Floretta licked up the last little squirts of that tasty water snack from her lips. She was in bliss for her next paragraph; it was like she'd sipped from a pure spring, rejuvenating her body. Hydration really did help her express herself. "Lastly, inhabitants of tiny worlds may have bizarre diseases, or poisonous defenses; which we're eating en masse. These are alien substances, with untested long-term health effects." She stretched out, feeling her joints' tension leave - and a tiny tingle from her belly. One more snack. No, maybe half of one. Just another little nibble to get her through the rest of the first draft.
When Floretta opened the bag, one tiny planet rolled onto her palm, in green and blue. Her eyes lit up. Water... and continents! Scrumptious continents, brimming with plant life, succulent spices, and just enough wetness to bring them down smoothly! She took a long smell of the marble-sized orb, letting its unique mixture of pollen float into her nostrils. The smell made the writer's nose tingle and quiver. She held it in both wavering hands, allowing it to roll gently in her palm. Such a rare mixture of circumstances could produce a treat so fruitful, yet void of animals... Was it really okay for her to eat this?
Amid the heavy foliage dotting the world, humanoids with large ears and tails floated up into the looming black holes of her nostril. The people of this planet, Gweru, were still in a hunter-gatherer phase; it was impossible for the company processing them to notice any signs of pollution, or even agriculture. From their happy lives, this massive face appeared on the horizon, lifting their friends upwards with breaths the force of hurricanes, and shaking the earth with a mighty grip. Displaced trees and huts lined her nasal hairs, stuck in gallons of snot. The slight moisture of her open mouth fogged their skies, causing torrents of sticky rain. Thousands of shamans mediated on what these signs meant.
In the corner of the southern lands, one prisoner, Awa, looked up longingly. His parents used to tell him that one day, God would take the virtuous souls into the sky, and destroy the world. With people around the distant mountains rising up to join with the looming, majestic face in the sky, he guessed that he wasn't one of the worthy ones - and simply watched as the world fell apart by her hand.
Floretta itched behind her glasses, hesitant to bite in. It would be gluttonous to gulp this whole treat down after she'd already swallowed three whole planets. "Just one continent." Whispering to herself, she repeated: "Just gonna taste one, and leave the rest for later." Her short fingernail dug underneath the tiny chunk of crust, and pulled up. She watched tiny waterfalls drop off the landmass' corner, as she pulled it up with a finger, bringing it to her awaiting mouth...
*SLURP*
The almighty woman in the sky had stripped an entire continent off Planet Gweru, and now held it in her tongue. The world remaining on the ball saw to a horrific display: hundreds of villages and thousands of clans dangled on the pink monstrosity, not even filling half of its surface area. Awa's sense of gravity twisted as he watched her tongue ripple, flex, and wiggle, the huts and forests cascaded like waves on the great ocean. Chunks of the massive forests separated, becoming a mass of islands; and crumbled into each other. Her warm breath made the sight foggy; but it was clear to see, the world was falling apart inside of her. With a long, earth-trembling noise, the tongue lifted, tossing millions of specks back. And when it lay flat again, unleashing a contented sigh, the continent was gone.
Awa prayed, keeping his tail straight. How lucky that land was to join with their beautiful goddess; they must have been truly virtuous for her to accept them inside her.
The flavor of the little clump was delicious; a unique mix of earthy textures with crisp, fresh greens. In fact, it was addictive. Floretta twitched, trying to turn away. But that continent really wasn't all that huge. With a deep breath, she decided: one last continent. She moved the little ball to her mouth, gently nibbling at the eastern landmass, like a timid rabbit.
Floretta's massive teeth were like bulldozers, plowing through acres and acres of fresh land. It ripped through the green spaces, pulling it all into her ravenous mouth. No ancient tree was large enough, no civilization massive enough, no mountain high enough to resist its pull. Earthquakes made while villages flee to safety on the other side of Gweru, her bite driving into the planet's core. She was unstoppable, and her hunger was endless.
Awa felt the residual body heat drifting on him; and the speedy, dizzying rotation of the planet as she stripped another thousand forests off the surface. The abduction was long, even sensual, as if to tease him about her absolute omnipotence. Finally, in a great swallow, all he knew united into her depths, rejoining their goddess. Her deep, dark eyes scanned the remaining peoples, quiet, filled with wisdom. His ears twitched, awaiting her judgement. With the virtuous people having entered her, what would she do with the rest of the world?
Floretta shifted the remaining treat back and forth between her fingers, feeling like it was staring her down. Shame and embarrassment rose in her chest. Who was she to write about healthy eating, when she's been filling herself to the brim? But still, there was only one little splotch of land left. One tiny, delicious spot, barely more than an island; the last piece of green left on what was once a jungle planet. It would be a shame to just forget about it, and let it spoil. Soon, the vegetarian's growling tummy overpowered her shame and logic. She dipped her tongue in the waters, and let the last tasty plants slide gently onto her tongue.
Awa blinked in confusion. That tongue - that wonderful, all-consuming tongue... It was getting closer. The shores of his continent slipped atop the pink, saliva-lathered platform; followed by great forests, and villages he'd lived in himself...
He gasped, and bowed in joy. "She's eating me... She's eating me!" Sobbing, he kissed the earth, and embraced the damp darkness that surrounded him. The goddess had accepted him. No matter what he'd done in life, no matter how he'd ruined his mortal existence, the monolithic deity had endless mercy.
Mighty quakes buried him in the ground. He was going to join everyone with her.
Floods of saliva washed it away. He was going to become part of something bigger, more magnificent than he could imagine.
The last thundering groan of the goddess' stomach welcomed its new inhabitants in, like with the worlds before it.
The goddess judged him worthy to enter.
"I won't judge you. I especially won't judge you for what you eat. But no matter what, I'm still a vegetarian."
With a few clicks of her fingers, she finished her conclusion - and with it, the article. Floretta stretched, feeling her white shirt around her arms, as the last bits of juicy leaves tickled her throat lovingly. She put a finger to her neck, tracing it down to her belly as it fell down. What a great way to end her hard work! She looked at the completed document, saving it, and patting herself on the back for a job well done.
Now, editing this would be a whole other story. But first, she deserved a break. Opening her browser, Floretta idly hummed, scrolling absent-mindedly through gossip and political headlines. Before long, a set of reports in the "health" section caught her eye.
"Contaminants found in Brand X Vegetarian Shrunken Planets"
"Recalls as Tests Discover Microbe-Sized Civilizations On Vegetarian Planets"
"As Many As 75% Of Assorted Planets May Have Tiny Populations"
Floretta stared in shock at the words; then at the bag of planets; then at her stomach. Realization dawned on her, like an anvil falling on her head. Those were cities she was eating. The little tickle in her throat was a massive population brought to its knees by her shameful gluttony. Because she couldn't control her hunger, she sacrificed living people. Even now, she could feel them in her stomach...
...Quietly caressing the folds of muscle... Reminding her of their mouth-watering, succulent flavor. Far richer and more varied than any of the vegetarian meals she'd had; and that was just a little snack...
With a long breath in, Floretta's slender fingers clicked back to the article she was writing. There was one edit she could make now. That title: "Why I Am Still A Vegetarian". It really didn't work. With a few taps on the keyboard, and a nod of approval, she changed it to something far more fitting:
"Why I Was Still a Vegetarian"