Teds nose wrinkled in disgust at the odor leeking from the grocery store doors he had pried open. Ye gods that stench is FOUL.

Apparently a week and change was plenty enough time for an entire grocery store to go foul. Right, get in, get whatever canned and/or non-perishable food is available, get out.

He stepped in, and immediately felt his dangersense go off. Is there ANY building on this block that doesn't have monsters in it?!

He sighed. At least it wasn't as severe as the hardware store. Whatever was here, it was less dangerous than the gorgon.

Looking around, he immediately noted it seemed to be a mom and pop sort of store. Not that I'd really know if it was a chain, considering I don't get out much. Didn't. Didn't get out much. On the floor were various discarded wrappers, empty cans, and other detritus, indicating that the place hadn't been cleaned in a good long while.

Right. Aisle by aisle, same as the home improvement store. He briefly considered grabbing a shopping cart, before discarding the idea.

He stepped into the first isle. Dairy.

His stomach turning from the stench of rotting milk, cheese, etcetera, Ted quickly stepped into the next isle, quickly noting that it seemed to consist (mostly) of pasta supplies on one side, and on the other, canned vegetables. Alfredo, ragu, jars of some sort of cheese sauce, and pasta of all shapes and sizes to my left, including a few cases of instant ramen and chow mein, and to my right...

Corn. Ted shuddered. Well, beggers can't be choosers, and there were plenty of non-corn things he could grab. Quickly, he began stocking up.

It was then that Ted realized something very important:

Even if all of the fridged goods had gone bad, each isle had a LOT of boxed and canned foods. Ted quickly realized that even if he took only one isles worth of food, he'd still wind up grabbing more than his backpack could carry. If only because canned food actually weighed quite a bit when you got lots of it.

Ted muttered to himself, and quickly decided to move on. If he got just pasta and vegetables, he'd be enjoying a burn out on them within the week.

Next isle was beverages and...

Plastic-ware? Well, it'd help save on water, Ted supposed. Grabbing a few cases of bottled water, some sports drink, pop, and plates and cutlery, Ted quickly noted something:

As he increased the load in his bag, the intensity of the danger he felt from the store...increased. Oh dear.

Testing it out, Ted put gingerly put something back from his pack onto the shelves, and then returned it. Yep, the more I remove, the more dangerous this place gets.

Consarned...

Ted sighed. Okay. Great. Perfect. It meant he had to very carefully decide what he did and didn't bring. Ted shifted his backpack a little.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

He had enough to last him about a week, probably more if he rationed. He could just...just go. Come back later when he was more handled to smack anything around. Walking to the open doors, he prepared to exit the store...

Only for the doors to slam shut.

347$ worth of food taken! Boss summoned at 347% strength!

To escape, fulfil one of the following conditions:

Survive 3:47!

Defeat the Boss!

Ted cursed, and quickly tried to pry the doors open, his heart sinking when he found that impossible. Quickly, he drew his shotgun. Right. Big monster. Just what he wanted to deal with today! Not.

He heard a squelching, squishing noise, the kind of noise one gets when you squeeze meat. "Urgblll..."

Ted shuddered, and began planning. Okay, the noise seemed to be from the back of the store, and slowly moving forward. Hopefully the thing hadn't seen him, because then Ted could just hide and wait for the doors to open. Ted stepped forward...

And accidentally stepped on a wrapper. Ted grit his teeth as he heard the noise begin to home in on him. There goes that plan. Thanks, cruel god that oversees my existance! Can't even go a few hours without trying to bone me, huh?

The shape quickly came into view, and seeing it caused Teds stomach to churn in disgust.

It was a massive, jiggling pile of....things. Of garbage, rotting meat, giant rat carcasses, and other detritus, all covered in a film of pale, bubbling slime. Worse, underneath the ooze, Ted was sure he could see human bones.

Rot Mound

Level 33

Slime

Information Locked

Ted blanched, raised his gun, and fired it once, twice, three times, each time the gun doing less than nothing as the creature homed in on Ted. Cursing, Ted responded the only way he knew how.

He ran, aiming to avoid the thing long enough to figure out a way to off it. While he ran, he quickly reached into his bag and pulled out one of his molotovs and a lighter. Please be flammable please be flammable please be flammable!

Barely avoiding a swipe of one of the masses psuedopods, Ted quickly lighted the rag and, doing a quick pivot, threw it right at the thing, watching as the molotov soared through the air and shattered against the thing, engulfing it in fire!

The thing let out a horrible gurgling noise as it undulated, presumably in pain, its chase ceasing. Ted quickly took a step back, looking to avoid its flailing, burning limbs. Right, it seems preoccupied. Now to just let it burn to death and avoid getting attacked by it.

Unfortunately, it was at that moment that one of the psuedopods slammed into Ted, knocking him into one of the isles and slamming the breath from him, and knocking several canned goods from the shelves. Blinking, Ted quickly tried to rise...

Only for one of the psuedopods to quickly wrap around his chest and lift him into the air. Fiddlesticks. That was the last coherant thought Ted had before the thing squeezed, removing Teds ability to breath. Hanging in the air, unable to inhale or reach into his pack, Ted wiggled around, watching helplessly as the flames covering the Rot Mound slowly spread up the psuedopod.

So, he'd ether suffocate, be crushed to death, or get set on fire. Fiddlesticks. In the distance, he heard a faint slamming noise, likely the sound of blood rushing through his eardrums.

Ted continued to wriggle, desperate to escape. Not now, and not like this! Not like this! The pounding intensified, but Ted paid it no heed, seeing as he was within inches of the reapers icey grasp.

He began to sweat as the heat intensified, and his vision began to fade. Air. Need...air!

It was at that moment a wrenching noise could be heard, and Ted's vision went dark.