The Deer's Den - Chapter 1 (The Deer and the Mouse)
MINORS DNI!
Read it here on AO3 (And here for Tumblr!)
Tagged as mature for safety purposes, but all vore in this fanfic is meant to be nonsexual. Please refer to the AO3 link for all the tags and more detailed warnings for the fic
A stranded borrower named Roxie finds a strange smiling gentleman in a cabin along the Louisiana bayou - and gets more than she bargained for. In a thrilling tale of horror, deception, and unwavering hunger, Roxie finds herself at a crossroads with Louisiana's most famous radio host, Alastor; who threatens the very foundation of everything borrowers stand for. With Roxie's newfound friends in the mix, the borrowers and bartender of a New Orleans speakeasy must work together to save themselves and others from being served on a silver platter, once and for all.
Content Warnings for this chapter: Attempted fatal vore, cannibalism (eating human meat unknowingly)
Chapter 1: The Deer and the Mouse is under the cut!
As the rain pelted down into the Louisiana bayou, creatures of all shapes and sizes scuttled about to rid themselves of the late night downpour - while others welcomed it. Wild pigs snorted and shuffled onto land, shaking rain from their pelts as they disappeared into the foliage beyond the murky waters. The distinct shape of a gator hovered just below the water’s surface, side-eyeing a deer that had scuttled away and down the sodden path. Out of everything in this bayou, however, one thing was different than the rest - a tiny figure flinched away as the massive deer ran past, ducking behind a few blades of grass. Their form was soaked from head to toe, and upon closer inspection, any onlooking creature would’ve seen that this wasn’t an animal. No, it was a little person; roughly the size of a mouse - and they had certainly seen better days.
It seemed that this borrower was down on their luck.
Donned in tattered, handsewn flapper attire, Roxie was a young woman with a short black bob and fair skin; and after hitching a ride discreetly on the back of a motorcar, her attempt at traveling across Louisiana had been cut short. A simple bump in the road and a tumble of boxes later had rendered the borrower stranded in the bayou. After evading herons, snakes, and other starving animals in the swamp, it had been a miracle she’d been alive for so long - but the young woman was determined to get to the New Orleans and find a new home for herself. The tumble had sent her off the main road, and with a world so big, it had been disorienting to get back to it; but from the looks of it, she had found it.
Scrambling amidst the rain, Roxie darted away from the water’s edge and sprinted down the path the deer had gone. This had to be the main road; and even if it wasn’t, surely it led back to civilization.
“Damn it…”
Shivering, Roxie hugged herself tight as she scurried along. She flinched at the clap of thunder high above her, only to squeak and pick up the pace upon glimpsing a flash of lightning nearby. She needed to find shelter, and quickly; if the animals didn’t kill her, the storm surely would one way or another; be it the cold, swept into the bayou, or an unlucky lightning strike if fate had it against her.
Roxie didn’t know how long she had been running for; her legs ached, her body was sore, and she was chilled to the bone. Just when thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, the faint glimmer of a light up ahead caught her attention. Eyes widening, the little borrower forced herself to keep moving - before a relieved smile spread across her face at the sight of a cabin up ahead; the light was coming from the windowsill, and from the distant crackle, a radio’s steady tune could be heard. The cabin looked like a rather cozy place, a bit ways from the bayou and off to the side of the road. Darting off it and towards the wooden cabin, Roxie noticed a black and red motorcar that had seen better days was parked outside.
Perfect; she could stay there for the night, and even with a bean inside, she was sure she could find a spot to hunker down. All she had to do now was get in.
After a bit of snooping, Roxie eased her way behind the cabin; where she finally found a moment of salvation under the back stairs. The boards shielded her from the rain for now, thankfully. However, the little borrower tensed at the distinct sound of footsteps from above; crouching down, she held her breath as the back door abruptly opened. Covering her mouth with a hand, Roxie watched uneasily as a bean made their way down the stairs; as he reached the bottom, she noticed he was carrying a black bag in his right hand. Through the rain, as well as the light pouring out from the doorway, she noticed the bean was a lanky fellow - wearing a white shirt and red vest. His other hand threw up an umbrella to shield himself from the rain; and while she didn’t get a good look at his face, she didn’t care to see. No, Roxie was focused on a new task; if she moved quick enough, she could slip inside through the back door. The little borrower moved quickly and with purpose, doing her best to clamber up the back steps; thankfully they were pretty short, with enough dents in the wood to allow her to grab on and heave herself up. Breathing heavily, Roxie managed to make it to the top; and she took off sprinting across the porch, running in through the door and veering to the right just as the bean turned around to return from his idle task.
Wasting no time, Roxie ducked underneath an end table by the door. Seconds later, the bean stepped back inside and shut the door carefully behind him, setting the umbrella in its holder next to the end table. All she could see of him now were his black dress shoes and the hems of his trousers as he moved across the house, humming a little tune to match the one playing from the radio. Roxie distinctly recognized it as a familiar one; “Ain't Misbehavin'” - this bean certainly had class.
For a borrower, Roxie was well versed in the activity of beans; or rather, humans. She adored their style, their music - hence her own attire, and affinity for finding like minded borrowers who explored the same fashion choices in their own unique, handmade ways in a world that had no clue they existed.
Tilting her head slightly, Roxie scanned the room the best she could in her current position; her views were limited, but a quick glance was enough for her to get a rough layout. The cabin was small; with a cozy living room containing a burning fireplace, along with a deerskin rug beneath a table and crimson armchair. Above the fireplace was a mounted deer head, and on the table sat a small radio; the source of the lovely tune.
To the left of her was another room; she glimpsed a microphone and second radio from where she crouched, but couldn’t make out much else in the shrouded darkness. To the right was a kitchen; the bean was making his way there, with a sway in his step as he hummed the radio tune. Realizing this was her chance to move, Roxie scampered out from under the end table; she could hear the sound of running water coming from the kitchen. He was still busy; perfect.
Moving swiftly, the little borrower scuttled further into the living room; this time managing to make her way toward a small crevice in the wall next to the fireplace. She slipped inside with ease, a soft sigh of relief escaping her. It was much warmer there, with how close it was to the fireplace; and from here she could get a better look at the bean, too. As she hunkered down, Roxie hugged herself tightly and shuffled closer to the warmest side of the crevice. It wasn’t as small as she had expected; the crevice led into the inner workings of the house, which provided ample passage throughout it from the looks of it; she figured she could do some exploring later, and see if she could “borrow” some scraps of food in a bit. Once she was settled, she glanced outside - watching as the bean finally walked back out into the living room.
Now, she could get a decent look - and goodness, he was a handsome fellow.
With light brown skin and brown eyes, a tuft of brown hair sat atop his head; styled perfectly. A small set of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, framing a calm gaze and a pleasant smile on his face. He looked like he was in his late 20s, much like her. In addition to his well-kept looks, the white shirt and red vest said it all; this bean knew how to dress himself in a way that was eye-catching above all else, dapper in nature even in the confines of his own home. In her time, Roxie had lived in a handful of homes; and while she could only ever observe beans from afar, you could often tell a lot about a bean from the way they dressed and carried themselves in this day and age.
The bean made his way toward the back door to lock it, though paused as his gaze drifted to the floor. For a moment, he stared - tilting his head ever so slightly; before he slowly knelt down by the doorway. The smile on his face never faltered, but something in the man’s posture seemed to shift; he appeared tense above all else as let his hand ease down to the floorboards, swiping his sharp-nailed fingers along the wood before flicking his wrist.
Roxie’s sense of security vanished at the realization that he was looking at water - a trail of it, tracking further than his own lingering steps before it along with his own had dried out along the deerskin rug. The wood had already begun to soak up the worst of it, but something still didn’t sit right with the man. He wouldn’t have tracked water that far, not in such a tiny trail, anyways; he was always so very careful about messing up his flooring.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it at first, but a twisting sensation in his gut was enough for him to deduce that someone, or something, was here.
After a moment, the bean finally straightened up with a small, disgruntled sound despite the ever-present, calm smile on his face. Turning away from the door, he scanned the living room with those piercing brown eyes - something about them was different this time. A twinge of unease rushed through the little borrower as she shrank back a little more in her hiding spot; it was mostly shrouded in darkness anyway, but she didn’t want to risk it. A beat passed, and finally, the man gave a small shrug and headed back into the kitchen - where Roxie could hear the distant sound of utensils along with the thunk of cupboards being rifled through. The song on the radio fizzled out with a static-filled finish, before switching to the next tune in its roster.
Admittedly, Roxie was surprised that this bean was so active in these late night hours; she supposed he was a bit of a night owl, but that wasn’t exactly helpful for her. She was better off staying put until he settled, so the borrower did just that; curling up in a sodden heap and feeling the gentle warmth of the fire nearby, Roxie closed her eyes to rest; and soon enough, the scent of a hearty meal filled the house; whatever it was, it smelled delicious . She’d have to snoop around for scraps later, if the bean left anything behind.
The borrower drifted in and out of sleep for the next hour or so, jolting back to attention only when she heard the footsteps of the bean making his way into the living room. She tiredly rubbed at her eyes, noticing he was using a toothpick; and from the satisfied smile on his face, she figured he had enjoyed his dinner. The man plopped down in the armchair, placing a hand over his abdomen as he laid his head back and closed his eyes.
About time. I’m starving; if I’m lucky, he’ll doze off by the fire like I did.
Straightening up, the now dry borrower carefully squirmed further into the crevice; she spotted the opening that led further into the inner workings of the house, and decided now would be a good time to search and see what went where. Taking the narrow tunnel on the right, she figured that’d be her best bet to check out the kitchen; and maybe, just maybe, she could sneak a scrap of food back into her hiding spot. After a bit of squirming and wriggling about, the borrower managed to make her way down the narrow crawl space in the walls, finding another small opening; and a quick peek confirmed it led into the kitchen, just as she had hoped. Grinning, Roxie glanced around for a moment; the bean was still in the living room, with the back of the chair facing her; she wouldn’t even be in his line of sight. Looking out over the kitchen counter, her eyes widened as she spotted the remains of his dinner; his plate was mostly picked clean, but there were a few scraps of bloody, rare meat left; she didn’t care what kind. Food was food, after all, especially for someone of her size. And besides, meat cooked in such a manner was an absolute treat; rarer than Roxie would’ve liked, but she wasn’t about to complain.
Carefully, the little borrower crept forward out of the wall crevice. Past the wide variety of cooking utensils, the jars of spices, and more; toward the plate that had been abandoned on the counter. She quirked a brow as she passed a cutting board with a massive knife sticking out of it; it was still bloody, and while she was surprised the bean hadn’t cleaned up after himself, she supposed he just wanted to rest after his meal.
Reaching the plate, Roxie casted a quick glance at the bean; she could still see the top of his head above the chair. Quickly grabbing a piece of meat, she scurried back to her crevice and ducked inside; in several ravenous bites, it was gone. It tasted just as delicious as it had smelled, and it was still somewhat warm too. It tasted like pork; and judging from the taxidermy and pelts in the house, she was sure this bean was a hunter. Maybe he snagged one of those wild pigs outside earlier.
Roxie was quick to emerge for a second helping; she hadn’t eaten for hours, so warm food, especially in her unfortunate situation, was a pleasant surprise. She had to take advantage of it while she could. Snatching another piece from the plate, this time the borrower couldn’t help herself; then and there she began to scarf it down, overwhelmed with the prospect of being full for the first time in a while.
The music stopped; and in that instant, Roxie hadn’t realized her rookie mistake.
Always check the bean.
Scarfing down the last of the meat in her hands, the little borrower moved to return to the crevice in the wall; but froze mid-step as a shadow came over her minuscule form. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe; her throat felt tight, and her body began to tense up at the sound of a cheery voice rang out above her.
“My, my, my…what have we here?”
A shift of movement, the click of nails on the countertop; Roxie trembled as she slowly looked over her shoulder, heart jolting damn near out of her chest at the grinning face of the bean gazing down at her. His gaze was fixated upon the little thing before him, wide with a mix of awe…and if Roxie wasn’t mistaken, hunger.
No. I’m overreacting. Surely not.
As the bean leaned in close, his lips twitched into a wider grin; a glimmer of excitement shone in his eyes, but something about it was unsettling to say the least. Every sense of admiration for this dapper-looking man she had in her brief time in the house had crashed and burned. Instinct told her to run, to get as far away as she feasibly could then and there; but as the borrower shakily stepped back, she felt herself bump against something. Much to her horror, the bean had carefully moved one hand behind her.
“No, no; let’s not be so hasty. Running away already? How rude…”
A disappointed sigh escaped the man’s smiling lips as he tilted his head, watching the tiny woman like a cat with a mouse; poised to pounce at any moment, should his quarry budge even an inch. Heart racing wildly in her chest, Roxie recoiled as she found herself cornered; her back pressed against the bean’s palm, and this smiling man staring down at her. A giant above all else in comparison, with eyes that reflected a little too much curiosity for her liking. However as the tears welled up in Roxie’s own eyes, the man raised an eyebrow quizzically - before he chuckled and shook his head.
“Oh, no need for tears, darling. Forgive me…I didn’t mean to frighten you. Cat got your tongue?” The man laughed, and appeared to recompose himself a tad; he leaned back slightly, but kept his hand behind the little borrower. He couldn’t have her running off, after all. Not yet.
“I…” Roxie struggled to find her words; she had never spoken to a bean before, and the prospect was just as horrifying as she had imagined. No matter how much she admired humankind, she knew they were dangerous, regardless of how kind they appeared. This man was no exception, surely - unless he winded down, she wasn't sure if she could trust him.
“P-Please don’t hurt me.” She finally rushed the words out shakily, slumping against the man’s palm; she found herself flinching as he simply chuckled in response, almost as if amused by her panic.
“Hurt you? Why would I do that? Though, I can’t help but wonder, if you’ll humor me - what are you?” After a moment, he cleared his throat and went on.
“Ah - where are my manners? I’m getting ahead of myself. My name is Alastor; what lovely name matches that pretty face of yours? Come now; don’t cry.”
Roxie flinched as the man’s fingers curled a little more around her; fear gripped her tightly, but she knew better than to deny this man’s desire for information.
“Roxie. M-My name’s Roxie, sir.”
Alastor’s wide grin never faltered, revealing pointed canines amidst his standard teeth; unusual for a human, but Roxie felt a twinge of unease at the mere idea of mentioning it.
“Pleasure to meet you, Roxie; quite a pleasure!”
The man held his other hand out, but this time, extended a finger for her. She hesitated, before reaching out to shake it - only then did Alastor pull his free hand back. Roxie didn’t like how he felt the need to stare , on top of it all; now it was getting unnerving.
“P-Pleasure’s all mine, sir. You just gave me a fright is all. I’m a borrower. Y-You’ve probably never heard of us; but we’re just like you! Just…smaller.”
Another laugh, but this time, it was curt.
“I doubt that, young lady. But go on.”
Roxie didn’t know if she wanted to find out what he meant by that.
“We…We just take what people won’t miss. Things like buttons and pins, ya see; nothing alarming. Scraps of food, crumbs, really. Sometimes we give things back, sometimes we don’t but we never take anything important! I’m not a thief, I swear it-“
Alastor’s eyes narrowed, but the smile on his face remained.
“Then what are you doing here in my home, hm?”
The man’s eyes drifted to the plate, taking note of a few missing scraps; he always knew what parts of his meals went to waste. It was important to keep track of what he was tossing out. For a split second, Alastor looked…confused, almost; despite the ever-present grin, he looked at the tiny woman with a quizzical flicker in his gaze.
“…How much did you eat?”
Roxie blinked; now it was her turn to be confused. Why did this man care? “J-Just two pieces, sir. I’m sorry, I…didn’t think you’d notice. I-It looked like you finished.”
“How was it?”
The uncomfortable aura of this man seemed to fade in that instance; his voice was riddled with a new sense of excitement and curiosity. Slowly, he pulled his hand away from her, much to Roxie’s shock and relief. Clasping his hands together, Alastor gazed down at her expectantly.
Roxie hesitated, before she spoke; managing a timid smile up at the human.
“I-It was delicious, sir. You’re a mighty fine cook. Never had anything that tasty in my life; meat like that is real tough to find for us.”
“You really think so? Well, that’s a relief! I could never get my mother’s famous jambalaya right, but I’m rather proud of my butcher skills. The meat I cook is to die for, darling; it’s about time someone agrees.”
Alastor paused for a moment before he held his hand out once more, this time laying it flat along the countertop in front of her.
“Do forgive my impulsiveness earlier; I’ve just never seen someone as small as you before. All of this must be terribly overwhelming for you - you must have been the one who came through the back door. I could’ve sworn I noticed an unusual trail; I’ll be honest, I thought it was a rat. No offense intended, of course.” Alastor explained with a shrug, watching with ever-growing interest as the tiny woman carefully; and a little reluctantly; stepped onto his palm. Roxie didn’t exactly want to find herself back in his grasp again, but a part of her was worried he’d take offense if she didn’t. The panic from earlier had noticeably subsided; perhaps this human wasn’t as much of a threat as she initially thought.
He was just confused; I suppose I’d feel the same way if I saw someone the size of a mouse in my home. And I did just catch him after dinner; he must’ve still been hungry if he went back to the kitchen, unless he was planning on cleaning up.
“None taken. That was me all right..”
Roxie carefully sat herself down in Alastor’s palm, twitching a little nervously when his fingers curled to cup around her. The human moved swiftly but quietly as he headed back to the living room, where it was much warmer and cozier.
“I came in to get out of the rain; I got caught in that dreadful downpour. I hitched a ride on the back of a motorcar on the way to New Orleans, but the jerk driving didn’t pay attention; some things got knocked out the back and so did I. Got myself stuck in the bayou; I’m lucky I found your place when I did. I found ya just as you were headed outside with that trash bag.”
Alastor stopped mid-step, standing in front of the fireplace for a moment. Confused, Roxie looked up at him; the smile on his face remained, but there was a new look in his eyes. Agitation? Suspicion? The borrower couldn’t tell. With a smile on his face; Roxie wondered if he ever got tired of it; the man was a little hard to read.
“You saw me go outside?”
The words were pointed and slow, careful almost as his gaze flickered down to her.
“…Y-Yes? I was under the stairs. I’m not sure what that has to do with anything-“
“Oh.”
Alastor sounded…disappointed. Yet, that smile remained; almost strained, desperate even.
“In that case…I’m terribly sorry, Roxie.”
A prickle of unease shot up the borrower’s spine as Alastor’s grip around her suddenly tightened; his fingers curled tightly around her small frame, squeezing a tad too hard; enough to make her squeak in alarm.
“A-Alastor? What are ya doin-?!”
“I was hoping this could last a little longer, but I’m not entirely sure how much you saw out there….And I can’t exactly risk it.”
“What are you talkin’ about?! P-Put me down this instant-“ Roxie’s protests faltered as Alastor lifted the little borrower up to her face, and a rush of horror washed over her as the human opened his grinning mouth. “Alastor!” The shriek that escaped her was bloodcurdling and high pitched, frantic and full of terror as she found herself face to face with the human’s wide-open jaws, tongue slipping over his teeth as he tilted his head back, lifting her a little higher. She fumbled for words beyond that terrible scream, squirming in the human’s tight grasp; he adjusted it, instead pinching the back of her dress and dangling her over the slimy cavern below.
The borrower’s horrified gaze scanned the organic pit below her; a slimy, pink tongue, sharp canine teeth and molars, a dangling uvula, and a deep, dark gullet that seemed to beckon her with each pulse of the eager muscles just beyond the tonsils.
“No, no, no!” Roxie squealed as the human lowered her toward his gaping jaws, feeling the rush of his warm breath along her tiny body; and the scent alone left her numb with the panic of it all. It smelled of meat and blood; like his hearty meal, but plagued with the metallic tang of the crimson droplets that stained the kitchen knife.
Before the little borrower could struggle further, she felt the grip on her dress loosen; and in a split second, she plummeted toward the human’s jaws, which snapped shut behind her with the click of his teeth. Squealing, Roxie began to kick and thrash in the slimy dark cavern surrounding her. Tears welling up in her eyes all over again, Roxie wailed as the human’s tongue slathered against her; as if savoring her taste with each rough push and prod.
Humans aren’t supposed to eat borrowers! Oh my stars!
Roxie felt a sick sensation plague her as she heard the reverberating hums of content echoing around her; this human was enjoying her like a mere morsel, and the idea alone was sickening. He had finished his dinner, sure; but that meant she was dessert.
“L-Let me go! Please, I’ll do anything for ya! I-I didn’t see anything while you were out there, I swear! And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell a soul! Alastor, stop!”
The pleas were desperate and frantic as she fought in the slimy confines of the human’s mouth, grimacing in disgust as she was slathered in spit from head to toe.
Being stuck in the rain was better than this; had she known that being eaten by a human would’ve been her fate, Roxie wouldn’t have stepped into this dreadful cabin; but it was too late for “what-ifs” now.
Crying, the little borrower struggled weakly as she felt the human’s tongue shift beneath her. She expected the worst, waiting for the slam of those awful teeth to rip her apart…But instead, she felt a shift in gravity. Confused, the teary borrower raised her head; only for a new sense of horror to crash into her as Roxie felt herself slipping toward that deep, dark gullet ahead of her. From here, she could hear it; the gurgling groans of Alastor’s insides, rising up from his throat as a reminder of her future destination.
The realization struck her then and there, paralyzing the borrower as she was eased forward with the aid of the human’s tilted head.
He wasn’t going to chew her. No, Alastor was going to swallow her - he was going to eat her alive.
“No!”
The cry escaped Roxie’s lips at the sound and motion of a gulp; roughly pushing her toward the tunnel ahead. Her head brushed beneath Alastor’s uvula, squishing against her head as she teetered over the back of the human’s throat. Blindly clawing and trying to scramble away, Roxie wailed as she inched forward with another gulp; the human’s gullet opened wide, eager for its brand new morsel.
Down below, those hungry gurgles only grew louder; if she didn’t think fast, she'd meet her demise in the sweltering belly below. She was running out of time.
“I didn’t see anything, I swear! Don’t eat me!”
A contemplative hum sounded, loud and overwhelming in the man’s jaws. Saliva began to build up at the back of his throat; not convincing enough.
“I only saw you walk out, then I ran inside! When you came back in, I couldn’t see much either! I promise, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’ll do whatever ya want, anything ! Whatever’s wrong, your secret’s safe with me! I-I thought you were a swell fella, honest! Don’t do this, please! ”
A beat passed, and a sense of dread filled the borrower. Tears rushing down her cheeks, Roxie squeezed her eyes shut as she braced herself for a final gulp.
Another shift in gravity; but this time, backwards. Abruptly, Roxie felt herself slide back in a rush of movement and a squeak of alarm and panic. In a matter of seconds, the borrower tumbled head over heels; past those terribly sharp teeth, over the slick tongue - and into the blinding light of the outside world. Disoriented as she coughed and spluttered, her head spinning from the dizzying sensation, the little borrower landed in a sodden heap in Alastor’s hands. His fingers curled around her slick form quickly to keep her still, despite the woman’s weak squirms. Roxie’s heart pounded, the blood rushed in her ears, and her breaths came out ragged and fearful.
In a matter of seconds all Roxie could see were swirling stars and that wicked grin before she collapsed in a dizzy spell, limp in Alastor’s grasp.
So much for getting to the city.