Aaron’s Unlucky Day

Ethel was displeased. How Aaron could’ve forgotten to do the laundry 16 days in a row was simply beyond her ken. “I’ll give him one more day,” she said. “But no more!”

The next day, Aaron arrived home to find thick smoke billowing from the green space next to his normal parking spot. A large pile of clothes was engulfed in angry flames. The wail of a fire engine rose and fell in the distance.

The smoke twirled and curled as a small figure appeared. Aaron gave a double take so quick he nearly gave himself whiplash. “Hello,” said the figure. Aaron couldn’t find the words. This wasn’t real, surely. The figure held out its hand. “I’m Gorfik, from Altamany 5.”

The creature looked like a gnome made of jellyfish, so Aaron took its hand hesitantly. It was cold & slimy, but it didn't sting. "I need help," Gorfik said. "My homeworld has everything yours does save one thing—Kalamata olives!" At that, Aaron recalled his grandmother's warning.

He slowly backed away, but it was too late. The slime ball started to grow. and grow. and grow. Just then, it let out a loud, ear-piercing screech. “This isn’t real. it’s all in my head. This isn’t real. It’s all in my head.” Aaron repeated this line like a mantra.

It did nothing. The slime absorbed him. He was now the slime. He was one with the slime. The orb of slime grew and grew, absorbing every man, woman, bird and animal in its path, then the whole planet, the Solar System, the Milky Way, and soon the whole universe. Slime, I like em.