The thing under the house

I awoke instantly. My senses suddenly alert. Then I heard it and understood.

It was raining again. I sat up and listened to the soothing pitter patter that softly tapped at my window.

Usually this gave me a sense of calm. Now, it filled me with a feeling of dread. I knew the thing would be coming out again Absorbing the water until it's supernaturally distended body was so engorged it could only slither back under the house to wait for more rain.

The first time I saw it, it seemed like a cute little garden snake.

All black, small, with a smooth scaleless body. It's eyes were an obsidian color that seemed to carry the solar system within it's depths.

I had tried to pick it up, in my youthful stupidity. It opened it's mouth and sprayed something that was warm to the touch, though didn't burn. It stunned me.

I weakly sank to the ground as it slithered closer. I was unable to move as it reached my splayed fingertips.

The mouth quivered from some unseen pressure. It's inky depths seemed to undulate. Slowly something worked it's way out.

I was alone, fear like I've never felt rushing through me. I tried to call out to my family, but my voice was absent. Stolen by this nightmarish

creature that was as foreign as the sensations streaking through my system.

The thing inside resembled the snake. Only smaller. It suddenly latched out it's mouth and hooked jagged teeth unto my finger.

I screamed internally. I was still in the paralyzed thrall it put me in.

I felt something pulling out of me as the thing fed.

I began to feel extreme exhaustion.

My eyes began to close. I was dying in the backyard and no one would know why.

My mom came out just as my body fell over, unto the soft grass.

She rushed me to the hospital.

After numerous test, they said I was only very dehydrated.

The thing had taken the water from my body! I tried to tell my family, but they said it was only my childish imagination.

Everytime it rains the thing slithers out and absorbs as much water as it's widening body would hold.

Recently I saw it. It's body had gotten so big most of it remained under the house. It swallowed copious amounts of water. I knew eventually it would be so enormous it would no longer fit under the house.

As I sat listening to the rain I wondered how many of them there were out there. And what would happen once it had had it's fill...