Chapter 1
Stumbling through the thick dead woods, the scraggly man frantically searched through the trees. Heavy rain poured down in sheets, getting in his eyes and obscuring his vision. The sound was deafening and consumed any other surrounding noise. The small holographic display from the caller wrist implant gave off some light, but that barely cut through the dark and rain. His rugged, old clothes had soaked through entirely. The added burden dragged heavily on his body and weighed him down, impeding his progress considerably. He’d been traveling for hours, urged forward by teasing glimpses her, and a burning desire in his gut.
The cold had begun to reach his core, and it was nothing new to him, but on the streets, you could at least avoid becoming saturated by finding cover. His movements were starting to slow, and a terrible shiver set in that was uncontrollable and crippling. Crouching next to a large dead tree that provided minimal cover, he huddled for warmth. The desire to curl up for good was strong, and with it came a moment of clarity. ‘why am i here? Am i outside?’ he wondered as he lifted his head. He could just make out the city’s bright neon glow through the trees and rain in the distance. ‘I’ve got to get back. I’ve got to warn them. They are all in danger.’ he tried to get up, but it was too much. He was exhausted.
It was a losing fight, his eyes were heavy, and his body was shutting down. Just before sleep overtook him, a familiar figure caught his light through the forest. Sitting up excitedly, he whipped the mud from his face. Peeking out from behind a tree was the woman he had been following so passionately. Long blond hair flowed down her torso, over her chest obscuring her breasts and hanging at her waist.
With a playful smile, she raised her hand and beckoned him towards her. He tried to resist whatever was happening in his mind, but the call to her side was too strong. A burning fire had welled up inside him again, driving him to his feet and towards her. She giggled, turned away from him, and calmly walked through the trees with him in tow once again.
He frantically sought after her, following relentlessly, his goal just out of his reach, Water in his eyes and wet, matted hair plastered across his face, he struggled to see. He tripped. Tumbling through the darkness, he hit the ground hard and found that he was on the wet, rocky floor of a cave. He slowly picked himself up off the ground. He was close now, the promise of what awaited him drove him mad, and he didn’t understand why. But he knew he had to go farther. He knew that he needed her.
He dumped his wet and heavy clothes at the entrance and continued the trek inside. The low glow his caller provided was weak, but enough to make the journey more comfortable as it illuminated his immediate surroundings. It wasn’t long till the cave widened into a larger chamber. The room was flooded with soft blue-green light as he entered and once again came face to face with the woman. All the anticipation had lead to this moment; she was a stunning image, a stark contrast compared to the dark foreboding cave.
Without a word, the woman stepped toward him, arms outstretched.
Exhausted, he fell into her arms, expecting soft and supple flesh, but as he collapsed forward, he encountered a smooth, sleek body, coated in a slippery mucus-like substance. Her arms wrapped around and enclosed him, holding him tight with surprising strength. Sharp fingers dug into his back and shoulders, locking him in place. He could feel wet, slimy tendrils writhing around on his bare feet, some winding around his naked legs. A feeble whimper escaped him as he looked up at its face. Where once beautiful and caring eyes gazed at him lovingly, two expressionless, protruding pupils looked back — trying to struggle only served to rake its claws across his bareback, tearing away strands of bloody flesh.
The trek through the woods had done its job. The wind and rain had drained him entirely; he was weakened and easy prey. It hoisted him up off the ground, its gangly arms extending out unnaturally, almost as if it had three elbow joints. He could only weep as it leaned in to give an excessively broad smile, which split across the face. A guttural chuckle filled the room as the creature’s face began to peel back in five toothed flaps, dripping with thick saliva — a singular whirlpool of jagged shredding teeth remained and stared him down.
Screams echoed through the cave as the homeless man was devoured alive. Never to be missed and not to be the last. The monster always hungers, never satisfied.
