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Hunger in Florida


Anastasia frowned. It was a beautiful Florida day— finally. After nearly a week of rain, finally the bruised-looking clouds had abated and brilliant sunshine shone down. And of course, like most things in Florida, the good didn’t last. The heat had swelled and fumed and throbbed into an all-consuming, concentration sucking nightmare. 


Poor Anastasia camping in front of a laptop crammed next to the rattling AC unit as it sputtered and coughed felt every unerring moment of rising temperature. I knew I was going to fucking die in Florida, she thought, as another frustratingly information light work email buzzed. 


A glimmer caught her eye. A sinful, wonderful glint of water. 


The pool.


The zoom call had dragged on for three and a half hours. Three and a half hours of everyone straining to not burst into confused, existential tears of the rapidly disintegrating world. Three and a half hours of trying to not think of wasted schooling, degrading interviews, lackluster paychecks. 


The pool.


Anastasia was already in her swimsuit before she could fully process the fact she was discounting work. Fuck ‘em.


Even after all the rain the water was brilliantly clear. Almost miraculous. She grinned. It was achingly cool when her toe dipped in. Perfect, just— 


Something splashed. Alligator flashed into her mind, and the young woman whirled, half slipping on concrete ground. 


Something lay nearby, only a few feet away. It seemed lazy and bored, unaware or simply uncaring of the intruder. It’s long muscular neck rose only a little from damp ground. Dark, reptilian eyes sat almost completely atop the flat, triangular head. Anastasia shivered at the interlocked, needle-point teeth in gnarly protruding rows. It’s long tail curled half way around it, and beneath its weirdly robust body were sprawling reptilian legs. Claws glistened. 


What the fuck?


The head lifted on four solid feet of neck. She could reach out and touch it.. 


Hisssssss.. It made such an otherworldly rumble that Anastasia just blinked for a moment, completely struck by such a deep noise from something this size. She didn’t hear the stirring beside her, didn’t realize the growl was for something else. 


Something bigger.

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