FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Curiosity

Of a different kind...

Sliding down an angular dirt wall into darkness, the slope smoothed out onto a relatively flat surface. My eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness quite yet, before venturing into the unknown, I look upwards to the openning I came in from. My friends and I parted ways momentarily to explore the forest, during my time alone I found this hole, and couldn't pass it up.

Calling upwards for my friends seemed useless, I atleast hope they may hear and start in my direction. If they saw this hole, my friends would jump in with me.Unfortunately they carried the lights and most of the other equipment, I only had our lunch for the evening in my pack.

Minutes felt slow, I waited at the button of the dirt slope for what may have been five or six minutes, my impatience gets the better of me though.Odd sounds echo from the darkness, scittering animals, or insects... I even hear the tranquil drop of water. There may be an underground pond here. That would be incredible, I thought. Cold, but incredible.

Hardly did I realize I was another fly in the complex web of a creature unknown to our world. A pathetic fly wondering deeper into a labyrinth of darkness. After a few turns in the cave system, I was immediately lost. Attempting to back track only lead me deeper, every turn I took was another wrong path for me, right path for the creature.

It's eyes haunted me. Only a few times did I glance the large white plates staring at me silently before they blink away. Panic sets in, my pace speeds up - A pathetic fly in panic, squirming in the web and only tangling myself further in it.

Time was lost to me. It could have been a good quarter-hour's walk thus far. I dare use my phone as a light source, thinking ahead of time, if I do escape this natural mazemy phone might become my most useful tool to survive the wilderness assuming my friends don't find me.

That damned thing was getting more bold and curious every minute. It began chirping at me with these odd and almost-reptillian sounds. My heart was racing, I often bumped head first into walls or low ceilings, my head had a bleeding wound now, nothing too serious. I screamed out furiously, my echo reverberated off of the many walls and dead ends of this cavernous underground.

Could it smell my blood? Obtaining any palm-sized stone I felt against my feet, lobbing them at those white, vacant eyes everytime they appeared. This seemed to keep the creature at a reasonable distance, it stopped advancing and finally shut up. Those damn noises it made, sometimes it reminded me of a curious bird, with a whistle and chirp.Other times it sounded almost like a baby crocodile, calling for it's mother.

If this thing had a mother, if there was more than one in this darkness... Hope slowly fades.

Another dead end. Another lump on my forehead.When I turned I witness those large eyes only a few meters ahead of me, blinking and tilting from side to side with more chirps.Persistence. This creature's key tool, it seemed. I cannot stop. I threw stones.I could have sworn that one rock hit it, but the sound that came from the impact was unnexpected, like stomping a small puddle of mud.

Wandering on and on, I could not imagine how long it's been now. I grew tired, exhausted. I needed food. I devoured what I had of my lunch in my pack. I still had plenty more if needed...

My pace slowed, beginning to drag my feet. Shadowed by the persistent chirping and scittering of the creature.

Need a break. Need to keep moving.Need to rest.This is not insanity. But certainly a path towards it.

Things were beginning to go silent. I was oblivious that the creature had adjusted it's methods.Maybe it saw that I would not give in to it's... 'adorable' display. The unknown of it was enough reason to keep my distance.

My mind began to wander and question the world as we know it. How can creatures like this exist without our knowledge?Why has no one ever reported sightings of anything like it before. Even the childish concept of the Yeti had been 'documented' in various ways...

My heart throbs heavily as I begin to feel depressed. Maybe people have encountered it before, as I have. Maybe those who have, never got away. It's method of persistent stalking was certainly effective, clever, and easy. Evolution at it's finest, a creature learning from past experiences...

As I pondered, the creature was following above me, crawling along the ceiling using several solid stalagmites. I should have noticed, it was just too quiet. But I was so deep in thought. Moisture begins to spread through the collar of my shirt, I felt it immediately in the cool cave air.

That patch of wetness that sunk into my shirt interrupted my thought train and made me look up - Those damned eyes. He was mere inches from me, I stared directly into it's glowing eyes. I could not comprehend what I saw exactly, it was just a vacant eternity.

A strange and warm appendage extended from the creature, it felt like a tongue, flickering across my face quickly before I backed away. I couldn't have perceived that action in this darkness. The oddity was completely black and melded into the dark perfectly.

My skin prickled where it's tongue stroked. I started to shuffle across the floor as fast as I could without running into any walls or low hanging ceilings. Why was my skin beginning to go numb? I raked over my face with desperate fingers, it felt like I took a strong shot of alcohol.Heart is racing. I feel itchy all over. My body collapsed and I begin to feel incredibly warm.

Was insanity upon me? I squirmed upon the ground, removing my pack. Searching for water. Once I take a few solid gulps of water, I splashed it over my face. I could hardly feel the liquid sensation.Did it poison me? A venomous tongue? If I wasn't in such a panic I would be admiring such a creature but at the moment I was more worried about what was happening to me.

 I was hardly able to understand. But under my skin, an infection spread. That lick from the creature was all it took to contaminate my body.I felt oily, I couldn't stop feeling my skin. The pitch black of the underground starting to swallow me.

Something familiar came, it sent a comforting shiver through my body - it was those eyes. Those large, plate-sized eyes.I cried out as loud as I could.

All of my body was going numb and becoming difficult to move. Those eyes got so near, it seemed to calm. I suppose it had no reason to be afraid anymore, it's venom did it's job. I feel it's oily, mucky paws beginning to pat and investigate my body. I couldn't wrap my head around what I was feeling. The body of this creature hardly felt physical, everywhere it touched left a patch of gunk.

I had a first-hand chance to see exactly how experienced this predator had become. It's little, nimble hands were running all over me, studying every strap and peice of clothing I wore.The creature rested itself over my legs. Swiftly removing my clothing. I can feel it's body drooling over my legs... No... I couldn't feel my legs anymore. The large mass of this creature was laying over me, it's skin was running over my body. We rested, face-to-face. It's body was consuming mine, while I stared into it's eyes. I started to feel different... I couldn't make sense of it. Peace was rushing over me as my body was taken in, and for a moment, I shared a life with this thing.

It was only hungry.It justed wanted to keep living.We just wanted to keep living. We are not hungry anymore, atleast for now...