Day #3: Lamia
Cavernous
(Rated K+)
Entering the cave hadn't been one of John's more brilliant ideas. He had been bored, the heat of the desert eclipsing his judgmental process, and the darkness of the cave looked inviting. He should have realised that an empty cave was too good to be true, especially in the middle of the Afghani wilderness, but his worries were focused on realistic threats, such as bandits, or other lost soldiers like himself. Certainly not what actually awaited him in the cavernous depths.
The cave was blissfully cool, sheltering him from the unrelenting sun. He wiped his forehead as he fell to the floor, even the sharp and uneven rock feeling incredibly comfortable. He leaned against the rough wall, his eyes fluttering closed as he breathed.
"How interesting." A deep baritone voice echoed around the cave, startling John from his reverie. "I was just getting hungry, and while I normally eat children, a lost little soldier should do nicely…"
John opened his eyes, horrified to discover that he had wandered into the territory of a Lamia. From the waist up, he appeared to be a normal man, pale skin and curly black hair making his features appear sharper. Below his waist, however, was the long tail of a serpent. His scales gleamed in the darkness, a glint of danger to let John know how truly fucked he was.
"You don't want to eat me." John said slowly, watching at the Lamia's tail curled through the cave, blocking his only exit. "I'm…old, and weathered."
"You're hardly a day over twenty-eight." The Lamia scoffed. "And while that's older than my normal diet, you are hardly weathered. I do believe you would make a wonderful treat."
"No, really." John's voice took on a hint of desperation. "Nasty stuff, soldiers. We taste of…sand and…erm…sweat."
The Lamia chuckled, his tail brushing against John's leg. "You are very determined, young soldier. Tell me, what is your name?"
"John Watson, what's yours?" John said quickly, hoping to prolong his eventual fate.
"Sherlock…a pleasure." The Lamia replied. "Normally you humans are reduced to crying by this point, sobbing for your pathetic lives. It's refreshing to not have to deal with such histrionics."
"Not really my style." John smiled weakly. "As much as I would like to live, crying for it hardly seems to be the way to go."
"You would probably have been swallowed whole if you had chosen to go that route." Sherlock said, voice filled with boredom.
"Rough way to go." John said, trying to squirm away from the tail that was now wrapping around his right leg. He was largely unsuccessful, and only managed to amuse the Lamia even more.
"You are far more entertaining than other humans." Sherlock mused. "Perhaps I shall let you live for a few days before I eat you."
John smiled, clearly relieved. "That would be fantastic of you, thanks." He replied, unsure of how long he would have before the Lamia ate him.
Days would turn to weeks, and weeks to months before John realised that he was safe from the Lamia's hunger. The two would form an unlikely friendship, for every lonely monster needs a companion.
A/N: Before this, I had no idea what a Lamia was. Learn something new every day, I suppose. Yeah, it's technically a female monster, but I don't give a frickle frackle. So yay! Snake bodies! Up next: Mermaids...