"Liz! Liz! Get down here, you lazybones!" Henry, a grumpy old Lupe, shouted up the stairs of his farmhouse.

Upstairs, the young Usul put down her book with a sigh. What does he want now? Liz wondered, as she left her room and walked to the top of the stairs. "Yes, Uncle?"

"'Bout time!" the Lupe snapped. "Get out here! There are Slorgs in the vegetable patch, and I want you to get rid of them."

Liz cringed and shuddered. She hated de-Slorging the garden; it was tedious and slimy work.

"Come on now; stop dawdlin'!" her uncle shouted again.

Not wanting to further irritate the old Lupe, Liz sadly walked down the stairs and out the front door of the farmhouse. "And don't come back until there isn't one Slorg left in that garden!" her uncle yelled before slamming the door behind her.

Liz sighed and dragged an empty barrel toward the garden. Spotting a Slorg that was devouring one of their cabbages, she walked over and gently picked it up. "In you go..." Liz said as she carefully placed it in the barrel. Even though they were slimy creatures, she still didn't have the heart to harm them. Liz would release the Slorgs by the rubbish dump later, where they could eat all the apple cores and potato peels they wished.

"Well, that's one down..." she said, trying to quell the sense of despair that was welling up as she saw how much work was left ahead of her. The vegetable patch was absolutely teeming with Slorgs. Liz knew that she wouldn't be allowed back in for dinner until her chore was completed, so she had no choice but to continue. Giving a great sigh, she reached for another Slorg...

"Pfffp!" it squealed, slime oozing from its open lip. Its eyes were wide and glossy in the overcast light. It seemed small, alone -- even scared. She couldn't help but feel pity for the small creature, even if this behavior was very peculiar.

Usually, the Slorgs didn't even notice her, much less display their emotions to her. They were mostly content just to sit in the bucket, gurgle, and ooze, just like they did outside of the bucket. This one, however, was showing quite apparent fear to Liz, and didn't seem concerned about much else besides.

"It'll be okay," Liz reasoned, suddenly realizing how odd that sounded. Here she was, soothing a Slorg she would just dump by the Rubbish Dump soon anyways. "You won't have to be in the bucket long. Or be alone."

"Pfffp!" the Slorg squealed again, a fresh wave of drool oozing down the front of its body to pool around its body fetidly. Liz resisted the urge to cringe; the smell of it was completely disgusting.

"Don't worry," she said, patting it on the head. Its eyes did not blink. Shrugging, she turned away to reach for the next Slorg.

She stopped halfway, her eyes meeting those of what had once been the Slorg. She gasped in shock, recoiled, tripped over a knot in the earth, and tumbled backwards. The bucket was sent rolling across the ground; its terrified rider leapt out and landed beside Liz's ears with a squelch.

The thing that been a Slorg moments before now only somewhat resembled a Slorg. It was swollen to twice its normal size, although its skin had only stretched a very little, giving it the appearance of an over-stuffed sausage. Its eyes were vicious and bloodshot, and tinged a buttercup yellow. Cruel fangs curled from its jaw, which gushed with foul green ooze. It emitted a foul hiss, sliding forward with hideous grace.

The Slorg climbed onto Liz's shoulder as she jumped to her feet and took a step back. The Slorg gave her a nasty glare and continued to hiss, slime surging from its lips. From around her rose a cacophonous chorus of hisses.

The fear that had suddenly welled up within Liz was indescribable. The small Slorg that had been in the bucket, meanwhile, squealed frantically.

Liz looked around, shakily, eyes wide and lips parted in pure fear.

For around her, turning away from the cabbage patches, slinking across the muddy paths, were hundreds upon hundreds of oversized, monstrous Slorgs...

The Slorg closet to Liz opened up its slimy jaws and dove at its prey. Luckily, Liz's Usul instincts kicked in, and she quickly dove to one side. She scambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could away from the Slorgs.

"UNCLE!" she screamed, making her way through the vegetation. "UNCLE! HELP! MONSTERS!" Liz knew it was no use yelling. Her uncle had always been a bit hard of hearing and the house was too far away to be within earshot. All she could do was run for the house.

As she was making her way through the cabbage patch, she heard the familiar sound of squealing. She saw the barrel with the small Slorg a few feet away. The Slorg had a pitiful look in its eyes as it silently pleaded with Liz to take him with her. Liz looked up to find the monster Slorgs were moving surprisingly fast towards them. Although she knew she'd regret it, Liz leaped forward and grabbed the bucket and started to take the normal Slorg to safety.

But just as she was out of the cabbage patch, one of the Slorgs launched a giant slimeball from its mouth. The disgusting projectile hit Liz square in the back, knocking her face down in the dirt. When she tried to pull herself up, she found that the slime made an excellent adhesive and kept her and the bucket firmly glued to the ground.

Although she couldn't move her head very much, she could feel the presense of the Slorgs surrounding her, observing their meal. She tried to open her mouth to scream, only to be silenced by more rancid ooze filling her mouth. She looked up to find a large, hideous Slorg licking its slimy lips. The more Liz struggled to free herself, the more entangled she became in the ooze.

This can't be happening, her mind screamed. Please tell me I'm not about to become lunch for a giant Slorg! Her eyes widened with fear as the Slorg opened its mouth, preparing to swallow the ooze-covered Usul in one bite, when suddenly...

That's Uncle Henry's voice, Liz thought, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. He heard me!

The monstrous Slorgs were momentarily distracted from the ooze covered Usul as Henry made his way towards them, armed with a pitchfork.

"Now you best be leaving my niece alone," the old Lupe said in a scolding, ice-cold tone that left no room for argument.

His tone, however, did nothing to intimidate the massive horde of grotesquely enlarged Slorgs. Instead it appeared to anger them, and they turned completely away from the trapped Usul, hissing and baring their teeth as they stalked towards the lone Lupe.

Uncle run! Liz screamed in her mind. The ooze tasted disgusting in her mouth, but she found that it was slowly dissipating from around her, freeing her arms, then her legs and finally her mouth. "Uncle run!" she cried.

The old Lupe momentarily turned his attention to the little Usul girl; his sweet, caring niece.

"Silly child," he said, his tone as cold as ever. The Slorgs were now encircling Henry, but he was managing to fend them off with his pitchfork. "You run! There's a dozen salt motes in the shed," he lunged at another Slorg that was getting too close. "Get them quickly!"

She scooped up the tiny "normal" Slorg and raced obediently across the field, leaving her uncle to battle the overgrown Slorg horde. She had nearly reached the shed when she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye and heard a familiar, terrifying hissing sound...

Gurgling distastefully, the Slorg slid forward, surprisingly quick for its massive size. It let out a deep-throated hybrid of a roar and a cough, sending flecks of its gooey red saliva flinging through the air. One slapped Liz in the forehead, where it clung and burned like acid. She swiped it away, too terrified to move.

The Slorg in her hands oozed a pale green slime -- healthy, normal slime, not like the bubbling goo that came from these evil and oversized behemoths. The Slorg itself squealed in terror, but Liz could do nothing but stand straight before the creature, her feet glued down.

She had, in her haste, not seen the two strategically placed pools of strawberry-colored gunk, and now she was trapped. The Slorg before her was only a yard away, although it had ceased roaring.

That could only mean one thing, Liz realized. The Slorg was readying to spit another ball of goo at her, like the monstrous Slorg preceding it.

The Slorgs that had attacked Uncle Henry.

Liz tried not to think of what her uncle was facing as the Slorg neared her, ever closer, ever closer... So frozen in fright was she that she didn't notice the smaller Slorg sliding down her legs and oozing into the pools of gunk in which she'd stepped.

"Pfffp!" the Slorg shrieked as the monster Slorg hurled the ball of concentrated goop at her. In a split-second, Liz realized her legs were now free, and in the next, she lunged away from the Slorg's unsightly projectile. It crashed into the grass several feet away with the force of a cannon.

The Slorg groaned in annoyance. Liz turned to see what had freed her -- and saw the distinct trails of the little Slorg, who was now firmly clutched in her hand. The tiny creature let out a small, short gurgle.

Liz figured it out as she frantically dashed towards the shed. The normal, unaffected Slorg's slime had somehow counteracted with the monster Slorg's slime.

"Thanks," she murmured at the little Slorg.

"Burbbbbl," the Slorg replied.

Liz threw herself against the door of the shed, frantically pulling at the door handle. Behind her, the monster Slorg was undoubtedly approaching. She could hear its hissing as it slid down the pathway, towards the shed: towards her.

"Open, open!" she shouted at the door, pulling at it in a frenzy. It did not hold.

It was locked.

"It's locked!" Liz shrieked. The Slorg let out a startled squeak.

The monstrous Slorg was upon her. Horrible scenarios flooded her brain, of being trapped in the goo, of being bitten by those fangs, of being eaten by that terrible being...

"OPEN!" she shrieked, and threw her entire weight against the door...

I'll use that as an excuse next time Uncle Henry's bugging me about something, she promised herself with a sly grin as she picked herself up, dabbing the damp sweat from her fur with a shirt sleeve. Never know when those giant Slorgs will attack and we'll have to break down the door, eh, Uncle?

A crash from outside reminded her of her urgency. Pausing only to make sure that the normal Slorg was suctioned firmly to her leg, Liz grabbed a salt mote in each hand and jumped back over the shambles of the door to the disaster outside.

Uncle Henry was completely surrounded. Piles of sludge and goo blocked off any escape, and two towering Slorgs leered at him through their staring, protruding eyes. Henry was poking at them ineffectively with his pitchfork; they did not even feel its touch.

"Uncle Henry!" shrieked the Usul, getting the old Lupe's attention. He saw her, and tossed the slime-covered farm tool aside. "Catch!"

Liz's aim was true. Her salt mote flew neatly to its destination, and Henry caught it with a practiced eye. His expression, only moments ago panicked, now morphed into a fiery grin. "Payback, you slime!" he called to the Slorgs, brandishing the salt mote like a flag. "Liz, you take the one closest to you -- this one's mine!"

Liz obediently threw the salt mote at the nearest Slorg with all of her might, and her Uncle, grinning wildly, did the same...

Liz breathed heavily, relief flooding through her. Uncle Henry hurried up and embraced her in a tight hug.

The tiny, normal Slorg, however, did not seem so relieved; it let out a piercing screech.

The ground began to rumble. Heavy sloshing sounds could be heard. Something blocked out the sun, casting shadow on the entire field.

Slowly, Liz and Uncle Henry turned around. The Slorg's cries became louder, shriller.

An enormous Slorg, dripping with vivid orange glop, stood but a few meters away from the pair. It opened its colossal mouth, which was lined with jagged yellow teeth. Then it emitted a blood-curdling cry, neon green goo soaring from its mouth.

For a moment, the huge ball of slime seemed to hang in mid-air. Then, with the speed of a rocket, it came tumbling down, directly towards Liz and Uncle Henry...

Liz gasped as she fell to the ground painfully. She hurriedly pushed herself up and rushed to her uncle who was covered in the green slime.

She frantically began digging through the goo. "Uncle?!?" The slime began to burn her hands and arms, but she continued without stopping. She pulled her uncle out, and dragged him away from the pile of glistening, green slime.

Uncle Henry coughed and winced slightly, as the slime was causing his skin to burn like fire. Liz brushed the rest of the slime from him and glanced back at the giant Slorg that was steadily gliding toward them.

Liz helped her uncle stand. "A-are you all right?"

He nodded, coughing once more. "Of... course I am! You need to be more careful next time."

Liz managed a small smile, but it faded instantly as the huge Slorg fired another ball of slime from its dripping mouth.

Uncle Henry and Liz jerked backwards to avoid the goo, and the old Lupe gave his niece a shove. "Run!"

The two raced across the field, dodging the flying slime and the moaning, drying Slorgs. The small, normal Slorg slid up Liz's arm and rested on her shoulder, squeaking fearfully.

The giant, orange Slorg raced after them at a surprising pace and fired one slime ball after another at them.

One of the slime balls grazed Liz's arm, and she winced, falling forward to the ground. Uncle Henry slid to a stop and bent, grabbing her arm and helping her up. "Come on! To the house!"

Together, they ran into the farmhouse, and Uncle Henry slammed the door. They backed away from it, knowing that it would not keep out the huge Slorg for long.

Liz looked at her uncle with a fearful expression. "U-Uncle... what are we going to do?"...

Her faced drooped, and she could feel the warmth of tears welling in her eyes. She had to stay calm. Even her Uncle Henry, the man she thought would be able to solve any problem, was afraid and unsure. But there had to be something they could do. It was obvious that salt motes would not be enough to dry up the massive slimy beast; even a whole shedful would probably fail against all that goo!

The pair ran upstairs and peered out one of the many windows that lined the upper floor of the farmhouse. The massive orange Slorg was approaching with increasing speed, and its thick slime was dripping in massive puddles around its body as it moved.

"It's going to ram us!" Liz cried, and Uncle Henry wrapped an arm protectively around his niece's thin shoulders.

Thin? The thought was important, the thought had purpose. Uncle Henry's mind whirled as the Slorg slammed hard into the side of the house, causing it to shake violently under the force. Then a pair of massive eye stalks moved in front of the window, eyeing the pair of frightened Neopians who huddled within.

"We may not have enough salt to defeat the whole beast," Uncle Henry said cryptically, "but your aim is as sure as anyone's I've ever known." The house rattled under a second charge made by the massive orange Slorg. "If you can hit that monster's eye stalks we might just be able to beat it..."

"What's your plan, Uncle?" she asked. Uncle Henry's eyes darted around the room.

"There's nothing in here you'd be able to lift," he said, gesturing at the table and chairs that stood near the opposite wall, "but I have something that just may work." The Lupe held up his pitchfork, coated with sickly green Slorg slime.

The house shook so fiercely that the chairs were knocked over. Liz could hear books falling from shelves in a neighboring room. She and Uncle Henry lost their balance and toppled to the ground.

"But, Uncle!" Liz breathed as she helped Henry to his feet. "It's an impossible shot. I don't think I could..." She faltered, seeing the earnest look in her uncle's eye.

"I know you can, child. This is our only way out. Should you miss, there would be no time to find other ammunition. You have one shot, and I truly believe that you can save us."

His paws shook as he handed the gardening tool to Liz. She grasped it, feeling the weight and growing accustomed to balancing the long pole in her hand.

"Open the window! We've got to hurry before the next--"

The farmhouse trembled violently. The force of the monstrous Slorg's blow sent chairs tumbling, but the pair somehow manage to stay on their feet. Before Liz had time to think, Uncle Henry threw open the window, and she was suddenly staring into a repulsive, inflamed eye.

She pulled back her arm, and she heard the little Slorg squeal with the sudden movement. Liz put her whole weight into the action. Running, maneuvering the pole as a javelin, she launched the pitchfork with every ounce of strength she possessed.

Her aim hit the mark. The pitchfork struck the Slorg's eyestalk just below a protruding retina. It roared in pain and threw its head back in fury. Uncle Henry grabbed Liz (who was now firmly clutching the normal Slorg to her chest) and dragged her to the ground.

The earth heaved beneath them. Unrecognizable sounds could be heard outside. Liz felt something wet hit her leg and knew from the immediate, searing pain that it was a blob of the massive Slorg's slime.

And then it was over. Silence filled the niece and uncle's world. Sweet, blissful silence that was louder than any roar. They cautiously got to their feet and peered out the window.

The ground was covering in a thick blanket of multicolored slime. One spot, directly below the window, was especially thick. This was the only sign of the mutated Slorg.

"You did it!" Uncle Henry said, giving Liz's shoulder a squeeze. Liz surveyed the scene of disarray with a sense of pride. She patted the normal Slorg's head fondly.

"Yeah, I guess I did." She glanced down at the makeshift battle scene. Not so long ago, it was a thriving garden. "We ought to start cleaning up, shouldn't we?"

Uncle Henry didn't reply at first. A grin spread from his mouth to his eyes.

"Yes, we should. But first, I'm going out and buying a Slorgeriser X4 and ten gallons of Slorg-B-Gone."

Liz returned the smile, the first she had worn all day.

The End