“The moment I spotted that red-glowing rod, I recognized what it was. I wasn’t about to stick around and find out whether a crab actually knew how to wield such immense energy or not,” recounts a rattled Marianne Huslow, 56.
Animal Control arrived promptly at the fenced garden, donned in heavy magic-protective gear and a long Trash-Grabber tool. Despite their valiant attempts, they could not disarm the crab's firm grasp on the rod. Opting for a different approach, they instead chose to capture the entire creature in a reinforced cage, and hurried to remove it from the scene.
In an effort to avoid harming the Coconut Crab, or anyone else, they carefully incarcerated it within an isolated chamber. They hoped it would willingly loosen its clutch on the rod and drop it to the ground. Yet, after three long and fruitless hours, the crab’s only movement was the wiggling of its antennae or stretching of its many, lengthy legs.
When Animal Control finally mustered up the courage to open the cage-door and attempt to retrieve the rod again, the Coconut Crab made its move. It darted towards them, threateningly raised its one free and powerful claw as a weapon, and sharply snapped in their direction, which forced the team to retreat from the cage door. They only caught a glimpse of its large silhouette as the agile crab scuttled out of its small chamber, then continued out of the room.
Panic immediately ensued in the building, and people heard the quick taps of a crustacean racing down the carpeted corridor. It made its way from the Animal Control division and entered the research section of MediNear. The distinct departments are located next to each other within a conjoined building, and on this very day, the emergency door leading between the two happened to stand wide open as MediNear’s new test-samples were being rolled in via wagons.
Still holding the glowing red rod, the crab bolted into the nearest room, which happened to be a laboratory. Inside, scientists were deeply engrossed in studying the lifecycle of a new bacteria that has been rapidly spreading among cats. But their research was put to a halt as they jolted away from their microscopes and test tubes, alarmed by the agitated shouts coming from the corridor.
This was followed by a foreboding presence entering the room, casting an eerie crimson luminescence upon the pale walls. It reflected off glass beakers and metallic equipment, and drew the attention of the workers.
The crab had entered, still clutching the rod above its head.
A scientist stared at it, then screamed.
It was at that point humanity discovered that crabs, too, can harness the power of magical items. While the crab’s amateur-like hocus pocus wasn’t nearly as catastrophic as Animal Control had feared, the room was nonetheless bathed in a dazzling crimson light, followed by a weak explosion. This left scientists blinded for several hours, and caused pandemonium wherever the magic reached.
Amidst the aftermath of the chaos, everyone emerged relatively unscathed, but their research wasn’t as fortunate. In the crab’s frenzy, it decided to clamp onto a man’s leg, which required immediate medical care. While he was tended to, the crab decided not to linger and scampered out of the room, back into the corridor.
Staff from both Animal Control and MediNear scrambled to recapture the rogue crustacean, but, despite its size, its surprising agility allowed it to slip past them.
It was last seen by a shaky and blurry mobile phone recording as it made its way across the street, then disappeared into a nearby forest.
Keep an eye out!
Should you come across a sizable Coconut Crab straying further inland than its typical habitat (as depicted in the sketch on the front page), please contact Animal Control or Wildlife Authorities at: XXX-XXX.
Do not attempt to capture it on your own.
If you spot a glowing red rod, contact the Police and do not touch the object.