The Gallows Seaside Restaurant was famous for two things: their delicious seafood and the chefs who prepared them. Eddie and Cynthia were childhood best friends turned lovers who decided to marry and pursue their culinary careers together. Both of them shared a dream of opening a restaurant of their own, but had to settle for being the subordinates to a not-so friendly boss. Their boss' attitude changed after a month or so though when he realized that his income was increasing heavily after their arrival.
When people tasted their aquatic dishes, their manager knew that the couple had outgrown their titles as Poissoners. He needed to keep them around for as long as possible, so they were promoted from working solely in the seafood section of the kitchen to being a tag team as Entree Chefs. They were still subordinates to certain co-workers, but their high rank allowed them to oversee more dishes in the kitchen even if they didn't involve any type of fish- their judgment was entrusted by many.
Eddie and Cynthia have been the talk of the town ever since, with television commercials promoting The Gallows by stating, "Try Ed & Cyn's signature Fried Calamari!" for their calamari was the freshest and most delectable meal the neighborhood has ever tried. It's quite a feat to have your appetizer as a star dish, but people were simply amazed by how the couple could transform such a normal recipe into something filled with exceptional flavor- even without marinara sauce.
Their talented fingers worked wonders in the kitchen for the past three years. However, what those fingers were missing were some skills in the bedroom.
Eddie was a very patient man, striving for himself and his wife to reach their dreams. He was well aware that Cynthia came from a background of toxic relationships, so he made sure he would be compassionate enough to not pressure her for sex. Their jobs came above all else, but sometimes, he wished for a break. He wanted to quit being the famous culinary couple and go back to the good ol' days where all they had was each other.
The Gallows was an epicenter for citizens and tourists alike to stuff their faces with all types of crustaceans. All meals were caught in the ocean that resided just feet across from the establishment. It was a perfect spot to run to after a long day of sun tanning and beach volleyball.
However, on one summer day seemingly no different from another, there was an earthquake.
"What the-?!" Cynthia cried, being thrown off balance by the sudden rumble. She leaned on a kitchen counter for support. She was on duty with Eddie and several other chefs, dressed in an all-white button up chef's coat with black pants and an apron tied around her waist.
"Nobody said anything about an earthquake today!" Eddie said.
"How long do you think it'll last? We can't work like this!" Cynthia replied. The rumble was unlike no other because this community never experienced earthquakes before. It was a natural disaster nobody could have predicted.
Eddie and Cynthia's co-workers were stunned into silence, too afraid to say anything as if uttering another word would bring on more chaos. One of the male chefs who was closest to the exit door nodded to Eddie, signaling him to rush outside to see what was going on.
Stepping towards the door, Eddie announced, "We're going to check outside. Stay here!"
The dining area was filled with concerned customers, and a few were complaining about how this earthquake was disturbing their meal, as if the employees were responsible for the incident.
"My food fell on the floor!" One woman cried, "I am NOT paying for that!"
Eddie and his co-worker ignored the comment as they brushed past the customers and walked outside to see a mysterious object lurking in the ocean. It was just under the currents and its dark shadow moved along with the waves. A few beachgoers were stepping back from the water cautiously but were debating whether or not to run. However, once the mysterious object broke free from the ocean floor and extended itself into the sky, that's when the real horror began.
Grown men screamed like little babies, teenagers recorded the creature and laughed to hide their fear, women grabbed their children and jetted straight out of the beach. Everyone was heading in the same direction which was to their parked cars and bikes in the parking lot, but this monster was quick. It slapped its limb onto the sandy ground, crushing several victims in its path. The length of this thing touched upon the first step of the wooden staircase that connected to the boardwalk.
Its limb was that of a typical octopus, with millions of tiny suction cups littering its underbelly. Sprinkles of murky green seaweed and sand was mixed inside the sheet of jelly coating this girthy specimen. It would be impossible to lick this sucker clean of all the muck. If the chefs could come any closer, they would see its microscopic pores spilling more gel onto itself. It was the world's most unsanitary lubricant.
"What the fuck!?!" Eddie's boss ran to him, "Get back inside! Lock the doors!"
Eddie's co-worker whipped his head towards the manager and snapped.
"We ain't locking no fucking doors. That won't help us!"
"Well, I'm not standing out here to die," their boss said, "Get in here now!"
"We'll die if we don't do anything, Cabrón! Stop thinking about a paycheck and move these people outta here!"
The long tentacle showed its suctions again, but this time with the blood of its victims painted underneath. More tentacles were crawling out from the ocean, along with this thing's bulbous head. Its cranium was unbelievably huge, it's a wonder how no one was aware of its presence until it arrived on land.
Customers spotted the aquatic monster from indoors and started to flee from the restaurant. Some left their precious food behind while others were stuffing it in their mouths. Unlucky were the few that got caught in this creature's trap, as they would run straight into the path of one of its long, meaty tentacles as it would slam on the ground to adjust to dry land.
Car alarms were alive, announcing that they too were in danger as the creature smashed them into concrete. Their windows broken, tires deflated and owners likely dead. It was a miracle that Eddie, his boss, and his co-worker remained unscaved as they stood in fear watching this thing destroy their community.
Eddie's bottom lip trembled as he struggled to find the right words, but once they were found it was like life snapped back into his body. He gasped loudly and cried:
"Cyn!" and reverted back into The Gallows.
The restaurant stood strong, being unaffected by the wrath of this beast while other businesses were being demolished beside it, but Eddie didn't take no chances. He believed that it would only be a matter of time before this place would be torn a part as well, so he needed to reach Cynthia fast. Eddie called out to his wife as he sped into the kitchen. To Eddie's surprise, Cynthia was the only remaining chef in the restaurant. She was now sitting in a fetal position on the tile floor in the corner, jerking violently as she heard the havoc outdoors.
"Estás bien, mi amor?" Eddie bent down, "Where are the others?"
"T-they l-left! The back door..." Cythnia shivered, "I waited for you! Are you okay?!"
"Of course I am, but baby," Eddie pulled her up on her feet and wiped a tear from her cheek, "You're hurt..."
Cynthia swatted his hand away, "I'm not. Mira, I'm fine...Let's just leave! Please..."
Another quake rang in the couple's ears, this one far too close for comfort because it rattled the cooking supplies so much that a pot of boiling water fell from the counter. The pot nearly hit Cynthia and Eddie's feet and the pair were saved from being burned thanks to their shoes.
The couple escaped from the kitchen and made it outdoors, but now nobody else was present. Nobody was running or screaming, their boss and co-worker were gone too. Eddie couldn't help but wonder if they survived long enough to get into their cars and drive home. The man was surely a blind optimist.
"Ed, let's move!" Cynthia tugged on his arm, seeing her husband in stunned silence as he stared at the creature. This was no typical octopus. The color scheme was all off, it was a neon teal color. The pigment you'd see in those high-class pools you'd see in Beverly Hills. The color of pure relaxation was nowhere to be found on this mutant.
"Y-yes, sorry" Eddie answered, needing to be yanked out of his spot to start running again. The couple made it pretty far at first, practically leaping towards the parking lot and dashing past poor civilians who laid lifeless on the ground.
"Do you have the keys?" Eddie asked, once they were close to the car.
