#alien prey

Glowd enjoyed hiking. They would travel from planet to planet in search of scenic outlooks to explore. One of the best parts of any hike is when they found food to pick and enjoy. The fresh air blowing across their antenna was a nice bonus too!

On one such hike, they hit the mother lode. This planet's jungle had a fruit bearing bush which almost continuously produced new ones. Whenever a berry was picked, more grew to replace it. Strangely, there were no fruits fallen on the ground; perhaps the bush only produced when it was picked.

Eating to their heart's content, Glowd was very pleased, as his waving antenna indicated. They'd have to recommend this place to other interstellar hikers! The jungle had no real paths, but the undergrowth was sparse, so the going was easy. 

Little undergrowth also meant that the creatures which populated this place were hard to hear but easy to spot. Glowd wasn't far past the delicious berry bush before he spotted a tiny herd of fluffy, round creatures. They trilled softly to one another as they grazed on short grassy plants. The sound pleasantly tickled his aural cones.

The hiker approached slowly, not wanting to startle them. The creatures were entirely unperturbed by this. Amazed, they reached out to touch one with a single finger. Its pelt was soft, and it cooed at the touch. How could any wild creature be so docile?

These things were enchanting. Almost without thinking Glowd scooped one up in all six fingers. They gazed down at it with wide eyes as it continued to emanate that ticklish tone. They transferred it to one hand so they could stroke it some more. So peaceful. So harmless.

Glowd's buccals moistened. Hungry again so soon? While continuing to pet the critter, they cast their gaze around, seeking more fruit. There wasn't a single bush or tree in sight that had anything resembling edible growths.

Two tongues flicked out to swipe across their lips. Slowly their gaze drifted down to the furball. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. This one doesn't even seem capable of fighting back.

In one quick, smooth motion they popped it in their mouth. The twined tongues curved around the big mouthful as their prey screeched. Those delightful trills became agitated squeals which echoed inside Glowd's head. 

Both tongues flexed and they swallowed hard. The oblong critter began to slide into their throat. Instinctively a hand went to the growing bulge, two fingertips stroking downward gently. They traced the snack's path downward into the stomach. It was still calling pitiously, but now they were muffled by all that stood between it and the outside world.

Satisfied, Glowd left the little colony of creatures and continued along the path. Their stomach had a pleasant weight to it now, and it gurgled happily. Their kind was slow to digest, but walking around sped up the process a little.

As they continued along, wandering this way and that, their stomach made some unusually long rumbles. Stars above did they ever feel bloated! Sure they didn't eat meat too often, but it didn't usually make them feel like this. They rubbed their belly absently, but was shocked to feel it was protruding a bit. It hadn't been like that before, had it?

They prodded it, trying to feel what was going on in there. Something in there wriggled, eliciting a gasp from Glowd. They bit their tongues and continued to poke curiously. There was certainly more than one creature in there- but how??

They had come to a stop, and now they leaned against a tree. Staring down at their stomach, they could see something moving beneath the surface, making the rounded bulk wiggle. They'd had some strange reactions to alien food, but this blew the rest out of the water! The alien animals within were still squealing, the sound growing louder and louder as Glowd's belly grew and grew.

The ache of their abdomen stretching beyond its normal range made them groan. Their instinctual rubs were meant to soothe the discomfort, but it only made their prey more agitated. Fluids gurgled and bubbled from place to place within as their digestive system attempted to cope with the massive meal. They slid down the tree truck slowly, their hands cradling the bulge. Their legs stretched out, trying to avoid putting pressure on the still expanding gut.

After several agonizing minutes, the creatures seemed to stop reproducing. Unfortunately Glowd's belly was still terribly bloated and complaining loudly about the situation. They could hardly move, any shifting of the belly causing new achy waves to course through them.