(this story was made via polls on my Patreon Discord. participants choosing what direction the story goes in. You are seeing the results of the polls as the story unfolds)



You, are a struthiomimus. a dinosaur meant to run the open plains with your herd. that what your meant to do. all your meant to do.
and yet.. your here. this small lake thats a pit stop between lush lands. theres not much here. rocks mostly. a few bushes and grass patches, enough to feed you. and really, only you. because it would be foolish for a herbivore to spend any time here.
yet here you are. and you have been for a long time. you dont remember how long, time is not a concept to you but you know it passes anyway. just like your herd did.
what happened to them?
you dont remember. maybe you never had one.

what you do know is that you've made a deal with the demon that lives in the lake. a monstrous crocodile. it could swallow you whole and barely consider you a snack.
how and why this deal came to be, you dont know. but its as real as the feathers coating your hide.
the demon doesnt speak to you. its never spoken to you.
and yet the deal remains all the same.
you, the struthi of the lake, are bait.
you sit by the waters edge. and call out sweetly to creatures that stop for water. they see you and assume safety. your kind are known for running at the slightest hint of danger. so if your calm by the water, the water must be a safe place.
all you must do is not flinch when the demon lunges. when it snaps down on prey and drags them into the water to struggle and drown in his jaws.
in return, you are safe here.
you, and only you, are protected.

do you feel guilt, little struthi?