WP: Vacuum

Today’s prompt word is vacuum!¹

The noise was deafening. The whirrs, the clicks, the pops, the roar of it all; Pepper sought refuge underneath the recliner as the beast came closer. It rarely ever went to areas that Pepper considered safe, though sometimes it intruded on her carefully-curated collections. A few minutes of tidying was a small price to pay for having to fight off the monster that appeared with such regularity.

Penny stalked behind it, directing where it should sniff next. Pepper wasn’t sure how she managed to control such ferocity, but anyone capable of corralling such a creature must be deserving of many licks. Licks of love, that is. The sound grew louder, and Pepper shivered. It was near. The all-encompassing sound rattled in Pepper’s skull as she waited, panting in spite of herself. Finally, she could take it no longer.

Peeking out from beneath the chair, she yelped as the eyes of the monster took her by surprise. She sprinted, claws digging into the carpet, as her nemesis followed her every move, zigging left and zagging right. A quick glance behind showed that she was faster than her pursuer, but the tripwire cable that had been laid malicious wait had everything it needed to do its job. Pepper tumbled with a scream, groaning as her head knocked a low cabinet.

Peter’s voice echoed over the din. Pepper’s heart beat faster. Did he need help? Was he in danger? Of course he was in danger, that thing is a danger to everyone. What a silly question. Scrambling to her feet again, Pepper skidded out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Where was Peter? Was he taken by the spell?

Frantically searching, the voice she sought sounded behind her. Whirling, she caught a glimpse of the fair-haired man; he stood at the counter in the kitchen, which meant she must have barreled right past him earlier. She looked up at him as she came close, relieved to see a smile flit across his face. The relief was short-lived though; her eyes darted towards the doorway as the devil’s roar became louder.

Suddenly, it appeared in front her, its glowing eyes filled with hate and destruction. She could see Penny just behind it, though whether she was in charge of the Eldritch horror or captive of it, Pepper was unsure. Either way, it was a good reason to fight.

Rage filled her chest as she stared at the monster. How dare it disturb the sanctity of their home? How dare it make her worry about Penny and Peter? Righteous fury pulsed through her veins as she squared up against the unmoving demon. “Get back!” She yelled, hoping against hope that it could hear her over its own screams. “Begone! Leave here!”

To her complete surprise, the monster stood there, unmoving. Still, it screamed; never drawing breath, never wavering in its convictions. Her legs shook as the adrenaline continued to push her forward. “You must leave! This is my house!” Slowly, she advanced into the face from hell, daring it to even think about returning one of the insults she had hurled at it. To her complete and utter surprise, it bowed to her challenge and the light dimmed from its eyes.

The steady howling quickly ceased, the sound of victory filling its place. A few well-placed pokes at it proved that it was well and truly defeated, and after a heavy breath, Pepper admitted to herself that perhaps she had won this time. For now.

“Isn’t it cute when she gets mad at the vacuum?” Penny asked, smiling down at Pepper. “She’s gonna hate it when I have to finish the kitchen.”

“I’ll take her outside. You don’t have much more to go,” Peter replied, setting down his coffee. “Come on, Penny. Outside?”

Peter’s voice cut through her thoughts as she stared at the corpse of her nightmares, fantasizing about all the various ways she would attempt to tear it limb from limb later… if only she could identify what its limbs were. Only one word registered to her, but it was enough, and the outside was better than the inside. After all, there were monsters on the inside.

Scary monsters.