baby

The door opened slightly, only a few inches but that was all it needed. It squeezed inside and shivered, it was not used to the cold temps that had befallen the APEC castle. It scuttled down the hallway, slipping from shadow to shadow. Few used this hallway, it led to the now dormant garden. At the end of the hall way was the main hall. It stopped there. While it had no eyes or ears, nor any apparent sensory organs, it turned unfailingly towards it's goal, six large chairs siting in a semicircle around a roaring fire. The chairs were all full at the moment but it only cared about one of the occupants.

It abandoned it's usual caution and scuttled across the floor as fast as it's "legs" would carry it. It was oblivious to the screams of several women who jumped out of it's way. It rolled under one of the chairs and stopped at the feet of one of the ladies sitting there. While the other sitting there lifted their feet off the floor and gasped, the one it had looked for continued reading the large book in her lap. It grabbed her pant leg and tugged. Heather closed her copy of Standard Book of Spells, grade two, and looked down. It waved several vines in the air, happy to have found her. Heather grinned down at it.

"OK, you found me," she sighed and patted her lap, "Come on." It climbed up her legs and settled in her lap, looking much like a lumpy green blanket. Heather patted it and looked around at the shocked faces. "What??? You act like you've never seen a Devil's Snare before?"

"But but it's..." mumbled Twilight.

"It's out, I mean..." stammered VisionAri.

"It's running around," finished dgre.

"Well yeah, but you see this little one has gotten quite attached to me. Hates to be apart for to long." said Heather petting the Snare draped across her legs. It reached up and wrapped a vine around her wrist. "Heather your, your.." said Twilight.

"Your treating it like, like..." stammered VisionAri.

"Like a pet." finished dgre. "I'm surprised you haven't named it yet."

"Oh but I did, it's name it Baby." smiled Heather.

"BABY?!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Baby was having fun.The greenhouse had been interesting but the castle was much better. Baby had climbed into the rafters and was now swinging from them. As it's body was made almost completely from vines, it had many "hands" with which to grab the beams. It stopped to "look" down at everyone.
Many of the ladies were gathered around the large table, dinner was almost ready. Large platters had been set on the table; beef, pork, lamb, whole chickens, and even a tray full of freshly steamed lobsters. Bowls of peas, corn, green beans, lima beans, and mashed potatoes. Trays pilled high with rolls, great slabs of butter, and fresh cheeses. Many bowls of soup; chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable, potato, and bean soup. And large dishes of fresh salads with all sorts of dressings.

Baby was watching one of the Kai's carrying out another bowl, this one of punch, when it miss judged the distance between rafters. *SPLASH* Baby landed in the punch bowl, dousing MyKai. The room erupted in laughter as punch dripped from MyKai's nose. Baby seemed content to float around in what was left of the punch looking much like a glob of seaweed.

MyKai spat out a mouthful of punch. "Someone spiked the punch again," he said. Baby climbed onto the edge of the bowl and shook itself. Drops of punch went everywhere and was meet with more laughter.
Oblivious to the mess it had caused, Baby jumped down and scuttled along on it's vines, disappearing under the table.

Everyone sat down to dinner, still giggling about Baby and the punch bowl. MyKai disappeared upstairs to change. Baby wandered around under the table. Dgrequeen sipped her wine and set the glass down. Laughing at one of necro's jokes, she grabbed the glass again only to find it empty. "I know I didn't sip THAT much," thought dgre has she refilled her glass. She turned to take a bowl of corn from Twilight. When she turned back, her glass was empty again. Dgre picked it up, wondering if it was cracked, but no, there was no wine of the table. She filled it again and reached for the butter. Turning back she slammed her fist on the table, it was empty again. Dgre looked around the table, was someone playing a trick on her? She was getting mad. Dgre filled the glass one last time and refused to take her eyes off it.

Shewren spotted dgre starring at her glass. She poked Angelmay and whispered to her. Angelmay poked Maritas and pointed at dgre. And so it went down the table, until everyone was glancing at dgre and wondering if she was feeling all right.

Under the table, Baby let out a satisfied burp. That was the best tasting water it had ever had *hic*

Twilight looked around. She had a roll a minute ago but now it was gone. She thought she must be loosing her mind, she must have eaten it and forgot she did. Down the table, necro turned to say something to lafem. When she turned back she realized half her steak was gone. Lafem noticed some of her peas were missing. Across from them, Angelmay realized her pile of mashed potatoes had disappeared. Shewren starred at her lobster, which a moment ago had both of it's claws, but was now missing one. Up and down the table, people looked around, wondering what had happened to the food on their plates.

Under the table, Baby let out a happy burp. She likes people food better then plant food. She looked around wondering what else to do. Baby was getting bored.

VisionAri slapped at her leg and looked down. "There must be a fly in here," she thought. She went back to eating. A few seconds later she felt it again, a feather light touch on her leg. This time she twitched her leg, the pressure disappeared. She had taken only a bite went it was back. Again and again she shook her leg and smacked at the unseen fly. She even bent down to look under the table and saw nothing. VisionAri growled, it was back but know there were TWO of them. It went on for a few more minutes, VA would slap and shake her leg, the feather light touches would come back. VisionAri cried out in frustration and pulled her legs up to her chest. People looked at her and wondered. VA said nothing, just reached around her knees and grabbed her fork.
Under the table, Baby waved her vines happily. That had been fun. Baby wondered what to do now?