My name is Jared. I live in Hospins, the last known population of humans. A cheery village. Last week our population hit 112 with Mrs. Johnson giving birth to a healthy baby boy. Hospins is the last town of humans. We are led under The Protector, a magician with such great power and many golems that he had formed. The most important golem of all is the Golem that guards the Barrier. No one must get near the golem or else risk the loss of our only defense against the Outside.

The Outside, the Dark Forest. We've seen shadows of horred creatures. Some of the smaller of these, those that are barely smaller than our huts, try to get in, but the Barrier is made of strong magic. It keeps the Outside creatures out. But it allows the Great Rains in and the Horred Floods out. It also allows us to go in and out as we please. The Protector is a genius sorceror.

Everyone in Hospins had a job. There were Builders who made structures taller than themselves. There were the Golem Keepers, who made sure the golems were kept in good conditions. Then there was the Farmers. I was one of these. I worked on my Golem in the Corn Field from when the Sun is directly overhead to when it sets. It has been this way since I turned fifteen this year. It is a very enjoyably job.

My Golem has six arms, made for collecting the actual corn from the stalks, and a spinning, sharp mouth, to cut the stalks and shred them to use for fertilizer. I was working in the field when the Unclean One approached.

"Hey kid. Come here." He gestured for me to come closer, the unholy golden bottle in his hand. It was the law. Those that are younger must do what an elder tells of them. I steer my golem over to him.

"Can I help you?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"Come down." He wheezed. I tightened my knuckles and snarled, but I did as I was told. As soon as I was in his arm length he slammed his golden bottle over my head, and my hair was matted with drink and, as I learned later, blood.

I slump over, and the man immediatly grabs me, trying to pull my pants down, while simultaneously trying to rid himself of his own.  I cry out in pain and terror, and grab at my golem, begging it to help me. It just stood there, purring slightly, as if it was pleased with my predicament.

"Let go!" The Unclean One wheezed.

"No!" I yelled. An act of defiance. I tried desperately to gain a strong hold on my golem's back, and I hit the specialized part of it that allowed me to maneuver it. It immediately started up, and began moving. Faster and faster, crop being cut down in its wake. The Unclean One tried to keep his grip.

"Stop it! Turn it off! Off!" The Unclean One screamed. Off? Turn off? Those words meant nothing to me. I had no idea their meaning. Was it a magic word? A word that will stop the golem?

"Turn it off!" I yelled, trying these words. The golem did not respond. It took a paticularly nasty turn. sending the Unclean One to the ground. The golem turned, and roared towards the Unclean One. I gasped and he screamed. The golem ate him, slicing him, and sending red everywhere. I just sat there, stunned, as the golem stopped moving.

I knew the Protector had seen. He sees all from his magic glass. All of the magic floating windows in the air. He knows. He must know that I didn't mean to do such a heinous act. In fact, the Royal Guard were coming as I though this.

The Royal Guard, four knights and their leader listened to the Protector and enforced rule. These were amazing people, and have become one with their golems. Their golems granted them power over lightning. They were able to hit the Bad Ones with it.

The Bad Ones were those who refused to follow the rules in Hospins. They were brought before the Golem That Guards the Barrier, and this golem was fed a little bit of the Bad One's unholy essence. The Bad One is then forced out of the barrier. Their essence is then blocked and not allowed in the Barrier ever. The Golem then screeches loudly, allowing any near Giant Ones to hear. The Giant Ones would then take the Bad One and justice was served.

"I can walk on my own. You don't have to hold my arm." I tell the Guards that had my arms.

"Ha, yeah right." The one holding my right arm laughed. I realized we were not heading towards The Protecter's great castle.

"Wh-where are we going?" I ask.

"The Protector told us that you ruined two and a half week's worth of food and killed a person. Two of the most enforced laws. So you are not being judged in front of the entire town like most."

"What? No!" I scream and begin trying to get out of their iron-clad grip. The Golem That Guards the Barrier loomed ahead, its long tongue waiting to pierce my skin and drink of my essence. I did the one thing I could do. I stomped on the exposed foot of the guard to my right. He let go, screaming. I grabbed his arm and used the Golem's lightning to shock the one next to me.

"Hey!" The Leader yelled. I ran. Out of the Barrier. "Get him!" The two that hadn't previously held me chased after me, and into the Forest.

It became immediately darker, for the trees that easily towered over me blocked the sun. It wasn't like night, but everything was harder to see. I ran around huge trunks, trying to get away from the two following me. I glanced back, trying to figure out if I had managed to escape. And ran smack dab into a tree.

The air was forced out of my lungs, and I collapsed on the ground. As I was about to get to my feet, I was kicked in the stomach. The air was absent from my lungs again.

"You stupid kid. Forget the giants. We're going to kill you here and now." The taller of the two snarled. I felt a painful, burning sensation across my back.

"I love these tazers." The shorter one said wickedly. Tazers? What kind of magic is that? "You gonna go against us anymore?" I felt a pain in the side of my head, and I rolled over, in time to see the man putting his foot back down. The beating and kicking went on for a long few minutes.

"Alright. I think he's had enough. Let's kill him now." The man tapped something on his golem that surrounded his forearms. Electricity, a bright red flew down its arms. He pulled back for a punch.

"Oh? So this is what disturbed my sleep?" A loud feminine voice asked. 

The two Guards slowly looked up. I followed suit. The two screamed. I didn't. As it turns out, I didn't run into a tree. I ran into the tail of a giant creature of some sorts. Its upper half looked feminine. Really feminine, for she was struggling to simultaneously "stand" at her tallest and looking over her exposed... I felt a blush creep across my face and I averted my eyes.

"Please spare us. Just let us take the kid and we'll go." The short one said quickly.

"Hmmm... the same kid you were slamming against my tail?" She asked.

"That's the one." The taller one replied.

"Oh, then go ahead." She said. The two grabbed me by my legs and began to drag me away. With a loud crash the tree-like tail came around, effectively trapping the three of us.

"What? I thought you said you'd let us go!" The short frog-like one yelled.

"I was. But then my stomach growled." She smiled, revealing a pair of sharp, porcelain-like fangs along with tombstone-like molars.

"Take the kid!" The two yelled almost instantaneously. They pushed me towards the creature, and I hit the base of her tail hard. I fell on my butt. A great shadow fell over me and she picked me up. Her fingers were surprisingly soft, and her grip was gentle.

"You have ten seconds to convince me that you aren't food." She said as if she was a teacher giving out a test. I thought about it. "Time's up! Come up with anything?"

"No." I say quietly. She smiled happily and held me high in the air. I glanced below at the huge, pink cavern below. She lowered me slowly towards her mouth. I swallow and brace myself for what was about to come. Her warm breathe wafted past. And then I was inside. It was suddenly hard to breathe. And then it was over.

"Eeeew!" She said, disgusted. "You peed your pants!" She yelled. I did? I glance down. No, my pants were dry. "Looks like I'm going to have to eat the other guys." She reaches down and plucks the other two off the ground. She placed me in her right palm, and the guards in her other.

"I-I peed my pants!" The tall one yelled, pointing to a growing spot between his pants.

"Yeah, well I shit in my pants!" I shuddered. It was sickening, they were grasping at straws.

"Well, since you all seemed to have soiled yourselves, then I guess I'll just eat one of you. Now, which one..." She glanced between the two.

"Eat him!" The two yelled, pointing at each other.

"Well, how about this. The loser gets eaten." The tall one immediately kicked the smaller one between his legs. He buckled over. "Guess that means you lose!" She said happily, placing me in the palm with the Guard and picking up Short Guard. She crushed the heart on the back of the golem between her fingers.

"Why did you do that?" I confront the guard.

"Survival of the fittest, kid."

"I'm fifteen! I'm almost an adult!" I reply.

"Ha! A kid, through and through." He replied with a sneer.

"Mmmmmmmmmh." The creature's moans of bliss had gotten my attention. She was sucking on the top half of the man. He was about as big as the tongue that came out from between her lips and pulled him inside. She tilted her head back and a small lump slowly travelled down her throat. She sighed contently. She then grabbed the other Guard in her sharp fingernails.

"Wh-What are you doing?" He whimpered. "I won! That means you don't eat me!" She chuckled happily.

"Wrong. I said that the loser gets eaten. I didn't say that you wouldn't either." She smiled widely, revealing her pearly whites again. She slowly slid him in to her mouth, kicking and screaming and all the time begging. She tilted her head back and swallowed. She sighed happily as a bulge appeared in her throat. This bulge thrashed against the throat in a vain attempt to get out. She then picked me up between her fingers.

"Alright. I'm ready." I tell her.

"Ready for what?" She asked.

"Just do it. Quickly." I brace myself for what was coming. She laughed loudly, holding her stomach.

"Oh! You think I'd- wahahahahahahah!" She smacked the ground with her free hand. "I'm not going to eat you." I look up at her, surprised.

"You... aren't?"

"No silly!" She said and I was forced to my knees as she lifted me to her face. I braced myself... and she layed a soft kiss on me. I blinked in surprise. "I saw what happened. I saw everything." She whispered. "You didn't mean to kill him." Her eyes softened. I suddenly noticed how stunning she was. She had soft hazel eyes, with slitted pupils. She had shoulder length amber hair, accenting her round face. She would probably be about seventeen. "And then they were going to kill you without a fair trial! You..." She trailed off and looked at me. She brought me closer to her face. "You didn't mean to." She whispered. "Right?"

"No." I tell her. I didn't know what to think. She let out a burp. She blushed a scarlet red and put her free hand to her mouth.

"Oh gosh. I guess I am hungry." She said, glancing at me. I instinctively step back. "I already said I'm not going to eat you." She said crossly. She placed me on her shoulder, and began to slither away.

"You... seem different than the other huge creatures that come when people are forced outside of the Barrier. Why?"

"I never liked eating humans. They looked too much like our own kind. We Nagas." She said. So, she was a creature called a Naga.

"But you ate two humans." I point out. She nods.

"True. But they were hurting you for no reason. I can't stand mindless violence." She smiled down at me. My heart skipped a beat. "So, what should we have for dinner. Oooh, there's a lovely blueberry bush near my cave. You like blueberries?" I nod, even though I had no clue what a blueberry was. "Blueberries it is!" She said, smiling.

"Do you help other humans?" I ask.

"The ones I can get to in time. You might not be able to tell, but I'm very short for a Naga. I only come to eighty-two feet tall while the other girls are easily a hundred feet. That means other naga's chests are here-" She held her hand to her eye level.

"Well, I think you're tall!" I reply. She giggled.

"Me? Tall?"

"Yeah. You're really pretty too." I said without thinking. She stopped. she glanced at me. I felt nervous.

"You... think I'm pretty?" She asked. My face felt flushed. I must be blushing.

"Yeah. I... I do." I say quietly. She resumed slithering, this time in silence. But I could hear her glancing at me from time to time. She was nice. I wonder why. From what I've gathered the giant creatures in the Forest were ruthless and cruel. The forest was actually fairly nice. There was a light breeze that ruffled the leaves, and there must have been a creature that sang happily in the forest. I wonder how mom is doing. I hope she can take care of herself. I was shaken from my thoughts when the girl poked me in the chest. "Huh?"

"I said, do you hear the birds chirping?" She aske.

"Birds?" I ask. Another creature begins singing.

"That! Right there." She whispers, pointing to a tree. The creature had strange fur and a hard mouth that jutted out from its face. "That's a bird." The creature ruffled its bright fur and it lifted its arms and flew off. What an interesting creature. "We're home!"

I glanced up and gasped. The cave opening was narrow at best. Well, narrow for someone of the Naga's size. She set me down on the ground.

"You go on ahead. I'll just go grab us some dinner... I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"Jared." I yelled. She frowned and leaned down, putting a hand to her ear. "Jared!" I yell again.

"Well it is nice to meet you Jared. My name is Serpentine, but my friends call me Tina." She said happily, using her tail to grab a basket from inside. I didn't know what to say, so I just waved. She probably wouldn't have heard me anyway. I turn to the cave opening.

A warm breeze from the cave rustled my corn husk based clothes. All of a sudden I wished I had the clothes similair to the ones the Protector wears. His is made of the silk of giant worms called Sealku Worms. The breeze smelled like death, like the Death Keepers. The ones who buried our dead. It also smelled like the Unclean One, with his drink that made one dizzy.

But... I trusted Tina. So, gathering my courage, I walked in. It was definitely colder in the entrance though warm air kept coming from the other end. There was also a small ring of light emitting from the wall ahead. I am not sure what it was for, but it was in the direction I was heading.  Something did not seem right. I gasped as my barefoot stepped in something slimy. I lifted my foot. In the dim light, a strand of something thick and shiny went from my foot to the ground.

"What is this stuff?" I wonder aloud as the wind suddenly blew hard. I fell on my bottom, and I felt the sticky floor touch my foot. I gasp and try to back away, but my foot was stuck. The ground then began to retract. I scramble, clawing at the ground as I am pulled into the cave. My foot was suddenly free and I ran for the exit. There was none, as I learned when I hit a slightly wet wall. Whatever light there was was gone. The heat became much worse. A loud rumbling sound filled the air, and the sticky ground battered me against the wall, and then the ceiling, and then another wall. I couldn't breathe. There was no air.

"Tina... help... me." I begged, though I knew she couldn't hear me.

I hummed happily to myself as I plucked berries. My basket was almost full. I did not know how much humans could eat, so I decided to just fill up the basket. I hope Jared will be okay. He has never lived in a cave before. I hope he adjusts alright. I filled a pail with the spring water next to the cave. Funny. Bria wasn't in her lake.

Bria was one of my only friends. A water sprite that lived in the lake. Unlike humans and Nagas, her ears and fingers were webbed and her fish-like scales were the same color as the pure spring in front of me. She was 93' 5" and had hair that came to the small of her back, made of chrystallized water. She was fairly nice. Though she loved to hide in my cave and play pranks and... my eyes widen. If she was not in her lake then she was in my cave.

Another horrifying thought struck me. Bria said that her father had in the old days managed to catch humans that hung around the lake. She said she always swallowed them alive and loved to feel their squirms down her throat. She was a very kind girl, but when it came to humans, she was a rutheless murderer. Dropping the basket, I slithered back to my cave entrance and slithered inside quickly. 
Bria was there. Sitting on the table. Moaning with pleasure. And a human shaped bulge in her cheek.

"Spit him out!"I scream, tackling Bria. She gasped in surprise and I grabbed her mouth and wrenched it open. In time to see Jared's hand fall out of sight. "No!" I cry and did the first thing that came to mind. Wrapping my tail around her waist, I somehow managed to turn her upside down. With a finger, I reach into her mouth and yank on her uvula.  She immediately began wretching, sending nasty puddles of puke all over the floor. I searched through the green puddle while Bria got a hold of herself.

"Serpentine? Why'd you do that! I was just enjoying the most delicous meal." I spot Jared, screaming silently. Well, silently to me. I hurredly pull him out. "Hey! I had my eyes on it first!" Bria said angrily. I ignore her, putting Jared in my mouth, and begin sucking the barf off him. I shudder. The vomit was yucky, and I made sure not to swallow him. I spat him into my palm and look at him. He just layed there, eyes closed. I couldn't tell if he was breathing. Rage suddenly built up inside me.

"You bitch!" I scream. That seemed to catch her off guard. "That 'meal' was my new friend!"

"You made friends with a human?" She asked, surprised.

"He isn't a human." I lie. "He's... uhhhh... a homunculus!"

"Oh gosh!" Bria said quietly, buying it. "I thought because of the way he was dressed..." She broke down into tears. "I didn't know! You know I wouldn't hurt anybody on purpose." I give her a comforting hug.

"It's okay. You didn't know." I look down at the palm that wasn't wrapped around Bria. I almost broke down too. Upon second glance, Jared was in even worse shape than I originally thought. His left arm was bent back at an odd angle, both of his legs were bent in two places. Blood was pouring from his left arm. There was already a small pile in my hand. His clothes were gone, between saliva and stomach acid. And there were great burn marks all over his body. I gasp as he moved. "Jared!" I cry. I lift him to my face. "He's alive!"

I wake up with a blinding pain everywhere. I try to get up.

"Serpentine." I try to yell, but it comes out dry and quiet.

"Ssssshh. I'm here. No one is going to hurt you anymore." I feel her soft finger stroke my back gently. And even though it caused me great pain, I appreciated the gesture.

"I was so scared." I whisper.

"Sssh. Save your energy. We're going to bring you to someone who can helpyou." I nod, and snuggle deeper into her hand flesh. I didn't want to leave her ever again.

Jared had stopped moving, all but his chest, moving up and down silently. Breathing quietly. Breathing shallowly. I softly pet his now bare chest. You are going to be okay, I promise. I cradle him under my bosom to potect him while I slide out from underneath the cave entrance. The sun was setting, casting brilliant colors across the sky. I suddenly wish Jared was watching this sunset with me. What was this feeling in my chest?

It banged against my skull and rattled my rib cage. What was this? It screamed in my ears, but I couldn't hear. What is it saying? What does my heart sing so loud but my mind is deaf to? I was brought back to the matter at hand when Jared screamed in his sleep, having rolled onto his arm. I carefully move him back, causing him to whimper in pain. I began slithering towards the setting sun.

"Where are you going?" Bria called, trying to get out of the cave.

"I'm taking Jared to a Healer." I replied, still a little upset at her for almost killing him.

"The nearest Healer is almost five hundred miles away. I don't think he'll make it." She gestures to Jared, who was shaking slightly. Blood continued to pool into my hand with no sign of stopping.

"What do we do?" I ask.

"Well... we could always talk with Nurse Pedianna." Bria said.

"No way!" I cry. Nurse Pedianna was the worse creature in the entire forest. She took pleasure in killing humans. She was the last one I wanted to bring Jared to.

"I know you and Nurse Pedianna aren't on the best of terms, but she is the closest person who could help him." I sigh. She was right.

"Alright." I say quietly. "We'll bring him to Pedianna." I slowly slither towards the great cave that was the school. It wasn't far away from my own cave. It was not even a five minute slither away. I began slithing as quick as I could towards the school.

I quietly scuttered across my web, checking for any tears or breaks in the web. Hmmmm? A small bit of web had come undone near the top. I crawled to the top to put it back around the branch it was on. Something big broke through the web, leaving a huge hole in the middle. It got a little bit tangled in it, but kept going. It was followed by another dark shape that I could not make out in the darkness.

"Hey! My web!" I yell after them.

"Sorry! Life or death!" The first one yelled back. I grumble in annoyance. I work hard to keep this web in perfect condition! And all the other giants just run through it! I begin to fix it for the fifty-second time that day. That day! Huh? There's a bit of movement in the remains of the web. I could feel my eight eyes shine brightly.

I stop in front of the school, just as Nurse Pedianna was locking the front door.

"Serpentine? Bria?" Pedianna asked, though I could tell she was smirking behind her mandibles. "Do you need my help?" I hold my hands out for her to see.

"Can you help him?" I ask.

"Serpentine. There's nothing but cloth in your hands." Pedianna smirked. She walked away, her legs tearing across the ground. I glance in my hands and gasp. Where was Jared? I notice something white. I touch it. Half of it stuck to my finger, and stretched out between palm and finger. Webbing. Oh no.

I groan. My body still hurt and the breeze didn't help at all. The warm breeze...

"What have we here? A human?" Oh no. With great difficulty I opened my eyes. Two pairs of giant fangs were right in front of my face, dripping venom. Oh no. Another giant creature. I was suddenly upside down. She touhed me between my legs. "What's this?"

"H-Hey! D-Don't touch that!" I yell. She gives an interested glance at it.

"Is it... growing? What is this?" She had a perplexed expression on her face.

"It's a... it's... a penis" I struggle against her strong grip. She flicked it and giggled.

"It's like a spruce limb." She giggled.

"Please stop." I begged. She tilted her head.

"Why? Does it hurt?" I blush a little.

"Well... it sort of feels good..." I answer truthfully. I wince as her pinkie scraped my leg. "But my legs hurt." She opened her palm and layed me down. Her eyes analyzed my legs.

"Hmmmm... your legs are fractured in three places... your broke your right arm and your left wrist. It looks like you have three broken ribs... and many scratches and second degree burns."

"You figured all that with a glance but you don't know what a penis is?" I ask. She blushed.

"I... I spend alot of time with my mandibles in a book." She blushed. Her finger brushed against my legs and I cry out in pain. "Oh yeah." I gasp as a huge... hole comes up on the other side of her head, along with six huge spear like appendages. Something white began to flow from it and the six appendages got to work, pulling more of the liquid-solid out. They turned to me and started wrapping around my legs. "Grit your teeth."

"What my tee- OW!!!" Two of the appendages have moved my legs and it sent pain shooting up my legs.

"Sorry. I had to set your legs." She apoligized. What did that mean? She must have notied my confused expression, cause she said, "It means that I was putting your bones back where they should be." The appendages continued to wrap the white stuff around my legs. "Spider silk should be a good cast supplement." She mumbled to herself.

"Get your mitts off him you bitch!" I heard someone scream. That voice... A large red scaly object wrapped around six of the giant girl's appendages. The world jerked and I went falling. I landed hard on my back. At least my landing was soft. I open my eyes to see Serpentine's worried face staring back. "How dare you try to eat him!" She shreiked. I yelled up at her.

"She wasn't going to eat me!" But Tina either didn't hear me or didn't care. Her tail wrapped around the girl's throat, and pulled her into the waning light. The six sharp appendages turned out to be six legs where only two should have been. A large sac hung from behind those, where the silk was coming from. She had four unblinking red eyes and two eyes similair to mine. Her hair was a pitch black, as well as her bottom half and her sac. Except for a red hourglass underneath.

"P-Please." She croaked, trying to breathe. "I wasn't going t-" Tina's tail tightened and the girl began to clutch at it.

"How dare you! To a person!" Tina cried.

"Tina! No!" I cried. I began jumping up and down, waving my arms and screaming. The girl suddenly went limp in Tina's tail. "No!" I cried again, and I slumped to my knees and I felt tears began to stream down my face.

Oh my neck. Oh my six legs. I try getting up but there was something heavy on my stomach. I open my six eyes to see what on earth could be on my chest.

"You!" I cry and I struggle to get the Naga off me.

"Stop moving. You might hurt him." She said quietly.

"Him?" I ask. Then it clicks. "You better not eat him!"

"I thought you were going to eat him." She said quietly. "Jared is my friend. When I saw him wrapped in your silk, I assumed you were going to eat him." I stop struggling.

"You... you aren't? Then... where is Jared now?" I ask. I did not like the answer. "He's WHERE?!?"

Earlier...

"Don't worry. That giantess won't hurt you anymore." Tina said happily.

"Tina!" I scream. "She was trying to help me!" Her face fell in confusion.

"Wh-What?" Tina asked.

"She was... fixing my legs!" I reply.

"N-No! She was going to wrap you up and suck you dry!" She replies. I show her the "casts." "N-N-N-No. That's... she set your legs too..." She gasped. "I killed someone who was only trying to help my friend!" Tears began to come to her eyes.

"No way! I know CPR." Bria yelled and immediately began to pump up and down on her chest. She put her lips to the many legged girl's mouth and blew in, spat behind her back, and began to pump her hands against her chest again. She put her ear to the six-legged girl's chest. "Nothing. Seems like the only way is from the inside... but there is no way she'll survive for long enough."

"I killed somebody!" Tina shreiked.

"No! No you didn't!" I turn to Bria. "You said that you can get it started from the inside?"

"I think you're too small to perform open heart surgery." Bria said.

"No! Isn't there a way to get there through her mouth?" I ask. Bria and Tina's mouths fell open.

"Your willing to risk... for..." Bria just stared ahead, perplexed. "Well... yes, there is a way."

"No! I will not allow it!" Tina yelled. I felt almost a dark presence enter me.

"Then I guess you're a killer." I say nonchalantly, staring at my fingernails.

"But... But..." Tina said, staring down at me, tears flowing down her cheeks. I instantly felt bad. I hugged her finger and began stroking her nail as if it was a person.

"Please Tina. I want to help her." I kissed the finger and stared up at her. Her face was as red as her tail.

"O-Okay." She said, quietly. "Just... be careful."

"I'll be fine." I felt an urge to kiss her finger again but... it took everything I had to not. Tina slowly lowered me to the spider-girl's mouth. "Hey Bria!" I yell. "How do I do this?"

"Oh yeah." She lifts to her neck and pulls off a little glowing crystal on a necklace. "This is a glowstone. Use it to light it up. You are going to go down the throat. There are two passages. Don't go down the open one. Go down the one where a flap is covering it. When you get there just... shove it alot."

"Alright." I reply. I hold the crystal up like a lanturn and enter her mouth. It smelled surprisingly nice and I had an urge to lay down on her tongue and sleep... No! I must help her! I smack my head a few times and move towards the back of the mouth. I look at the great hallway that was her throat. I slowly squeezed my way through her throat. I hit a wall. No, I hit a flap. The flap. What was I supposed to do again? Oh yeah. Behind the flap.

"You okay?" I heard Tina yell.

"FINE!!!" I yell back. I was unsure if she heard me or not. I pulled the flap open, and stepped inside. The air was getting thin... I better do this quick. I stepped in something. I look down. Blood. I must be here. I look at the wall and begin to shove myself against it rhythmically. It felt like I was tackling a wall.  But it started slowly moving on its own. I continued this process until it began to pump slowly and the blood began to drag on my legs. I exited immediately. Everything began to start moving. It took a whole lot more out of me to open the flap out. It was like pushing on a boulder. But I slowly begin pushing it open. With most of my energy depleted, I fall into the throat. Which was in motion as well. It began to slowly push my towards the left side.

"YOU!!!!" A cry echoed all around me. I had to let go to clutch my ears. Good news, the girl was okay. Bad news, she was about to eat me, if accidently.

I gasp as th floor began pulsing, slowly pushing me further in her body. I cllimb faster, grasping the shining jewel in one hand.

"HE'S WHERE?!?!" I suddenly couldn't hear the beating of her heart or the sloshing of her throat. And then, I was tumbling down the slight incline of her throat.

"Ssssh." I push the girl back down so that her back was against the ground.. "He went down your throat to try to jump start your heart. If it was not for him, you wouldn't be here." I slowly slithered off of her.

"How long has he been in there?" She whispered.

"Ten minutes. And you don't have to whisper." I tell her.

"If he is in my throat," She whispered. "My voice will be amplified, especially to his human ears." 

"He's not human." Bria replied. "He's a homonculus."

"I know a human when I see one." She replied firmly.

"H-H-He in't human." I reply shakily.

"Serpentine... is this true?" Bria asked. I sigh.

"Yes." I said quietly. "He is."

"Why did you lie to me?" Bria asked, a hurt look on her face.

"You almost ate him!" I scream at her. "Because he was human!" 

"Is he your friend?" She asked.

"Yes! He is!" I reply.

"Then he is my friend too." She replied. "You should have just told me. I'd understand."

"But your father used to feed you humans!"

"The humans polluted the forest and our lake. It was punishment. But Jared... Jared just risked his own life to save a giantess. He is the kindest human I have ever known."

"Tina!" I heard someone's faint cry." The spider-girl's face fell to confusion, and then shocked realization. She slowly reached a hand into her mouth and pulled out a slightly reddened Jared. He was smoking slightly, but he smiled triumphantly. Bria leaned down so she was inches from Jared.

"Hi tasty human." She laughed at his scared expression. "Aw calm down. I promise I won't eat you." She took her necklace back from him. The spider girl turned Jared to her.

"Thanks for saving my life." The girl pulled Jared to her and kissed his head. "I'm Hachime. Hachime Nagai." She frowned. "What happened to your casts?" He shuffled uneasily.

"They must have washed away in the blood." Her eyes widened and she began to cry..

"It was when I sat up, wasn't it? You slid down my esophagus. I almost digested you!" She sobbed loudly.

"I'm fine now!" He danced around on her hands."What was in that silk?" She gave a small smile and sniffed. "Just a little healing catalyst." She said quietly. She got to her six spider legs and I finally got a good look at her.

She was about sixty feet tall, standing normally on her legs. Her hair was pitch black, including that on her bottom half, which was completely spider. She was probably around seven, but she seemed oddly mature. It was in her eyes... and her boobs. They were as big as her head! In fact... I look down at my own chest. They might be bigger than mine! She smiled almost... lovingly at Jared. So, looks like I'll have to compete with Hachime for Jared's love.

"Ummm... Tina? Can we have those blueberries now?" Jared called. Oh gosh! It was late! And I still had school tomorrow!

"We have to go! See you later Hachime!" I scoop up Jared and slither off towards home. I gather the berries easily and pour them into the basket. We enter the cave and I set up dinner on the table. I give him a berry and he immediately began eating. He stopped halfway.

"Tina?"He asked.

"Yes Jared?"

"I like blueberries."

Jared ran. That was all he could do. He hid under a root of one of the many huge trees, breathing heavily. He listened. The sound of her leathery movement  seemed everywhere. Then it stopped.

'Don't go out there.' Jared thought to himself. 'That's how all of those premature heroes died in those stories...'

Jared gasped as the root was ripped out and the smiling face of Serpentine replaced it.

"There you are my treat." She giggled. She picked him up by a leg and held him high. "Mmmmmm... You are going to taste great." She opened her mouth and dropped him. Everything seemed to slow as he fell. Tina had a horrible aim and he landed on her right cheek.

"Wow, that's some dream you have here." Jared gasped and looked over. He was not alone. There was a kid there, about the age of thirteen, leaning against her nose. "No, reeeeeally. I can sense the trust you have for her." He said sarcastically. 

"Who are you?" Jared asked.

"Like I'd tell you. When does the mysterious type actually tell who they are?" He asked. Jared was about to reply when Tina's tongue wrapped around his waist.

"Where do you think your going?" She asked and pulled him in. She lathered him with spit, moaning slightly. She pushed him to the back of her throat and swallowed. Jared fell into darkness.

"Happy landings!" The mystery kid yelled down.

Jared woke with a start. It was a dream... a very bad dream... but a dream. He clutched his chest, his beating heart.

'It was just a dream... it was a dream... Tina cares about you. She...' Tears came to his eyes. 'What if she's just using you? She has eaten people before. You hardly know her. How could you possibly trust her?'

Jared got up from the makeshift bed of Tina's sock. He was still unsure why she would have a sock and only one, but she did. He stepped down the makeshift staircase of giant books that Tina made for him. As he reached the ground he looked up at the sleeping form of Tina on her huge bed. She looked so peaceful... She did not have the face of someone who would mercilessly kill him... He smiled. What was he thinking? If she wanted to eat him she would have done it already.

His stomach rumbled. Jared rubbed it. Tina had also left a book staircase near the table and a small bowl of blueberries and a small bowl of water in case he wanted it in the night. He walked in the direction of the giant kitchen.

"Oh gosh that was funny." Jared stopped. Someone was in the house. "Thought she would eat him." Jared gasped quietly. It was that boy from his dream. What the heck was going on? He peeked out of the doorless entryway to the kitchen. The boy was up on the table, munching on a giant blueberry, getting blue juice all over his black cloak. His face was still hidden by a hood, his eyes glowing red beneath it. "Mmmmmm... blueberries..." Jared slowly snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Not now Meta, can't you see I'm enjoying huge blueberries?"

"Who are you?" Jared asked. The kid froze and looked back, glowing red eyes flashed in surprise. He glanced at a strange device on his wrist.

"Dammit! I stayed longer than I should have!" He hopped to his feet. "You have seen nothing!" He ran, Jared close behind him. Until the boy jumped off the table. Jared stopped and glanced over the edge. Nothing. No body, no blood, no boy. Like he just disappeared... was Jared dreaming? Well, might as well get what he came there for. He picked up a blueberry and started munching. He leaned over the pool-sized bowl of water and began drinking. A loud bang echoed through the house and scared Jared. He slipped off his precarious perch and fell with a splash.

"Damn!" I cuss. I couldn't help it. I know girls shouln't cuss, but rolling out of bed and landing on the stone floor was not fun. Stone was NOT comfy. But carpet is expensive. I hope I didn't wake Jared. I stand up and slither into the kitchen. My mouth was really dry. I grabbed the bowl. I could always refill it afterwards. I lifted it to my mouth and began drinking. Ooooooh, the water felt good against my fangs.

Jared gasped as the water began to tilt and the current began pulling him to a gigantic mouth that could only belong to one person. Jared tried to yell out to Tina, but got a lungful of water instead. As he was coughing he was pulled into her mouth, just as she stopped drinking. It was very dark, and wet. Well no duh! She just drank water. The floor tilted backwards and the water began to flow down the throat. Jared began thrashing as fast he could, trying not to be swallowed. Just as he was going down the esophagus something grabbed his leg and pulled him up and onto her tongue again. And then he was out.

Tina looked at Jared with surprise. "J-Jared? I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were in that water, and then I felt you..." she clutched her throat as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "For a second I thought I swallowed something and... and when I realized it was you..." She sobbed.

"But you stopped me from going down." I said comfortingly.

"N-No I didn't. That's why I am so relieved that you ended up on my tongue."

"You didn't save me?" Jared asked. "Then who..." A small glint caught his eye. He picked up a small piece of paper, and written in what looked like metal was the words "You can thank me later."