Adam checked the time on his watch while walking to the fridge.
5:52am.
He had to get to Parker Industries early to set up a personal meeting with Mr.Parker. By noon, that building would be packed with mindless fanatics clamoring for webware, Parker's newest smartwatch. He didn't want to be caught dead in the crowd, they'd never get to chance to see him. Adam opened the freezer and pulled out a small tupperware container. In it was small black goop that was clinging to the side, along with a whitish looking liquid that was frozen. Adam put his index finger on the side of the container and watched as the black goop slowly inched toward it.
"I'm surprised you aren't dead." Adam muttered, flipping the container around. The goop followed his finger until he went by the liquid. It was a mixture of bleach and hair dye. Adam remembered how it felt when it possessed him completely, and almost made him kill his girlfriend. He'd kill the damn thing now if they didn't need to give Parker a reason to help them. He pulled out his phone and looked for the nearest Dcycle, a motorized bike service that let's anyone rent bikes for a day. Luckily, there was one just down the block. He slipped the container in his jacket and headed out the door.
"HEY!" a voice shouted.
Adam turned around and saw a white car pull up close to him with someone waving their arm out.
The car came to an abrupt stop so close to Adam he imagined it running him over. In the car was Richard Guy, a elderly asian man that was one of Adam's clients.
"Where the hell are my photos boy?!"
Boy?
Adam fought the urge to kick the side mirrors off his car.
"Oh, um, sorry Mr.Giles. I had an accident a few days ago. I got bit by a deadly spider while taking the photos, so I was out of commission for a bit."
Mr.Giles' jaw dropped. "Oh my God. How many photos did you get?"
Thanks for caring. he thought.
"Three. Only three."
Giles looked at him blankly.
"So instead of getting my photos, you've been walking around the street, playing hopscotch. I thought you had a car. You had to sell it didn't you? Shame. Maybe you should get a real job instead of this social media photography mess."
Adam kept his composure. "I will have all twenty of your photos delivered to by tomorrow through email."
"Good. And you should really throw in a couple freebies since you were so late.
"I'll see what I can do." Adam sighed and turned away. "Have a good day."
"I will when I get my photos!" He shouted, pulling away.
Adam hopped on the bike and pulled out his phone to call Kara.
"Hello?" He started to ride the bike.
"Yo have you left your house yet?" she asked.
"Yeah, just barely. The slime surprisingly isn't dead."
"It's called a symbiote." She reminded him.
"Slime, goop, octopus ink, I don't care one bit. It almost ruined our lives."
"What container did you put it in?" She asked as he pulled up to a stoplight.
"It's in the same one." He replied, turning right.
"Are you stupid?! The chemicals will melt and kill it!"
"Don't worry," he told her. "It knows to stay away from it. It hates it."
"Fine. I'll meet you there at 11:00am, ok?"
"Yeah, assuming you can get through the line.
"I'm sure I will. And If I have any difficulties I have pepper spray in my purse for a reason."
Suddenly a black car with it's emergency lights on came careening down the street when the horn blowing nonstop. Adam saw it too late. He bounced off the windshield as his bike got mowed down b6 the driver. Hitting the asphalt with an actual smack disconnected him from the entire world for a second. He was somewhere between unconscious, or dead, just floating like a fly that accidentally fell in your drink. His lip was split and his nose broken. He legs were bent at odd angles and his right arm didn't even look like an arm anymore. His body started to heat up and he thought he was going into shock.
"Oh my God! Someone go check on that man!"
Adam lifted his head trying to pinpoint the voice and saw his phone laying a few feet away.
I can reach that. I can reach that. He thought, stretching out his left arm. As he struggled to grab the phone, two things in his peripheral caught his attention. The first thing was a young man jogging in the tracksuit running towards him. The second was the small tupperware container, and it was open.
Shit.
Adam dragged his body over to the container holding his screams of pain behind gritted teeth. Sliding the container over, the goop was still alive, wriggling furiously, and moving in the direction of the jogger. Adam couldn't think of anything else, so he grabbed it and closed his fist. The jogger finally caught up to him and gingerly helped him up.
"Are you okay?" He asked. "Your legs look fine, but your arms a mess. Can you talk?"
Adam mumbled a small "Yeah." And almost started choking on his on blood.
"That lady over there already called the police. They should be here soon. Here's your phone."
He tried to hand the phone to Adam, but Adam kept his fist closed.
"What did you pick up? Is this arm messed up too?"
Against Adam's will, the jogger opened his hand. There was nothing in it.
"I thought you picked up something." The jogger shook his head.
No. He thought sadly. Something just picked me up.
