “Please step back so I can finish my route.”
It beeped again, a little louder.
Indigo didn’t move, but stuck her head inside the compartment.
“Indigo, you should leave it be. It has a job to do.”
She huffed but flapped her wings and flew into the air.
The robot closed its flaps, but then Indigo landed back on top.
“Please remove the item from my top,” said the robot in the same cool voice.
“What is that?” came from the Cat, who leaped up on the counter. He stared at the robot.
“I think it's a delivery robot.” I still had the package in my hands. “Indigo, let it leave.”
The Cat leaped to the top of it, joining Indigo.
The robot freaked out, spinning in a frantic circle.
“Cat hat! Cat hat!” The cool voice was replaced by a high-pitched yelling.
Both the Cat and Indigo slid off the top as the robot spun. Indigo took to the Cat while the Cat landed on his paws. The robot frantically rolled across the floor to the door, which opened at its approach.
“Rude,” said Indigo as it left the shop. She flew toward her hideaway, unfazed by the experience.
The Cat leaped up on the counter, his eyes on the package. “What’s that?”
“Isn’t this the delivery?” I asked, setting it down on the counter before reading the label. “Wait, this is supposed to go to an art gallery… called Flora’s Gallery.”
“What is going on today?” the Cat grumbled, sniffing the package.
“That poor robot,” I said, moving closer to the windows, trying to see outside and failing. “Betty, can we return it?”
“I don’t even know where we were,” added the Cat. “It really didn’t like cats.”
“I mean, you don’t even like Cats,” I mumbled before changing the topic. “Doesn’t Betty know where we are?”
A strange feeling came from the floor. It took a moment to figure it out. Uncertainty.
“Don’t worry, Betty, we’ll figure it out eventually.” I gave the counter a quick pat.
“I think we should call it a day,” said the Cat, his tail twitching in the air. “We can do the deliveries…”
The door opened before the Cat could finish his statement, and a familiar delivery guy entered.
“Hey Adam,” I said with a grin, as he wheeled in a cart of boxes.
“Hey Sable, where can I stack these?” He asked. He smiled brightly, glancing around the shop before his eyes landed on the Cat. “Oh you have a shop Cat, that’s amazing!”
“Oh, just by the door is good. I’m going to be having an early lunch.”
“Less work for me,” he said as he set them down on the floor and backed the dolly up. “Have a good one today!”
The door closed this time with a rattle.
The Cat glared at me.
“What?”
“I told you not to name things.”
“It’s too late for that,” I mumbled, as the boxes lowered into the floor. “Wait, don’t we need to unpack those?”
“It’s all books,” said the Cat. “The ones you ordered.”
“You mean for my book club?”
“Wait, book club?” The Cat let out a sigh. “I told you that you needed a Wanderer to be able to do that.”
“I’m working on it with Betty. We’ll figure it out,” I said with a grin, still picturing me leaving boxes of books on the stoop and then pushing them out with the handle of a broom. I needed to work on a list to get people signed up for it.
The Sphinx for sure, plus I needed to go through other customers on the tablet to see if anyone else would fit.
I headed to the register to get started on compiling the potential customers that might be interested. Either way, the books would get put to use. All of them were from series that would bring joy to anyone who wanted books from Earth that involved magic, humans and found family. Plus a few romantic moments.