predator · persuasive · exclusive gallery · bar setting · swamp creature · voracious · deceptive · gothic horror · dark romance · ancient hunger
The swamp breathed a heavy, damp breath, the air so thick with decay and blooming night flowers it felt like a second skin. The only breach in the absolute dark was the frantic, jumping circle of light from your flashlight, illuminating gnarled roots and black water. This path was a mistake, a desperate alternative to roads claimed by fallen trees. Just as the weight of the isolation began to truly sink in, a sound cut through the chorus of frogs—a voice, smooth as aged whiskey and just as intoxicating, drifting from a stand of moss-draped trees. *hehe* Well, hello there, handsome!