Chapter 3: Where it becomes apparent that blue mush is obviously the best dish out there

“Click!" went the harness, as Star was once again bound, this time to a highchair that Star hadn't noticed before was in the kitchen.  The purple lion stood at the foot of the high chair, looking up at the lynx. Star could feel the warm breath of the beast against her legs as the lion peered up at her with a surprising degree of intelligence.  Star stared back, unblinking. Had she been able, she would have stuck her tongue out at the rude beast, however the pacifier gag was still wedged firmly in her maw. The lion, sensing Star's frustration, stuck his own tongue out at the lynx.  Although gloved, Star raised her hand up in a gesture that unmistakably conveyed the rude message she had in mind. This only seemed to further entertain the creature as his eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement when Star thrust her mittened hand up.  Before Star could further attempt to take her frustration out on the lion, the giantess returned from preparing what Star could only assume was her lunch.

A bowl of mush colored with various swirling blue hues was placed before her.  The giantess dipped a spoon in the stuff, and reached around Star's head to undo the pacifier gag.  As it fell from her mouth, Star was about to launch into a tirade about how this was a giant misunderstanding and she was to be released at once but before she could even let out a single syllable the a spoonful of blue muck was thrust into her open jaw.  She recoiled, spluttering and pawing at the spoon to get it away from her. Then she stopped once the flavor hit her taste buds. Star had never before encountered the sensation that the strange baby food gave her. It was as if every nostalgic and euphoric memory from her childhood had suddenly swum up to the surface.  She remembered what it felt like to be cuddled as an infant, using her diaper uncontrollably, hugging and playing with stuffed animals without a care in the world, and above all else enjoying a sense of unconditional love from her mother. Star gasped, and a shudder shook through her raising her hair on end as she swallowed the spoonful that had been placed into her mouth.

The giantess grimaced to herself, dipping the spoon once again into the bowl.  Star took no notice of the giantess's amusement, the vivid flashbacks in her mind were bombarding her with a plethora of feelings she hadn't experienced in ages.  A single tear welled up in her left eye, and slid down her face as she simply stared into the distance past the giantess, completely overstimulated by what was happening.  The giantess continually spooned the mush into her mouth, and Star chewed and swallowed it, barely paying attention to what was happening to her as her mind reeled with each spoonful of food. As Star swallowed the last spoonful of blue goop she began to break down.  Sobbing, Star felt utterly vulnerable and weak in her current predicament. Her body and mind felt as if they were no longer under her control, and this was simply too much for the poor lynx. Crying, Star hiccuped as she was unbound from the highchair by the giantess.  She lifted Star and laid her across her chest as they exited the kitchen, the purple lion softly padding behind them.

Walking out the front door, the giantess went to over to the western part of the wrap-around porch and deposited herself on a cushioned swing.  Star looked up from the pink fox's breast, and saw that they faced a large field of wildflowers of various shapes and sizes. Further along near the horizon stood the line of trees creating the border of the forest, and even further back the sun began to sink downwards, casting a multitude of hues on the forest and flowers.  Powerful oranges, deep reds, subtle purples, and hints of vanishing yellows tinted the field and forest in front of Star. The tears in her eyes ceased flowing as she gazed out at the gorgeous scene. Although still not feeling fully in control of herself, a deep sense of calm suddenly filled her. She felt balanced and relaxed, and, she realized with surprise, she felt protected and safe in the arms of the giantess, a sense of pleasant tiredness pervading her every bone.  The giantess placed a paw on the back of Star and back rubbing it in a circular motion slowly and methodically, which furthered the calming feelings Star was experiencing. The sky and earth grew darker and darker, as the various colors faded from their richness into a more contrasted state. Star's eyes fluttered, and before she realized it her breathing slowed and she began to doze on the chest of the giantess.

The purple lion, who was resting his head on his front paws admiring the natural scene along with them, turned his head and made eye contact with the fox.  She returned his look with narrowed eyes, but a smiling struggling to remain hidden danced on her lips. To anyone observing her look gave the impression of sarcastic realization of extreme satisfaction.  The giantess had always wanted a baby to take care of, and although she believed the small creature she had found in the woods was no infant, she was perfectly content with treating her as such in her own way.  As the last rays of sunshine disappeared beneath the horizon, leaving behind only a reddish-purple glow, the giantess stood up and went back inside, taking Star to her crib in the nursery and depositing her in it.  Star opened her eyes sluggishly, her mind a pleasant collection of colors and feelings. A distant part of her mind acknowledged that the giantess had just laid her in a crib, and covered her with a soft, heavy blanket.  The rest of her thoughts still rested in the colors of the setting sun, the feeling of safety the giantess gave her, and the warmth that slowly spread between her legs, tickling her behind slightly.

~    ~    ~

Star found herself back in the field where she had fallen.  She glanced around apprehensively, only to see that the forest now had turned more hostile in appearance; dark, sharp branches and shadows amalgamated in the trees, as if in a slow, painful fight for space between one another. Star looked in front of her to see the giant oak upon which she had woken up.  Instead of light streaming from between the leaves the sky's color was a deep, sickly green. Horrified at the site she tried backing up but found herself rooted to the spot, much like the trees eerily surrounding her. Upon closer inspection Star realized there were large gashes in the bark of the tree, as if some giant monster had swiped at the thing with its claws.  From inside the gashes dripped not a brown amber, but a viscous, sticky-looking black ooze, running down the length of the tree like blood from a wound. To Star's horror, she saw faces, and then bodies of people begin to struggle out of the tree's injury. Her parents, her friends from the military, her former drill sergeant, her dog, even the guy whose smile she noticed at the coffee shop began pouring out.  Their faces were contorted into pained expressions, and silent howls escaped their open jaws as they clambered over one another, trying to escape the confines of the tree's wound.

Then suddenly a loud, terrified scream filled the air.  Star looked around widely to find the source of it, only to realize a few seconds later that it was actually coming from her.  Her paws flew up to her jaw, trying to shut it and contain the screaming; she pushed and pushed but couldn't get it to shut. She looked up again at the people streaming out of the tree's wound, and found that they had turned their attention towards her.  They crawled, contorting their bodies into any shape no matter how unnatural as long as it would get them closer to her as they clawed at the ground in front of them. Star's heart throbbed, and her vision seemed to turn brighter and more contrasted as the fear pounded through her mind, bouncing off of the walls of her head.  Star's legs finally moved and she began to run. Away she ran into the forest behind her, fighting through the branches and brambles that seemed to loom into the path in front of her as if to hinder her. She cried as they tore at her fur, and dug into her skin, but that pain was better than the sight of what was approaching behind her.   Through the thick brush she flew until a branch caught her ankle. Star was flung forward and to her horror off of a cliff's edge, below her a pit of the bodies she thought she had left behind pulsed and throbbed as the bodies moved to the rhythm of a dance only a demon could compose. Star fell, and hit the bodies with a crunch and splat that seemed to vibrate her entire body, and her world turned black.

~    ~    ~

Her voice threw itself into the silence like a bull running into a matador, breaking the air like glass.  She sobbed, tears streaming from her face as once again her emotions took complete control over her, shaking her down to her core.  A pacifier entered her mouth, and she looked up to find the giantess leaning down into the crib, picking her up in her arms. Cradling Star in them, she hugged her close, speaking unintelligible yet reassuring words.  Star was done resisting, she was done struggling after the roller coaster she had gone through since she ate yesterday she was completely exhausted by everything. She melted into the arms of the giantess, sniffling and crying, simply relieved that there was someone else there for her.  Star felt warm breath on her feet, and a wet tongue licked one of her toes. She winced in surprise, and then a large, friendly looking purple lion with a mane of stars entered her vision. Leaning against the giantess with his frown paws on her arms, as if standing up, the lion attacked Star's cheek with licks and nuzzles.  Sniffling turned to giggling, and her sobs turned into a small struggle to get away from the lion's overwhelming affection. The giantess smiled, her baby seemed to have finally gone through her little spell, and was recovering nicely. Star hesitated, and then leaned forward and hugged the lions mane, breathing deep the scent of cotton candy.  A thought bubbled up to the front of Star's mind, “I feel. . .

safe."