Danger to a young child
By; showtunediva and Dusty the Innocent
Summery: What happens when Claudia finds out what Audrey II can do?
Disclaimer: Showtunediva nad I own no one in little shop of Horrors
Claudia Krelborne is mine
Chapter 1
"You know what I'm afraid of more than anything else in the world?" Claudia asked Stacy on the bus ride home after school on Friday
Stacy thought "Seymour?" she asked
"No, you putz." Claudia scoffed. "He's completely harmless. I've seen murderers, Audrey abusive boyfriend, huge dogs, and huge spiders, but nothing scares me more than a man eating plant."
"You're scared of his new plant? Look just 'cause that shy cousin of yours looks a little weak ever since he found Audrey 2, doesn't mean the plant down anything" Stacy said
"Plant down anything?" Claudia laughed. "I know your mom smokes cigarettes around you, and I think your brain is fried."
"Oh shut it." Stacy snapped turning her attention to her book. Claudia knew this meant their conversation was over and turned her attention to the window thinking about when Audrey II first came to the store
The Store was quiet as usual. She, Seymour, Audrey, and Mr. Mushnik had switched places from the wall, to the counter, to the backroom doorway, to the desk where they kept track on how much money the store was making-which she knew wasn't enough to keep it in business. She leaned against the wall, listening to the soft "tick-tock" of the clock above her, feeling sleepy at the silence of the store. She yawned, looking at Seymour to see e had already fallen asleep on top of the account that has to be uncomfortable, she thought as she nodded off .She had been asleep-maybe 5 minutes when she suddenly heard Mr. Mushnik say "Look at that! Six o'clock and we haven't sold so much as a fern! That's it! Forget it. Don't bother coming in tomorrow." The Flower shop's three workers eyes widened as they got up from their places and surround him
"You don't mean..." Audrey said
"You can't mean…."Seymour said. Claudia couldn't say anything as she stood in shock, not even acknowledging Seymour's hands on her shoulders
What? What don't I mean? I mean I'm closing, forget it. Kaput"
"You can't" Audrey pleaded
"Kaput. Extinct. I'm closing this God and customer forsaken place."
Kaput? No. No. She couldn't go back to the orphanage. She just couldn't. She feat the fabric of Audrey's soft dress as she reached over and and nudged Seymour
"Mr. Mushnik, forgive me for saying so, but has it ever occurred to you...
...that maybe what the firm needs is to move in a new direction?"
She gulped and nearly face-palmed when Mr. Mushnik paused in his walking and looked at her older cousin. Luckily Audrey came to his rescue
"What Seymour's trying to say, Mr Mushnik, is... Well, we've talked about it and all three of us agree…" She looked at Seymour confidently
"Seymour, why don't you run downstairs and bring up...that strange and interesting new plant you've been working on?" She feat Seymour's hands leave her shoulders, and hurry down stairs to their one-room, well she didn't know what to call it-an apartment maybe. The nezt few minutes were a blur. All she knew is that one minute she was walking beside Audrey listening as she told Mr. Mushnik
"You see Mr Mushnik, some of those exotic plants Seymour's been tinkering around with...are really unusual. We all three think that maybe some of those strange and interesting new plants...prominently displayed and advertised, would attract business." And the next minute she was hearing her cousin say
"I'm afraid it isn't feeling very well today."
She heard him put something on the counter and the gathered around it
"There. Now isn't that bizarre." Audrey asked. It didn't look so bizarre to her. Then again she had watched Seymour care for it for weeks now. To her it looked like a tiny Venus Fly Trap mixed with a baby cabbage. When he had first brought it home it looked just like a mini green rose.
"At least. What kind of a weirdo plant is that, Seymour?" Mr. Mushnik said
"l don't know. l think it's some kind of flytrap...but l haven't been able to identify it in any of my books. l gave it my own name though. l call it an Audrey II" Seymour said, moving his gaze up to Audrey so he didn't see the 12-year-old roll her eyes. She knew how much Seymour loved Audrey. Of course he'd name his new plant after her.
"After me?" Audrey asked
"l hope you don't mind. You see Sir, if you were to put a strange and interesting plant like this...here in the window, then maybe..." Seymour said, as he picked Audrey II up and put it in the window.
"Maybe what? Maybe what" Mushnik said, going back to his seat to read the paper "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? Just because you put a strange plant in the window people don't suddenly—" Everyone jumped when that miraculous sound the bell rang through announcing the arrival of a customer as they entered the shop. The way this customer was dressed wasn't commonly seen in Skid Row. He had on a business hat on with matching suit.
"Excuse me. l couldn't help noticing that strange and interesting plant. What is it?" he asked
"It's an Audrey II" Audrey said, and Claudia knew then and there the customer might just stay a bit longer. It was always that way when she or Audrey talked to a customer. They didn't lie about the merchandise or anything. They were just hard to say no to.
"I've never seen anything like it before." The customer said looking at Audrey II
"No one has.' Seymour said
"Where did you get it?" The customer said
"Well…. Remember that total eclipse of the sun about a week ago?"
"Yes. 'The man replied. Claudia barely heard her cousin's story. She had just noticed the way the man was talking. Almost like he was being controlled.
"Well, that's an unusual story, and a fascinating plant." The man said as he began to walk out but stopped pulling out his wallet "Oh, I may as well take fifty dollars' worth of roses while I'm here." That had caused the three workers to freeze and Mushnik leap up from his seat
"Fifty dollars!" He gave her a glance and she nodded to the man.
"Yes sir, right away, sir!" She said ,giving him a polite smile and began crossing to the back room as Mushnik began crossing to the register
"Can you break a hundred?" The man had asked making both people stop in their tracks
"A hundred? No." Mushnik said
"Then I'll just have to take twice as many." The customer said. Claudia turned, hoping she had heard right
"Twice as many?" Mushnik asked
"Twice as many!" Seymour said, motioning for her to go on to the back room as she hurried off she heard Audrey exclaim the same thing and softly said to herself.
"Twice as many." The shop had filled with customers that day, and they had stayed open way after closing time. Mushnik had planned to take them to dinner ,but Audrey had a date with Orin. How Claudia wished she had opened her mouth and begged Audrey not to go. Not after that shiner Orin had given her. She didn't want her seeing him again. But of course she didn't and Audrey had left, so that just left her, Seymour, and Mushnik.
"Are we still going out" Seymour asked. She blinked form her spot behind the counter as Audrey II groaned and limped in her pot.
"You're not going anywhere, Krelborn! You're staying right here and taking care of that sick plant! How come it's fainting all the time?" Mushnik said as he gathered his coat and hat from the coast rack
"l told you it's been giving me trouble. It just wilts like this. Audrey ll is not a healthy girl." Seymour said lifting the sick plant up slightly. She sighed feeling a slight bit of sympathy for Seymour and Two-ey. Maybe Seymour would let her help him after she came back with dinner.
"Strictly between us, neither is Audrey l. " Mushnik said crossing behind her to the front door.
"If I only knew what breed it was."
"Who cares what breed it is? Look what it's done for business. Work. Nurse this plant back to health. l'm counting on you."
"l know."
"You do?"
"l do."
"So fix. Good night." Mushnik said as he left making Claudia sigh as she stuffed her money in her pocket. Not even a single "thank you." She crossed to the front door with a promise to bring back dinner and be back in 5 if not 10 minutes.
She didn't know what had happened the 10 minutes she was gone, but when she came back Seymour met her upstairs and picked her up in a hug, telling her that Two-ey looked healthier. She sighed. That had been before Orin disappeared and Seymour began acting strangely. A few days passed ,then Mushnik disappeared. Audrey II had looked healthier after the two men disappeared too. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. The bus stopped and she hurried off ,going to Mushnik's. 'Hey, I'm home." She called, entering the store. Silence met her "Hello! Hello! Hello!" she called looking around the newly renovated shop. "Seymour! Audrey!" she called, dropping her backpack by the front door. She hurried past Audrey II to the counter to find a note from Seymour
Claudia-
Audrey has the day off and I've gone to get supplies for the shop. Be good and I'll be back in a few minutes.
-Seymour
P.S. Don't cut yourself in front of Audrey II
"Kind of a weird way of saying don't let the pruning shears slip." She said, looking at Audrey II. Her heart raced as she hurried over to the light switch, leaping over Audrey II's many scattered vines, turning the lights up a bit, hoping it would be less creepy. It helped a bit but not a lot. She looked at Audrey II, making a face that looked as if she tasted the best taste in the world and the worst taste combined. "Don't get any ideas. Just 'cause we're alone don't think I'm drawing you." She crossed back to behind the counter, and washed her hands, ready to work, turning to see a chrysanthemum on the counter. "Hello. How do you get up here?" she asked it, as if she excepted it to answer her. She picked it up, and crossed to put it back on its shelf, tripping over one of Audrey II's vines. The flower said through the air, and it's pot would've shatter if Claudia hadn't caught it. She picked herself up wincing, and went over to the flower's shelf, and placed it on there. It's pot was just on the edge and she bit her lip thinking of how she could get up there. Unseen by her, Audrey II pushed one of her vines under her feet and lifted her up. The girl gasped and wobbled a bit before catching herself on the shelf pushing the pot back.
"Back there good?" an unknown voice said
"I think so." She said, as she was lowered to the floor "Thanks for helping." She said, turning to face the person who help her, rubbing her hurt knee
'No problem, little doll." Her eyes widened as Audrey II's –was it a trap-moved and words came out.
"Oh. My. God." She said, looking at her
"What'sa matter? Never seen a plant before?" Two-ey asked
"Not one that talk and moves at it's own will." She answered, watching as Two-ey's vines that had helped her curled back into itself
"That's right, kiddo. I talk.' Audrey II said "Can ya do something for me, small fry?"
"What/" she asked, her fear of Audrey II rising
"I'm so hungry. Could ya feed me?'
"Sure. Um- but tell me one thing real quick. When's the last time Seymour fed you?" she asked, standing her ground.
'Hm. I'd say about 5 days ago." Two-ey told her
The same time Mr. Mushnik disappeared she thought, swallowing as she felt Audrey II's vines wrap around her waist.
"How much do you weight, sweetheart?"
'90 lbs. What do you want?"
'What are you craving?"
That was a weird question. "I d'know. Fries, I guess." she said shrugging
"Wanna know what I'm craving?" Audrey II asked her slowly
"Yes, considering 5 minutes ago I asked you 'What do you want?"
"A Claudia Pot pie." Audrey II answered
Claudia gasped when the vines tightened around her waist and she was dragged across the floor. Her hand fumbled for the knife Seymour and Audrey used when the cut roses, found it, and stabbed it in one of Two-ey's vines. She heard Audrey II cry out in pain as she let her go. She fell to the floor, but got up quickly, not sure how long the pain would last. She grabbed her backpack, hurrying out, running down the streets, not once looking back, not stopping until she got to the cafe that Chiffon, Ronette, and Crystal worked at, ignoring the owner's call of "Hey Claudia. The usual?" and fell into the booth at her usual table, hyperventilating. That was when she noticed the deep bleeding scratch on top of her hand. She must have gotten it when Two-ey dropped her. She reached over, unzipping her back pack, pulling out the teddy bear Seymour had gotten, her, hugging it close with the hand that wasn't bleed. She needed Seymour right now. She WANTED Seymour right now.
End of Chapter 1