Bad End Part 3, At Least It Can't Get Any Worse

Bad End

A Monster Girl Quest Isekai

Part 3 – At Least Things Can't Get Any Worse

-----

	Albert crawled into the endless dark of that mysterious place with fevered desperation. Was he still being followed? Had that monster climbed down in the pit after him? Was it, at this very moment, edging in to deliver him his final moments on this wicked world?

	He smashed his arm against the rough textured stone wall. Blindly moving through this lair of jagged rock would surely add to his misery. In kinder circumstances he would take his time, but in kinder circumstances he wouldn't be blinded, crippled, humbled or stalked. For a moment he dared to halt his movement and just listen. The monster had been huge, surely. What else could have created such terrible noise? If Albert listened closely, he might gain a clue to his next action.

	Silence. Oh, how he prayed that it were true. It had not been long ago that similar silence had led him to think he was safe. Could he even trust his own senses at this point? But try as he might to find some evil thing about him, Albert found nothing.

	The battered man took the moment to catch his breath. His travails had winded him. But even more important than the physical relief, the moment gave him time to think. Say he were to retrace his path? Would he not encounter that giant monster once more? Was a return to that place a desirable thing? But to go deeper into the cave sounded most unwise. What hideous fate awaited in that yawning abyss? Perhaps he would fall once more, and this time be well and truly crippled? Or he could get lost and spend the rest of his pitiful life hungry, cold, blind and alone? All this and still there was the dread of other, more awful things that might lurk in the dark underbelly of this horrible world.

	What choice was there to make? Weren't both a different kind of doom? What realistic salvation could he prey for? But maybe if he just waited, the thing from above would grow tired of waiting for him? Move on? Or it might just patiently stake him out, knowing that he had to come out some time. Was his sole hope in the unknown depths before him? Was his only chance in the possibility of a cave network that might lead to safety?

	He couldn't stop shaking. No matter what, it all seemed hopeless. Even after minutes of rest, he just couldn't get his breathing to settle. Panic threatened to destroy his thinking mind. Failing to find an appropriate answer, Albert simply acted. His hand reached out, once more finding the coarse face of his stony prison. His bared knees scraped against the tough surface, torturing his every movement. Albert tried to move slowly, to ease his own suffering, but his damned body just kept shaking, rebelling against his own will. The man's progress was slow and painful. His every breath was accompanied by a meager whimper. His road seemed endless.

	Time passed. Onward and onward the man crawled. The long dark threatened to do terrible, unspeakable things to him. His mind quaked. Endless silence was broken only by the sounds of his own body's actions. Yet he still thought he heard things, little noises that melted in to his every movement. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or was there something moving in his steps? What shadowed monstrosity preyed upon him now that could so cleverly hide it's noises with his own? Albert stilled himself. He would catch the entity in the act. He wouldn't be outsmarted!

	But what foolishness. Even if he did catch this mystery stalker, what would he do with his ruined body? His useless eyes, his battered limbs, his fractured arm, what good would such a body do? No, now he was sure of it. There had never been any sounds but his own. Surely, surely.

	And in this way his mind continued to fray as his sanity was blasted by paranoia and suffering. How long did he struggle in that nightmare world of unending darkness? Down, down, down he went. Albert found a moment's comfort in remembering the past. Thoughts of childhood adventures in well kept parks passed through his mind. Picnic tables and birthday parties. Gleeful play amidst trees that were perfect for climbing. The thought passed. Where had that come from? But the briefest memory of happy, simple times stayed with him.

	He was crying again, wallowing in self pity. As soon as he realized it, he damned himself for his own weakness. Albert's mind was divided between hardened resolution and hopeless despair. He'd been through so much in so short a time, let him cry! Fuck it! If ever there had been a time to feel sorry for himself, now was that time. God, how he'd do anything to escape this torment! Something! Anything! He desperately needed something to go right or he was going to lose his mind.

	Albert heard a noise. It was a light clicking sound. There it was again. Click, click, click, click. This was no phantom of his mind, surely not. The sound was sporadic, a click here, then pause, then again and again. 'No', he cried inside his mind, feeling defeated. He was beaten. Done. No more. Click, click.

	“Da-re?” came the quiet voice from the dark. And for all his determination to give in, in that moment he found the will to struggle on. With a groan he continued his urgent crawl. How many times had he escaped a monster's clutches? But this time, he could find no solution, no answer that might guide his survival. He could not run blindly through this dark cave. It was a hopeless act doomed to failure. Now, surely, his life was at an end, and yet he could not help but pathetically struggle against it.

	Something soft and fuzzy jabbed at his torso. A series of excited clicks followed. Albert kept moving, pushing against the unyielding stone walls, gasping frenzied breaths. The furry digit, roughly the size of a fist, continued to poke at him. The thing was examining him, curiously investigating the foreign intruder. “Ningen?” The quiet voice gasped. “Honto?” The monster's Japanese was short and stuttered, spoken in a manner that suggested that it had as good a grasp on the language as Albert did. He failed to notice such tiny details, however. He simply kept desperately scrabbling for an exit.

	More excited clicks followed, the sounds moving around and ahead of him. The monster was going to block his path. Albert's hand knocked against some foreign thing, a long, thick talon that rose from the floor towards the ceiling. Albert could not guess it's size, but considering the size of his own body in relation to the feel of that thing, he thought it must be at least 8 inches tall. He recoiled at it's touch. Then there was a noise, as if some large thing had fallen to the ground in front of him. No, more like settled. Hot, fetid air blew into his face. “Ii, ii-yo,” the quiet monster whispered. The fuzzy digit continued to prod at him. Albert now realized it was joined by a second.

	Once more he tried to escape, but those unknown appendages suddenly pressed against him, holding him down. “Daijoubu,” the thing calmly said. But Albert certainly felt anything but 'daijoubu'. He struggled and thrashed, but it was for nothing. A minute passed of his futile efforts before he had exhausted himself. Now, the creature seemed content to act. A hand gingerly took hold of his shoulder. He shook it off, eliciting a shocked sound from his assailant. “Daijoubu,” it urged, and once more placed a hand upon him.

	Another disgusting blast of hot air blew into his face. 'What the fuck is this thing', he thought. Another hand wrapped around his own, stroking him kindly. The quiet monster gave a heavy sigh. Her hand cupped around his and gently tugged at him. Once more, Albert refused. “Kochi,” she said, shifting from his shoulder, now holding both his hands. The pressure from the furry pods relented as she tried to pull him to his feet.

	It was a struggle, be he managed it. A desperate thought had suddenly possessed him. What if he had encountered some benign creature? Indeed, she seemed to be larger and stronger than he, with every advantage against him, yet she seemed to offer nothing but kind gestures. “Kochi,” she softly repeated, pulling him towards her.

	He stumbled forward and suddenly found himself pressed against some tough, smooth surface, hard and unyielding, tough and irregular. For a moment he struggled against it, but the monster took his hand and guided it higher, pressing it against something else. It was something soft and pleasant. Warm. “Ii-yo,” she whispered, and with her other hand pulled him on and up. The foreign surface in front of him would have to be climbed in order to meet this woman's desires. Albert unsteadily braced his foot against the thing, brought his knee against some unknown object. The mystery woman continued to patiently guide him. Another hot breath of air blasted his trailing leg.

	And then Albert was standing on something. For what must have been at least the hundredth time, he lamented his ruined eyes. The woman's hands guided his own, both now gently placed on a lovely, familiar surface.  He felt bony ridges and soft hair, his fingers danced over tender flesh, soft skin. It was her face. She giggled lightly. “Konichiwa.”

	“Konichiwa,” Albert returned, dumbfounded. How was he still alive? What alternate reality had he slipped in to where this was happening?

	The woman went on with another short piece of Japanese, this one foreign to him. Her arms closed around his body and hugged him close, pressing his body against hers. She was soft, warm. The woman allowed him to continue to caress her. She nuzzled her face against his palm as her own hands explored his body. The unknown girl mumbled a satisfied hum as his fingers grazed her lips. Her hand found it's way to Albert's thigh, her every touch betraying a kind, inquisitive soul.

	“Who are you, mystery cave girl?” he softly said aloud, hardly believing his situation. Albert's hand moved to her high forehead, then to her long hair. He traced it down to her tiny shoulders. Now that she was in his arms, she felt so small, so vulnerable. Human. He stood above her, the unknown woman's head level with his abdomen.

	She answered his question with a tiny, “eh?” Of course she wouldn't know English. Albert doubted that Rogue or Dargoth would be able to save the day here. For now, he appreciated the reprieve found in this lady's skinship. She followed it with another unknown line of Japanese and brought her face up. Albert's hands told her she bore a slight smile, aimed at him. The woman leaned into him, her breasts grinding against his crotch.

	He took a sharp breath. This was getting kind of heavy. The girl breathed her own sweet sigh as she sought more contact with him. Her tongue cautiously left her mouth, tentatively licking at his digits. “Oishi,” she dreamily cooed. Albert's own hand went down to find her pert breasts. With a gentle stroke, he caressed the whole of her breast, settling on her erect nipple. He was getting caught up in the moment. She answered a light tug with an enthusiastic moan.

	“Ne,” she said, a hint of question in her tone. Albert stopped. Her hands slowly pushed against him. For a moment, he thought that it was a rejection. But instead, those hands guided him, moving his back to her. With kindly encouragement, she motioned him to relax against her body. Albert needed little convincing. He sat on that unknown surface and settled his head against her chest. Once more, he couldn't help but breath a heavy, relaxed sigh. She closed her arms around him and whispered more unknowns lovingly into his ear.

	Albert didn't care about anything but that moment. This charming girl wanted more of him and he was happy to give it. Her hands caressed him, gliding over his chest, downward towards his sole article of clothing. In turn, he continued to explore her body. His hands tenderly trailed down her side, finding a graceful torso, a bony hip, and soft thighs. She rewarded his efforts with a breathy gasp.

	She herself had found that dangerous organ that Albert had been anxiously waiting on. He had certainly been affected by her charms and his most vulnerable element had transformed into a towering edifice. “Ochinchin,” she quietly murmured. Her movements became more excited, her breathing more heavy. With a decisive movement, she freed Albert's penis from his briefs.

	'This is awesome.' Albert couldn't think anything else. He was unwilling to be left behind, though. He kept his own efforts up, exploring the inside of her thigh with more forceful caresses. A wet trail meandered down her leg.

	“Oniichan...” the woman huskily whimpered. Albert's tool jumped in response. He couldn't help but grin as he thought, 'fuck, I'm a total pervert'. She did not miss the reaction. The girl gingerly took hold of his penis and stroked it gently. “Oniichan,” she whispered once more.

	Albert chose to bide his time. While his hand was tantalizingly close to her own weak spot, he instead chose to tease her thigh. Down he went, until his fingers touched a surprising element. Supple flesh gave way to something smooth and solid. Albert furrowed his brow. What was that?

	The girl's kindly ministrations continued. Her movements were clumsy, but endearing. She touched him as if uncertain of her own actions. That same curiosity he had seen before continued in her cheerful attention to his penis. “Onegai,” she said, her voice slightly desperate. But almost in spite of himself, Albert's attentions were elsewhere. His hand continued to explore that tough and smooth surface. He realized it was the same surface he sat on. Once more he returned to the girl's soft flesh and found that her body and this curious thing seemed to seamlessly meld together just where her knees would be.

	“Ne...” she whispered, her movements growing bolder. The woman leaned into his back. Her breasts cradled his head as the girl rested her head on his. With one arm closed about him and another palming the head of his penis, she whispered a quiet plea to him. “Taberu?”

	Albert's heart practically jumped out of his chest. His entire body grew taut. No, surely she had not said that. His Japanese was shit. He didn't know what the fuck she just said. That's what he wanted to think. That's what he needed. But he knew that word. It meant 'eat'. God damn it. How could he be so fucking stupid? And now he was going to be eaten by a monster girl.

	But her caresses continued. For all his complaints, his penis seemed quite eager to just give in and accept his terrible fate. That was how things worked in this world, after all. Get your jollies and then get devoured. There were worse things, he supposed. The girl was cute. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad?

	Albert wrenched himself out of the monster's grasp with a roar and threw himself off of that unknown base. His body suffered another painful fall against the cave's unforgiving surface. That's right, this was the world that he was trapped in. Not some debauched foray into an illusory world of pleasure but a cruel land of unforgiving miseries. And in spite of his every logical thought, Albert refused to succumb to it's wicked temptations.

	“Da-me!” the monster cried, sounding pitiful, hurt. Another blast of hot air pressed at Albert's back as the clicking sound started once more. That fist shaped tendril struck at him once more, but it was a meager thing. Albert forced his way forward, unseeing, uncaring, back into the abyss. Somehow the impossible happened.

	He found an escape. It was small, but he could feel the confines of a tight hole. It was just big enough for him to crawl into. While he was uncertain of the monster's size, it was assuredly larger than he. All he had to do was force his way in there and he would be saved. The going was tough. Thankfully, the floor was covered in a thin layer of dirt. The ground wouldn't be tearing him to shreds. His half erect penis was most thankful for that. Who knew how deep the hole went? But it was enough to grant him hope.

	“Oniichan!” the monster wailed, followed by a rapidfiring of those dreadful clicks. But it was too late! Her slow, ungainly movements could never catch him now! That was his victorious thought. His expectations would be betrayed.

	A fierce pain unlike any he had ever known suddenly assaulted his trailing leg. It was a wicked, mind obliterating agony. Albert loosed a scream that sounded like it had been made by a dying man. “Gomennasai!” The deceiving fiend shrieked.  “Gomennasai! Gomennasai!” It called again and again.

	“Fuck!” Albert gasped with a heaving cry. He let loose another horrified yell as he dragged himself forward. He had to move. He had to get away. Hand forward, elbow to ground, chin to the earth, inch after agonizing inch, he moved through that claustrophobic space. “After all that!” he yelled, “I'm not gonna die! There's no way!” The pain in his leg dulled. He grimaced and moved forward. The pain subsided. Another small movement to freedom. His leg, what was happening to his leg? He couldn't even feel it. And then Albert's hand pressed against solid rock.

	That was it. The end. No more. He was trapped in a tiny hole with a super predator at his back. Albert had lost his right to exist as a human being and was now just a cornered rat waiting to die. “Oniichan!” The monster desperately screamed. All it did was cry and apologize. Anything to get him back into it's waiting clutches. And Albert had no choice but to comply. The stone face of his inanimate killer stoically regarded it's pathetic victim.

	“Fuck you!” he raged as his leg lost it's last vestiges of sense. “Fuck you!” he cried as he pressed his hands against the wall in a pointless, futile effort. “Fuck you!” he shouted at the monster behind him as he gave his last pitiful act of resistance on this horrid world, putting every ounce of himself in a desperate push.

	The wall gave away. Shocked, Albert's last ditch push forced him to follow through. Once more he found his body soaring through empty space. The fall took some time to resolve, letting Albert's emotions go through a roller coaster of emotions that went from incredulous acceptance, to gleeful hope, to saddened despair, before finally settling into a resolved, 'Fine. I guess I'm dead now.' At last, his fall came to an end, and the human from a different world slammed into the bottom of the chasm. Splash.

	Albert was troubled. He had expected a horrible crunch or slam. Admittedly, he'd never personally seen someone fall to their death before, but he did not think a splash would be the appropriate sound effect. He also expected to do a lot less thinking after death. He was thankful, at least, that for the first time in a while, his eyes didn't sting. He let a moment pass and then finally, after what seemed an endless age, opened his eyes.

	He saw blue. All around him was a great sea of blue. It surrounded him, glowing slightly from some unseen illumination. Albert himself was somehow suspended in midair. Hadn't he crashed into the ground? The obvious realization came. 'I am underwater.' Perhaps the more important realization was that he wasn't dead. But with one bad arm, an insensate leg and a lack of directional sense, perhaps that condition was a passing thing. Albert picked a direction and swam as best as his shattered body could allow.

	After another great struggle, Albert breached the surface of the underground lake. He greedily sucked in great gulps of air as his body confirmed that yes, somehow, he was still alive. He coughed terribly, his body wracked by pain as he retched up a cup of water from his lungs. He breathed a deep sigh. And then he laughed. Not for the first time in this whole mess, he had survived a near death experience. But now, in that moment, he was free from fear and despair. He knew only relief, gratitude and victory. 'I did it,' he thought. And for a moment he simply floated in that tiny glowing sea, gazing upward with unharmed eyes at a dazzling ceiling of reflective rocks casting an aurora of light down upon the peaceful place. “Bet I get attacked by a sea monster next,” he thought, and barely constrained a bitter laugh. With refreshed spirit and lightened heart, the weary traveler turned and started to paddle his way to shore.

-----

Wow. This one was fun. Been having a great time writing these. The, err, lewder bits of this were an adventurous foray for me. Hopefully the quality is up to snuff. Still no choices to be made. I'm glad I didn't try to make this a quest or something. The time just isn't right. C'ya next time.