The Strange Question

I lay in bed slowly waking up. I wasn't tired or anything, I was just being lazy. It was a Wednesday in the middle of a hot, summer month. All of my friends were either on vacation to their own form of paradise or doing exactly what I was doing. There was no need to rush out of bed. If I really wanted to, I could lay here all day. I'll just fall back to sleep when night comes again. 

I lay there with my tablet computer mindlessly flicking through dozens of vacation photos. They were all the same: a headshot of a friend with the same smiling face, just with a different backdrop each time. There was a beach, a rock concert, a beach, another beach, a hotel, more beaches; the list was endless. In some ways I was jealous, but I was still happy where I was. I could watch them get a sunburn while I sit a hundred miles away next to my bedroom fan. 

The social sites quickly bored me, so I switched over to a game. It was my favorite game at the time: a zombie defense strategy sort of game. I quickly became lost in the gun towers and zombie waves, just letting time pass. I had entered my own world, and it would take something close to a house fire to get me out of this trance. My full attention was on this game; I couldn't hear or see anything else. 

Something did manage to rip me from my world. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked up, but didn't see anything. My focus went back to the game, only to see the movement again. I looked up and thought I saw a long object fly past my bedroom door. I was concerned, but it still wasn't enough to draw me from my room. I looked down at the game again, but my eyes kept checking the doorway. I didn't see anything for a while, so I again put all my focus on the game. I heard a noise, and my head shot up ready to catch the mysterious intruder. I didn't have to strain, for it was standing in the door: a raptor of some sort, fangs barred, legs ready to pounce.

I let out a yell; it was a mix of words and screaming coming out as an garbled mess. The blended mix of words continued to flow from my vocal cords as I flipped and fell off the bed. While on the floor, I began to frantically dig under my bed. Books, magazines, boxes, charge cords, and dozens of random objects flew out as my arms swung and dug to try to hide myself. Above all the noise, I heard something I didn't expect: a voice.

 

"Uhh, you alright over there?"

I stopped moving, trying to process what I heard. The voice had the deep vocals of a teenager or young adult with an innocent, childish tone. I popped my head back over my bed, but I still only saw the raptor. There wasn't anyone else there.

"Hey, you okay?"

The raptor's mouth moved as the voice resonated across the room. It was talking!

"You... You can talk?!" I yelled. 

"Um, yeah; can you talk?" It replied.

"Y... yeah I can."

"You sure? I was doubtful when I heard that scream."

I stood up slowly, watching the raptor as I got up. It was a fairly large creature: it managed to fit through my bedroom door, but its head came close to the top of the door frame. It was oddly colored in my opinion; it had a dark blue, almost black, skin with slightly lighter blue patches and strips that flowed softly into the dark scales. It's arms were fairly long, almost as long as mine. They dangled loosely from its long body. A narrow head sat up on a thin neck.

"My name is Chip." It said.

"Chip? You have a name?"

"Well, of course I have a name! Everyone has to have one!"

"Uh, what are you doing in my house?"

"Ooohh, just lookin," Chip said, his eyes moved around the room taking in the surroundings.

"Looking? For what?"

"Well, uh, you may be able to help me with that."

I was a bit cautious by his answer. I asked, "help you how?" as I walked around the bed toward him. I moved slow, and remained some distance away. 

"Uh. Um, hmm, how do I put this. I uh, well like many creatures, or most, like ones like me, we have to... Uh..." 

The raptor struggled with his word choices for a while. He built up a sentence but never got to the point. His clawed fingers scratched his chin and head. Eventually, he just gave out a sigh and let his arms drop to their relaxed position. "I'm not going to try beating around the bush anymore," he said, "I'm hungry, and I need food, so I was wondering if I could eat you."

"Uhh, wait. What?!"

"Can I eat you?"

The question lingered a bit. I stood there working those words, trying to draw out their full meaning. It was a bit difficult, they were heavy words with a deep meaning that was just so simple. 

"You know its not that bad. I was eaten by something once..."

His words broke my train of thought, but it also made the answer clear, "No, I'm sorry but you can't eat me. I would prefer to live today."

"Please?"

"No."

"Oh please? I am starving!" 

"Sorry, still no."

"Please? Pretty please? How about with a cherry on top? I will literally find a cherry and put it on you head... and then eat you."

"No, you can't eat me." I said, sitting down on the floor.

"Aren't you curious? Haven't you ever wondered what the inside of something looks like?"

I thought for a moment, "Vaguely curious, yes. But I won't do it."

"We're getting somewhere though! Lets ease you in, eh? Just look in my mouth."

"No," I said, closing my eyes.

"Caaaa maa!" He held his mouth open.

"I'm not looking in your mouth."

"Caaa maa, juuuu looooook!"

"I'm not doing it."

"You know you wanna," he said, edging closer to me. I opened my eyes a little to find his gaping maw just inches from my face. Fleshy pink walls were covered in saliva, sharp teeth glistened, and his breathing became audible. 

I was trying to come up with some excuse to not go in there, but I could only come up with, "Your breath stinks."

"It does??" 

"Yeah, now close your mouth."

"It shouldn't stink, I brushed."

"You did?"

"No, not really. But I can! I'll do it right now! Can I borrow your tooth brush?"

"What? No!"

"Ok, how about after I eat you? Can I use it then?"

"No!"

"Why? You won't need it then."

"You can't eat me!"

"Yes I can, its not hard swallowing someone your size."

"I mean I won't let you."

"You don't have to let me: I'm a big guy, I can eat you without your help."

"No, I mean you can't eat me, I won't let it happen."

"Oh, come on, just try it! You will be completely safe."

"I will?"

"Yeah! I won't bite you in half or anything."

"Ok, but what about when I'm inside?"

Chip paused for a second, "Inside where?"

"Your stomach."

"My stoma.... Oh right! Heck, I don't know."

"I don't know, it sounds like I won't be okay.

"You'll be fine! Trust me."

"I don't want to be eaten today or any other day."

"Hmm, okay," Chip muttered in a low tone. He looked about the room again before turning back to me. It seems he had an idea.

"Think of it this way," he said, "this door is the only way out of your room, and I'm blocking it. I'm not going to move until you are packed away inside my belly. How does that sound?"

The raptor seemed proud of this. A child-like snicker spread across his dinosaur face, believing he had found a checkmate move. I realized he had a pretty good standing. I can sit here all I want until I get hungry, and this raptor can sit here all he wants because his meal is right in front of him. I looked around for other exits or quick hiding places. My bedroom window was the only other way out; but being on the second story would make jumping for safety more painful than being eaten.

"So did I get ya?" Chip asked in a very excited voice. 

"Uhh."

"Can I eat you? Huh? Can I, can I, can I?"

I knew I was trapped. There was really only one way out. I reluctantly replied, "I guess."

"Really?! You're awesome!" The raptor made a small jump of joy, careful not to hit his head on my ceiling.

I stood up, looking at Chip. I looked at his throat, chest, and eventually his abdomen. I couldn't imagine being inside those tight spaces. Being eaten was something totally new, so I had no idea what to expect. I looked around my room, not knowing what to think or do now. I was half expecting him to jump me right then and get it over with, but it looked like he was waiting for me to be ready. I glanced down and realized I was wearing my favorite shirt and one of my better pairs of pants.

"We'll, I don't want to ruin my clothes. If we are going to do this I better take them off."

"Wait, what? Really? That was easy. Usually I have to beg people out of those too."

"So you've done this before?" 

"A few times."

That sentence did make me feel a bit better. Chip must know what he was doing if he has done it before. I stripped down to my underwear. I was about to slip those off, when I noticed the raptor making a face. Its eyes were squinted, its mouth a frown, and its lips were open a bit. Obviously disgusted by that idea.

"I'll leave these on."

"Good idea," was his quick response.

"I have a dozen pairs anyway, so it won't be bad if one gets ruined. So do you always talk people out of their clothes?"

"Nah, not always. Usually if they are wearing a lot of stuff, though, I ask them to remove some. I think certain fabrics can irritate my throat." 

We stood silent for a moment; I was in my underpants and the raptor standing in the door. 

"Well?" I asked, thinking he would've pounced me right away.

"Well.... What?"

"Aren't you going to eat me?"

"Oh yeah, trust me I can't wait!"

I closed my eyes tight, scared of what was about to happen.

"But something is missing..." He said.

"Like what?" I opened my eyes again, relieved to still be standing there.

"I can't quite put my claw in it," the raptor looked around the room, "uh, wait. It's over there!"

"Where? What is it?"

"There!" The raptor's relatively short arm made an effort to point at something. It looked like he was pointing to something behind me. I turned around asking, "Where? I don't know what you are pointing at." I saw nothing but my open bedroom window. I turned around to look at the raptor again, and jumped in fright when I saw him standing right next to me. His boney fingers grabbed my sides and quickly lifted me off my feet. He then yelled, "Surprised prey!" 

He was so quick to pick me up I had no chance to move. Suddenly the idea of being devoured scared me. I kicked and struggled to get myself free from his grasp, but it was no use. "This is good," the raptor said, "you're doing great! I'm enjoying this a lot! I'm going to let this last." An evil smirk ran across his face. 

"You promised you wouldn't hurt me!" I yelled, obviously terrified at what he may do next.

"And I won't." Was the simple reply. 

"You... You know what?" I said as I flailed about in his hands, "I changed my mind, so put me down!"

"Changed your mind? Why, it's much too late for that now." The smirk remained on his face as he talked. All I could do is watch his lips open and close as it formed the words, revealing and hiding his teeth and tongue.

I continued to struggle, but it was becoming useless. I was getting tired, my breathing was heavy, and the raptor hadn't even flinched. 

"Ok, ok man; fun's over. P... Put me down."

"Fun's over? Oh no," Chip said. His tongue came out of his maw, giving his lips a good lick. Once the lips were shining with saliva, and drool dripped from the corners, he finished his sentence, "the fun has only just started!"

Chip opened his mouth wide right above my head. I looked up to see the pink walls of flesh again, all alive with small movement. The large tongue twitched but stayed where it was behind a row of teeth. The entire maw was terrifying to look at, but I seemed to focus on one spot: the opening to the throat. The fleshy folds in the skin all pointed to a small, dark hole at the back of Chip's head. All I could think about was me going into and through that opening. 

Chip had his fun tormenting me; he was done waiting. He slowly brought his mouth down over my head. He closed his jaws, engulfing my head, neck and a small amount of my torso. I could feel the sharp teeth poking my skin. His tongue shot to life now, licking everything it could reach. It moved around my head in strange ways, coating everything in slime. Then the tongue went back under my face, wrapped around my chin, and pushed my head up into the roof of his mouth. His lips tightened around me and he started sucking on my head like one would a lolly pop, pulling all of the air from his mouth. He opened his mouth again and a huge rush of air re-entered the mouth. I gasped for oxygen, thankful to breathe again. 

That's when I noticed his hands had moved while he was sucking on my head. He was now holding my waist. I felt him heave his arms up, which drove me into his jaws even further. His teeth were just above my belly button, and everything within his mouth was again given a tongue bath. My head was now touching the throat opening, I could feel it on top of my head.

I felt his hands move again to my legs. I knew what he was about to do. I let out one last plea, "Let me out! I don't want to do this anymore!"

Whether he heard me or not, I couldn't tell; but I knew he wasn't going to spit me back out now. I felt his hands grip hard on my legs; his jaws opened slightly and he started to push me in again. The back of the throat opened up and my head was consumed. The throat muscles pushed around on my head in weird waves. Every few seconds, the hole would open again, and I could catch some breathable air. Suddenly, the throat walls took hold of my head like an unseen hand and began pulling me down deeper inside. For a minute, Chip seemed stuck at my shoulders. I was hoping he'd give up, but after some pushes with his tongue my shoulders were inside his throat as well. 

I was getting the feeling that the throat's strange movements were attempts to swallow. It seemed to be getting easier and easier to swallow me; a good portion of my upper torso was well passed the opening. Breathing was incredibly difficult, but still possible. I could feel this teeth on the front and back of my thighs. His tongue continued to slather saliva across my midsection. A few times his tongue crept under my boxers. I gave a few extra kicks when that happened, trying to discourage him from doing it again. There was another swallow, and I felt his teeth on both sides of my knees. Then I noticed that I didn't stop moving; the swallow seemed to continue. I was slowly but steadily moving down the throat. It didn't take long for my head to enter the stomach cavity. I gasped, bringing in the stale air. I moved my head around, enjoying the freedom from the tight passage. It was a strange feeling to have my body in four places at once: my head and neck were now in the stomach, my torso and abdomen was in the throat, my lower hip was just about to enter the opening in the mouth, my legs were being licked by the tongue, and my toes could still feel my air conditioned room. I continued to slide inside the stomach, a little bit faster than before. My feet were now becoming drenched with a slimy tongue. If it wasn't for my terrified state, I'd probably be laughing; the tongue was tickling my feet. I didn't like it, and tried kicking: but with most of me in the throat, I couldn't really kick. 

Most of my torso was now inside Chip's belly. The end of the esophagus was rubbing over my stomach, and the opening in the mouth was almost over my feet. For a few seconds I wondered what I might look like right now; I wondered what my feet would look like barely sticking out of a mouth, and a massive bulge deforming the throat in my general shape. It's probably a good thing I live alone: I would hate to have a family member check my room right now and see me like this. 

As more of my body entered the stomach, I knew I would have to adjust myself to prevent cramping or getting in a twisted or uncomfortable position. There wasn't enough room to move around in there though, so it was difficult to find that good spot. I managed to pull my arms from the esophagus and use them to straighten myself towards the spot I wanted. By the time I was done, my feet had slipped passed the opening in the mouth and felt like they were half way down to me. I got into a good position and tried to push my legs back up chip's throat. As I did, the muscles in the neck managed to make a wall, and then pushed my feet and legs into the stomach with an unimaginable force. The speed and strength took me by surprise, and by the time I realized what happened I was completely inside Chip's belly.

"Chip! Chip, let me out!" I yelled. "Come on man, you ate me, now let me back out!"

There was no response. I wondered if he could even hear me. Without warning, the entire stomach began to move. I was hopeful he was getting ready to remove me from his stomach, but I soon figured out it was just him walking. The belly bounced and swayed around me. He suddenly stopped moving before the entire space around me began to bounce violently. I wondered what he was doing, but it didn't take long to figure out: stairs. He seemed to be having trouble, only proven when everything inside this little space fell to the right. He tripped, I could tell. I wasn't hurt: the fleshy walls managed to cushion me quite well. I heard a low grumble from Chip's voice. I couldn't tell what he said, but the sound echoed and vibrated throughout my tiny prison. 

I may sound calm right now, but I am terrified. I was hoping he would stay in my house and let me out, but instead the bouncing and swaying started up and continued. I tried poking, kicking, and prodding the stomach walls hoping to get a reaction. I got nothing back, only the continuous motion of his movements. I tried calming down, and managed to steady my breathing. With my new sense of calm and the steady rocking of the surrounding belly, I drifted to sleep. 

I woke up some time later, not sure how long I was out or even asleep for that matter. It was so dark I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or closed. I did notice that the stomach had gotten a much stronger scent. Whatever it was, it burned my throat and nostrils. I lifted my hand to cover my nose, but noticed that I was now about chest high in thick slime. Panic struck, and I started kicking again. I quickly gave up on that and focused on staying upright. I needed to keep my head above the goop. I was worried Chip had forgotten about me, or worse; had lied to me and was now digesting me. 

"Chip?" I yelled. "Chip, can you hear me? Please let me out!" 

Again, no response. The only good part of this was whatever liquid was surrounding me, it didn't burn. Maybe it wasn't acid, and maybe Chip hadn't forgotten or lied. I concentrated on keeping my head above the slime; whether Chip was going to let me out or not, I didn't want to drown. I sat there, making slight adjustments to keep myself upright. I don't think Chip was moving, but the fleshy walls pulsed over me in a somewhat rhythmic pattern. The calm motions again started pulling me to sleep again. I positioned myself in a spot where my head wouldn't fall under the muck, and I drifted into dream land again. 

I started to wake up again. My surroundings were tight, very tight. It was like I was getting swallowed all over again. I didn't know where I was, but I was too tired and weak to really care. I suddenly fell asleep again to the pulses and sounds of a potential nightmare. 

I lay still somewhere else now. I slowly started waking up, and as I did my senses returned to me. I could feel the wind against my wet body, the birds chirped their lovely songs, the air smelled of fresh dew.... Wait. I opened my eyes and saw a dimly lit blue sky above me. my head darted around, and after a few seconds i realized i was in my back yard. I sat up, trying to get to a somewhat straight up position. It took a minute, and that's when I noticed I was starving. I looked down at the rest of me and was shocked by what I saw. I was a lot skinnier now, almost anorexic, and my boxers were missing. Not a bit of fat was on me anywhere, and there was only just enough muscle to move. I was also drenched in some unknown fluids that stunk like nothing else. I had to get inside before anyone else saw me. I managed to get to a crawling position and crawled on my hands and knees to my back door.

I had to take a break on the porch, and another at the sliding glass door. I struggled getting the door to slide open, and more trouble getting it to close. I crawled over to my pantry and grabbed a cereal box off the bottom shelf. I made a mess as I dumped half the box in my mouth, most of it landed on the floor. I then climbed the stairs, leaving a trail of slime behind me. I got to the shower and sat, letting the water run over me. After the rinse, I crawled to my bedroom. Getting up on my bed was the hardest part; it took several failed attempts, but eventually my bare skin hit the bed sheets. As soon as my head made impact with the pillow, I was asleep. 

Chip's perspective:

Swallowing the human took quite a long time. Chip found it enjoyable, no doubt, but it still took longer than expected. The human was a lot larger than anticipated as well, and it filled the raptor's belly almost to its limit. Chip didn't plan on drinking any water because he was afraid the added weight would make him sick. The human's feet were still in his throat, and he felt them pushing back up. Chip gave a few good, strong swallows; sending the bothersome prey completely into his stomach, locking it inside. Chip looked down at his swollen gut, pleased to see it sagged almost down to lower thighs. He stood tall, tapping his head to the ceiling, and rubbed his bulging belly. It must have been a month since he was this full. 

He backed up and headed down the hall of the human's house. He wasn't used to carrying so much weight, and he struggled to keep stride. He reached the end of the hall where a long flight of stairs lay. Chip gave a face and made the first few steps. It was fine until his tail rubbed against the stairs and began to throw him off balance. He was halfway down before his right foot, too large for the stairs in the first place, slipped from under him. He fell down the rest of the way, landing on his side. He lay on his side trying to let the pain subside. The contents of his stomach didn't like the spill either, and the round bulge twitched and kicked in protest. "I hate stairs!" Chip mumbled as he struggled to get back up. He reached the front door, which he left wide open, and ducked his head out of the house. He saw no other human in the quiet subdivision: no cars had left or returned, no children playing in the front lawn; it was just him and his sagging underside. With one last look he pranced off the concrete porch, his tail wrapped around the edge of the door and pulled it shut.

He ran toward the edge of the subdivision, through a park, and into a thick area of woods. He couldn't run nearly as fast as he wanted with his stomach bouncing below him, but he managed to get to his small lair without anyone noticing. 

His lair was just a small hole in the ground located in a thick patch of woods behind a human built park. The hole did go underground, but it was only about ten feet deep. The lair had two 'rooms': an entrance and then Chip's nest. In the winter, Chip covered the opening between the rooms to keep warm. The only problem now was his stomach was too large to fit into his nest. He didn't want to force himself into the hole, fearing he may cause a collapse. Chip decided to rest in the entrance until his stomach returned to normal. He was more exposed there; other creatures could see him, but he would still be covered from any rain or wind. 

It didn't take long for a small rainstorm to come. Chip sat and watched the rain fall down from under a roof of dirt. He enjoyed the rain and the calm feelings it brought. There see no birds, no squirrels, no rabbits; just him and the soft splashing of water. Chip was tired from the long day: he had been hunting for several hours before he wandered into the human settlement. He rolled onto his side, examining his belly. The rounded bulge under his skin was pleasing to look at and feel. He poked the shape in several places, each time it gave him a wonderful tickle. The human inside had stopped moving, but Chip could feel its arms and head with his hand. Chip continued to massage his belly, enjoying every moment of being well fed. He started off just rubbing big circles, feeling the faint human shape underneath his tiny scales. At some point he found himself hugging the belly: pulling the pouch of flesh closer to him before releasing it, letting it slowly regain its rounded shape. Chip let out a belch, which only made him feel better. 

'What an idiot he must have been,' Chip thought, imagining the human he ate. 'He should have known I was going to eat him no matter how many times he said no.' Chip was glad the human agreed in the end, and getting it to take off its clothes was a bonus. The last time Chip ate someone with clothes on, the buttons and rivets that held its pants together gave him a horrible stomach ache. Chip gave a small chuckle, remembering the human wanted back out. Of course that wasn't going to happen; this was the food chain after all. 'Lesson learned, huh? Never trust a raptor,' Chip thought, giving the belly a few good pats. 

The quiet lump began to move again. The human was apparently awake and kicking. He heard a muffled voice come from within, but Chip couldn't make out what it said. After a few minutes of shifting, the prey lay still again. With his stomach settled again, and the rain continuing its gentle song, Chip drifted to sleep. 

When he woke back up, it had stopped raining. The raptor crawled out from his lair and stood tall, stretching his muscles. His belly was still quite large, and it stuck out in front of him as he bent backwards. Chip was keen on remaining flexible, so he held his pose trying to touch his nose to his tail. The skin over his recent meal stretched, revealing the faint shape of a human in his abdomen. The tip of his snout touched his tail, and he let out a sigh as he released his pose. His eyes popped open when he saw a human on the hill looking at him. The human had something in its hand; it looked like a small black box. It stood there in horror and awe. Chip took a step forward, and it ran. The raptor made a few lousy steps up the hill, tripping and slipping several times on the damp soil. Chip looked around, but the human was long gone. Chip then got a bad thought in his head: those humans will now come looking for him. If they find out he ate one of them, he would certainly be killed! 

Chip panicked, trying to come up with a plan. He paced and circled, trying to come up with a plan. He stopped moving when an idea came to him. If the human was never missing, then there was no reason to go looking for him! He would have to get rid of his meal somehow. Maybe he could fake an accident, like a house fire; but then he'd have to do that every time he ate a human. Maybe he could leave a note saying the human ran away; but he couldn't write. Maybe let the human out, force him to write the note, then eat him again? No, that wouldn't work. 

It came down to simply letting the human go. He didn't want to, for the human would have kept him fed for weeks. With a sigh, the raptor reluctantly headed toward the human's house. 

By the time Chip had returned to the human's house, it was dark. He climbed the fence to the human's back yard and attempted to regurgitate the contents of his stomach. The human had been sitting in his stomach for about two days now, and Chip was having a hard time getting the human to come out. He could tell the human's feet were caught on something, they were probably in the entrance to his intestines. He was trying to be quiet, but an occasional cough or gag broke the silence. He could feel the lump coming back up his throat. The throat muscles squeezed and contracted, pulling the human from his belly. He hated the feeling, and several times nearly swallowed the human back down. The human's shoulders entered the throat again, and the process gained speed. In one motion, one long and rough motion, the human spilled out from the raptor's mouth. Chip sat there, gasping for air and choking on the fluids that joined the human. The prey was a lot thinner now, probably from being digested. Chip watched the human closely, trying to determine if it was even alive. If the thing was dead, Chip had no problem with swallowing it again. He was both relieved and disappointed when he saw the human's chest rising and falling as it breathed. Sad, and now quite hungry, Chip walked off. 

A few weeks later, the human that survived being devoured was well on his way to recovering. He lost a lot of weight from being digested alive. He wasn't sure how he managed to live through it all; digestion should have killed him within hours. It didn't matter now: he was back to his old, lazy self. He had yet to tell anyone of his perilous encounter, he didn't think anyone would believe him. His friends did notice the severe weight loss, and they noticed him double checking the locks on his doors. For the human, everything was normal.

Chip was discovered a few days later trying to devour one of the lions at the local zoo. Instead of killing the raptor, the zoo managers locked it into a pen. Chip is now the main attraction at the zoo. He did get into a heap of trouble after he swallowed one of the zoo keepers whole, keeping the human as a hostage. Chip argued for freedom, but only got a smaller cage. Chip hates it when the prey outside the glass wall mocks him, but the free food makes up for it.