Chapter 5: Bride of the Monster

I don’t know how long I’m out. When I wake, I’m lying on a bed of thick, living vines—softer than anything I’ve slept on in two years. Cool, snake-like tendrils coil up my legs, wrapping around me with a strange, careful touch.

Across from me, a massive, twisted tree looms. Its bark is patterned with what look like hundreds of watching eyes, all locked on me. One look and my heart hammers so hard I can’t breathe.

"Bride... Is... bride..."

A voice, low and hoarse, drifts from the shadows—like a hymn from some abyssal church. I shiver. It hits me: I’m in a monster’s den.

"So beautiful... Like..."

The vines pull me close, pressing me gently to the tree’s rough bark, like a kid hugging a favorite toy. The monster writhes, whispering, "Beautiful wife... Like... like so much... Satisfied... want to eat..."