“Does it feel good?” the man asked.

His question puzzled her about as much as his ‘small talk’ was starting to creep her out.

“Does what feel good?” she asked, despite part of her just wanting to take her daughter and leave.

She didn’t give into that impulse, however. It was what her grandma had told her: “Don’t give an inch to these stalker men. We exist to teach them a lesson.”

Of course, what they did to men didn’t teach any lessons, because the students didn’t survive the lectures.

“Being out here, with your daughter, and being fulfilled?” he replied.

There was a strange emphasis on that last part. She just looked back at him, not sure what to make of the intention of the question. The idea was starting to form that his sitting down with her was not random, but also not common lechery.

She was about to speak her mind to him, and just as she opened her mouth to do so, she felt a little movement inside her. Mark seemingly had a bit of fight left after all. She involuntarily shuddered with pleasure. While the overpowering pleasure of a newly-swallowed man in her stomach was definitely one of the perks of being a part of her family, it was also inconvenient at times.

“I guess you are,” the man next to her observed, before she had the opportunity to retort.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” she managed.

“That’s probably not what he’s thinking,” the man said, nodding at her belly.

Now he really had her attention. What did he know?

“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning in and speaking a bit softly. “Your secret is safe.”

“That is, provided you let me in,” he added.

She wasn’t sure what he meant, but she was sure it was not good. For a moment, she wondered if he had discovered her secret.

She looked at him intently, hoping to read his intentions on his face. His expression was one of admiration – though it might also have just been lust. She wasn’t particularly good at reading men, nor had she found that she needed to. Love and lust brought men to the same place with her – her gullet, and not in the way that they had hoped.

“What secret?” she asked, carefully.

“The secret that you know why Mark Jacobs will be declared a missing person in about 24 hours.”

As if aware of the conversation, Mark Jacobs made another spasm in her stomach, which sent another jolt of pleasure through her nervous system.

The man next to her opened up his jacket, showing a badge. Her eyes widened considerably more than before.

“Now just relax, ma’… Chryssie,” the now-declared law enforcement officer said.

He almost had given her his professional routine, but had changed to something more personal, as well as declaring that he knew her name. That suggested that he had been following – stalking – her for a while, and probably new more than just being a witness at the library.

Witnesses were an annoyance. She had had to deal with just a couple in her lifetime since becoming voracious. They had to be caught and disposed of before they could raise any alarm. Her mother had once failed to catch one in time. Thankfully, nobody had taken the witness seriously. However, not only was an officer of the law a more reliable witness, he could probably also defend himself a bit better. The man was also quite calm, which unnerved her.

“…I’m not going to arrest you,” he added, “but I want something for my troubles.”

“Like I said, I want in.”

“In on what?” she asked, thinking to keep what remaining secret cards she might have hidden.

“Well,…” he hesitated, and she noticed a slight blush, “…eventually, I’d like to be inside you.”

“Inside your stomach,” he clarified.