Day 300

A sluggish movement, slowly testing the space around itself.
The dirt had been compacted and it felt movement above.
So much movement, so little air to breathe.
It needed food and it needed space.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The restaurant was new, built from several demolished buildings in the town.
They called it "upcycling" and it was apparently the latest thing.
At least it looked nice, an interesting mix of polished timber and minimalism.
Still, it had that eerie undertone to it, some even said it was haunted.

Who honestly believes that nowadays?
I mean sure the floors got creaky at night but they're wooden, wood creaks sometimes.
Some of the towners have even claimed to see the lights flicker at night and shadowy people walk.
Said some of the buildings were built on an old graveyard/site of a massacre/generally haunted.

It was pure rumour, the security cameras have never picked up a single thing.
In order to appease the locals and put the negative rumours to rest the owners hired a night guard.
Weeks passed and the only thing reported were faint vibrations coming from the main hall.
Later in the week, the news called it multiple minor earthquakes, possibly a sink-hole.

The restaurant was closed after a few short months until the seismologist's report came in clear.
It was strange as the area was located nowhere near any fault lines, they ruled out a quake.
That didn't stop the rumours from spreading about gas build-ups.
The slight rise in the main hall weren't noticed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was so hungry, the movements above had died down to nearly nothing.
Must move faster, need to eat need to breathe need to eat.
The surface was so close now, It rested underneath the hard crust that had formed while It slept.
Its' tongue stabbed holed near Its' head and after centuries It could breathe again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The report came in wary but clear so far, though they had plans to scan the ground.
The sudden minor change in ground level was worrying and growing steadily by the day.
By the time the equipment arrive the main hall's floor had shifted to almost a bulbous tunnel.
What had once been smooth wooden panelling was now heavily distorted by the shifting ground.

The steady pulse of the flooring could clearly be seen.
As a precaution the restaurant was shut down completely and the entrances were barred to the public.
Still people peered through the large glass front, gawking at the rise and fall of the wood.
All the while the ground around them vibrated faintly as It moved upwards slowly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So much movement now and so close too!
It was going to feast for years.
Not long to go now, the surface was weakening by the hour and it was eager.
It could smell them so close by, they smelt full of blood.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Word had gotten out of the "Breathing Floor" and somehow a photo had been taken of Its' tongue.
The thin flickering rod had been called "gas", been called "fake", been called "snake infestation".
They had no idea what was meters away from them.
It was so very close and so very hungry.

The floor sunk back to normal overnight, leaving a large dip where the pulsing floor had bulged.
Rumours had begun anew saying a local jogger had seen some kind of enormous thing in the woods.
Searches only turned up large circular indents and faint trails leading to and from the town's edge.
People went missing more often and nobody had connected the dots.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They were so bloody, bags of sweet liquid and so slow too.
It hadn't feasted like this for longer than It could remember.
It just needed to wait for the meat to gather in Its' woods so it could pick them off faster.
The meat were so curious, they followed Its' tracks perfectly.

The meat would even go into Its' dens, it couldn't be more perfect!

Now to test, would they walk into a cave if It made tracks leading there?