It was hot. But the work needed to be done. The volcano had recently begun to flow, not a full eruption, but it was time for the scientists to get a sample. He had signed on as a volcanologist years prior, but had never yet had the opportunity to visit an active one until now. His silvers had sat as dormant as the volcanoes and he was excited to finally be wearing them.

A drone flew overhead recording everything, as he scooped a clump of lava with his rock hammer. It was so exciting, seeing everything active! He turned around to Gary, his coworker a little bit upstream. They wouldn’t be able to hear eachother, but-

Gary wasn’t there. He scanned left and right, nothing. His bucket was sitting on the rock though. He went to investigate, and looked up at the drone again, now further downstream. His breath was loud in the suit as he approached the bucket with his own. Strange-

The earth moved in front of him. The lava itself came to life, and grew in front of him. What madness was this, was there an air vent? Back-

His mask went dark. Nothing

The heap of lava stood before him, the silver suit being held up by a protrusion reaching from the mound, shooting forward, driving through the mask and filling the hood. Instantaneous, as it always was. The earth beneath the man opened up, as if a gaping mouth, and the body dropped inside, almost rolling over him as it curled him under the surface. Just seconds. The mound dropped to the ground in an instant, a bubble, a pop. The flow carried on, the seemingly solid portion disappearing beneath it.

The Hag 3, by KatieLynne