Well, I told Zerr a while back that I would do a gift Story for him, and I finally found a neat little routine for me from now on. Type on iPod Touch, send to email, copy/paste in Word Doc on computer, submit :). I'm rather happy with it, but your opinion isn't mine. Comments, criticism, you name it, I want it! It makes for a better me! :3

Hope you like it Zerr! :D

Zerr ©

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After a long, basic day at work, Zerr returned home to relax and wind down before it was time to hit the sack. He took a shower to clean off what was clearly the day's hard work and release some tension. Warm water seemed to be just what Zerr needed.

As the sun sank beneath the horizon, Zerr's stomach began to rumble and moan. For dinner, he thought a thick, juicy steak with a baked potato smothered in butter, sour cream, and chives sounded divine. Zerr opened up the refrigerator and grabbed a large steak and placed it in a bag. He walked outside to his backyard patio and started up the barbecue. Just as he did, a strange moaning sound echoed through the forest that bordered his back fence. Zerr thought nothing of it at first. "It was probably just the wind." No more than a few minutes later, the same sound was heard, but this time, it was more clear, and sharper. The moan was no longer an eerie sound, but almost a cry for help. Zerr began to pace a little, reviewing his choices. He could pretend he hadn't heard the voice at all, but the guilt would be unbearable if he found out something bad had happened to someone. Gathering up enough courage, he walked into the house, bringing a flashlight and a rope, due to the usually muddy conditions of the forest.

It had gotten dark and the only thing that could be seen was whatever Zerr pointed his flashlight at. He cautiously continued through the forest, sure that he was close to the heart. As he heard rustles in the trees above, he jumped and quickly points the light upwards. He took a few steps and felt something gooey gush between his toes as his foot sank into the earth. No longer paying attention to his other surroundings, Zerr quickly yanked his foot and took a few seconds to slow the pace of his heart. He pointed the light down at the ground and saw the hole in the mud that his foot just came from. The night grew quieter than ever and Zerr heard a bubbling sound. He scaled the surface of the mud and in the center of it all, sure enough, there were bubbles slowly rising in the thick with what seemed to be hand that could barely be seen. Knowing that someone's life was in danger, Zerr closed his eyes and took a step back into the mud. The mud again seemed to grab his foot as if it were welcoming him. He stepped completely off of solid ground and allowed his weight to shift. His legs were bogged up to his knees. As Zerr walked closer to the center, the mud showed very little signs of getting deeper and he couldn't help but wonder how this person was submerged. The hand disappeared in the mud and the bubbles stopped. It was too late and Zerr felt terrible. Just as he began to turn around, the bubbles started back up, except this time they were moving in the direction of him. He glanced for a second as eyes made their way above the surface. He quickly struggled to free himself, for he was quite scared and had no idea what was going to happen. As he pulled on his leg, the same hand he saw jumped from the mud and grabbed his left arm and pulled him back until Zerr was sitting in the mud. With both legs stuck and one arm caked by the muddy arm, he began to struggle even more. The monster began to speak in the same voice Zerr had heard pleading for help.

"Well, well, well..." it said in a deep and raspy voice. "Yet another person falls victim- I mean has come to play with me. I haven't had a new friend in ages!" Zerr was speechless and only continued to struggle. The mud monster laughed and grabbed his other arm. Zerr looked behind him and saw the mud monster slowly surface it's body. It had to have been almost 7 feet tall, made of thick, sticky mud. The monster grew closer and closer to Zerr until their bodies touched. The gruesome mud began to droop over Zerr's shoulders and down his chest. With one last struggle, Zerr broke free and managed to surface. The mud monster did nothing but grumble as Zerr quickly crawled across the top of the mud and ran straight home.

ALTERNATE (DARK) ENDING

With one last struggle, Zerr broke free and managed to surface. The monster began to laugh once more and grabbed Zerr by the ankles. It started pulling on Zerr's tired joints and dragged him towards the center of the mud. Zerr clawed at the surface as he was swallowed up to his waist. His arms were caught under the surface as he continued to be dragged into the deep and now bottomless mud. Once up to his shoulders, Zerr could feel the grip of the mud monster's hands around his ankles release. However, he still couldn't move and began to tear up. Bubbles began to rise just in front of his face, followed by glowing yellow eyes and an evil smirk. Zerr, with his last breath, let out a loud wail and was dragged below the surface.