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."