The Underbelly

[Aerial-Rave]

I a story again! This one...I wanna say it is new territory or at least some new venture in someway. Evil Within, Resident Evil and even Eternal Darkness were three HUGE influences for this piece, so expect monsters, lovecraftian try-hard references and fat chicks, oh my!

---

“Stop! Stop damn it!” A woman cried out, running through the populated city streets. The female officer was in an on foot pursuit. One would find it ironic given her physical disposition. No doubt the butt behind a few donut jokes, Officer Kimberly Ghutt heaved as she chased the hooded perp around the corner.

The dark skinned cop wasn’t so out of shape that it would hinder her job, but the notable spare tire shaking with each paced step was ever present. With more of a casual detective look that included a white button up shirt, blue vest and brown pinstripe slacks, the officer wasn’t really dressed for this type of activity. In fact, this spur of the moment chase was initiated by a botched purse snatching.

She chased the criminal to the less favorable part of the city. Those who stayed in the more shanty houses and apartments minded their business as this was not a new phenomenon. However, even they were cautious at the two newcomers as it seemed they were heading toward a rather taboo area…

“Stop, or I’ll shoot!” Kim threatened but didn’t mean it. This guy must have been running on pure adrenaline as she was since this chase lasted much longer than expected. The woman’s thighs were heavy and burning and to her dismay, distance between them was growing. Though against her training, she teased the thought of simply shooting him in the leg, but this was some petty criminal, not a serial killer.

The two came to a place that was caution taped off but the yellow straps and black text had faded since then. Kim stopped for a moment to catch her breath, witnessing the criminal escape into one of the hollowed out, concrete buildings. She looked down, seeing many religious paraphernalia along the taped border, looking around curiously as no signs of life was present. Taking a moment, the officer motioned for her radio, only to find it missing. She slapped her forehead at her foolishness of leaving it in her patrol car and turned to retrieve it. Only, what stopped her was a loud bang and what was assumed to be the runner, screaming.

Now with her morals in question, she did what she thought was right and passed the barrier. Neighboring bodies then started to appear as she went inside the hollowed estate, silent prayers were spoken by the older ladies who watched her go in.

---

Shattered rocks and concrete creaked under the woman’s shoe, echoing into the empty corridors of the unfinished building. With her pistol at the ready, Kim hugged the walls and surveyed her surroundings. “Hello? Is anybody there? This is Officer Kim Ghutt and I need a response!”

Nothing answered her command and the dark skinned officer went ahead, gun still equipped. She traversed down a few halls, able to clear them in just a few minutes. Stairs were out of the question as it appeared none were finished. Kim pondered this but concluded that the machines that were once were were responsible for the construction of the other layers but the absence of an elevator was just as alarming.

‘No stairs or elevator...did these guys ride the crane or something...or-?’ Kim’s train of thought was broken when she spotted a gaping hole in the ground. No doubt this is where the perpetrator fell but the hole appeared to lead into a chasm too dark too see with the naked eye. She knelt before the hole and flashed her hip light from her belt to no avail as the light was swallowed, trying to shine in the lower levels. Officer Ghutt pouted her lips, growing frustrated with the situation. The drop would no doubt break her legs as she assumed that’s what happened with the runner.

“H-Help me...some...somebody…”

Kim gasped, hearing the voice from below. No doubt in her mind it was the perp who sounded injured. “Hold on! I’ll-! I’ll-!” The officer panicked, getting off her knees and began fanning herself. ‘Come on Kim, think!’ As luck would have it, an exceptionally long ladder was placed on the far wall within the same area. Obviously used to traverse this hole, Kim quickly grabbed the tool but found it awkward to managed as the weight caused her to stumble while she gripped it.

“Help...help...someone...please…”

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Kim assured, gritting her teeth as she placed the ladder against the rim of the chasm. She smiled as a confirmation bump echoed, signaling solid ground below. After fastening the top of the later to the rim of the hole with pegs, Kim descended into the darkness below.

Cavern lights were hung on the dugout walls of the vertical tunnel. Kim was amazed how far deep this thing was. She didn’t remember the ladder being this tall, or even people having the capability of digging this far down...Nonetheless, the chubby cop had finally hit solid ground. The hanging lights provided minimal sight but her hip light made up for it. Wet drips echoed in the now cavern setting and Kim cautiously moved forward.

“Hey there! Guy, you still there?!” Officer Ghutt called out. A faint scream then sounded, urging her to move forward with a quickened pace. A blood trail soon appeared, causing the woman’s heart to race, expecting the worst. She came to a pair of hospital double doors, shoulder bashing through to find herself now in a tiled hallway.

The facility now resembled a horror theme hospital/laboratory. The walls were mildew green covered in grime and smelled of filth. The chubby cop grew more worried, following the blood trail with the atmosphere not getting any better. The hanging ceiling lights flickering, the empty stained gurneys followed by cracked windows and dim observatory rooms, this place had ‘monster movie’ written all over it and she was heavily considering turning back.

Next, the blood curdling sound of carnivorous chomping plagued her ears. Kim grunted, covering her head and she stumbled backwards in the corridor. That was more than enough to convince her there was no point in remaining. She exited the facility, back to the cavern to find…

“Wait!” She cried out, seeing the ladder being pulled up. She raced to the cavern wall but it was already out of her reach. Still, she made an ill attempt with a jump, not even close to the lowest point of the rising ladder. “Fuckers! You think this is a joke! I’m stuck down here!” She scolded to the unseen culprit. “If you’re that fucking runner, I hope you burn in Hell!”

There was no answer to the woman’s threats, only a snapping noise as the lower half of the ladder was then tossed down. Kim got the hint; Whoever that was now pretty much had her dead. Whatever was in that place...would eventually find her. The feeling of fear and hopelessness started to sink in. She collapsed on her knees, utterly lost for words. Who...who would do this? Why did she deserve to die like this? Officer Ghutt began to recount her life, hoping to find some nefarious, corrupted thing she did that would warrant this treatment. Was it someone she pushed on the run here? Was it someone she pissed off back at the department? Human sacrifice for some unseen monster?

Right now, the laboratory/hospital was the only place she could go. She could starve to death but that would be slow and painful. Perhaps...whatever was munching in the halls could give her the sweet mercy of death…

The potbellied woman walked back inside with a blank stare. She was truly done with life and awaited for the Grim Reaper to take her. Her gun was holstered near her armpit with no intention of it being used and the hip flashlight was there to hopefully attract whatever was inside. Kim wandered about for a minute until the sound of bones being crushed caught her attention. The woman followed the source of the sound, cracking a bit of a smile as it became louder.

Eventually, she came across a rather grotesque sight.

There it was, the monster. Feminine from its physical appearance, soft and cherubic face, large mammaries that sat on its engorged belly. Long, flowing, unkempt hair and a bulbous figure that favored its hips and front that put Kim’s slightly pudgy build to shame. The gray behemoth was sitting against a blood splattered corner, stripping the flesh from its newly caught prey. Kim quickly examined the carnage; Black hoodie, torn denim jeans and blood stained tennis shoes...it was the runner who was caught. This discovery made her realize that it wasn’t him who trapped her down here. This revelation actually snapped her out of her suicidal mindset but it may have been too late.

The gray beast grunted and snorted, looking at Kim undoubtedly as her next meal. The Officer had recovered from her initial shock but the sight of an actual monster was another surprise she didn’t want to see. Turning away, she high tailed it through the corridors of the facility, avoiding the path she entered in and into foreign territory within the depths of the strange, decrepit place. Not too far behind, the bulbous creature was moving its fat engorged legs, knocking every ounce of debris from its path. The curved hips of the monster swayed with each stomp, occasionally hitting the tiled walls, cracking them from the sheer force. Its panted howls signaled how hungry it was and how desperate it wanted Kim’s flesh.

The thought of fighting this abomination was out of the question in Kim’s mind. Her concern was losing the creature but in her panicked state she had no other plans than to run. Unfortunately, the fact that she was out of shape soon came into play. Furthermore, the fatigue from the earlier pursuit and the drain from the adrenaline rush were piling on. Her body started aching again and she couldn’t keep up her pace. She would have to think of something quick, or else be in the teeth of that fat fiend.

Finally, shoulder rushing into one of the laboratory rooms, she scanned the area and found a syringe filled with glow green ooze. The monster tried to burst in as well, but its girth had it stuck in the doorway. It roared with frustration but pressed on, bending the frame in hopes of bursting through to get its prey.

Desperate, Kim open fired with her pistol, now having a place where the monster couldn’t move much. But another surprise came as the thing’s belly split apart, revealing a giant maw with a set of teeth and an extended tongue. The large extension whipped Kim in the face, flooring her as she fell over a tool table. She dropped the syringe as she fell but the tongue then wrapped around her ankle and began to drag her toward the torso mouth. Fighting against the strong pull, Officer Ghutt managed to retrieve the needle just as she was yanked across the floor and hoisted above the belly maw. With one good stab, she lodged the needle into the creature’s mouth, causing it to spasm and toss her away.

Pained gurgling then sounded from the fat fiend as its skin began to boil, bubble up and melt. With one last horrific cry, the belly beast became a pile of pink ooze and nothing more. Completely drained from the experience, Kim Ghutt rolled around on the floor, dazed. She was coming from another adrenaline rush that was no doubt taking a toll on her body. Soon however, She got up and knelt before the slime pile with the empty syringe in the middle of it. Wasting no time, she gave the monster a proper eulogy by spitting in its remains and continued on through the laboratory.

[Aerial-Rave]

Exiting the laboratory, Kim returned to the initial scene where she saw the belly beast. Her instincts told her to check the corpse of that kid. She returned to the empty corridor, the runner’s limp body still torn with his intestines sprawled across the tiled floor. She covered her mouth to mask the smell as she approached the carnage. Swimming in the lad’s pockets, she retrieved a wallet and a cellphone. Though money would be useless down here, she pocketed what she could, including the kid’s ID, to at least keep his memory, if for her own sake.

But then Kim hatched a brilliant idea. Assuming she would be missed, she checked through the kid’s phone after unlocking it by the simple swipe security mechanic. As she hoped, a camera app was available. “H-Hello?” She stammered, trying to test the feed back. “This is officer Kimberly Ghutt. I am currently in an unknown location seemingly under the city. I request immediate rescue as there appears to be less than moral things down here. For one, an illegal laboratory where seemingly monstrous experiments are taking place. I found this area chasing a suspect who…” Kim paused for a quick shot of the torn suspect. “...has experienced a fatal wound.” She then stopped the video there but encountered another problem. The signal on the phone was absent, meaning she couldn’t sent the video to the police department… “Shit…” She cursed, leaving her with one option…

Kim walked around the hopefully empty facility with the cellphone held high in hopes of finding a signal. She gathered no luck, but then something else intrigued her. Given this situation was surreal, there had to be some explanation or at least origin to this horror show. Clipping the phone to her belt and arming her pistol, Officer Ghutt began checking lab rooms for any amount of information.

Her first room proved vacant, save for a few human husks with hollowed out eyes. She scowled and forcefully had to open the second lab by breaking the the locked knob. As it turned out, this one was a tad better equipped. Larger examination tables and a surgery table next to it. Even better, there was a stained nilla folder on the surgical table.

Kim feverishly flipped through the files, hoping to find something of use. Pictures of a man, progressively becoming less than were displayed to her. The skin around his face had begun to grow and fester, until it eventually enveloped his eyes. His arms grew into longer, muscle bound claws and appeared to be strapped to the table and writhing in it. But there was no last picture but Kim could deduce what happened next.

To her dismay, almost as if on cue, Kim was joined by heavy breathing. A shadow extended under her feet and the image of an opening maw gave way to the shadowy image of an extremely long tongue. Without looking back, Kim popped one from her gun and the screech from the beast was confirmation of a hit. Quickly, the chubby cop turned and rushed the monster, its appearance identical to the one in the picture. She rammed her knee into its chest, both falling out of the room where Kim finished it off with a shot through it’s throat, blowing a hole in the top of its head in the process.
“G-Good...guns can kill you sons of bitches…” She panted, coming down from the rush. But she didn’t have time to relax as growls and clamping maw sounds were now filling the halls. Her little scrap must have alarmed more of the same beasts. Her goal now was to make it out of the facility, or at least find more bullets to mow down more of the abominations.

She traversed the halls hesitantly, looking at the smeared signs in hopes of finding an armory. She eventually came across a dead body in the doorway of a laboratory. Flashing her light in the room, she scanned it to find it empty and began to check the corpse. From the padded armored attire, this person was no doubt a security guard or at least a gunman for whatever facility this was. Which meant… “Yes!” Kim cheered, finding bullets for her pistol. She then rolled the body over, regretting it immediately as the face was chewed out. The man’s(?) face was carved out like half a watermelon, only with a single blue pupil dangling from the mauled face.

The husky officer covered her mouth with her fist and moved on to another room with a small light still functional as it shined on another nilla folder. After clearing the room she flipped through the files and began to read. ‘In all my years in this field...I never thought it would come to this. January 13, 1938...My pardon rests on the shoulders of one man...one I have come to hate with every fiber of my being...who...undermines my years of study with his last name and rhetoric alone...Griema...That’s all I have to say about him. After countless failed bio-cell manipulations thanks to that cur’s carelessness, we now must depend on his suggestion; This...call of the Old Gods…’ The entry that followed showed a colorless picture of a bespectacled man in his mid thirties.

“Old Gods...” Ghutt mused, somewhat familiar with the term. An offhanded course she took in college due to general interest. It centered around Lovecraftian literature and the creatures described in the text. Her and her roommates would often play with the idea, until it became clear it was nothing more than just scary folklore...or so she thought until now.

A few doors down, Kim discovered a pool of pink ooze, followed by a clear canister hanging off the edge of the tub. Curious, she looked around to make sure the coast was clear and found a warning poster near the vat and took the time to read. “Warning: Highly addictive substance. Taste Paste is for healing one’s wounds and NOT for recreational consumption. Refill here or at any of the stations mapped within accompanying posters. Hm, I can use this…” Kim concluded after reading the sign. But soon after filling the canister, her intrigue got the best of her. Dipping her finger into the pool, Kim’s eyes bulged once the paste hit her tongue. “St-Steak and egg?” She said out loud and scooped another sample. Sure enough, the pink ooze tasted like the prime meat and protein combo.

After awhile of more taste testing, Kim noticed the flavor changed to a sweet caramel and chocolate blend, causing her to scoop more and more into her mouth. Soon, emerging her head from the vat, the pink stained officer’s middle had further crawled down her waist line. She sat in front of the pool, somewhat groggy as she let out a belch to relieve some pressure. “Addictive...right…” She noted to herself, crawling away with the filled container.

Now with her stomach wobbling with each step, Officer Ghutt would have to be more careful with her size. The feeling in her bones and muscles were now relaxed but now she felt like an overstuffed turkey on Thanksgiving in the lion’s den. A few more burps escaped her lips, unfortunately alarming the few mutated eyeless monsters in the immediate area. She took refuge in one of the rooms she had cleared and monitored the seemingly male monsters pass by.

With her phone out, she started recording their movements while keeping still and silent. The creatures appeared to rely on the other senses rather than sight, which made the notion of being quiet even more critical. Next, the sound of dragging chains entered the fray as a slightly mummified, chubby female prisoner came into the picture. She seemed to attract the male monsters, both effectively not communicating but she managed to lure them away.

Kim was unsure of what to make of this, but she was certain the answers would be found in this facility. The room she was currently in turned out to be the security room. Bullets were scattered on the floor and upon turning to the coat rack, the stout officer found an assault shotgun to call her own. Shells and bullets for her arsenal were scattered among the floor but she wasn’t above ignoring them. Loading her weapons, she then turned on the monitor and was shown vital areas in the laboratory. A nearby map revealed she was smack dab in the middle of the place and the exit to the east was her best option. Only, there was quite the guard there…

---

Kim continued to watch the monitor as the chained, mummified female from before was still leading the two male beasts. They were approaching a figure much wider than the exit double doors but a look all too familiar. A much, much larger belly beast sat in the way of the only exit, breathing heavy as its body jiggled. The panting behemoth seemed to become active as the trio came within range. Rising with its head almost touching the ceiling, it’s girth wider than the three standing side by side.

The officer watched intently, confused with what looked like communication between the two husky females. Where they...talking? And if so, was it about her?

Soon, Kim’s concerns were answered as the huge belly beast roared with displeasure. The mummified female was upset as well, showing her teeth and the two had a stare down. The two faceless males attacked the belly beast, only for the torso to open up in the form of a row of teeth, making mincemeat of the male minions in moments. The bandaged female reacted to this with fear, and turned tail down the hall.

Unfortunately, it would appear she had made the head belly beast active and the behemoth chased her, hips rocking like wrecking balls, giving chase with it’s rear bumping from wall to wall. Surprisingly, the bigger monster was agile, closing in on its prey relatively fast. Then, it leaped at the mummified female, eclipsing her as the fall from the belly beast shook the corridors. So much so, even the officer lost her footing from the tremor and the lights flickered.

The successful predator emerged with the bandaged monster halfway down her torso’s throat. Like the faceless males, it suffered a similar fate as the mouth chomped down hard, the prey’s limbs caught in its razor teeth but chomped down the second time around. Kim winced at the display, utterly sickened. Now, the large monster was not too far from her position and it still looked hungry. Though, more of the seemingly lesser abominations were wondering about, interested by the sudden noise pollution and swarmed around the supposed Alpha predator.

They were met with roars and were slashed into pieces by the belly behemoth. The ones that managed to escaped scattered through the halls while the dead ones were consumed.

Kim, herself, also concluded it was time to go, but thought about the first variety of this monster she encountered. Similar to the pink ooze, there was a glowing green substance that killed it off, easily. She rather not risking an entire clip to cripple the thing, so she planned on returning to the room where she found the green syringe and hopefully take down the predator herself.

Entering the hallways again, the cop surveyed the area and cautiously made her way back. The violence of the bigger belly beast’s rampage was not too far off. She had hope there were enough of the lesser monsters to sate it or at least slow it down. But one got up close and personal with Kim, ambushing her from around the corner. It grabbed her face and tried to snack on her throat but she pushed it off in the nick of time, pistol whipping it to the ground before shooting it in the head and stomping the creature’s brains out to finish the job. Though, with that action, the belly beast’s roars were louder and accompanied by more of the faceless monster’s shrills.

Kim had little time to waste as she sprinted down the halls. Another sneak attack had the cop pinned against the tiled wall, wrestling this time with a heavily bandaged, heavy female. This one was a bit tougher due to her weight and the sharp, uncut fingernails digging in Ghutt’s skin wasn’t helping. However, she kicked the mutant’s right thigh, causing it to falter and she tossed it to the ground.

In that moment, the gargantuan belly beast burst through the wall, knocking Kim back and engulfing the bandaged female. While it ate, Kim hid in a room in the midst of chaos. She gulped down some of the pink stuff to heal her wounds but now was the time to think. The belly beast was now inches away, and the green vat room much farther off.

[Aerial-Rave]

Now silent, ducking low with a window just above, Kim was anticipating the monster’s next move. She could hear the heavy breathing and spongy sounds of its overstuffed belly wobbling with each step. The officer knew she didn’t have many means of defeating it and the only solution was a few yards away. Checking her ammo and supplies, Kim quickly came to a decision. She rose up, seeing the creature pass the looking glass and shot a bullet through. It pierced the monster in the side of the head, stunning it and Kim ran out the door, down the corridor toward the green slime room.

The belly beast laid a palm on its inflicted skull after coming from a daze. The monster’s hearing was impaired and vision a bit blurry and red. Part of its eye was now filled with blood, accompanied by a small hole in its skull. Sniffing around it sensed the panicked Kim and roared in anger. By then the female cop was some distance down the corridor. Even so, the steps of the two mawed monster was enough to tremor the tiled floors. Each wide step left a cracked tile in its wake. Soon, it started picking up speed, the wrecking ball belly swaying while the curved, keg thick legs heaved every pound.

“Damn it, this thing!” Kim cursed, slightly turning. In an effort to slow it down, the dark skinned woman fired a few well aimed shots at the creature’s legs. She tried to generally shoot in the same area in hopes of accumulating more damage, fast.

Most of her shots hit their mark but the belly beast was not one to give up. Angry, it punched the ground, letting out a seismic shock wave that knocked Kim back. A bit peeved as she got up and dusted herself off, the chubby woman approached the monster with a few more courtesy shots to the chest and face before becoming within inches of it.

“You damn PIG!” Kim yelled, delivering a swift kick to the monster’s chest. It wobbled and howled, even rearing back but in a surprise counter measure, swung its arms forward, grabbing Kim and hoisting her above its second belly. “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Kim gasped, kicking her legs as she was set above the opening jaw. “Oh no you don’t!” She denied, firing more pistol shots to the belly mouth and then to its main face.

As expected, the beast roared in pain and tossed the officer into a nearby wall, collapsing forward while Kim slid down the cracked panel.

“S-Serves...you right…” The short haired woman coughed, now holding her injured shoulder. Feeling around her hip, Kim hesitantly looked at the pink ooze which was now half full. She remembered how addicting it was, since even at this moment she was considering ingesting the whole thing. But instead, she measured a cap’s worth and gulped it down. Kim then winced, feeling the contents meld her bones back into place and store tissue...as well as add more to her thighs and stomach.

The cop let out a small burp while placing a hand on her now fuller stomach. ‘I can’t keep getting injured like this...pretty soon I’ll be too big to move...’ Kim noted, now concerned with conserving this miracle slime.

---

By now, the officer had left the injured belly beast to its own devices as she entered the green slime room again. She smiled at the face there was another capsule she could fill as well as more syringes.

Almost on cue, the roar of the belly beast echoed through the halls and Kim grabbed her supplies in preparation for the battle. She raced out the hall just in time to receive a clawed smack that sent her spiraling down the hallway. The officer landed with a hard thud as her ears were then stung with the angered scream of the monster. She covered her ears and curled up, rolling into another corridor to escape the sonic scream.

Heavy footsteps indicated the monster approaching while Kim prepared for the confrontation. She switched to the assault shotgun, loading and cocked it. But once again, the belly beast came in with a clawing swipe but she was ready. Though she hadn’t healed from the first hit, Kim was well enough to avoid it. She let loose a scatter shot from the larger firearm, straight in the face of the belly beast. The force made them both recoil though officer Ghutt then charged forward, hitting the monster with the back of the gun across the face. She saw the belly beast waned and equipped one of her filled needles.

When she went for the stab however, she was again knocked away by the pillow arm of the two mawed monster. Kim mistakenly dropped both her shotgun and syringe. Groggy as she tried to peel herself off the ground, the dark skinned cop was just able to recover just before getting squashed by the now towering belly beast that leaped to body press her. Kim acted quickly and dodged rolled but the impact launched her face first into a wall.

The woman crashed to the ground, writhing in agony. “Damn it!” She cursed. Gritting her teeth, she quickly collected her lost shotgun and unloaded on the grounded beast. Blood and flesh spouted with the bullets tearing through the expanse. Kim’s crazed look and shouting obscenities were a clear sign she had enough of this thing. Once she emptied her shells, it appeared the belly beast was nonresponsive and the officer’s adrenaline rush was now subsiding.

Now almost completed exhausted, Kim took a swig of the pink slime, gasped and wiped a small smidget from her bottom lip. The woman then prepared a syringe filled with the green ooze and injected the large belly beast, thus ending the struggle. The officer sat back and watched the grotesque creature melt away into a pile of green slime. She took a moment to gather herself before finishing the cylinder flask of pink slime, putting herself back to normal and continuing on.
---

Kim stayed in the medical facility, searching all the rooms for more information. With her and the belly beast’s efforts, the two managed to clear the space, allowing the current lone survivor to roam free.

Eventually, Kim found more papers near the exit of the facility. She scanned the text for a moment, shocked to find out there was apparently more to this place…

‘March 15th, 1939...We embarked on the journey through the open rift. It is our last chance at turning this war around. Everyone, except me, has put their entire faith in Griema’s plan. With protective wear on, we are still cautious of this...person’s claims. Apparently, they had found a way to rip a hole in space and time to actually infiltrate one of the Old Gods’ realm. As a man of science, I have to investigate this myself. If I do not return...then you know who to blame…’

Kim started to piece things together. It would appear their plan to invade other realms worked...perhaps these things were from that rift but at the same time, some seemed...human. Instinctively, the female officer checked her phone and was shocked, yet glad to see a signal. Activating the camera app, she started to record the carnage at the exit of the facility as well as her own vocal message. “This is officer Kim Ghutt. I am stuck underground in the city of...shit!” Kim canceled the message, inherently forgetting what city she was currently in. ‘Great, now how are they supposed to find me...’ The cop lamented but sent the message anyway, unfiltered.

Kim continued on until her equilibrium was suddenly thrown off. A sharp, acute beeping sound caused her a sudden headache as she stumbled, latching onto to the nearest wall for something to touch. “Guh! My head...what’s...going...on?’

‘Hello? Am I in?’

“In? In what? Who’s...talking to me…?”

‘Hm, it appears you are not familiar with this place...’ The voice in Kim’s head concluded. ‘But from your thoughts, you want to escape, yes? Maybe we can help each other out...’

“Now...wait a second...how do I know you’re not a result of me going crazy? There are...monsters down here and I’m pretty much stuck down here…” Kim grunted, the apparent mental link disturbing her well being.

‘Give it a moment while we sync up. Your primitive human brain can’t possibly handle psychic energies off the bat.’

Officer Ghutt’s condition then started to clear up as she exhaled and stood up after feeling better. “Well, that was more intense than any hangover…”

‘Cute, but now is not the time for reminiscing, you want to leave this place, yes?’

“Of course I do, but listening to a voice in my head isn’t exactly noble...or sane.”

‘Believe me, your sanity is much intact, though there is a slight fear in your vitals from what I’m detecting...’

“I’ll be frank; being stuck down here because some unknown jacked the only means of escaping is pretty fearful, especially when there’s no food save for this pink stuff…”

‘Someone escaped? I see...well, I can assure you a way out as well...however...’

“Look, you’re not sounding convincing…”

‘Then allow me to be blunt this time; What other choice do you have?’

The chubby officer pouted her lip and folded her arms. “Fine.”

‘That’s what I thought. Now, you will have to rescue me from the depths of this facility in order to help both of us escape. I know who trapped you down here and that means we don’t have much time. Continue on until you see a tunnel and I will instruct you from there.’ The voice then faded, leaving Kim with a slight lead. Though, the cop trusted her intuition and nothing about this voice in her head seemed right...

At long last, Kim made it to the exit of the facility. She managed to pick up a few more bullets for her firearms as it would be assumed she had passed a security outpost on her way out. Now, she was at a cavern docking station, specifically one that would house a train since a set of railroads were below her. ‘A transport station...’ She concluded, and kicked a rock on the rails. ‘The power’s out, good…’

Officer Ghutt jumped down and used her belted flashlight to light the path ahead. With her pistol equipped, she traveled ahead. The railroad path led to moist caverns with water levels slowly rising. The officer grew cautious as the sounds of monsters started to fill the cave as well as overhead lights now illuminating her path.

All the while, a creature stalked her from the shadows, ready to pounce its new prey at the right time.

[Aerial-Rave]

Continuing on, Kim traveled deep into the cavern railway. She passed by a work station with several supplies that included another pink vat. She quickly polished off the rest of the old batch and quickly filled her container with a fresh full one to save for later. The officer also found a few more rounds for her guns.

After exiting the small rest point, she started to see the hollowed cave for what it really was. Many skeletons and corpses littered the walkway near the walls, some detached from their spine while others had their heads crushed. Kim also witnessed a few carts toppled over and even more blocking her path ahead. “Just great…” She said out loud. A part of her was hoping the voice in her head would hear but its presence wasn’t felt. Nonetheless, Kim marched on, crawling up the side of a cart sitting on its side.

Curious, she bashed open the door and was met with a rush of putrid, rotting flesh, causing her to turn to gag and cough. Once the smell aired out a bit, Kim descended into the trail cart. Again, she witnessed rotten bodies populate the train segment and covered her mouth and nose. She searched and searched, soon coming across a diary.

‘July 16th, 1942. War has gone global just as we are at the peak of our discovery. It appears This...Griema person was half right. It would appear the Old Gods of folklore existed...at one time. We managed to travel through the rift into its dimension unharmed and relatively sane, but that’s only because what was waiting for us on the other side were...bones. It would appear Elder Gods had a longevity, who knew? In any case, Griema would have certainly been left there, if not for their quick thinking. Long story short; We are now transporting the bones-’

The rest of the text was illegible.

‘Well, I can only guess what happened next...’ Kim concluded and opened the escape latch to resume her journey. She ransacked all the other carts, finding little to nothing until… “CRAP! CRAP CRAP!” A faceless man-beast had overheard her loud rummaging and was now trying to chomp at her face. Kim was under the muscle bound humanoid, one hand on its throat to keep it elevated and from taking a bite. She was searching her person for her pistol and eventually lodged it in its neck and fired, killing it.

But the officer had no time to celebrate as heavy breathing and distance roars signaled more had caught on to her presence and she tossed the dead monster aside and scurried out. She left the train car, only to find the male and female ghouls being to appear. Switching to her shotgun, she fired at the crowd ahead of her. The scattered shot managed to take a few down and she plowed through the few that remained and ran on.

‘Crap, how can I be so stupid!?’ She cursed to herself. Before long, Kim felt her steps become heavier. A bolt of fear clogged her throat. Was it the pink stuff bubbling in her stomach? Had she finally eaten too much to remain mobile? No, instead she found herself thigh deep in water as it appeared the cave was starting to become flooded. The beasts were still chasing her from behind, only now both were running with difficulty thanks to the new terrain.

The chubby cop forged one, pumping her arms in hopes of more mobility but it seemed with each yard her speed and stamina dropped. Finally, she turned and just started to unload on her pursuers. The creatures howled as they were mowed down, driven by their desire to consume instead of simply being scared off.

One managed to sneak up on Kim. It has been shot before, but despite its injuries, swam until it chomped at Officer Ghutt’s ankle, causing her to fall into the water. More of the faceless beasts swarmed the apparent spot just as Kim was able to knock the injured monster off her ankle, bashing it with the end of her shotgun, finishing it off. As other creatures dove in after their prey, the chubby cop started to swim off with her guns intact.

But out of the blue, a black blob fell from the ceiling hard, causing ripple waves that knocked the monsters and Kim about. The cop bumped the jagged edges of the cavern wall, quickly healing herself as the sudden new face revealed itself.

The ebony ooze grew and bubbled until it became a solid dome. Several of the faceless beasts approached in a curious manner, only to be grabbed by a large mitten like hand and dragged into the dark mass. Some of the faceless humanoids fought back but in vain as they did nothing to penetrate the gooey shell and were pulled in soon after.

Watching the horror unfold, Kim picked herself up and started to try and run past the thing. But a few more of the male humanoids blocked her escape. She then felt her ankle being coiled as she was then dragged toward the pulsating black pile of slime. The humanoids were caught as well but the officer quickly shot at the tendril near the root of the beast. It gurgled in pain, releasing the female cop but ended up consuming its other prey.

Finally, the monster appeared full as an excretion similar to a burp erupted from it’s body, causing the cave to tremor. Kim watched as the blob began to morph and change. First, several human head spouted in a collective manner, essentially becoming a bouquet of faces with female breast and a thick torso. Its base was composed of several human eyes and giant teeth mocking the appearance of feet. Lastly, a large, gargantuan arm sprouted from its left side, dragging on the ground while a thin, sharp claw hand manifested from the right side.

“What...the HELL!?” Officer Ghutt screamed, turning tail as fast as she could. Unknown to her, the monster melted into the water, becoming one with it. It swam with the flow, easily traveling through the waves until it managed to get under the cop’s feet. From there, it quickly reformed, becoming a swirling wall of black ooze around Officer Ghutt in an attempt to swallow her whole.

To her dismay, the creature was latching to her skin and clothes while restraining her as she reached for her shotgun’s trigger. It almost clogged the barrel but was blown out since Kim successfully blasted a shot, scattering a good portion of the beast. In its weakened state, Kim rolled out of its range, swatting off the leftover black residue.

The multi-headed slime monster then reformed only for the equipped cop to open fire, tearing into it. Bullets appeared to be able to put holes in it but not slow it down. Kim quickly realized she needed a needle shot to kill it like the larger belly beast. She then held a needle in one arm while switching to her pistol and charged the monster. The liquid-like creature started to reel back from the shots and Kim lunged, stabbing it with a needle...or so she thought.

In truth, the creature somehow knew the dangers of the needle and combined once more with the water, making its body so liquid based that Kim herself passed through, crashing face first into the water. “Oh...you’re a card…” She muttered.

After picking herself up, Kim prepared another green serum needle in preparation for the monster to attack again. Unexpectedly, the black blob shot out of the cavern walls, the stream of ebony ooze smacking the officer in the face, knocking her to the ground. This happened a few more times as the creature then came from under Kim in the form of a water torrent, tossing her airborne and again from the cavern ceiling slamming her back into the water.

Suddenly, more of the female bandages ghouls came into the scene. Being the more aggressive type, they pinned the reeling Kim. One instantly chomped on the woman’s neck, puncturing the skin and drawing blood. It only lasted a second as she was then yanked by the black blob and promptly absorbed. Surprisingly, the creature started to sport a more, humanoid, bloated appearance. Kim paused to observe the sudden change in the monster’s physique. Similar to her, it appeared eating strange things from this place had its consequences…

The cop dodged rolled from another tentacle swipe but the extension latched on to one of the bandaged females, pulling it in to be consumed. Soon, more and more monsters came running from the dark, all snatched and gobbled up until the black blob’s expanse became floor bound and still grew.

The thing continued to eat the minions swarming but Kim noticed something off about them...their clothing. While the females were dressed similar to ones in the medical facility, the males, who were previously nude, now wore tattered prison uniforms with cuffs on their wrist and ankles. It gave the cop a pretty good idea of where this cave was headed but there was something she had to take care of, first…

“Hey ugly!” She shouted at the bloated creature, now immobilized due to its belly width nearly touching each cavern wall from across the sides. “Whoa...bit off more than you can chew? Eyes bigger than your stomach!?” The cop taunted, prompting the blob to crawl forward, albeit very slowly. The chubby officer was in no danger and fired off a shotgun round, tearing a chunks of flesh of with each shot until it was nothing more than a heaving, bleeding pile.

However, Kim saw it slowly regenerate and quickly stabbed it with a syringe. As expected, the creature howled as it started to melt, grabbing Kim in one last ditch effort, only to slide off her person before completely disintegrating.

Now alone, the officer continued down the trail until she came to another station, picking herself up and entering. Just as she suspected, it was the entrance to a prison. There was no doubt in her mind this is where the other creatures came from. Suddenly, a throbbing headache started to plague her, causing her to stumble around.

‘Hello again~’

“Great...you again…”

‘Hey! I’m the one who can guide you through this place and-’

“And where were you just now!?” Kim barked, causing a temporary silence. “Just what I thought…”

‘Okay, fine. I can only really contact you when those things aren’t around. If they pick up on my talking to you telepathically, I’m dead. I’ll be frank; I've been living down here ever since World War II, hiding and moving, avoiding these creatures. I’ve developed abilities and lived off the pink slime for survival...but you know how that goes...’

“Given the time you’ve been down here…” Kim paused, piecing everything together. “So, if you are so...large from the pink goo, how do you expect me to help you out?”

‘Just get to me. I am past the prison, where you will release another prisoner to de-power the barrier and you will have to pass the furnace to get to me.’

“Sounds simple enough…” Kim shrugged. Internally, she didn't trust the disembodied voice but what other choice did she have?