“Did you touch it with your hands?!”

He shook his head. Of course she didn’t trust him, because how else would a kid play with a toilet frog?

“Is it your friend? Should we take it home?”

He shook his head. “It tried to bite me.”

Knowing her son, she couldn’t help but feel exasperated. She could just imagine him sticking his hand in for the monster to bite then pulling it back and giggling when the monster didn't manage to eat him.

She sighed very deeply. There was a big possibility that neither of them would last the week.

She looked to Squiggs who seemed to be eyeing the frog like it would make for a good lunch. Then she gave a nod.

“Yoosif!”

“Who is that?”

“Squiggly. You’ll meet him after you’re done saying goodbye to your teacher.”

Mrs. James placed her hand on her chest in genuine relief.

“What are your plans from here?” Wyvern asked her.

“I think I’ll go home and make sure my partner is okay.”

Wyvern thought for a second and then said seriously, “The world is about to go through an Armageddon. I want you to know that even though it doesn’t seem like it, teaching children is still important. It might not be obvious right away, but your profession has worth. Don’t ever let anyone ever tell you otherwise.”

She swallowed then nodded.

“But it also wouldn’t be a bad idea to grab a steel bar for your own protection.”

She looked at Marshmallow and chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Wyvern put her kid down. “Say goodbye to your teacher. With any luck, you’ll see her again someday.”

Little Cutie walked up and hugged Mrs. James while blinking his big adorable eyes up at her. “Bye!”

***

Wyvern held the hand of her little boy and her little goblin as she walked with them outside the school. Her big, white kitty slowly walked next to them. She nodded to the few remaining parents who were collecting their kids.

They stared at her with wide eyes and slightly open mouths.

She’d planned to drive her car back while Marsh ran beside it. But then their group reached her car.

She stared at it, dumbfounded.

The whole thing had been crumpled. Hers wasn’t the only one either. All the cars behind hers looked like a wrecking ball had rolled over them.

There were people running around on cell phones. Some were crying.

But Wyvern, who was absolutely exhausted, was entirely done with this shit.

She peered into the passenger seat and managed to wiggle out her scratched sunglasses and her boy’s. She gave one pair to Squiggs and put on the other pair herself.

Then she turned to Little Cutie. “How would you like to ride a giant kitty?”

His eyes grew wide and he threw up his hands. “Yeah!”

***

Officer Ferdinand saw a giant, brown boulder bounce down the road. The massive ball was covered in a thick, dark fur and made the strangest low-pitched noise he’d ever heard. Not having the time to turn his car on, he threw open the doors and jumped out just before the thing crushed his car.

Then he watched with horror as it continued down the hill and jumped over a trolley. He thought it was going to stop… but then it continued up the hill on the other side. It rolled into the trolley station parking lot and started crushing the cars there as if it had a vendetta.

“Afternoon, officer!”

He turned his attention from the weird, furry boulder to see a large, familiar woman, wearing sunglasses and riding on the back of a trotting cat-like monster. In front of her sat a little boy yelling, “Woohoo!”

And behind her stood a goblin, also wearing sunglasses, shouting, “Voohoo!”

Officer Ferdinand brought out his cellphone and called his boss right there and then. “I quit.”

***

Wyvern reached her small house and had Marshmallow lay down so everyone could get off him. She gave him a treat with some of the monster rat meat that was still left.

Fortunately, the house appeared to be intact. And that was when she noticed the giant spider sitting in the corner of her front porch.

Considering how normal spiders just adored taking up residence there, she shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Great.”

“Mom! Look! It’s a Halloween spider!”

It was not.

Both she and her husband were slightly arachnophobic, so this spider had to die.

But, since it was just chillin’ there, she pulled out her phone, then stopped her boy from attempting to play with it. She took a picture and sent it to her author’s group.

Wyvern Cuddles: Yo! Have any advice on how to kill it?

Boats: Burn it with fire?

Wyvern Cuddles: If only I could. @Wraith, What about you?

Wraith: What tools do you have?

Wyvern Cuddles: A couple swords. A goblin and a fluffy cat monster.

Wraith: What? Hold on, what did I miss?

Wyvern Cuddles:

Wraith: If you can tame that, then why don’t you just tame the spider?

Wyvern Cuddles: First of all. I don’t like spiders. Secondly, I’m out of slots until I reach level 5.

Blake: You’re not level 5? What are you even doing?

Wyvern Cuddles: T.T Look, I know I’m not the best here but come on! I’m just trying to get my son home. We’re so close.

Blake: I know. I’m just messing. And I got to go. I’m about to level again, and I see a monster that looks like just enough XP to get my wife and I there.

Wyvern Cuddles: Good luck!

Boats: Good Luck!

Wraith: Okay. Well, when I was attacking the giant spider in my apartment, I noticed its joints were very weak. You may want to start there.

Staria: Some spiders carry babies on their back, so you might want to double check you aren’t killing one big spider just to get your whole house infested by small ones.

Wyvern Cuddles: Well, thank you for that horrifying thought. I’ll let you all know how it goes!

Wyvern pulled out her sword and studied the bulbous black butt that looked like a screaming skull and shined as if polished.

The spider stared at her with eight unblinking eyes.

A chill ran down her spine. While the little bit of exposure therapy she'd gone through had helped take the edge off her phobia, it didn’t make it go away. And dealing with the giant version of the thing she feared wasn’t helping.

Squiggly suddenly yelled, “Gobo!” and ran up to the spider.

Marshmallow, not wanting to be left behind pounced after him. “MmmmRooooower!”

“Wait!”

“Woohoo!” Little Cutie also yelled.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “You wait here!”

Squiggs took pointless swipes at its legs. Marsh batted at it, only to have it jump to the other side of the porch.

It crouched making Marsh miss.

Wyvern gritted her teeth.

Then she ran up to the spider only to dunk under its leg.

It lowered its butt and sprayed a thick web at Wyvern. She just took a step back when it struck her feet. That webbing held her in place better than cement.