Kat laughed and twirled her wand around. Dan was suddenly spinning in his tank. It was like being trapped in a whirlpool. He passed out as he was unable to extract oxygen from the violently churning water. When he came too, he was in a fancy professional kitchen.
"Well, that's quite a handsome catch. I've never seen a lobster that big before. I bet you could feed twenty people with that monster!"
"Twenty-five. But don't get any ideas, Marcel, it's for Kat's birthday party. They want us to wheel it out so they can see it's live at the beginning. Then while they eat appetizers, salad and chowder, we'll cook this monster. It would probably be easiest to broil, but she wants it boiled. That's why we've got that special tank over there."
"Cooking tank? But I thought that was a new sink for washing pots?"
"It's a five foot diameter pot. You should probably start the water boiling, it'll take at least an hour or two to get all the water boiling. And it will probably take four of us to throw him in. Good thing his claws are already banded. They could do some serious damage."
"Why is its mouth muzzled?"
"Well, when you've got a lobster that big, I bet its jaws could damage a man."
Dan struggled with his rubber and wire bonds to now avail. How could Kat do this to him? I mean he'd never done anything this mean to her! Now with has jaw pieces wired together he couldn't even speak.
The kitchen was busy with preparations, and as Dan stared helplessly at the big pot steam started to rise from the cauldron which would be the end of him. He cried tiny tears from his stalk eyes. He said a silent prayer, and added a plea to his sister. If she could do this to him, she could probably read minds, he thought.
I CAN READ MINDS, boomed Kat's voice in his tiny brain. AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN SAY TO AVOID BEING MY BIRTHDAY DINNER. OH, AND SINCE YOU ARE TOO RUDE TO JOIN US FOR APPETIZERS,SALAD AND SOUP, I INVITED YOUR BOYFRIEND ALEX TO JOIN US.
ALEX IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND, Dan's mind screamed back, HE'S MY BEST FRIEND.
WHATEVER! SEE YOU SOON, AND I SKIPPED LUNCH SO I'LL BE REALLY HUNGRY. HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, Kat's voice cackled in Dan's head.
It was 6:48, when the first guests arrived. Dan had been wheeled in his tank into the corner of the dining room. His little green hearts jumped as he saw his grandmother arrive with Auntie Serena. The waiters helped tie on lobster bibs. Dan sobbed uncontrollably for his untimely fate, he was only 16. But lobster tears in a tank of sea water go unnoticed by humans.
Hans, Victor, Anna, Gretchen, Alex, Tyler, Mona, and Rick arrived as a group. A host of uncles, aunts and cousins filled the table. Until finally, at 7:10, Kat and Dan's parents arrived fashionably late. Kat sat at the head of the table with twelve seated on either side. Two waiters wheeled Dan out to the opposite end of the table.
Everyone ooh'd and ah'd at how big the lobster was, and how delicious it would be. Dan looked pleadingly at his family and friends surely his parents would see through Kat's evil magic.
NOT A CHANCE, LOBSTERBOY, Kat's voice interrupted his thoughts, ON HER BIRTHDAY A WITCH'S POWER IS ABSOLUTE. GOOD BYE, I SHALL RELISH YOUR DYING SCREAMS AS YOU BOIL TO DEATH, DAN. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.
The waiters wheeled his tank around the long table so everyone can get a good look. He got a good look at everyone wearing their plastic lobster bibs with red lobsters printed on them. They were really going to eat him. He was going to die. Then Dan was pushed back toward the swinging kitchen door, and certain death. He skitters his feet and looks imploring at his sister and the other dinner guests. Well, it was imploring for a lobster, but the hard shell expression was not readily recognizable to humans. The door swung shut behind the waiters, and all hope closed with it.
The water was boiling loudly,and rubber gloved hands grabbed hold of his shelled body and started to lift him out of his tank. He struggled, he was fighting for his life.