Monster Arm
Today was a big day for Marcia. In Marcia's bedroom, she was getting ready for her upcoming karate tournament. She had a piece of wood set up and had her hand over it prepared to chop it.
Marcia takes in a deep breath as she lifts her arm up higher.
At that very moment, Star skips by Marcia's door, "La, la la, la-la, la-laaa. Huh?"
"Hiii-yah!" Marcia yelled out chopping the wood in half.
"Whoa. You hate wood, too? Yeah, crush that wood! Wood's the worst!" Star said
"No, I'm practicing for my upcoming Tang Soo Do tournament," Marcia said
"Oh," Star said
"You see, Star, martial arts is all about honor and discipline. Which is why...I'm going to kick Jeremy Birnbaum's butt!" Marcia said
"Jeremy Birnbaum? Isn't that the talking bear that used to rummage through my parent's garbage?" Star asked
"He's just this obsessive little creep within my dojo who's got some creepy crush on me, and is only any good because his rich parents buy him fancy equipment and private lessons. But Saturday, he's gonna get a taste of this!" Marcia said stacking up three planks of wood.
Marcia stacks three planks of wood.
"Hiiiiii-YAH!"
*SIGH*
Marcia looked down sadly at her arm that was in a cast. The doctor told her she was lucky that there wasn't any severe damage but it was definitely broken. Star had drawn on the cast "Get well s n! Star!" along with several other drawings.
"Hugh! This is a nightmare! If I can't fight Jeremy, he'll say I wussed out, and he'll never let me live it down!" Marcia said
Star was standing over by a mirror using her wand to change her hair.
"Pigtails? Ponytail? Pigtails? Ponytail? Pigtails?" Star questioned changing her hair each time.
"Wait a minute. You have a wand! You could just fix my hand!" Marcia said
Star changes her hairstyle and it ends up as a hodgepodge of pigtails and ponytails.
"You know...That sort of spell is not really in my comfort zone. Oh, but if you like, I can give you a pretty wicked set of pigtails," Star said
"Pigtails? Hugh! I don't look good in them anyway," Marcia said
"*GASP* Unless...I could look up a bone-healing spell in the magic instruction book that came with the wand" Star said
Star goes to her bed and pulls out a giant book.
"What?! This whole time you had a magic instruction book?" Marcia said
"Yep. Whenever the previous owner of the wand mastered a spell, they scribbled it down in here," Star said opening the book, creating a cloud of dust.
"*Cough Cough* But it's a complete disorganized mess. It's gonna take me foreeeever to find—Oh! Here it is," Star said
"Really?" Marcia asked
"Hmm. It's in an ancient language. Releasio Demonius Infestica!" Star said pointing her wand at Marcia.
"Ahh...ahhh...! I can feel it working! My fingers are tingling!" Marcia said
At first, everything looks like it's going fine but then Marcia's arm turns into a long, slimy blue tentacle.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Marcia screamed out in horror.
"*GASP* Don't worry! There must be a spell in here that can change it back!" Star said frantically searching through the book.
Star flips through the book's pages. Glossaryck briefly appears between two of the pages.
"I can fix it!" Star yelled
Marcia starts to whimper staring at the tentacle as it slithered around her body. The arm continues to slither around knocking things over until it, knocks the book through Star's window.
Marcia yawned as she woke up in bed.
"Man, I had this horrible dream that my ar-ahhhhhhh!" Marcia yelled
Marcia looked back over at her arm to see that it wasn't a dream and that her arm was in fact still a tentacle.
The monster arm smacks her in the face, leaving a trail of slime all over her face.
Marcia groans giving a distasteful look to the arm.
Marcia makes her way to the bathroom and turns on the shower. She's about to step into the shower but stops when she looks down at the tentacle.
"No way I'm getting in the shower with you," Marcia said
She steps into the shower and leaves her tentacle arm outside of the shower.
In the shower, Marcia struggled to wash herself with just one arm, while trying to keep the tentacle are out of the shower. After a few more minutes of struggling Marcia felt a tap on her shoulder making the girl jump and shriek. She slipped in the shower and fell grabbing onto the shower curtain. Unfortunately, the curtain and shower rod couldn't support her weight and her along with curtain and shower rod fell to the bathroom floor with a hard thud. Marcia groaned as the fallen curtain was lifted off her. Marcia glared as she looked at the tentacle arm that was holding up the curtain rod.
"This is your fault," Marcia said as she stood up. She continued to glare at the tentacle before it started moving. It reached over to the bathtub and turned on the hot water, starting a bath. It reached over to the cabinets and dropped in some bubbles in the bath. It somehow had gathered some candles and lit them around the tub.
When the monster tentacle was done a nice hot bath had been drawn with a soothing atmosphere.
Marcia looked at the tentacle suspiciously but got into the tub. As soon she stuck her foot in she let out a happy sigh, as the water was a perfect temperature. She laid down in the tub relaxing still keeping the tentacle out of the bath.
At the breakfast table, Marcia seemed to be feeling a little better after her relaxing time in the tub, but she was still anxious to get rid of the tentacle. In front of her was a nice breakfast set up. She reached for a doughnut and brought it up to her mouth, but before she could take a bite the monster arm slapped it out of her hand. She glares at the monster arm and goes for another which is yet again slapped out of her hand. Marcia growls angrily and reaches for another donut but the rest are knocked off the table by the monster arm as it flails around. Marcia angrily grabs an apple and quickly takes a bite out of it. The tentacle does nothing as Marcia eats the apple, she looks at it suspiciously as she goes for another bite. Suddenly Marcia gasps and she throws the apple at the monster arm.
"You think I'm fat! That's why you slapped away my doughnuts!" Marcia yelled out pointing at the tentacle.
Before the monster arm could do anything Marcia tackles it to the ground and tries to strangle it, which is rather difficult since it doesn't have a neck. As Marcia rolls around the ground trying to destroy her tentacle arm, Star comes downstairs.
"*YAWN* Morning, Marcia. Morning, monster arm. I was up all night, but I haven't found a way to reverse the spell," Star said stepping over her struggling friend and going to the table.
Marcia not hearing Star continues to struggle with the tentacle, before she ended up rolling into the table and knocking over its contents spilling breakfast food all over her. Marcia growls and wipes milk off of her face.
"I will end you," Marcia said to the arm.
So far Marcia's day at school was spent trying to keep the tentacle from messing up everything around her. It was hard but Marcia was able to make all the way to lunch.
As Marcia and Star walked with their lunch trays, Marcia did her best to keep her lunch tray out of the monster arm's reach.
Across the cafeteria, another commotion was going on as a kid was being bullied.
"Hey, kid. I got a joke for you. What's the most important meal of the day?"
"Huh?"
The Bully slaps a nerdy kid's lunch tray out of his hands.
"It's breakfast! Hahaha!"
"That's a good one, Lars," The Nerd said to the apparent Bully Lars. He leans down to grab his lunch tray but Lars shoves pink frosting in his face.
"Hahaha!" Lars laughed.
"Can you believe this. Guys are so immature," Marcia said to Star.
Marcia's monster arm starts to move on it's on, "Hey, hey what are you doing!?" The arm reaches over and punches Lars across the face.
All of the students gasp seeing Lars whip around looking for the offender.
"Who did that?!" Lars yelled
"Uh…" Marcia said slowly pointing at the monster arm.
"No one hits La—!"
The monster arm reaches out and slaps Lars multiple times knocking him square off of his feet. Lars stands up and runs away crying. The monster arm picks the nerdy kid up and cleans his face.
"I, sir, am in your debt."
Ferguson quickly appears and knocks the nerdy kid aside.
"You're a hero!" Ferguson cheered
The students start cheering and applauding for Marcia and her monster arm.
"Can I check out that arm?" JLT asked
"Are you sure?" Marcia questioned
"I want it to be my girlfriend!" A boy yelled
"Me too!" Another one yelled
Soon a swarm of boys surrounds Marcia.
"Hey, I saw her first!" Justin yelled out.
The boy quickly blushes and covers his mouth before ducking down back into the crowd.
Marcia felt a little uneasy as the people surrounded her. Even though they liked the arm she still found it gross and annoying.
Later that night Marcia was in her bedroom reading on her bed. As she went to go turn a page the monster tentacle arm grabbed it for her and turned the page.
"Hey! Just because you made me more popular don't think I like you now. As soon as Star finds that spell you're going bye bye," Marcia said
The monster faced Marcia making her look at it strangely.
"Uhhhhh," Marcia said
The arm started to shake angrily at Marcia making the girl scoot away from it, even though she was still connected to it.
"A-ha! I found it!" Star yelled running into Marcia room, "A reverse tentacle spell! I think."
"Great but, uh, maybe you should practice on something first. I'd rather not have two of these things," Marcia said
"Way ahead of you," Star said
Star pulls out a potted plant.
"Return Armius Normalritecus!" Star yelled
Star's spell burns the plant to a crisp scaring both Star and Marcia.
"Uh, I'm going to bed now, please find a spell that won't burn my arms to a crisp," Marcia said pushing Star out of her room.
"Don't worry! I'll get it!" Star said as Marcia closed the door.
Marcia let out a sigh leaning against a door.
"GAH!"
Marcia yelped and jumped back when she felt something slither across her leg. She stepped on the tentacle as it tried to wrap itself around her. She fell back as it made a grab for her.
"What-ragh-are-huf-d-gra-ing!" Marcia grunted out as the tentacle wrapped around her legs, "Get off!"
The tentacle wrapped around her torso and moved up her body.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Who said that?!" Marcia yelled out
"I did."
Marcia cocked her head to see the tentacle was the one who was talking.
"Y-You can talk!" Marcia yelled out.
"Of course I can," Monster Arm said
"Then let me go!" Marcia said
"Oh but if I do that then you'll go to Star and you'll try to get rid of me," Monster Arm said
"Well yeah. You're a tentacle!" Marcia said angrily.
"But, think of all the good things I did for you, could do for you," Monster Arm said
"What you could do for me right now is let...me...go!" Marcia said
"Oh but that's not happening, you and me are going to become much closer," Monster Arm said
"What does-gah! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Marcia screamed
"Hold still!" Monster Arm said
The monster arm started to slither around Marcia's neck and tried to stick itself in her ear.
"NO! STOP THAT! NO! NO! AAHHHhh….." Marcia screamed out before she grew silent.
The Monster Arm slid itself into Marcia's ear and the young girl's eyes turned a dull yellow.
"You and I are gonna be together for a long time. Hahahahaha," Monster Arm said
"Marcia!" Star yelled running into Marcia's room.
In her hands was a potted plant that had an arm growing out of it. She opens the door to Marcia's room and see's her doing push-ups with the monster arm.
"673...674...675…" Marcia counted
"I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it, I DID IT!" Star said showing Marcia the arm plant.
"Hey, I think this monster arm might actually help me take out Jeremy," Marcia walks over to several stacked pieces of wood, "Hiiii-YAH!" She easily breaks all the boards in one chop with the Monster Arm.
"Wait. You're gonna fight with that? That sounds kind of unfair," Star said
Marcia's eyes flash yellow before she faces Star, "Ohhhh, funny how you never have a problem using your magic when it benefits you, but as soon as it gives me an advantage, you want to take it away!"
"Marcia, I think that arm's a bad influence on you," Star said a little scared.
"And I think you should go," Marcia said
"What? Fine! But I don't—!" Star tried to say before Marcia slams the door in her face.
"Don't listen to her. She's just jealous," Monster Arm said
Marcia's eyes turn back to yellow, "That's right she's jealous."
"You don't need her anymore. I can give you everything you ever dreamed of," Monster Arm said
"That's right ever-" Marcia shakes her head and her eye's turn back to normal, "-wha? What's going on?"
The Monster Arm slithers around Marcia and makes it face her, "We're gonna destroy that little punk, Jeremy. That's what you want right. You can't do it without me."
Marcia's eyes slowly turns back to yellow, "That's right. Can't do it without you." Marcia said in a hypnotic tone.
"And then we're gonna slaughter all humans and feast on their bowels!" Monster Arm said
"I heard bowels taste good in stew," Marcia said
"Good girl," Monster Arm said patting the girl's cheek.
With Marcia still under the spell of the Monster Arm she made her way to the tournament, but Star wasn't going to let her friend fall under the spell of the arm.
Star ran to the dojo with the intent to support her friend, even if she was mean.
"*HUFF* *HUFF*, Excuse me," Star said as she made her way through the crowd.
"Ooh! Watch it!"
"Sorry," Star said getting in some bleachers.
"Hey! Ow!"
Star moves through the crowd's top row and sits next to Alfonso and Ferguson.
"Sorry. Sorry...Sorry," Star said sitting down.
"Are you okay, Star?" Alfonso asked
"You look terrible, and I have very low standards," Ferguson said
Star let out a large yawn, "I've been up for two nights trying to fix her monster arm, then she gets mad, and then I got to come here and watch her karate, you know? But *YAWN* somethings up with that arm. The other day she was happy to get it off."
"Allow me to introduce our first competitor, Jeremy Birnbaum!" Dojo Sensei said
On one side of the dojo a cloaked figure, sips water served to him by one butler while another butler massages his shoulders.
"Hiii-yah!"
He pushes the butlers away and throws off the cloak, instead of tall looming scary man a little boy was there standing on a footstool.
"That's Jeremy?!" Star questioned
"That kid can't be any more than eight years old!" Ferguson said
Jeremy starts laughing as some cheers were heard from the crowd.
Everyone looks over to see the young boy's parents holding "WE JEREMY" signs.
"We love you, son!"
"Shut it, Mom!" Jeremy said
"And his opponent, Marcia Diaz," Dojo Sensei introduced
Marcia appears on the other side of the dojo. Her body is half veiled by shadow and one lone yellow eye could be seen.
Everyone in the audience gasps at Marcia's entrance.
"Now that's an appendage," Jeremy's mother said
"Hey, wait! She's got a monster arm! That's not fair!" Jeremy shouted
"Yeah! Pretty cool, right?" Dojo Sensei said
"Hey uh Star? Has Marcia's eye's always been that color?" Ferguson questioned.
"No, they haven't," Star said narrowing her eyes in suspicion but she let out a large yawn.
Marcia's monster arm lashes around Jeremy's neck and tosses him around the dojo, thrashing the poor boy. The whole time a wicked grin was on the girl's face.
"Hey-oh!" Dojo Sensei said ducking the flying boy.
Jeremy is thrown into a trophy shelf and through the ceiling.
"Whoa!"
Jeremy falls back through the roof lands on the floor covered in bruises.
"Point, Diaz," Dojo Sensei said
Marcia doesn't say anything but keeps her her smile on her face as the monster arm lifts Jeremy back up.
"Hahaha! He's beaten. Now finish him!" Monster Arm said
Marcia's grin waivers and then she grabs her head with her normal hand, "What?"
"This is what you've always wanted. Destroy him! Eat his bowels!" Monster Arm shouted
"Not my bowels! I love my bowels!" Jeremy screamed
"I-I….wha-?" Marcia shakes her head, "I just wanted to win the tournament so he'd get over his weird little crush obsession over me."
"You're weak! How do you keep escaping my mind control!" Monster Arm yelled
"Mind control!" Star gasped out.
"I'll finish him myself!" Monster Arm yelled out ripping at Jeremy's shirt.
"AHHHHHHH!" Jeremy screamed
"Oh no, you don't! He may be an annoying little cretin but no one is disemboweling Jeremy!" Marcia yelled
"Ha! She totally has a thing for me," Jeremy said with a smug grin.
"Shut it you!" Marcia said pointing at Jeremy.
The monster arm throws Jeremy into a punching bag, the punching bag swings backward and hits Jeremy's face.
"Point, Diaz," Dojo Sensei said
The Monster Arm starts growling which turns into a roar and it attacks Marcia.
Marcia holds it back but it attempts to bite her face off.
"Not the face man!" Marcia yelled out, "Star?! You can change it back now!"
"Star!" Ferguson and Alfonzo yelled out. The two look over and gasp seeing that Star had fallen asleep.
"Star, you gotta wake up!" Ferguson said shaking the girl.
"Star!" Marcia yelled as the monster's teeth got too close.
"Staaaar!" Ferguson yelled
Alfonzo hands Ferguson a beverage.
"Oh, thank you so much," Ferguson said before drinking.
"No! On Star!" Alfonzo said
"Oh, right," Ferguson said
Ferguson splashes Star with the water, and she wakes up.
"Star!" Marcia yelled
The monster arm coils around Marcia's neck, choking her.
"*GASP* Returnio Armius Normalrino!" Star yelled using her wand.
Star blasts the monster arm with magic, but the monster arm dodges, and the beam turns a punching bag into an arm.
"Returnio Armius Normalrino!"
The monster arm dodges again, and Star's magic turns a dumbbell into an arm. A third blast turns a towel into an arm. A fourth blast creates a pair of arms next to the Dojo Sensei that pound together. The Dojo sensei Bows to the arms in return.
The monster arm keeps dodging Star's magic, creating arms all over the dojo.
"Whoa!" Alfonzo said
"I could do this all day," Monster Arm said
"Ugh! He's too wiggly!" Star said
"That is it!" Marcia yelled grabbing the arm. She wrestles the arm and pins it under her body, "Now!"
"Returnio Armius Normalrinooooo!"
Star's magic finally hits the monster arm, and it begins to shrink back to normal.
"You'll never get rid of me! I'm part of you now! You can treat the symptoms, but you'll never cure the viruuuus...!" Monster Arm said as it vanished.
"Marcia, are you okay?" Star asked going down to her friend.
"My arm! My beautiful arm. It's back to normal. Wow I really need a manicure," Marcia said
Marcia's happy smile quickly turns to pain as the fingers suddenly crack and snap out of place.
"And it's still totally broken!" Marcia cried out cradling her arm.
"Broken arm? Hah! Well, it looks like I win," Jeremy slides up to Marcia, "So how about you join the winner for a date?"
"If my arm wasn't broken I'd so hit you," Marcia said
Jeremy just smirks and holds up his gloves a set of golden brass knuckles falls out of one of Jeremy's gloves and clangs on the floor.
"Brass knuckles? Seriously?" Dojo Sensei said
"Pfft! Brass? They're gold," Jeremy said
"You two have brought shame and dishonor to this great and noble sport. 'Tis a sad day for strip mall dojos everywhere," Dojo Sensei said
Jeremy gets and angry look on his face before walking away.
"Oh-ho, bravo, son! Bravo!" Jeremy's mom said clapping.
"I wish I could fight you, Mom," Jeremy said
"What a turd," Ferguson said
"Thanks a lot, Star, I'm glad that thing is gone," Marcia said
"No problem," Star said
"Hey, uh, when the monster arm said he'd be back, that's nothing to worry about, right?" Marcia asked
"Uhhh...probably not?" Star said nervously.
Marcia gets a worried look on her face as she looks down and gulps.