I Was Just Trying to Buy a TV
Human: James
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Symbiote: Poison
Color: Purple
TW: Human sex trafficking, mention of rape and kidnapping.
James was driving to a pawn shop down the street. Him and his symbiote, Poison, wanted a new TV since the last one, uh, broke. James had gotten some cash, wanting to not deal with any credit card debt.
Once they made it to the pawn shop, James put in his earbuds. He always puts in his earbuds when going out in public. For two reasons, to give him and his internal guest some music, and to cast the illusion that he’s talking to someone on the phone via bluetooth, instead of the reality of talking to his inner demon.
“Alright bud, what are we thinking?”
“I am thinking why are we at a pawn shop for a tv? We could go to Best Buy or Target! Why here?”
“In case you forgot, we got banned from those places, thanks to you.”
“Oh yeah. But that employee looked at us funny!”
“We’re customers in a building full of expensive stuff. Of course he was a bit worried.”
“Does not excuse him to look at us funny!”
“Also, don’t forget, our conversations, to him, is me yelling at a guy at the other end of the phone call. Not an alien bonded with me.”
Then they walked into the store. Instantly they noticed the only other person in there was the owner.
“Hello! Welcome to my shop. All items are labeled and the prices are final.”
“Thanks.” James responded.
“That TV is too small.” Poison said in his head.
“Really?”
“I’m sorry?” The owner asked
James just pointed at his earbuds and folded his three inner fingers in, making a mock phone with his hand, and put it to his ear.
“Ah. Got it.” He smiled back.
“I don’t trust him.”
“You don’t trust anybody.”
“Not true. I trust you.”
“Yeah, that’s one person, name another.”
Poison was silent.
“My point exactly.”
The two of them continued to look around, but they were not able to find something they liked. Well, nothing Poison liked.
“This is stupid and pointless. We should go to Best Buy in the town over.”
“Or I could ask him if he has anything.”
James took out his earbuds and put them away as he walked to the front counter.
“Done with your phone call?”
“Yeah. Now question for you. I am looking for something-”
“Incredible! Amazing!”
“Incredible, amazing even. Would you have anything in stock like that?”
The owner raised an eyebrow before he began to smile.
“I don’t like that smile.”
“So, you are looking for something, exclusive?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did he say it like that?”
“Then I got just the thing for you. And she is a beaut.”
“Why did he call a TV, ‘she’? It’s not a car or motorcycle. And calling those things she is weird too.”
“Nice. What can you tell me about her?” James asked, deciding to play along.
“She is the best item we got instock. She is well used, but she’ll still be great for you.”
“Can I see her?”
“Unfortunately, she’s not here. She is at another store. But you can purchase her now and I’ll send them a text saying she has been purchased. You give them the paperwork, and she’ll be all yours.”
“Why does he continue to call her she?”
“Ok. I’m not going to buy something I know nothing about though.”
“Fair enough. Well, she’s the best on the block. We just got her two days ago. She’s 12 years old.”
“Wait, 12?”
“I didn’t think TVs could last that long.”
“Do you have a picture of her? Just want to make sure she’s as excellent as you say.”
“If this TV is 12 years old and as excellent as he says, she, shit, I mean it must be really good.”
“Of course.” The owner began to type away on his computer. “And here she is.”
He turned the screen to them and that is when they realized why he was calling the TV ‘she’. He wasn’t talking about a TV at all. He was talking about a 12 year old little girl.
“WHAT THE FUCK! I KNEW WE COULDN’T TRUST HIM! LET ME EAT HIM!”
James was about to agree with the symbiote when an idea came to mind.
“I agree, she is a beaut. How much for her?”
“WHAT! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?”
“Well, seeing that this is your first purchase from me, I am willing to give you a discount. Let’s say, uh, $400 and you can pick her up later tonight.”
“How about $500 and I pick her up now?”
The owner/trafficker smiled.
“It’s a deal.”
“WHAT!”
James gave the horrid man the 500.
“Alright. This has the address of the warehouse. And show this to them to let them know you purchased her. And I will text them the details of this purchase and that you’re on your way.” The trafficker said as he handed them a business card with only an address and a piece of paper with all the details of the purchase. Once he handed them to him, he grabbed his phone and texted someone. “And done. They know you’re on your way.”
“Thanks. Ok, now you can eat him.”
“What?”
“Not you, him.”
“Who?”
James trusted his hand out, nowhere near close enough to touch the man, but when he did, massive purple and black tendrils shot from his arm, hitting the man in the chest, sending him flying back to the back wall.
“What the fuck?”
Poison began to grow around James, making him grow in size, until Poison covered every inch of James’s body.
“Kidnapping children is a bad thing to do. Thank you for telling us where she is.”
Another set of tendrils extended out to grab the phone the man dropped when they attacked.
“And thank you for this. Now, I am going to enjoy feasting upon you.”
“Oh God, no!”
Poison quickly pulled the man towards them and quickly bit off his head.
“I see what you were doing. You needed a location to go save her. But, before we go. I want this back.”
Poison opened the cash register and pulled out their $500.
“Ok, let’s go.”
Poison receded back into James’s body and the two of them left with the owner’s phone. As they left, Poison closed and locked up the store.
/
The two of them finally made it to the warehouse. On the ride there, Poison was working on the owner’s phone, making sure everything was clear for them. Fortunately, everything was. So when James knocked on the front door. A man opened the door and James gave him the paperwork. The doorman smiled.
“Right this way.”
And so, these monsters gave James and Poison a quick tour of the warehouse, and there were a lot of children in cages. It was a horrible sight. But the men led them to an office above, who they assumed belonged to the man in charge of this place.
They walked in and were greeted by a big guy in a suit.
“Thank you for your purchase my good sir. We hope you enjoy your new toy.” He smiled as he pulled a chain and the girl from the computer screen stumbled out. “I would say take good care of her, but I really don’t care.”
James nodded.
“Poison.” He said.
“Excuse me?”
“Now.”
Several purple tendrils shot from his body, hitting everyone, but the girl, throwing them back to the walls. Some died upon impact. Poison began to cover his body again.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“Trafficking people is already a horrible thing to do. But children? Trafficking children has only one punishment.” Poison pulled the boss towards him and ate his head. “Beheading.”
Poison quickly killed the other men before shrinking back down into James to check on the girl without frightening her.
“Are you alright?” James asked.
The girl recoiled and scooted back into a wall.
“It’s ok. We won’t hurt you.”
“What is that thing?” She asked.
“He’s a friend. His name is Poison.”
Then some tendrils emerged from his body, creating Poison’s face.
“Hello, little one. I will not hurt you. We are here to save you and the rest of the children here. What is your name?”
“Hannah.”
“Nice to meet you Hannah. Now, I am going to take that nasty collar off you, alright?”
“Ok.”
Slowly and gently, Poison unlocked the collar and took it off her.
“You are safe now.”
“Thank you.”
Poison spread around James again before picking her up.
“Hold on.”
The little girl hugged onto the symbiote right before they jumped out a window out of there. He ran her quickly to somewhere out of danger and gave her the pawn shop owner’s phone and the business card with the address.
“Hannah. Call 911 and tell them there are child kidnappers at this address.”
“Ok.”
Poison leapt back into the warehouse. Very quickly, bullets began to fire and bodies were dropped, and Poison got a feast of a lifetime. It didn't take very long for there to be only one trafficker left.
“Please no! Don’t!”
“Kidnapping children for sex earns you no mercy.”
“What the fuck are you!?”
A part of Poison’s face resided, revealing a part of James’s face.
“We are Poison.”
“We are Poison.” They said together.
Poison’s face covered James’s again before he bit off his head.
Then the two of them began unlocking every cage, collar, shackle on the children. Rescuing all of them. Seeing the big guy killing everyone who hurt them gained their respect for him. And then the Symbiote showed them the way out. When they got there, they were met with the whole police force and SWAT. Lights and guns were aimed at the alien.
“STOP! Let the children go!” Someone shouted.
“Children. Go to them. They will help you find your families.”
“What about you?”
“We’ll be fine.”
Then the unexpected happened, all the children hugged him. Including Hannah, who had to run from the cops to him. When she did that, all guns were lowered.
“Thank you, Poison.” They said together.
“Go now. They’ll protect you.”
The kids all began to walk towards the police. Once they got there, cops started giving them blankets and put them in ambulances to get them checked up on. And of course, all guns were aimed back at the symbiote.
“Alright, now get down on your knees and hands behind your head!”
“You know, I think it’s time we moved.” James said from within.
“Agreed.”
Before the cops could react, Poison leapt into the air and began to run away, faster than the cops to follow.
“Where to?”
“I don’t. But let’s get out of the US. Maybe Canada.”
“A good start. But perhaps we can go somewhere in Europe.”
“Works for me.”