Mary E. Lowd - Eight Ways (Lyrics)

Based on Mary E. Lowd's short story "Eight Ways" from her anthology "Hot Chocolate for the Unicorn and Other Flights of Fancy". Album playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFfCjUQtsQpmk7lac1bNchiGauf4MCTwN Listen on All Platforms (vol.1): https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/maryelowd/hot-chocolate-for-the-unicorn-and-other-flights-of-fancy-volume-1 Listen on All Platforms (vol.2): https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/maryelowd/hot-chocolate-for-the-unicorn-and-other-flights-of-fancy-volume-2 Read the story: https://deepskyanchor.com/eight-ways/ Read the book: https://marylowd.com/books/other/#hot-chocolate-for-the-unicorn More music: https://marylowd.com/music Lyrics: Blake said octopuses were smart But it was hard to believe Looking at the squirming mass In the storage cell beneath Just a blur of reddish brown Squishy, slippery limbs Then he saw the scar between the eyes Halloween orange, goat-like, grim "Look at all the good it did you to escape" Blake taunted, "But now it's right back into the frying pan" But the scarred one was prepared this time An octopus with a plan Tentacles climbing higher, sucker discs that kiss and cling Wrapping around his wrist, his arm, his shoulder Beaks like needles grinding in Stuffing down his throat until his jaw cracked open They work together, moving as one Filling the spaces where his organs should be The octopuses won (Octopuses are smart and they won) Dave watched from the kitchen window As the boat came back to dock Blake lurched off like a silhouette But he wasn't moving right Katarina whispered "That's not Blake" Put down the knives she'd been sharpening As the figure squelched and rattled Closer through the darkening Reddish brown and writhing Where his skin should be Octopus bodies stretched over bone Nestled where his heart should beat Tentacles working together, operating skeletal sticks Moving him like a marionette Orange eyes staring from his ribs The scarred one wrapped around his skull Operating his broken jaw And in his mouth, a smaller one Blue-ringed, deadly, raw There isn't much that's scarier than An angry octopus with a plan Dave couldn't believe what he was seeing So he didn't run at all The skeleton reached out with both its arms Pulled him close and kissed his face Poisoned bite, and Dave began to fall Katarina held her breath behind the counter While the creature touched everything Dragged Dave's spasming body back Back to the sea, back to the deep She fell asleep in terror Dreamed of armies made of bone Woke to morning sunlight And found she wasn't alone Tiny pearls like seeds, clinging to every surface Everywhere the creature touched last night Milky membranes in the sun Filled with fetal tentacles waving inside They work together, they remember The ones who tried to make them die Now they're building something new here Eight ways to multiply There isn't much that's scarier than An angry octopus with a plan The octopuses won... (The octopuses won) The restaurant's called Eight Ways (For the eight arms they possess) But now there's eight ways and more (Coming up from the depths) They were smart, we should have known (Should have seen it in their eyes) Now the blue plate special's changed (And the ocean's on the rise) Orange eyes with jagged scars (They remember, they return) Eight arms working as one (And we've got so much to learn) #Fantasy #ShortStories #BookSoundtrack