🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👹🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Shelia Padlova was the world’s finest exterminator. Be it insects, rats, or even the occasional raccoon, there was no pest she couldn’t handle—or so she thought. Everything changed on this particular morning.

The day began like any other. Around 8 a.m., her phone rang. On the other end was an elderly woman, hysterical and begging for Shelia to come at her earliest convenience. “There’s something lurking in my house,” the woman had said, her voice trembling.

Shelia, ever the professional, agreed to arrive within the hour. She hung up, hopped in the shower, and tamed her wild red curls into a messy bun. A bit of moisturizer for her pale skin, a swipe of mascara to make her green eyes pop—just enough to look alive—and she was ready to go. She grabbed an iced coffee from the fridge, slipped into her shirt, pants, and steel-toed boots, then shrugged on her long black trench coat before heading out the door. Locking it behind her, she hopped into her Chevy, sipping her coffee and humming along to Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” as she drove.

The house came into view as she rounded the corner: a quaint, older home with creaking wood and peeling paint. Shelia killed the ignition and stepped out of her truck, grabbing her gear bag from the back. Bounding up the steps, she knocked gently on the front door, her eyes scanning the worn porch.

Before her knuckles left the wood, the door swung open on silent hinges. An elderly woman stood in the doorway, her gray hair pulled into a loose bun, her pink blouse tidy and unassuming. What wasn’t unassuming, however, was the shotgun clutched tightly in her hands.

Shelia blinked, taking a half step back before quickly regaining her composure. “I’m Shelia Padlova, from Harold’s Extermination and Pest Control. We spoke on the phone earlier?”

The woman nodded, her face pale but determined. Without a word, she waved Shelia inside, though the shotgun remained steadfast in her grip.

“Miss Shelia,” the woman began in a hushed, almost conspiratorial tone, “I’ll warn you now—this creature is unlike anything you’ve dealt with before. There’s a reason I had to call you.”

Shelia mentally rolled her eyes but maintained a professional smile, unzipping her bag just a hint. “Of course. Can you describe it? That might help me figure out how to handle it quickly.”

The woman tightened her grip on the shotgun as she led Shelia through the foyer and into the kitchen. Her voice dropped even lower. “It’s big and hairy.”

Okay, maybe a rat, Shelia thought.

“It has a long, scaly nose.”

Possum? Snake? She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

“And two jagged horns grow out of its skull. Its dark ruby eyes… they stare into your soul.”

Shelia blinked, her mouth opening slightly before snapping shut. Ruby eyes? Horns? Is this lady serious? But as she glanced around the kitchen, her skepticism wavered. The place was a disaster: broken wood, shattered plates, and discarded cereal boxes and tin cans littered the floor. Whatever had caused this chaos wasn’t your average pest.

Setting her bag on the table, Shelia pulled out a pair of thick gloves and a sturdy net. Her heart raced, but her movements were steady as she approached the source of the snarling and scraping sounds coming from beneath the sink.

Shelia crouched down, spotting it—a thin, bare tail flicking back and forth from the cabinet beneath the sink. It twitched rhythmically as the creature inside crunched loudly on something. Whatever it was, it wasn’t shy about its meal. Shelia gripped the cabinet door, took a steadying breath, and opened it on silent hinges.

With a practiced motion, she slammed the net down over the tail, grinning in triumph. “Gotcha!”

Her victory lasted approximately two seconds.

A blood-curdling screech filled the kitchen as the creature thrashed violently. The net shredded apart like wet paper, and Shelia froze as two jagged horns emerged from the cabinet, followed by a long, scaly nose and glowing ruby eyes that locked onto hers.

“What the hell—” Shelia started, but the creature lunged before she could finish.

“OH NOPE!” she yelled, scrambling backward. Her boots slipped on a cereal box, and she nearly fell before vaulting onto the kitchen table. With no time to think, she grabbed the nearest object—a stale loaf of bread—and swung it like a baseball bat.

WHACK!

The creature reeled back, snarling, before darting into another corner of the kitchen. Shelia, still clutching the loaf, stood on the table like it was her last line of defense.

“What the HELL is that?!” she shouted, pointing at the shadows where the thing had disappeared.

The elderly woman, still standing in the doorway, gave an awkward shrug. “Well, at first, I thought it was a cat…”

Shelia turned to her, slack-jawed. “A cat? What the hell about that thing looks like a cat?!” She waved the loaf of bread toward the corner where the glowing ruby eyes and scaly nose were peeking out again.

The woman threw up her hands defensively. “It was dark! I saw the tail and figured it wandered in through the back door! How was I supposed to know it had horns and demonic laser eyes?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Shelia snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Maybe the fact it looks like Satan’s house pet was a clue?!”

The creature hissed again, creeping closer.

“That’s it!” Shelia shouted, dropping the bread and jumping off the table to rummage through her bag. “I’m torching it!”

“Torching it?!” The old woman’s eyes went wide. “This is a house, not a bonfire!”

“Do you want me to get rid of it or not?!” Shelia yelled back, pulling out a small can of bug spray and a lighter.

“You’re insane!”

“Lady, I’ve had it with your demon-cat-whatever this is!” Shelia lit the lighter and sprayed the bug spray, creating a makeshift flamethrower.

The creature screeched again as the fire shot toward it, missing by a hair and setting one of the old woman’s curtains ablaze.

“MY CURTAIN!” the woman screamed, rushing to grab a dish towel to put out the fire.

“Priorities, lady!” Shelia shouted as the creature lunged again. She swung the rolling pin with one hand and blasted another flame with the other, finally sending the creature scrambling back into the shadows with an angry, earsplitting wail.

Breathing heavily, Shelia straightened, holding the lighter and bug spray like weapons. “What the hell kind of pest control situation is this?!”

The elderly woman, patting out the charred curtain, glared at her. “I told you! Big, hairy, ruby eyes—you didn’t listen!”

“I thought you were exaggerating! That thing is straight out of hell!”

“It’s your job to handle it!”

“Lady, my job is roaches, rats, maybe a raccoon! That thing needs an exorcist! Or a flamethrower I didn’t make in 30 seconds!”

The creature hissed from the shadows, its glowing eyes flashing ominously. Shelia groaned, pointing her makeshift flamethrower toward it. “If it comes back out, I’m torching your whole kitchen. I swear to God.”

The old woman raised her hands indignantly. “If you torch my house, I’m keeping your deposit!”

Shelia glared at her, the bug spray nozzle still aimed at the shadows. “Keep it! You’ll need it to rebuild after this thing turns your house into the gates of hell!”

As if on cue, the creature lunged again, this time launching itself onto the countertop and knocking over a stack of plates.

“OH COME ON!” Shelia shouted, leaping back onto the table as the plates shattered around her. She sprayed another jet of fire, forcing the creature to retreat with a snarl.

The old woman rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “You’re supposed to be the professional, aren’t you?”

Shelia turned to her, hair frazzled and mascara smudged. “Lady, I’m one more hiss away from calling the military!”

The old woman huffed, crossing her arms. “Don’t be dramatic. It’s just a pest.”

“Just a pest?!” Shelia threw her arms in the air. “IT HAS HORNS AND GLOWING EYES. PESTS DON’T LOOK LIKE THEY MOONLIGHT AS APOCALYPSE MONSTERS!”

The creature hissed again, and Shelia raised her makeshift flamethrower. “That’s it! You deal with it! I’m putting this whole kitchen in my rearview mirror!”

The old woman grabbed her shotgun, cocking it with an unsettling calm. “Fine, but don’t think you’re getting paid!”

Shelia groaned, muttering under her breath. “I hate this job. I hate this house. I hate this thing. Next time, I’m getting hazard pay.”

The creature hissed one last time before darting toward the broken kitchen window, squeezing its massive, hairy body through the gap and vanishing into the yard.

Shelia lowered her makeshift flamethrower, blinking in stunned silence as the sound of crashing garbage cans echoed from outside.

“Well…” the old woman said, brushing her hands off on her blouse. “That solves that.”

Shelia turned to her, completely dumbfounded. “That solves that?! Lady, it just escaped! What if it comes back? What if it brings friends?”

The old woman waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, I doubt it. It looked scared. You probably singed its tail.”

Shelia stared at her, absolutely incredulous. “Singed its—what do you think this is? A Disney movie? That thing’s not gonna pack a hobo bag on a stick and waltz off into the sunset! It’s probably plotting revenge as we speak!”

The woman picked up her shotgun and leaned it against the wall. “Well, you’re the expert. Shouldn’t you have, I don’t know, caught it?”

Shelia let out a strangled laugh, gesturing wildly at the mess around her. “Caught it?! With what? My bare hands? Lady, my net turned to confetti! Your demon gremlin chewed through it like it was a snack!”

The woman pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I could lend you my shotgun next time.”

“Next time?!” Shelia gaped at her. “Oh, there isn’t gonna be a next time. If that thing shows up again, I’m calling animal control, the National Guard, and maybe a priest for good measure. I’m not touching this house again without holy water and a flame tank.”

The old woman frowned. “I don’t see why you’re so worked up. It’s just a pest.”

Shelia’s jaw dropped. “Just a pest?! It had horns! It had laser eyes! Pests don’t hiss like they’re auditioning for a horror movie!”

The woman shrugged. “Well, I did tell you it wasn’t ordinary. Maybe you’ll listen next time.”

Shelia grabbed her bag from the table, muttering under her breath. “Oh, I’m listening, all right. Listening to myself quit this job.”

As she stomped toward the door, the old woman called after her, “You’re still sending me the bill, right?”

Shelia paused in the doorway, turned around with a bitter smile, and said, “Lady, I’m charging you double for emotional damages.”

With that, she slammed the door behind her, hopped into her Chevy, and sped off, vowing never to take a job without very specific details again.

The old woman sighed, looking around her ruined kitchen before grabbing a broom. “Kids these days. So dramatic.”

Outside, glowing ruby eyes peeked from the bushes, a low growl rumbling through the air.