In the Belly of the Beast :: Choose Your Own Adventure

[Sanara]

In the Belly of the Beast

Quietly, under the pavement and roars of city life, two young kits have lived together for as long as they can remember. Following the rats to find food and water, and even sleeping with them in some cases, the kits have learned how to live and thrive in this underground suburban cavern system. Everything was going incredibly well for them, until one dark day when the rumble of thousands of little ratty feet sent their lives into a tailspin. Now, they have become hunted like their small vermin friends, and now more than ever they must work for their own survival.

Try to make it out alive from this cavern system, dodging obstacles, hazards, and monsters in cats clothing.Will you survive? Or will you perish?

[Start]

[Sanara]

Morning has begun early for the various rats and creatures that inhabited the citie’s sewers. In the half light, you could barely see the outline of their whiskers in the softness pouring in from the storm drains above. It is because of this dim lighting that it would be incredibly easy to miss the two young cats milling about with their four legged cousins, hardly aware it was not a thing usually done by their kind. In fact, it could be argued that the two of them could hardly see a difference between them and the small critters that had raised them as well as one could hope in that sort of situation.

The two kits, assumed to be siblings, have lived together with these rats long before they could open their eyes and have known nothing different, and so helped out in day to day activities. Today, they banded together with a small group of rats half their size to collect nibbles of food to share with the rest of the gathering. Though, with the growing number of rats congregating in this area, and more arriving all the time, both kits felt a growing struggle to feed the masses.

Of course, with their small group, several other pods were heading out as well, all with the goal of scavaging for food. They were all headed out in different directions, and although the kits had never been to this section of pipe before, they were sure the rats that strolled along with them knew the area enough to feel comfortable exploring.



[> Continue through the pipes with your rat friends...]
[> Turn back and find a section of pipe you have already explored...]

[Sanara]

[>Continue through the pipes with your rat friends...]

As a unit, they strolled down the ever darkening pipe. Water sludged on into the darkness at their left, and various small pipes lead down into darkness on their right. They could smell the stank of sludge over then ever present scent of stale water. This let them know they were flooded half way down, and until the humans opened the various levees, they would remain so.

Turning away, they followed the path as far as they could, the ever growing blackness making them adjust in the simplest way possible. Their eyes growing as the light died away. Funny how none of the rats around them had dilating eyes like the two of them, and both kits thought themselves as special rats because of it. One thing that their eyes didn’t aid them with was the rumbling that tickled the inner hairs of their ears.

There was nothing to be alarmed of at first. The rumbling was nothing more than that- rumbles. Something that could be mistaken for the waters gurgle beside them, or the roar of the greater water reservoir far, far away. So, with this knowledge, the pod continued on, blissfully unaware of the hordes of rats running blindingly in their direction.



The only hint they got of the impending storm was the scent of fear that hit them like an invisible wall. It struck fear into everyone of the pod, and sent the other rats in their pod running off into the darkness ahead of them, shrill squeals echoing away as the only proof they had even been there. Those echos lasted seconds thanks to the ringing squeaks coming from behind them, and almost immediately, the two of them were met with a wall of rats, drowning out the devilish laughter that reverberated from far behind the frightened rat-pack.

There was only one choice- run.

[> And so they ran...]

[Sanara]

[> And so they ran...]

They ran as far and as fast as they could, barely staying ahead of the rat pack, but stopping short as two long corridors stood before them. Their eyes had no time to adjust, and dull grey rounded corridors led away into the nothingness. One leading off to the right, one leading away to the left. There was no way to tell which way to take, even as the rats finally caught up with them. Like sewer water hitting a split in the pipe, they parted. Two equal sections leading away in both directions, fear making them blind to the choice. The kits, gripping tightly to one another, we’re thrust up against the slimy concrete.

“We have to go,” The dark furred kit grunted, their voice hardly heard above the thundering claws of the running mice.

“I know,” the sandy female kitten cried. “Let’s go Right! It’s where our friends ran earlier. Maybe they can tell us what happened!”

“No!” Shouted the dark kit. “We must go Left! There is no way to tell which way they went!”

“You always get to choose,” the sandy female growled, before sticking her nose up. “I’m going Right with or without you!”

The dark kit felt their nose curl. “Fine. You always do this,” they let go of the sandy kit and stepped out into the river of rats skittering away into the left pipe. The flow of rats has lessened enough them to stomp away into the darkness.

“Fine!” The sandy kit called out after them, though was unsure if they heard, and completely unsuspecting that perhaps someone else had heard her. With a prideful pout they stormed off into the right pipe, following along with the rush of rats.

Choose a Player

[>Dark kitten; A silver marbled
tabby with gold eyes]
[Strength :: Quick and decisive mind]
[Weakness :: Clumsy]

[>Sandy kitten; A golden spotted
tabby with blue eyes.]
[Strength :: Speed]
[Weakness :: Crying when scared]

[Sanara]

[> Turn back and find a section of pipe you have already explored...]

With a bit of convincing, and perhaps some unneeded pleading, the rats who had once been absolutely eager to explore further into the unknown darkness of the pipes decided to head back with the kits. After all, something new could have dropped in from the above world, and they would never have known without first clearing the pipes that had all their obstructions removed. Plus, the pod reckoned, they weren’t entirely prepared to explore an entirely new section. With only a few tiny fingers to move any obstacles, they would be spending much more time struggling than they would be finding the food they desperately needed.

And so, as a unit, they turned around, back towards the cavern that held the camp, and familiar pipes they had run through the last couple of days. As simple as they could make the search, they beain with a few of the offshoots they knew about on the way back to the cavern, giving a loud and clean “Clear,” when they reached the usually barred or folded end, and all was found and collected.

A few moments later and three pipes cleared, the group had a small pile of foods collected: half a bar of candy with strange salty nuts attached to a stick substance, several, several pieces of chewed gummy stuff, a soggy piece of bread, a half eaten peach? Maybe? And a dead pigeon.

“We should head back,” the dark furred kitten murmured, poking abscently at the colorful gummy objects.

“Maybe we can find more if we look again?” The sandy kitten said in desperation. After all, now many rats would that even feed- but there wouldn’t be another chance to look, for her words were absolutely drown out by a loud rumble coming from further up the pipe they were heading. Their home! Their family! Their food!

The next thing that assaulted them was the scent of fear. It reeked! It was so strong their ratty companions turned tail and ran back the way they came, away into questionable darkness. Away from the fear scent. The kittens wanted to yell after them, and try to calm their companions down, but their voices hardly came out over the sound of thousands of clawed paws, for running up to meet them was a horde of rats blinded by fear and willing to trample the two young kittens to get away from their pursuers. They had to run, lest they be run over by the frightened creatures.

[> And so, they ran...]

[Sanara]

[> Dark kit]

You storm away angrily, the last few rats having run along ahead. All that was left of their presence was the stench of fear, but no other sounds remained outside of the drip, drip, drip of water in the channel to the left below your walkway. In fact, there was quite a bit of water flow here. The gritty ground beneath your paws is slick with water and grime. Even the walls have a layer of mildew that cuts off halfway where the water would stop had the pipe been flooded, creating a sharp, straight line of green to gray.

You wrinkle your nose and look around, noticing three smaller pipes that lead away into darkness.
Should you explore these pipes?

The first pipe funnels off into darkness. You scent stale water, but are unsure what could be at the other end.

[> Investigate pipe 1...]

The second pipe is half-lit, but flashes strangely as things pass in the beam of the light. The water drips accompanying the sight makes your fur stand on end, and you wonder what creature could be waiting near the light.

[> Investigate pipe 2...]
[> Run from the creature before it can scent you!]

The third pipe is pitch black with scum and darkness. You don’t know what could be down there, but you know where that dripping sound is finally coming from.

[> Investigate pipe 3...]

Up ahead, the pipe leads away into a sharp right turn. You can’t see too far ahead, but know something is emitting a dull red glow like you’ve never seen before.

[> Keep moving ahead, turn right, investigate the red light...]

[Sanara]

[Sanara]

[> Investigate pipe 1...]

This pipe is surprisingly dry, and as you descend into darkness. The scent of water grows ever stronger, but you barely see the glinting bars of iron before you bump your nose against them. This dark pipe wouldn’t be so bad as a hidey-hole when everything got back to normal.

When you squint to look, you see the back end of the pipe disappear into water that could only be festering. All at once you come to realize that there is no sense in trying to investigate any further. The water is out of reach thanks to the bars, and there is nothing else of importance in here.

[> Return back to main area.]

[Sanara]

[> Investigate pipe 2...]

The flashing overhead continues, and you take a deep breath to build your courage. The scent of scaredy-Rat in the air hardly helps but you know if that creature could come down here, it would have already! There were squeals and stamping of rats only moments ago that any predator would have been unable to resist!

Carefully, with your nerves building upon each step, you slide against the bare concrete walls until you’re across from the light, looking up into the pale white light. Those flashes aren’t from some pacing monster- they’re from two-legger feet walking back and forth. You can tell they’re not the same two-legger by the strange scents and various types of shoes, but they’re all going somewhere.

And, as you scent, you realize some of them have food!! Ohhh if only you could get up there! Just as you go to take a step forward, an oblong piece of food rolls into the storm drain as if a two-legger threw it in there just for you! You know you should save that to bring to your rats, but the temptation is just too great! You leap onto the meat stick and begin tarring into it with all your might until it is gone and you are stuffed!!

With your belly full and a cheerier disposition, you look around for anything else that could be of use but see nothing except trash and foliage, and maybe even a rock or two. Nothing to eat, nothing to help you find the sandy kit, and nothing to get you out of the sewers. There’s nothing left for you here.

[> Return back to main area.]

[Sanara]

[> Investigate pipe 3...]

You dread the idea of going down into this pipe with it’s icky black coating and moldy scent, but you know if you don’t check it out you won’t be satisfied. Carefully you take a step into the pipe and almost immediately slip and fall onto your belly.

Suddenly, you have nothing to support you as your body lurches forward and the pitch darkness swallows you up. You slide for what feels like moments but could have only been seconds as you plunge into water and immediately start to panic!!! You don’t know how to swim!!!

You splash and splash, crying out for anyone to save you!! The only thing keeping you from drowning are the conveniently placed rocks at your tummy!

Wait... carefully you stand and test your footing. It might be too dark to see, but with careful probing, you realize there must have been a cave-in, and the water is all that’s left of the pipe. Thank your lucky stars!

A ways away you can see a small circlet of light and know you must brave the mildew-slide again to reach it. Your wet, cold and after several attempts at climbing the slick surface, tired. But you’ve made it far enough to haul yourself up and return to the main area.

[> Return back to main area.]