Barbecue Sauce
Karyn Knight



When I picked up

the barbecue sauce jar in the grocery store, I didn't realize what I was holding. After all, it's just something you put on your steak, right? Well... only if what's inside is actually barbecue sauce. Unknowing of what it really was, I put it in my cart and grabbed a few more items before heading toward checkout. Even as I loaded the few bags I had into the back of the car, I still had no idea.

It wasn't until I had gotten everything out and ready for dinner at home alone that I noticed something was wrong. It smelled funny, which was odd because I hadn't smelled anything unusual when I stuck it in the fridge.

I unscrewed the cap. The brownish liquid started oozing out, bubbling, and I set it down on the table in the center of my kitchen, watching unbelievably as it spilled all over the table and onto the floor. I was careful not to step in it. Whatever the stuff was, it sure wasn't barbecue sauce.

Finally, the fizzing stopped. I groaned at the mess and grabbed some paper towels to clean it up. But the second I tried to wipe it up, it soaked through the towel, getting all over my hand.

"Ugh." My hand started to tingle. It felt almost like I was getting electrocuted only it didn't hurt at all. What was this stuff?

Then the liquid dissolved into my hand. I was freaked out. Imagine how freaked out I was when my hand dissolved, too, into thin air. But I could still feel it. I moved my fingers, but I couldn't see anything.

Horrified, I backed away, bumping into the stove unexpectedly where I had a pot of potatoes boiling. Some of the water spilled and burned me, causing me to step right into the puddle on the floor. I was barefoot.

The stuff got sucked up my feet and it felt like it traveled into my whole body until there wasn't an ounce of sauce left on the floor. Instead, it was all in me.

I ran to the bathroom and stopped at the door. I was terrified to open it and stare into the mirror, afraid of what I'd see... or not see. I bit my lip and pushed it open. Straight ahead of me was the mirror.

I screamed. Because I saw nothing. Absolutely nothing.