Night was coming and the rain hadn’t subsided. You hadn’t expected the weather to turn so quickly, only embarking with a t-shirt and shorts to keep you warm. The torrent of rain wasn’t even the worst part, it was the wind. The barrage of raindrops dulled the senses after enduring it for a while, but the unexpected flurry of frigid air shooting through the valley at random was enough to stop you in your tracks. This couldn’t go on. You needed to find shelter.

The storm persevered and so did you. The original destination you had in mind was irrelevant, all that mattered was shelter. Stumbling along the mountainside, you shook and shivered. Despite the abundance of large rocks and debris, none were able to fend off the impossible angles of wind and water whipping through the air. Everything was wet. Everything was cold. This was the end.

You fell to your knees and grasped at the ground, head planted in the soil. If there was a higher power, you prayed it was watching, as insignificant as you were. With all hope lost, you got up off your hands and knees, then trudged forward knowing your time was running out. You ran your hand along the wall of rocks. The water careening from your hand as it moved from the smooth stones to the bony appendages with little life left in them.

You gazed out into the valley. Despite the conditions, it was beautiful. If there was a place to die, this was it. Just as that reality seemed all too certain, you noticed a faint whistling coming from the mountain. You followed it, running your hand along the wall you stepped across mud and stone. Beaten, battered, and obliterated by Mother Nature, in all of her rage what stood before you was a blessing.

A cavern.

A cavern! No rain and no godforsaken wind! You rushed into the maw of the cave, feeling instant relief as the life you were so desperately gripping onto felt slightly easier to grasp. Through shivering limbs and tremors in your hands, the bitter cold fought to keep you from warmth. Still, despite a lack of preparedness in regards to clothes, you did pack a lighter. And fuel! Was there any fuel? Logs? Sticks? Branches? Pine needles?!! They just had to be dry. After scuffling around the cave, you gathered enough material to try and start a fire. Enough debris had blown in over the years, and most importantly it was dry. Frantically, you pulled the sopping wet lighter out of your pocket. A few clicks failed to even produce a spark, but eventually there was ignition.

Click. Click. Click. Crackle.

The fire was lit. You still shivered ferociously, but you could feel the warmth creeping up your bones. You took off your shirt and shorts, the sopping wet masses smacking onto the ground. They no longer served their intended purpose. You curled up into a ball next to the flames and drifted to sleep.

You woke up to a dark, clear sky. The storm has passed. Your clothes were semi-dry, but still felt damp to the touch. You looked at your skin; the color had returned and your body could finally keep itself warm again. The fire was only embers now, but it had done its job.

You laid your head back down, still exhausted from your previous endeavors. You closed your eyes and passed out again. In the morning you would return, but for now you just wanted to rest.

Gurgle. Blorp. Gwrnnn. Slorsh.

You shot open your eyes to see a glowing pair of serpentine slits gazing right back at you. They glowed in the darkness, their yellow glaze enhanced by the brilliant bursts of orange and red hues piercing through the night.

You couldn’t speak. This was a creature so large and imposing running would seem like some sick, cruel joke. You shuffled back in a panic only to strike yourself against a wall of squirming scales, writhing and churning the contents within. The creature winded around the cavern, its body so massive in length and girth that you wondered where it had been hiding all this time?

Its gut churned and bubbled behind you, the slurry of unfortunate organisms trapped within crying out one last time for any aid, but none would come. You turned your head away from the stomach of this creature and met its gaze. Then, it spoke.

“I may talk and be sentient, but frankly I don’t want to know how you humans operate. Cry. Plead. Beg for your life. It won’t make a difference. I don’t take any joy from this interaction, nor do I have any reservations about eating you. I eat to live, not out of malice, revenge, or any other fervent emotion. When I’m hungry I eat. I’m an animal. You’re an animal. It’s as simple as that.

“You just wandered into the wrong cave.”

I love vore especially when it's natural. Just an animal acting on instinct, eating because it's what they're supposed to do. I think it's especially fun when humans get thrown into the mix~

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