An isolated island community confronts bloodsucking creatures by discovering their vulnerability to alcohol and resisting them together.
Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
Strange Signs ashore
Two officers arrive on a remote island and discover mutilated whale corpses. The community gradually recognizes that bloodsucking creatures are attacking.
Key Events
New Partnership Assigned — An alcoholic Garda is assigned a new partner, a workaholic officer seeking to impress her superiors.
Location: Irish mainland
Arrival on Remote Island — The officers accept temporary duty on a remote island, increasing tension between them.
Location: Remote Irish island
Mutilated Whales Found — Mutilated whale corpses are discovered, signaling an unnatural threat near the island.
Location: Island shoreline
Island Under Attack — The quiet community realizes that bloodsucking tentacled creatures are attacking the island.
Location: Island community
The Grabbers Named — The islanders give the attacking creatures the name Grabbers.
Location: Remote Irish island
The Alcohol Discovery
A survivor's unusual resistance leads to the theory that alcohol is toxic to the creatures. A storm cuts the island off from mainland help.
Key Events
Survivor of an Attack — A local drunk inexplicably survives an attack by one of the creatures.
Location: Island community
Alcohol Weakness Discovered — A marine ecologist theorizes that high blood alcohol is toxic to creatures that feed on blood and water.
Location: Island community
Mainland Help Blocked — Contact with the mainland is attempted, but an approaching storm prevents escape or assistance.
Location: Remote Irish island
Rising Water Threat — The group realizes rising water will let the remaining large male creature reach the island.
Location: Island shoreline
A Dangerous Drinking Plan
The officers use a pub gathering to keep residents together and intoxicated. Personal feelings are revealed while the threat approaches.
Key Events
Rising Water Threat — The group realizes rising water will let the remaining large male creature reach the island.
Location: Island shoreline
Pub Defense Plan — The officers organize a pub gathering to protect residents while concealing the danger. Characters: Brian MaherLocation: Local pub
Free Drinks Offered — Brian Maher offers free drinks, drawing island residents into the pub gathering. Characters: Brian MaherLocation: Local pub
Confession in the Squad Car — While drunk, one officer explains that she came to the island to escape her sister's shadow.
Location: Squad car
Feelings Revealed — The officer admits having feelings for her partner after previously rejecting his advances.
Location: Squad car
Fire at the Pub
The large Grabber arrives and kills the ecologist outside. Panic spreads through the pub as baby creatures take over the lower floor and fire breaks out.
Key Events
Large Grabber Arrives — The large Grabber reaches the island while residents gather at the pub.
Location: Island community
Ecologist Killed — The drunken ecologist leaves to photograph the creature, which throws him into the air and kills him.
Location: Outside the pub
Pub Panic Erupts — The danger is revealed inside the pub, causing residents to retreat upstairs as baby Grabbers occupy the first floor. Characters: Brian MaherLocation: Local pub
Pub Catches Fire — An attempted escape accidentally sets the pub on fire and draws the adult creature's attention. Characters: Brian MaherLocation: Local pub
The Dry Land Trap
The officers lure the adult creature toward a construction site and attempt to deprive it of water. Poitín and explosives turn the desperate plan into a successful final attack.
Key Events
Chase to Construction Site — The officers flee by vehicle toward a construction site while pursued by the adult Grabber.
Location: Road to a construction site
Creature Trapped in Pit — The plan is to strand the creature on dry land, but it attacks and injures one officer before being pinned.
Location: Construction site
Poitín Forces Release — A bottle of Paddy's poitín is poured into the creature's mouth, sickening it and forcing it to release the injured officer.
Location: Construction pit
Grabber Destroyed — A flare gun ignites nearby explosives, killing the large Grabber.
Location: Construction site
Return to Town — After the storm clears, the officers return to town, and one throws away his flask. Characters: Brian MaherLocation: Island town
Eggs Begin Hatching — Unknown to the survivors, more Grabber eggs buried on the beach are about to hatch.
Location: Island beach
Story Breakdown
Island Assignment — Two Garda officers begin an uneasy partnership on a remote Irish island.
New Partnership — An alcoholic Garda receives a new, workaholic partner.
Remote Duty — The partner volunteers for temporary duty on the isolated island.
Alien Warning Signs — Unexplained animal deaths expose an attack that the islanders do not yet understand.
Mutilated Whales — Whale corpses are found on the shoreline.
Grabbers Named — The community identifies the attackers as bloodsucking tentacled creatures.
Alcoholic Defense — A survivor's condition reveals the creatures' crucial biological weakness.
Survivor Discovered — A local drunk survives an otherwise fatal creature attack.
Toxic Blood Theory — High blood alcohol is theorized to poison the creatures.
Storm Isolation — The island loses access to outside help as environmental conditions increase the danger.
Mainland Contact — The officers contact the mainland for assistance.
Rising Waters — Higher water levels may allow the largest creature to reach the island.
Pub Shelter Plan — The officers conceal the crisis while gathering residents in the pub and keeping them drunk.
Free Drinks — Brian Maher offers free drinks to attract residents.
Personal Confession — One officer reveals her insecurity and feelings for her partner.
Pub Invasion — The adult creature arrives, and the supposedly safe gathering collapses into panic.
Ecologist Killed — The creature kills the drunken ecologist outside the pub.
Baby Creatures — Baby Grabbers occupy the pub's first floor.
Burning Escape — The survivors flee the burning pub while attempting to redirect the adult creature.
Pub Fire — An accidental fire breaks out during the attempted escape.
Creature Pursuit — The adult Grabber follows the escaping officers.
Construction Site Battle — The final plan uses dry land, alcohol, machinery, and explosives to destroy the creature.
Pit Restraint — Heavy construction equipment pins the creature at the base of a pit.
Poitín and Explosives — Poitín frees the injured officer from the creature's grasp before explosives kill it.
Uneasy Resolution — The survivors return after the storm, but the threat remains beneath the beach.
Flask Discarded — One officer throws away his flask after the battle.
Eggs Hatch Soon — More buried Grabber eggs are about to hatch.
Something sinister has come to the shores of Erin Island, unbeknownst to the quaint population of this sleepy fishing village resting somewhere off Ireland’s coast. First, some fishermen go missing. Then there is the rash of whale carcasses suddenly washing up on the beach. When the murders start, it’s up to two mismatched cops – an irresponsible alcoholic and his new partner, a by-the-book woman from the mainland – to protect the townsfolk from the giant, bloodsucking, tentacled aliens that prey upon them. Their only weapon, they discover, is booze. If they want to survive the creatures’ onslaught, everyone will have to get very, very drunk!
