You’re in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.. if she wants to shit you then there’s not a thing you can do about it at this point. You sit on the bed, mouth dry, waiting for her to arrive. You can hear coming up the stairs, one soft footstep after another. She taps lightly on the door with her fingernail.

“Come in,” You respond, trying to keep your voice from cracking. She steps and gives you a quick smile before shutting the door behind her. You are once again struck by her beauty.

“Oh good,” she breathed, “I was worried you might run out on me. I’m so glad you-“ she steps towards you and you instinctively jerk back in reflex, causing her to pause. “Huh? What’s... oh, you think I might....” she giggled to herself softly. “No, silly boy, I’m not going to eat you. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m not a predator, Gil, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

You relax, but only slightly, and she sighs. “I guess that’s what a predator would say, huh? It’s good that you’re careful, Gil. You’re going to need that, but you also have to trust me. Neither of us will make it if you don’t.”

You find your voice. “Okay, enough of the weird talk. What do you want with me? Just tell me straight, or you can forget taking me anywhere.” Trish nods.

“I will, I will... let’s see... we’ve got about 40 minutes, that’s plenty of time.”

“40 minutes till what?” You ask.

“That’s about how long it takes a predator to digest a boy, if they hurry,” she responds evenly, as she comes nearer.

“Wait! Y-you said-“ you begin, but she shakes her head impatiently.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” she says, grabbing your arm as you raise your hands to towards her. You jerk it away... and break free. You blink. That was way too easy, there’s no way a predator could be that weak. She simply stares at you with an irritated expression.

“I told you, I’m not a predator. I told your mom I was going to eat you. We’ve got about 40 minutes until I can leave. You’ll have to sneak out the window. She’ll think I digested you. In the meantime, I can tell you what your future looks like. Can I sit, or are you going to freak out with every move I make?”

You relax, feeling sheepish, and scoot over on the bed. She sits next to you and crosses her legs.

“Okay," she begins, slowly and thoughtfully. "So, this is the world you and I have know our whole lives, right? I'm probably a little bit older than you but its been this way since either of us was born. It almost feels like its always been like this, like girls have always eaten boys. It seems natural at this point, nobody stops to ask why. But it might surprise you to learn that this didn't start that long ago really, only a few decades."

You frown, and realize you've never considered that. History hasn't been a priority in your life, and you've been too focused on avoiding your death to learn why the world is the way it is. Trish is right, you are surprised, and you find yourself wanting to know more.

"Even though, like I said, it feels like nature's course, that couldn't be further from the truth. Humanity was perverted. This was done on purpose. Somehow, someone altered the human genome in a way that girls started being born that were enhanced in every way. They were super strong, super smart, and of course, they could swallow and digest people whole. Furthermore, it seemed their hunger was almost exclusively for males. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the worldwide societal turmoil this caused, and it's a long, complicated story from then until now. What's important is that the only way for civilization to survive was to accept this new status quo. It was clear that the predators couldn't be stopped or punished. We're talking about babies eating their fathers. There was nothing to be done but force men into submission to the dominant females, and hope that their feeding habits don't end the human race." She was quiet for a moment, looking thoughtful. "However, there were some that couldn't accept this," she continued. "Both men and women that refused to sit back and let males me subjugated, abused, and devoured by the millions. It started as a political movement, but it was doomed from the start. Their leaders were killed, publicly and without a shred of dignity. Their supporters had targets on them as well, and soon no one dared openly support such ideas as equality between the genders. And so, they moved underground. That movement has survived to this day, waiting the chance to save the human race from ruin. They use stealth and covert tactics to gather information and supporters. They send undercover agents into communities to scout for potential recruits." Trish looks at you now, a candid expression on her face. "I'm one of those agents."

You finally understand, though you struggle to believe it. "You've come... to recruit me?" you manage, and she nods.

"We need people like you, Gil. People that have had to survive out here on their own, people that know the dangers. We need your help to save others like you."