In a secluded and seldom traveled corner of Shokushu Campus, near where the woods meet the green, one can find a rare and mysterious wonder. Bordered on three sides by an eight foot hedge wall and backed by the encroaching tree line, a cobble-stone plaza holds an odd feature: An Olde Tyme Wishing Well. Or so proclaims a plaque affixed to the waist-high brick safety wall encircling a deep, dark pit. Above the mouth of the well stands a hooded enclosure, the crossbeam of which supports a simple pulley. An old wooden bucket sits atop a coiled rope nearby.

On further inspection, the plaque is shown to read, in its entirety:

Olde Tyme Wishing Well:
By desire and sacrifice
May ones deepest yearnings
Be fulfilled

It was late afternoon and the sun was begin to set over An Olde Tyme Wishing Well. Where the green and the woods meet a blue haired student had just arrived after a long day at school. Ishtar Rocha was not sure she was going to make it before the sun was going down, but not going back to the dorm to change out of her school uniform had paid off. Though the skirt was a bit too short for Ishtar it still served its purpose. She could already see the hedge wall, it was right where the other girls had said it would be. The young woman came up to the safety wall and looked over into the deep, dark pit to ensure it was the wishing well.

Confident it was indeed that the wishing well. Ishtar immediately reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a piece of paper. It was really a simple wish really, to meet a cute guy and have a really fun time with him. The young woman looked around and found a small rock one that she could wrap up in her paper as she folded it up to toss into the well. After a moment of silence to think about the wish, the blue haired girl tossed her wish into the well. Now all she had to do was wait.

Deep within the well, an unseen predator slept. Though unconsciousness was still foreign to Whisperer, this was not the first time it had occurred. It was, however, the first time he had dreamed.

Whisperer dreamed of being human, of meeting a girl with long blue hair. They watched the sun set and frolicked beneath the stars. With the moon rise came a tender kiss, and perhaps more -

THUNK

The psychic predator was jolted awake when a small object struck his mushroom-cap body. The paper-wrapped rock bounced off to strike the wall before continuing on its way to splash in the water below. Curiousity overcame any confusion over his unknown whereabouts and he immediately set out to discover the source of his rude awakening.

With a long grasping tentacle, Whisperer retrieved the small bit of paper where it floated on the surface. It must have been loosened when it struck him, then knocked free on impact with the water. Any symbols or writing meant little to Whisperer, but the psychic 'scent' of the wisher permeated the paper. Strangely, it was a 'scent' he recognized, one he hed dreamed of just moments before . . .

Suddenly, he knew the source of the 'scent' and of the strange dream. Just as suddenly, he realized he was hungry. A quick psychic probe confirmed the presence of the blue-haired young woman and any lingering worries about where he was or how he got there were quelled.

Whisperer began his ascent up the shaft of the well. Though he was nothing like what she had wished for, the student waiting above would meet someone new this night. As he floated upward, just for good measure, Whisperer sent his call ahead of him:

Ishtar . . .

Ishtar watched that as the paper that contained her wish spun completely out of view. Though the young woman could not see the paper she could hear it make a splash below. It was then that it made a weird noise as if it hit something soft. It then that it sounded like it bounced off a wall before finally landing in the water below.

The young wondered what the heck she had hit down below. She really hope she didn't hit a racoon or something, an animal that was looking for a quick drink in the shade. And now she had hit it and wondered if she had knocked it unconscious or made it bleed. The thought was almost too much to bear.

Still what could she do, she really couldn't get help; the school wouldn't do anything and she would get in trouble. She couldn't get down there on her own, for she might get hurt. The young woman did not know what to do when just like that the entire question was rendered moot.

Ishtar heard the voice call her name from below. H-Hello, I-I'm Ishtar Rocha, w-who are you? Are you okay? Still nothing could prepare her for what she saw as the creature began to move up into view.

Whisperer found the young woman's concern over any hurt she had caused touching. Of course, she never considered it might be something like him that she had hit. It almost made him regret the ordeal he was going to put her through . . . But, then again, a caring nature would make her taste sweet . . . and he was so hungry.

Though damp from his time in the well, the monster had not actually been in the water, so only a few beads of liquid rolled down the sides of his transparent form. In the gloaming, he must have appeared to be some sort of apparition - a vague, shimmering outline rising from the depths into the waning rays of the sun.

Regrettably, Whisperer didn't have the control to answer the girl's questions directly, still, he tried to project a feeling of well-being as he again sounded his call - this time modulated to carry some additional information:

Ishtar . . . Welcome . . .

Ishtar was completely unprepared for what was coming out of the well. It was one last places she would have thought she would be in trouble. Yet even then, trouble was slowly rising to where she was sitting. Of course that he was transparent would making much more difficult to spot.

It was until the monster finally got into the waning sunset that Ishtar realized the creature was nearby. However all she could see was some sort of shimmering outline of...something...as the sun's rays bent as it passed through the creature. She wasn't sure it wasn't a ghost as the urge to scream began to rapid rise within her.

However suddenly a wave of well-being flooded over her, calming the panicked girl down. The blue haired girl could feel her heartbeat slow down as she heard the creature welcome her. W-what are you? H-how did you get here?

Whisperer had meant the feeling of well-being he projected to be a sort of answer to one of Ishtar's earlier qeustions, but was glad it had calmed her growing fear. He didn't want to sting this girl unless he had to. Given his current hunger, he didn't think he could have restrained his hunting reflexes if she had run.

The creature began to extend his grasping tentacles, slowly unfurling them from the cavity in the underside of his mushroom-cap shaped body. The motion would likely be detectable if his quarry was paying attention, but he hoped she wouldn't realize the significance of the activity until it was too late.

He paused, however, when Ishtar spoke again. How had he gotten there? The last he remembered he was preparing to feed on . . . The images of three girls flashed through his mind at once - three separate chains of events compressed into a single instant.

A moment later, Whisperer shook himself slightly, sending a cascade of ripples through his transparent form. He struggled to project an answer:

I . . . don't . . . know . . .

Ishtar took a moment to calm herself down as she realized that being excited was not going to help her talk to what ever it was she was talking to. It seemed to be content to talk with her right now, even as it floated it in the air like that. The creature still shimmered in the remaining light even as the sun was about to set.

The blue haired girl noticed that there was something that moving from the shimmering frame of the creature. As he was still transparent, she had no idea that they grasping tentacles that soon would attempt to wrap around her nubile frame. And of course she still had no idea what he had planned for her.

She was watched to the it shimmer again as if it moved entire body. She kinda felt sad for him as he told her, he didn't know. I understand, I sometimes have memory problems too.

Whisperer was surprised by how well he had communicated. It was probably the longest sentence he'd ever formed; and he'd been able to suppress the call's basic function. It was something of a milestone. He would have liked to continue the conversation, especially since it was rare for a young woman to be so at ease in his presence. But the hunger would not be denied.

Ishtar . . . Sorry . . .

Even as he sent his apology, the monster lashed out with his tentacles. Two looped out to flank Ishtar while two more scissored inward to grab her by the waist. The other four moved to secure her arms and legs.

Ishtar was still unaware of what the what the Whisperer had in mind when it continued to communicate with her. Had she she would have probably attempted to run away as quickly as possible. So it came a complete surprise when the creature said it was sorry, she was even sure what he meant by that.

That was when she saw flash of movement. Suddenly the young woman felt a pair of tentacles wrap around her waist. Before she could move the young woman felt other tentacles move to secure her arms and legs. W-what's going on? L-Let me go!!

Whisperer carefully lifted his prize into the air. Though the grip of his bristly tentacles was firm, he tried not to cause her undue discomfort. His reply to her question and demand was characteristically terse, yet somewhat apologetic.

Must . . . feed . . .

The monster gently drew his prey up under him, which left her dangling in the air above the open well - now just a pool of darkness in the failing light. He hoped this tenuous position would discourage vigorous struggling. He meant to disrobe her without damaging her uniform if possible.

Ishtar let out a scream as she was pulled into the air. The creature grip kept her tightly in its grip, while not harming the poor helpless student for now. He told her why he had her in his grasp. No, please don't eat me!!!

It was then that the blue haired girl noticed that she had been pulled above the open well. If the creature was to drop her now she would fall into the well below and be horribly injured or worse. The young woman slowly quick struggling as she realized to do so would only result in her being dropped.

Whisperer couldn't help but be amused by the girl's misunderstanding. It was an understandable mistake. After all, how could she know that his feeding would leave her intact? There was humor in his call as he projected his agreement.

Not . . . eat . . .

Even as he let Ishtar ponder his reply, Whisperer began the task of readying her for the feeding. He gently, but insistently pulled her arms up above her head. Meanwhile, he hooked his two free tentacles into the sleeves of her vest, ready to slip it off once he had her in position. Additionally, he extended a new appendage from his body mass, though in the growing darkness, it was unlikely his prey would be able to make out the trunk-like maw as it moved toward her chest.

Ishtar heard the creature inside her head as he told her that he was here to eat her. That confused the blue haired girl on what the creature wanted from her then. She was wary about what exactly he wanted from her then.

Ishtar let out a gasp as she suddenly felt her arms being pulled up above her heads, the young woman struggled as little as she could dare but the grip of the tentacles. She suddenly felt a tentacle move into each of her short sleeves of her shirt. The young woman struggled to stifle a snicker as she was a bit ticklish there, but now was not the time for laughter. She had no idea that another massive appendage was heading to her vulnerable chest.

Ticklish? Whisperer made a mental note of that. He wasn't yet sure how he might use the revelation, if at all, but it was always valuable to know such things about one's prey.

Four tongues emerged from the hovering trunk-maw. Four long, dextrous muscles with motor control nearly equivalent to human fingers began the task of ridding Ishtar of her clothing. Starting near her throat and moving downward, button by button, Whisperer opened the young woman's shirt-front.