I sighed, wiggling slowly out of his loosened hold. Normally his arms would lock stubbornly, not allowing my escape, but this time I was able to free myself. His cock slipped out of my pussy and flopped over the other one onto the mattress in a puddle of our combined fluids. The view in dim lanternlight was so lewd I almost wished I had rocked one more out of myself, but a line had to be drawn somewhere.
I wet a rag in the kitchen to clean myself up. The cabin was serene, despite the strange noises outside my window. Some creatures must’ve showed up to check if there was food available. Normally, Theo handled feedings, but that was before I had a lessdisturbingoption than dead people. I could handle passing out raw meat, as long as it didn’t come from a person.
I grabbed a large jar from one of the lower shelves and cracked the lid, relieved the contents were basically scentless. I used my free hand to turn the doorknob and pushed it open, barely holding back a scream at what was waiting for me.
Standing on the other side of the wooden stakes—within my field—were a group of nocturnal grove creatures. Empty eye sockets stared at me. Their mists combined to form one dark cloud floating around bone and blackened connective tissue. An assortment of antlers towered above them. They didn’t move. Thewooshingof wind through their bones created a low, instrumental hum.
Why were they here?!Howwere they here?! My guideclearlystated that creatures intending to kill me couldn’t enter my field. All the other fuckers in the distance were still standing on the other side of the wheat; I could see the familiar fog and hear their strange cacophony of soft noises. They’d grown quieter recently… maybe being fed made them less desperate.
The bones of a nameless antlered creature rattled as its head tilted at me, and I was reminded that I was holding their dinner. Ihadintended to feed them. Although it felt a little precarious, I made my way cautiously down the wooden steps. They stayed put, the border of charms still seeming to work, at least.
Once I was within a reasonable tossing distance, I grabbed a few cubes of meat and chucked them toward the strange animals. Boney maws snapped at the air, the muted red flesh vanishing. Just like feeding the ducks at a park. If the ducks were nine-foot-tall skeleton creatures with sharp teeth, claws, and ghostly mist.
There was a loudhiss, and I startled.
A black fluffball darted in front of me towards the creatures, passing right through the stakes and letting out a “rrrrooooowwwwwrrrr” battle cry. The monsters fixed their sights on Nurghle, hunching down until they disappeared into the cloud of darkness with him. Only their antlers still visible.
“No!” I screamed. “Don’t touch him!” I dropped the jar to my feet, the contents spilling into the clover.
The creatures’ skulls rose from the mist immediately, and they stepped back. Were they listening to me? Or had my yell scared them? I ran forward to scoop up my stupid, valiant cat from the remaining whisps of cloud.
“If you ever hurt him, we willneverfeed you again!” I threatened as I stumbled back to safety, my cat in my arms.
It was no surprise when my own roaring monster appeared, fully feral and pushing me behind him.
“It’s okay, Theo,” I exhaled to calm my racing heartbeat, trying to ignore the way Nurghle’s anxious claws were latched into my skin. “They aren’t trying to hurt me.”
“What are they doing inside of your field?” he rumbled.
“I don’t know,” I said, my voice still shaking from the scare, but settling. What exactly did that stupid “Chicken Noodle Soup for the Goddess Soul”book say? “Maybe they… don’t want to kill me anymore?” That was awildfucking idea. Had we domesticated this specific species of fucker enough for them to no longer see me as food? “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” I whispered more to myself than Theo.
There was a long silence. A stare down. The creatures’ hollow expressions were unmoving just a few of feet away. A truce? A mutual understanding?
Theo growled before stating, “Come with me,” and ushering me further from the stakes. He stopped at the pile of spilled meat, bending over and grabbing a handful of chunks. “Stay here, Viv.”
He stepped through the protective border, coming to a stop to hold a beef-filled fist out. The creatures didn’t move. He took another step forward. Nothing.
“Theo, maybe that’s not the best way to test my theory?!” I called, soothing Nurghle by scratching between his ears.
Theo ignored me, taking another step closer. And another. Skulls ducked towards his hand, and I screamed.
“Theo!” I cried out, rushing towards him.
Before I could get to his side, they’d returned to their positions. He pulled his arm back from the cloud of darkness. There was no meat left, and his palm was untouched.
“I think you may be on to something, Little Goddess.” He sounded bewildered. Theo slowly, cautiously, shifted back to his normal form.
“I… guess I should take Nurghle inside.” It was all so strange. So hard to fathom. But, the proof was staring us in the face. The creatures were standing here, inside my field, and had just licked Theo’s hand clean.
He cleared his throat, his voice returning to normal. “I’ll put some pants on and finish feeding your pets.”
Vivian
“Do you think they’re getting enough light?” I asked Theo, frowning at the potted vines on my table.
“Didn’t you just see a new bud yesterday?” he replied, the deep timbre of his voice mixing with the tinny clink of hammer hitting nail as he hung a wooden shelf for me.
“I’m just worried it’s not getting enough sun...starwith the windows boarded up,” I sighed. Another three-inch-wide ray of daytime starshine had moved past the pot, leaving the deep green leaves in the shadows yet again.
