Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Janine was having a Bad Day. The kind of day most people only experienced in their nightmares. And it wasn't getting any better.

It wasn't enough that she was late for work and almost fired. No... Then her deranged ex had to show up, breaking the restraining order and sending Janine fleeing for her life. She ducked into the nearest alley and crouched worriedly behind a dumpster. In all her 26 years she had never run so fast or been so scared.

After several minutes had passed, she peeked out from behind the smelly bin, thankfully seeing no one following anymore.

"Well," she muttered to herself. "At least the day can't get any worse, right?"

Wrong. Oh so very wrong.

Janine heard the shuffling of footsteps nearby. She shrank back into the shadow of the dumpster, not knowing who it was. It didn't take long to deduce that it was not her ex; there were two male voices, one soft and commanding, the other high-pitched and shaky.

"C'mon, man," the nervous voice squeaked.

"I warned you," the other voice said sternly. "I warned you several times to keep away from him. There is no way I'm going to just stand in the corner and let you recruit. No way." He sneered at the pathetic man cowering against the wall. "I should have killed you the first time."

"Wait—"

The taller man reached into the other's pocket, pulling out a gun. Without a moment's hesitation he fired directly at the man's head.

Janine clamped a hand over her mouth in shock. She had just witnessed a murder. The remaining man was still too close for her to escape, so her only option was to stay hidden and pray he would leave soon.

_


Lynx calmly wiped down the gun and placed it in the dead man's hand with the fingers wrapped tightly around the trigger. The police would assume it was just a case of a drug addict committing suicide in an alley. And Lynx knew the local cops wouldn't invest much time in the case anyway; they would be glad to find him dead.

_


Janine inched her way towards the mouth of the alley. Once she was out in the open she could lose him easily enough and immediately inform the police of what she had seen. At the same time she could tell them about her ex violating the restraining order.

So far so good. The man was too busy setting up the scene to pay any attention to her.

Almost there...

The man turned around.

RUN!

She had barely made it two steps before she was swept up in a sudden wave of dizziness. She stumbled and fell onto her knees, her head aching like never before. Her whole body felt numb. After a few moments of discomfort she regained coordination and started running again. But she wasn't getting very far...

Janine looked up and stopped dead in her tracks. Something had gone horribly wrong. Everything around her was huge, even the wisps of garbage bouncing around the alley on the wind. Did that mean...?

"I'm sorry."

Janine's blood went cold at hearing the voice from behind her. She turned slowly, confirming her fears. She had somehow been shrunk, and the murderer was a giant before her.

"I didn't want to have to do this," he sighed, shaking his head. He knelt down and easily scooped the tiny Janine into his hands.

Janine was totally overwhelmed. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. It must be a nightmare, a bad dream which would be forgotten the next morning. But the thought didn't let her calm down at all.

"W-who are you?" she called up to him, her voice already small compared to his, and also shaken by terror.

The man smiled. "My name is Lynx. Yours?"

Janine gulped. "J-J-Janine. P-please let me go..."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Lynx answered matter-of-factly. "See, you're a witness. And I can't just let you run off and tattle, can I?"

Janine was on the verge of panic. Being a witness was extremely dangerous. He would certainly find a way to keep her from talking. And at this size, the easiest way would be —

"Don't kill me!" she cried helplessly.

Lynx chuckled and rubbed her back gently with a finger. "You're cute as a bug. Be a real shame to have to kill you." He paused thoughtfully. "What to do... what to do..."

Though still terrified, Janine couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. He had fairly long brown hair, a neatly trimmed goatee, and somehow not a drop of blood to mar the view. Surprising, given that the victim's head had practically exploded. He must have been experienced in murder; a professional, most likely.

"Well..." Lynx continued, drawing Janine out of her thoughts. "I don't have much in the way of options."

Janine whimpered. He was going to kill her. Hopefully he would just stomp her flat, quick and mostly painless. A bullet or knife would be overkill.

"What d-do you plan to d-do to me?"

Lynx pondered. "It would be awfully wasteful to just kill you... Maybe we can work something out."

She didn't trust her luck right now. No way would she walk away from this unscathed.

"No need to be so scared, dear." He rubbed her tense shoulders. "I'm a reasonable man. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let you go..."

"You could...um..." Janine gulped, not wanting to give herself up to him, but also really not wanting to die. "You could keep me... as a... pet?"

"That would be difficult to explain," he laughed softly. He mulled over his options for a moment before reaching a decision. "Right... Only one thing I can do."

Janine dreaded his next words. This was almost certainly the end for her. Hopefully he would be at least somewhat humane in killing her.

"I'm so sorry, my dear," he sighed. "I really am. I hate to do this, especially to one who has done nothing wrong, but I must keep my cover."

Janine's heart plummeted. "Wait!" she cried desperately. "Like you said, it would be a waste to kill me!"

"Not necessarily. The most effective—and efficient—way to dispose of a body is to consume it."

For a moment Janine stared at him in confusion. Then the implication hit her like a rock slide.

"You... You can't eat me!" she sputtered.

"Why not?" he asked seriously.

"It's... cannibalism!"

"So?" He shrugged. "Meat is meat."

This man really was insane!

Janine broke down sobbing. She would give anything to be back at work, getting cussed out and threatened by her ex, even if she was fired... Nothing could be worse than cowering in the hand of a giant, waiting to be eaten.

Lynx frowned. "Don't cry... I promise to be gentle."

His words were of little consolation to poor Janine.

"You're horrible!" she cried. "You don't care about anyone, you're a murderer and a fucking cannibal!"

Lynx raised an eyebrow at the girl's coarse language. He wasn't expecting that.

"Just... leave me alone..." she sobbed.

"No," he said firmly. "I can't. But the sooner you stop fighting, the easier it will be. You're outmatched. There is no way you could ever escape from me. Just give in and let me make this as smooth as possible."

"What do you plan to do?" Janine sniffed. "Chew me to bits? Or cook me first?"

"Neither. I intend to swallow you whole. Alive."

"That's even worse!"

"Not really. It's pretty much painless, a bit uncomfortable maybe, but not all that bad."

"And how do you know that?" she asked with a scowl.

"This is hardly the first time I've had to resort to this method," he answered with the slightest hint of a smile. "I know what to do."

"Sick..." Janine muttered.

"I suppose."

She looked up at him. He did seem genuinely apologetic, though she had no idea why. After all, he didn't have to do it, did he? Maybe it was just his unnatural charm lowering her defenses. Or maybe it wasn't as simple as she first thought.

"Who are you really?" she asked. "What are you hiding?"

"Hmm?" Lynx seemed taken aback. Now that she was past begging for her life, she was asking questions. About him. That had never happened before.

"I know there's something not quite right with you," she continued. "I mean, you shrank me. That's not normal."

"Ah." He nodded. "Good point. But I shan't explain. You know too much already."

"So? You're going to kill me anyway. You could at least have the courtesy to explain how and why you did this to me."

"I will," he said. "Later."

"What do you mean, 'later'? After you kill me?"

"No, you'll still be alive. But I do need to hurry this up. I can't afford to stay here any longer. So, let's get on with it, shall we?"

Janine choked back a sob. It was time.

"Just keep your body relaxed," Lynx whispered gently. "Don't struggle; you'll only end up hurting yourself. Don't worry... I'll take good care of you."

She nodded solemnly. Though still terrified, she decided to put on a brave face. Would she be able to go through with it, or freak out again?

Lynx slowly raised his hands to his face. His warm breath washed over Janine; it was actually rather comforting. As the mouth opened, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves, staring into the wide red cavern. She was reminded instantly of why she had decided against dentistry as a profession.

Lynx gently nudged her forward. After a moment's hesitation she climbed awkwardly over the lower teeth and onto the tongue. It was an odd sensation; the muscle was soft and slimy, but easy to grip due to the bumpy texture. It called to mind the feel of a drool-covered dog toy. Surprisingly, the inside of a mouth wasn't nearly as frightening as she had expected. The tongue was almost like a warm, soggy mattress. Janine squeezed her eyes shut tight as the mouth closed around her, the palate pressing her down flat on the tongue. It wasn't an uncomfortable pressure, just enough to spread her out a bit further, arms now wrapped around the sides of the huge muscle. Saliva dripped everywhere, soaking her, but this was the least of her worries.

_


As promised, Lynx was being very gentle. He could have easily killed her instantly, grinding her between his molars, but he disliked the idea of such a gruesome, undignified death. She didn't deserve to die so horribly; she had done nothing wrong. Besides, Lynx couldn't stand the taste of blood.

_


Janine sighed in the darkness. She knew her journey would be a lot worse from here. And yet she was in no way compelled to resist. Terrifying images flashed through her mind, of what would happen to her after being swallowed... She ignored them. It was best to just get it over with.

As if reading her thoughts, Lynx began shifting her towards his throat. He waited a moment, allowing saliva to gather in a pool around the girl, then very quickly and suddenly threw his head back and swallowed hard.

_


Lynx winced. Swallowing something so large was a bit painful. There was a risk of choking, as well. He didn't want to hurt the girl, but he had to get her down quickly. Thankfully she wasn't struggling, only squirming instinctively in all the confusion.

_


Janine was completely disoriented. She had fallen forwards into what felt like a tight rubber tube. She was pushed downwards, or at least she thought she was moving down... It was hard to tell anything in the chaos. For several long, unbearable seconds she was squeezed to the point where she could hardly draw breath, then without warning she was dropped onto a soft, wet surface.

Her first observation was that it was hot, much hotter than inside the mouth. She was now deep inside the man's body, walled in by flesh and bone. It occurred to her that this must be his stomach. She could see nothing at all, but her other senses were working overtime. The flesh around her was soft and smooth, with a slimy film coating it. The smell was disgustingly familiar, though tolerable. She would have expected it to be a lot stronger at the source. All around her a steady thumping pulsed through the walls; the heartbeat was impossible to ignore, but actually quite soothing. The surface she was lying on would occasionally shift or convulse, reminding her that the chamber surrounding her was indeed alive. It was surreal.

Janine knew she didn't have long to live. The hot, humid air was unpleasant to breathe, and the enclosed space had a limited supply of oxygen. She settled in as comfortably as possible given the circumstances, curling up against the cushiony flesh. Gathered around her was a pool of slimy liquid, warm and slightly tingly. Over time she knew the tingling would progress to burning as the acids and enzymes built up potency. At the moment, though, she was in no pain, and not all that uncomfortable, either.

_


Lynx rubbed his belly happily. He practically purred at the feeling of the frightened girl squirming in his stomach. It was immensely satisfying to have a living person trapped within his own body. To his great surprise, she was remarkably calm. There were no struggles, just curious nudges every so often. He admired her bravery.

Again he felt a twinge of self-loathing for subjecting an innocent bystander to a very unpleasant fate. Somehow he would have to make it up to her. She was—though reluctantly—doing him a favor, and he felt the need to repay her.

As he walked nonchalantly away from the murder scene, Lynx felt the tiny girl cuddle into his stomach flesh. He couldn't hold back the wide grin. There was more than just the feeling of control; he also felt very protective of her. She was so tiny and defenseless, and it was his responsibility to keep her safe.

Not that she would ever understand that.

He began humming softly, a soothing tune he remembered from his childhood. He bit his lip as he felt the girl yawn and stretch before settling down once more. That was too cute.

He continued humming the rest of the short trip home. By the time he walked through the front door, all movement had ceased. He sighed, collapsing onto the couch in the living room.

What a shitty day. For the girl too, no doubt.

Even though it was only early afternoon, Lynx was exhausted, wanting nothing more than a long nap. Luckily Tiko didn't seem to be around. Lynx dreaded explaining all this to him. The kid was a pacifist, and especially disapproved of harming an innocent. He wanted to avoid telling Tiko anything about today's events, but the kid always knew when Lynx was up to something.

Besides, he would need Tiko's help for this.

_


Janine struggled to keep her mind from fogging up. She wasn't ready to let go yet. There were too many unanswered questions.

Who was this strange Lynx guy? Why did he kill the other man? How was he able to shrink her?

How long would it be before someone noticed she was missing? Would her ex be suspected of involvement? Probably.

Was this really how she would die? Hidden away from the outside world, the victim of a skewed food chain? That would really suck.

Then again, it wasn't all that bad in here... She had been here for quite a while now, and while it was uncomfortably hot, she still wasn't feeling the effects from the acid. And there wasn't very much of it, either. As she recalled from high school science, the presence of food in the stomach stimulated increased acid production. She should have drowned if nothing else.

Maybe the shrinking had side effects?

Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a sudden loud, muffled voice jolted her awake. Her captor was speaking to her.

"You still there, kiddo?"

Janine hesitated. Did she want him to know she was still alive? It really didn't matter, she decided. She pushed against the wall, hoping he would be able to feel it. He must have, because she heard him chuckle.

"Good. I promised you an explanation, didn't I? Well... there's not much positive I can say about myself. I used to be a mercenary, and a damn good one at that. I did the job and never got caught. That was my life; thief, con-man, murderer. Not something I'm proud of.

"I won't go into detail about what made me change my ways; you wouldn't believe it anyway. All that matters is that I realized there are better ways of getting what I want. I've done some horrible stuff as a means to an end. There's no excuse for that.

"I made an honest effort to put it all behind me, and for the most part I did. But I have my limits. What happened today... Rest assured he was scum, but killing him wasn't entirely necessary. And you... In taking one life I was forced to take another. And that is unforgivable."

He paused to rub at his stomach meaningfully.

"I can't do it. I can't be like them, killing anyone who gets in my way. I'm better than that.

"Huh... I really am going soft, eh? I guess I'm okay with that."

Janine listened attentively, dumbfounded by his words. Did this mean... he wasn't going to kill her after all?

"Sleep well, kiddo. You deserve it."

Janine smiled sleepily, rubbing the wall before once more cuddling into the soft flesh, murmuring:

"Thank you... Lynx."

_


Morning sun streamed in through the window, drenching the couch in radiant warmth. She was comfortable, she didn't want to wake up! Stupid, inconsiderate sun...

Janine yawned and reluctantly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before concluding that she was definitely not in her apartment. The walls were dull and dingy, grey paint peeling in patches. Even the sunlight could barely lighten the gloom settled like dust throughout the room.

What caught her attention immediately was the rather strange sight of a teenage boy curled up on the carpeted floor, fast asleep. He would twitch occasionally, purring softly as the sun tickled his face. Also he was wearing what appeared to be a leash.

Going against her better judgment, Janine slipped off the couch onto the floor, crawling over to the boy. He was quite handsome, but he looked delicate, as if the slightest touch could shatter him like china. Janine smiled as she gazed upon the boy's face, so peaceful in slumber. She couldn't resist reaching out and running her fingers through his silky black hair. The response was a pleased murmur and a louder purr. Janine giggled and scratched behind his ear.

"Janine... Good to see you up and about." Lynx stood in the entrance-way to the living room, smiling. "I see you've made a new friend."

The sleeping boy stretched and rolled over. He ducked his head under his arm to block out the blinding sun.

"Um, yeah," said Janine. "Why, er... Why is he wearing a leash?"

Lynx chuckled. "Thankfully you'll never have to find out. I'll tell you this much—it ain't cause it's fashionable."

Janine had no idea what he could have meant by that, but she figured it was best not to know anyway.

"I owe you an apology," Lynx continued seriously. "I was only doing what I felt was right."

"So it really happened?" Janine had been hoping it had all been a dream.

"'Fraid so, kiddo."

There was a moment's pause before Janine spoke again:

"You didn't kill me."

"I didn't need to," Lynx replied with a shrug. "I just needed to keep you safely out of the way long enough to come up with another plan."

"What is that plan?" Janine asked, her heart quickening.

Lynx nodded down at the boy, who stretched and yawned again before opening his eyes. Janine felt that she could drown in those eyes, bottomless black pools with a mysterious gleam from deep within. He looked anything but threatening.

"Oh, um..." Janine was at a loss for words. "Hi."

The boy nodded politely, then turned away to stretch in a very cat-like fashion before shaking his head to rid himself of the vestiges of sleep. He turned back to Janine, extending a hand to her. Janine held his hand in her own, shaking it in formal greeting. She hesitated momentarily before reaching back up to the top of his head. As before, he seemed to enjoy it very much, closing his eyes and purring.

Lynx smirked from the doorway. "You certainly have a way with him. All you need to do now is feed him, and he'll love you forever."

"What does he like to eat?" Janine asked curiously.

"People."

Janine looked at him in alarm, but he simply laughed. "No, not for food... See, he's the one who taught me that shrinking trick. It's been quite useful for both of us."

She had to wonder what other possible situations could have been solved by shrinking and eating someone. Lynx would likely abuse the ability, but the boy looked so innocent and kind... She couldn't imagine him hurting anyone.

"Don't worry about him," Lynx added. "He wouldn't hurt a fly. Literally. I once saw him take fifteen minutes to wrangle a spider and take it outside rather than kill it."

"Then... why does he eat people?"

"Protection, or bonding. A good way to keep someone out of trouble..."

"Uh huh..." Janine was getting an idea of how these two got along. "And when you say 'keep someone out of trouble', would that be me... or you?"

Lynx chuckled. "Alright, I admit it. Sometimes I misbehave and end up 'grounded'."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Sure. Like I said, the kid would never hurt me. He's always very gentle."

"Does he have a name?" asked Janine realizing Lynx had never actually said a name.

"Tiko," the boy answered, making Janine jump.

"Oh, you can speak," Janine said awkwardly. "I didn't know..."

"I can speak, I just usually choose not to."

Janine blushed, suddenly embarrassed by the way she had been treating him like some sort of pet. He did seem to enjoy it, though.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled. "I thought you were... um..."

"Don't worry about it," said Tiko, waving a hand dismissively. "That's my fault, not yours. I'm certainly not offended. Truthfully, it's kinda nice to be petted."

"And petted from the inside?"

Tiko frowned. "Yes..." he began cautiously. "Under the right circumstances..."

"I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that," Janine apologized. "I'm just trying to understand all this."

"Of course." Tiko stretched once more, arching his back before standing. "It's a lot to take in all at once. Unfortunately, there is one more thing you'll have to deal with today..."

"What is that?" Janine asked nervously, also getting to her feet.

"In order for us to let you leave, you'll need your memory wiped. This needs to stay our secret."

"I won't tell anyone!"

"Can't take that chance," said Tiko with a shrug. "Don't worry, it's fairly simple."

Janine winced. "Will it hurt?"

"Only if you fight it."

That sounded familiar...

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "How does this work?"

"You need to let me enter your mind," Tiko explained. "From there I can access your memories and erase what I need to."

"You mean you'll be poking around my memories?!" Janine exclaimed indignantly.

"No invasion of privacy, I swear," Tiko assured, raising his hands in surrender. "I would never betray someone's trust like that. Only what I need; you have my word."

"You can trust him," Lynx confirmed. "He would never take advantage of anyone. He's too honest and loyal for that. Me, you should not trust, but Tiko... he really just wants to help."

Janine sighed. She figured if she didn't comply, Lynx would be forced to silence her himself, and without a doubt that would mean death.

"Fine," she said, her voice a bit shaky. After all, she had allowed herself to be eaten... this couldn't be much worse.

Tiko nodded and gently placed his hands on either side of her head. He felt her flinch at his touch, immediately feeling guilty for scaring her so much. He began slowly stroking her golden-red hair; she soon relaxed, gazing into his hypnotic eyes, knowing instinctively that he would not hurt her.

Janine felt drawn into a daze, a strange calm coming over her as she melted into those eyes. He was right; it felt very nice to be petted. She could sense the invasive presence slipping into her brain and initially tried to fight it, then remembering Tiko's instructions and allowing him to do what needed to be done. It was a very odd feeling, completely alien to her. She could tell Tiko was being gentle and careful.

A sudden thought struck her. All of this had been a great inconvenience. It would have been so easy for Lynx to just kill her in the alley, even if he did have to dispose of her body by eating it. Not only had he treated her quite well, doing all he could to make her comfortable, he was going out of his way to keep her alive! And really, the more she thought about it, she was glad to not have this bizarre experience constantly crossing her mind. She was better off forgetting any of this ever happened.

Soon after she came to this conclusion, she suddenly felt very lightheaded. She struggled to keep her balance.

"It's okay," Tiko whispered. "You're going to pass out, and when you wake up you will have no memory of the last twenty-four hours... Still, I'd like to say goodbye, and good luck."

Janine smiled, unable to speak due to the heavy drowsiness.

They were so nice to me...

Maybe I don't want to forget them.

_


Later that afternoon, Lynx trudged in the front door, sighing.

"Done?" asked Tiko.

"Yeah, kid. She's all set."

Tiko noticed a touch of disappointment in the man's voice. "You miss her already?"

"She's something else, kid... She went along with it all willingly; she was scared, but it didn't compromise her courage in the face of danger. And when she was inside..." He scratched the back of his neck, looking puzzled. "She was willing to accept her fate, facing it head-on. I haven't seen anyone with that kind of spunk since Emily."

"She's used to being pushed around," Tiko added. "I could see it in her expression. Keeping cool under pressure is a well-honed skill."

"Hmm..." Lynx paused thoughtfully. "I wonder what she was doing in that alley in the first place."

"Dunno. I was trying not to poke around her memories too much, so I really only skimmed... but I know she was hiding from something... something that hopefully doesn't find her again."

_


Janine awoke with a stiff back and a pounding headache. Had she fainted? Been drugged? Last she could remember... she had been at work, and her ex... he was there, at her office...

She looked around her for clues. She had been unconscious on the floor; nothing else seemed at all out of the ordinary. Her stomach growled viciously. When was the last time she ate?

And why did the thought of food make her blush?