The swamp was alive with whispers. The croaks of hidden frogs, the distant rustle of reeds, the gentle lapping of black, stagnant water against gnarled roots. A thick mist clung to the ground, curling between twisted cypress trunks like ghostly fingers, and in the heart of this damp, forgotten place, a boy lay sleeping.
Cody had escaped McLeach’s clutches for now, his small body exhausted, his golden hair damp with sweat. He had collapsed in the soft, wet moss at the base of an ancient tree, one arm tucked beneath his cheek, his bare feet resting in the cool mud. His chest rose and fell with the deep, steady breaths of a child lost in dreams, oblivious to the predator that had already begun to claim him.
The Komodo dragon had watched him for some time, its black, unblinking eyes reflecting the moonlight as it inched forward, slow, deliberate, silent. The scent of warm flesh had drawn it, a deep hunger unfurling in its gut, but this was no mere meal. This was something more… indulgent.
Its tongue flicked out, tasting Cody’s scent in the air. The boy’s soft skin, untouched and warm, was intoxicating. Saliva thickened in the Komodo’s maw, its throat flexing in anticipation. It could take him quickly—one powerful lunge, one savage bite—but there was no need for haste. No need for violence. This would be a slow, gluttonous pleasure.
The lizard’s heavy, clawed foot pressed down into the mud as it crept closer, lowering its snout until it hovered just above Cody’s exposed feet. A warm, humid breath washed over them, causing the boy’s toes to twitch slightly in his sleep. The Komodo’s tongue flicked out, running a slick trail over the small, tender soles. The taste sent a shiver of anticipation through the beast’s body, and without hesitation, it opened its jaws wide.
The first inch of Cody’s feet slid inside, enveloped in slick, pulsing heat. The lizard’s muscular throat flexed eagerly, welcoming its prey as the tip of its tongue coiled around the boy’s ankles, savoring his smooth skin, his slight, helpless warmth.
It swallowed.
A deep, wet gluck echoed through the night as Cody’s feet were drawn deeper into the Komodo’s greedy maw. The boy shifted slightly, murmuring something in his sleep, but the reptile was patient. It adjusted, taking in more, its lips stretching over his small calves, pulling him in slowly, deliberately.
The Komodo savored every moment, its forked tongue flicking over the boy’s skin, tasting the subtle salt of his sweat, the faint traces of the swamp’s damp earth. Another swallow, deeper now. Cody’s legs, limp and unaware, vanished into the slick embrace of the beast’s gullet, his knees pressing against the ridged roof of its mouth before slipping inside with a quiet, wet schlurp.
The lizard paused, letting the feeling settle, the weight of its meal stretching its throat. Cody’s soft stomach was next, his breathing still steady, still peaceful. The Komodo’s jaws widened, working over the boy’s waist, saliva pooling as it rolled its tongue hungrily over the tender flesh.
It swallowed again, slowly, feeling the outline of Cody’s small frame slide further inside. His hands twitched slightly in his sleep, but his mind remained trapped in dreams, unaware that his body was vanishing inch by inch into the depths of a patient, gluttonous predator.
His chest was next, pressing into the slick, rippling walls of the Komodo’s throat. The boy’s small heartbeat faintly against the warm, tightening muscle, and the lizard rumbled deep in its belly, feeling the pulse, the life, the warmth. It tilted its head back slightly, using gravity to ease Cody further in, inch by inch, his shoulders and remaining arms now slipping into the cavernous mouth, coated in thick, clinging saliva.
Only his head remained now, resting against the back of the Komodo’s tongue. His blonde hair was damp with spit, strands clinging to his flushed skin. The lizard took its time, letting its tongue roll lazily over the boy’s cheeks, savoring this final taste, this last moment before indulgence became completion.

And then, the last swallow.
A long, deep gulp sent Cody’s head sliding past the threshold, the soft curve of his throat vanishing between the lizard’s slick lips before being drawn down into the dark, pulsing heat. The outline of his body bulged grotesquely beneath the Komodo’s thick, scaled skin, shifting slightly as the reptile adjusted its swollen belly.
It exhaled, slow and satisfied, licking its lips clean of the lingering taste. The weight of its prey settled deep inside, nestled in the tight, undulating tunnel of its gullet, his small form outlined faintly beneath its stretched hide.
The Komodo lingered a moment, feeling every breath, every final twitch of movement from within, before turning, slinking back into the mist, its hunger sated, its prize carried deep into the endless, whispering darkness of the swamp.