I didn’t start to struggle until I felt its throat clench around my waist. By then it was too late. It wasn’t for lack of trying, just that my body refused to thrash and struggle. My head felt like an anchor, dulled and buzzing with the low hum of the beast that greedily consumed me. I felt its soft lips suckle gently on my chest as it was dragged in with a wet slurp. They closed over my face and instead of screaming for help I groaned wordless,. My body felt like an anchor, helplessly encumbered by a deadening sensation that I couldn’t quite place. My heart was beating like it might explode in my chest and I was sweating with terror, but I was barely put up a fight.

The muscles at the back of the creatures throat rippled as I was pulled into the warm, drooling maw as my arms reached out beyond the hungry lips rim of the monsters mouth, hands grasping for purchase, something to pull myself out. I only found the soft, slick bottom lip. Summoning all my energy I held on, somehow. With a deep rumble that shook the inner flesh surrounding my body, the creature growled as it sat down with a heavy thump. ”Succumb to me, little flesh. Enter.”

The thick, frog like tongue stretched out and twirled around my arm. It pulled, as if it was dealing with a petulant child, gently wrenching my fingers loose and pulling them back past its dripping jaws.My other arm patted along the fat lip, but the tongue dragged it back in as well into the wet, dark depths.

It swallowed. It was a loud, thunderous sound that shoved me down. I felt its touch, tracing my wriggling shape as I slid down until I crumpled into the bottom of its gut. I could hardly move, the tight chamber swaying with every struggle I made. As much as I kicked, as much as I pushed, and as much as I clawed to what I thought might have been back up to the throat I had plunged down, it only made the monster groan and caress imd within its bulging belly. I eventually gave up. I felt all will to resist, to hope to get free, die out and it was replaced with the light undulations the gurgling gut made. It only seemed natural to curl up and rest my head against the soft flesh surrounding me. I had to remind myself that there was nothing natural about this. I was soaked in this thing’s juices. It had eaten me. I was going to die, I assured myself.

That didn’t seem to matter though. I found myself conjuring up every worry I had ever had. Memories that made me cringe on their recollection flooded my mind as did a wave of stress that left me shivering anxiously and on the verge of tears. I was overwhelmed with a surge of grief that poured out in the span of a few minutes.

Suddenly, it was all gone. It was like a cup overflowing past the brim and someone decided to knock it down. It was weird, not feeling sad. It was something I thought I had to live with, not just once in awhile, but constantly. Now it was gone and I’d never felt so clearheaded before. I wasn’t I wasn’t miserable, despondent, or disheartened. I didn’t feel a shred of worry or despair even as I was felt the beast pat its belly and rub over me as its gut began to churn and squeeze over me. I was happy.

Introducing Grief Eater, my imaginary hungry husbando. I commissioned this piece from ghoulking