Todd Deals With Writer's Block

How Todd Deals With Writer's Block
by ilbv

Water lapped at the base of the small speedboat that was anchored a few miles off shore. The sky was clear and the sun was bright, wind blew mildly. ilbv sat against the driver's seat an typed away at his laptop. The only sounds were the clicking of the keys as ilbv typed furiously. He was working on a story. ilbv had been working on stories for years, but only in the past 9 months had he decided to write stories for other people.
That was why he was out in his boat in the middle of the ocean. The distractions of life were keeping him from his work and he had been getting behind. He had a request list miles long and trades only half completed, on the other person's end. ilbv felt really bad about getting behind, but some of his earlier clients, the ones who had been waiting for almost a year, were growing impatient.
ilbv was so focused on his writing that he didn't notice the swirling noise of water parting for a fast approaching object. ilbv did notice the sudden bang that rammed his boat. ilbv looked up startled from his work and surveyed the horizon. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Suddenly a large dark form darted from under the boat and disappeared in the depths. ilbv closed his laptop and put it in its waterproof bag. Then he stood up and stretched. A breeze ruffled his shirt. Seeing nothing, ilbv sighed and reached for the bottle of sun screen. He applied a generous amount to his arms, legs and neck. Then he took a sip from his water bottle and before he could screw the cap back on, there was another loud bang. In the same instant, the boat's floor jerked from under ilbv and he staggered forward, trying to maintain balance, but he fell on his back inside the boat.
Another bang, harder. The boat was spinning and jerking in the water. ilbv climbed up to the side and peeped over. The water was dark with depth and it frothed with motion. Then a large fish lunged out of the water, ilbv threw himself back to the floor of the boat and watched the huge body fly over him in what felt like slow motion. As the tail began to sink into the water, ilbv sat up and looked wildly over his shoulder. He saw the recognizable pattern, an orca.
The orca turned underwater with a ballerina's grace and charged the boat again like a bullet. Impact was devastating, ilbv flew to the other end of the boat and nearly went over the edge. "What is this orca doing?" ilbv thought as he got down to the floor and braced in another ramming of the boat. "The orca is going to smash me to pieces!" ilbv sat up and after another brutal beating, he stood up and went to the edge of the boat. "Stop! Please! What are you doing?" he called. ilbv didn't expect the orca to hear him or understand what he was saying, but to his surprise the orca surfaced and glared with what seemed furious eyes at ilbv. A small trickle of fear washed over ilbv as he put his hands back to his sides. He leaned on the boat, "why are you doing this?" ilbv asked pleadingly. The orca chirped and raised itself in the water. It's large fins waved, churning the water before it. Then the orca spoke, which didn't altogether surprise ilbv because most of the orcas in the world could speak, it was only that he seemed to be part of a select few of individuals who actually could hear whales talk.

"ilbv, you are in a lot of trouble!" the orca said grimly. ilbv blinked and said, "W-what? Todd? is that you?" The orca lowered itself in the water slightly and looked at ilbv straight. "Yes, it's me. Glad you remembered. Now where is my cousin's story ilbv?" ilbv cocked his head. "Huh? Your cousin?"
The orca snorted, "Redfang! My cousin, you promised him a story. You promised him Camp Fang!" ilbv thought and it all came back to him. ilbv had promised someone a story, 7 months ago. "Redfang is growing very impatient ilbv, you have left him waiting for a long time, and had you not been out here in the waters, he would have come to see you himself."
ilbv picked up his laptop and showed Todd, "Look, I was actually working on it." Todd rolled his eyes, "No excuses, Redfang has asked me to keep close watch on you until his story is finished. I said I would take care of it." ilbv desperately tried to log into his accounts and show Todd the work he was doing, but Todd was already advancing in a menacing way. "Look, look. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I've been so behind and am taking so long." ilbv was getting nervous. Todd surfaced and water rolled off his glossy skin. "I'm afraid sorry isn't good enough!" he said. ilbv gulped and Todd went under the boat. There was a split second of terrifying silence and suddenly Todd lifted the boat with his head and pushed it over. "No! Todd! What are you-" ilbv began, but he was underwater before he finished. The cold shock of the water grabbed ilbv and he swam to the surface. After gasping for breath, ilbv saw his boat, capsized and sinking. "Shit. What am I going to do now?" ilbv moaned.
"I told you I was going to take care of it". Todd said mischievously. His voice was right behind ilbv. He knew what was going to happen, and he was thrilled and moot about the situation. ilbv turned around to face the huge head of Todd. Up close the orca was massive and very intimidating. ilbv smiled nervously, "uhh, I said I was sorry. I...I was actually working on the story before you showed up". There was a small pause, then Todd chuckled, revealing his sharp teeth. Chills went up and down ilbv's body, but it could have been from the cold water. "ilbv, there are some things you just don't understand, and this is one of them. I will teach you your lesson." Todd said, and then he opened his mouth wide, revealing his large tongue and throat. ilbv stared into it for a moment and sighed. Todd swam forward and took ilbv into his jaws. ilbv didn't struggle, there was no point. Todd slowly sucked ilbv into him and swallowed him. ilbv passed harmlessly over Todd's teeth and into his squishy throat. Todd swallowed and chugged the human's body into his own. Todd closed his eyes, tasting ilbv and enjoying his flavor. Aided with the water, ilbv sloshed into the fleshy gullet of Todd and was swallowed whole. He traveled a short distance and was released into Todd's large stomach, ballooning it out.
As ilbv's head passed Todd's teeth, Todd closed his mouth and swallowed one more time. The feeling of the human traveling inside him felt incredible and tasted great. Once ilbv was deposited in the stomach, a small gurgle rolled out of Todd's throat and he burped. Then the great orca slid beneath the water, with his human prisoner inside his stomach. ilbv made Todd's belly dome out slightly and Todd gleefully passed his fins over it, massaging his tenant and letting him know he was trapped there.
ilbv felt Todd massaging him and smiled a little. He was glum that he had been swallowed, but it wasn't an entirely bad thing.
Todd burped again and a large bubble erupted from his mouth and rose to the surface. "It's been a while since I've eaten someone, thanks ilbv, you tasted great." ilbv rolled his eyes, "Oh you're welcome Todd, that's just what I do, I go about waiting to be swallowed alive by whatever creature grabs me next." ilbv said this sarcastically, but it was almost entirely true. Todd laughed and rubbed his belly, "I told Redfang that I would keep you with me until you finish his story. So take your time, I enjoy having you inside me".
ilbv couldn't help but smile. "Well fine, since I kind of have no choice in the matter now, but I'll need my laptop to finish the story."
Todd swam back up to surface and looked around at the floating debris of ilbv's sunken boat. He found the laptop bag and swallowed it. ilbv felt Todd's stomach walls contract with the movement of Todd's throat and caught the bag as it plopped inside. Todd burped and patted his belly. "There you go, have fun."
For the next 2 hours, ilbv sat comfortably in Todd's belly as he typed away on the Camp Fang story. Todd was just swimming along, doing what orca's do and occasionally rubbing his full stomach.
Amid his work, ilbv's laptop popped up the low battery signal, and there was certainly no electrical outlet to charge it inside Todd's stomach. "Hey Todd?" ilbv called out. The orca cooed and ilbv felt a fin make a pass over him. "Yeah, what do you want?" ilbv was nervous to answer, "I, uh, I'm running out of battery".
Todd didn't answer. He was thinking. ilbv was about to remind Todd about the predicament when he was suddenly thrown into the stomach wall. Ilbv sat up and closed the laptop and sealed in in its waterproof case. "Todd? What's going on?" ilbv didn't get an answer, all he heard was Todd making orca sounds loudly and he was apparently swimming erratically and thrashing. ilbv was flung into the side of the stomach, he squished against it and slid to the bottom. He had been there only a second, before he was tossed again, and again. Ilbv was getting concerned. Todd wasn't playing belly games. For a horrifying minute, ilbv thought Todd was being attached by a legion of sharks.
Suddenly water gushed into Todd's stomach through his gullet. A light appeared sunlight. Todd was opening his mouth and throat to the sky. "Todd! You're going to drown me!" ilbv screeched. The water decreased slightly as the light was blocked by something in Todd's throat. ilbv saw and heard squishing gulps coming from above. Before ilbv could register, something plopped in beside him. The water splashed up and ilbv rubbed his eyes. When he looked again, another shape slipped into Todd's belly. ilbv was being crammed against a side of Todd's stomach and he could feel that Todd's belly had gotten way bigger. Todd cooed in pleasured orca bliss. His fins passed over his huge belly.
"Hun, you okay?" a voice asked. ilbv jumped. "Whoa! Who's here? What's going on?" ilbv asked. There was a scream of horror. ilbv reached forward and grabbed hold of something boney and wet. "Agh! Take your hand off my knee!" yelled a male voice. ilbv abruptly let go and reeled back into the stomach wall as Todd's flipper rubbed over him.
It took a few minutes to figure it all out. There were two other people in Todd's stomach, a man and a woman, presumably a husband and wife. ilbv began to laugh and rub the side of Todd's stomach. "What the hell is so damn funny?" demanded the man. ilbv sniffed. "I'm sorry; I just can't believe this is happening." The woman shrieked, "This is horrible! We've been eaten by a whale! We'll die in here!" The man took hold of his wife who began to sob dramatically into his suit. "Dear, please." he tried to say comfortingly, but his wife just sobbed and moaned louder.
Todd was licking his lips. He had happened upon another boat in the ocean and saw two people on the deck. Both had laptops. "ilbv said he needed a laptop. I guess I could use another meal, or two!" he had thought. Grinning evilly, Todd swam under the boat and rammed it hard. The man and woman had been launched out of their chairs. Todd had partially leapt from the water and grabbed the man in his mouth. The woman screamed and fell into the water. Todd knew he had to destroy the evidence. He began lashing his tail and smashed the boat to bits. Then he swallowed the man in his mouth and swam after the fleeing woman. He caught her easily and she struggled all the way down. Todd only liked to talk to a select few humans, so he pretended to be a regular orca.
There was a long time where nothing was said and Todd was quiet, just swimming the ocean with his large belly, showing it off to any other predators that swam by. One orca clapped fins with him as he passed. ilbv then said, "I wouldn't worry too much. Todd is a real pushover." The others looked at him. "Who is Todd?" asked the woman. ilbv smiled and rubbed the stomach wall. Todd cooed. "The orca. I wouldn't worry about dying. I've been in here for hours." the woman gasped. "You named the whale?! What is he, your pet?" ilbv scratched the back of his neck. "Well…sort of." Todd cooed angrily and shifted fast, shaking his stomach. "Okay, he's not my pet. He is his own orca. But were friends, he eats me all the time." "What the hell kind of sick game is this?" roared the man. ilbv shrugged, "Todd is a people person, he has to have them." The woman shuddered, "Ugh, please don't name the beast; it freaks me out even more." After a little more silence ilbv asked, "You guys have laptops?"
"What kind of time is this, that you'd need a laptop?" asked the man impatiently. ilbv sat up, "I could see if I could get you guys out of here." The man scoffed, "Well even if you could, our laptops are somewhere in the ocean now, and we are in the belly of a whale!" Then ilbv recognized Todd's stomach moving and expanding. He heard a gulping sound and two black squares slid down Todd's throat and fell into the woman's lap. ilbv laughed, "Guess Todd had them saved in his mouth."
For the next 6 hours, ilbv managed to continue the Camp Fang story while he chatted generally with the other people. Soon enough, the last battery flashed it's last time. ilbv saved his work and it died. "Well, I'm all out of batteries." ilbv said loudly. "Who are you talking to?" Asked the woman. "Todd." ilbv aid simply.
Over the time they all had shared Todd's stomach as a living space, the man his wife figured ilbv had slowly been going insane from his time inside the whale's stomach. They didn't reply to his simple statement.
Todd however, had picked up on ilbv's hint. The orca smiled to himself, but he was a little sad, because he knew what he had to do. Once land was in sight, Todd began to heave and hack and burp. His stomach churned and gurgled. Inside, the three occupants were being jostled and bumped, like a simulation earthquake, with the added effects of slimy noises and gurgles. "What's happening?" cried the man. ilbv tried to steady himself by pressing up on the roof of Todd's stomach, "I think he's trying to cough us out." he said. The woman yelped, "We are going to be free? Oh thank goodness!" "But how are we supposed to survive out in the open ocean?" The man protested. "The whale must have swum miles out to sea. If we don't drown or freeze in the water, we might get ripped apart by another whale, or sharks!" That was the last thing the man said to ilbv. As ilbv smiled embarrassed to him, the man and his wife were hurled up and out of Todd's stomach. They splashed out of his mouth and into the water. With a quick slap to the back of the head, Todd had knocked them out. They're bodies began to sink, but he gently took their legs into his mouth up to their chests. Todd held them there while he swam to the shore, his head above water. He really wanted to just gulp them back down, but he knew he had other work to do. Once near the shore, Todd spit the humans out and pushed them onto the beach with his tail. He made sure they were alive and safe before cooing happily and swimming back into the ocean.
ilbv waited, then finally he rubbed the stomach wall and asked, "Are they okay?" Todd giggled and rubbed his belly where ilbv was. "Yes, I put them on a beach. They will wake up and not remember a thing, but I hate to see them go, they tasted great." Todd replied. ilbv smiled, "Glad to hear your voice again buddy." he said. "Yeah. It's good to be a free whale again. So how is the story coming along?" ilbv hesitated. "Well?" Todd asked, passing a fin over his belly. "It's not done yet." ilbv finally said. Todd chuckled. "Poor you, guess I'll have to keep you in here. You know that if you take much longer, Red Fang is going to demand I either digest you, or spit you up and give you over to him to be punished. And chances are if that happened, he'd make you finish his story, then eat you up and slowly and painfully digest you". ilbv giggled nervously, "That's comforting." he said. "Well then get to work." Todd demanded. ilbv tried his laptop, he was out of battery. "I have no power." Todd sighed and rubbed his belly slowly and gently. "Fine. We can figure this out tomorrow. Get some rest; it's been a long day for you. Sleep well ilbv."
Todd was generally a nice guy. He cared for the wellbeing of ilbv, and although he was a tasty treat, he was also a good friend. "Thanks Todd. Goodnight." ilbv said sleepily. He yawned and stretched. Putting his laptop aside, ilbv rolled over in Todd's belly and slowly was lulled to sleep but the dull, warm beating of Todd's massive heart.
It wasn't the sloshing or violent cooing of Todd that woke ilbv up, or the screeches and gurgles that erupted around his sleeping body, it was the crushing weight of something alive and flopping, falling onto him that got ilbv to sit up in a panic. A sea lion was thrashing around in fear and it's wet tail smack ilbv across the face. ilbv lunged at the creature and pinned it down against Todd's stomach wall. ilbv felt a fin pass over them and he half laughed. Todd's stomach was moving and churning from the outside and it filled the orca with glee.
Once the sea lion calmed down and realized that ilbv was in the same predicament it sidled up to him and rested it's head in ilbv's lap. It moaned sadly and was shaking with some amount of fear. ilbv stroked the sea lion's head and played with its whiskers. "Aww cute little guy, don't worry." ilbv said soothingly. Then he looked up at the ceiling of Todd's stomach, the muscles were slowly moving and contracting. "So what's the big idea Todd? You scared me right out of a sound sleep." Todd smiled widely and giggled. "I was hungry, what more do you want me to say?" ilbv frowned sarcastically, "What Todd? I'm not good enough for you?" Todd cooed and thumped his gut, ilbv and the sea lion were tossed over. The Sea lion yelped and flapped its flippers wildly hitting ilbv again. "Oh ilbv, you know you are the only meal I truly love, but sometimes I gotta have more than just you. Don't be greedy, I have plenty of belly room for more. Know any humans in need of some living arrangements for a while?" Todd winked.
ilbv rubbed the stomach wall, "No one comes to mind right now, and stop shaking us around, this sea lion keeps hitting me." Todd laughed; "Would you like me to take care of that for you?" ilbv held the sea lion close to him, "No Todd, digestion won't be necessary." ilbv looked into the eyes of the sea lion. "I'm going to call you Slappy, cause you hit me a lot." ilbv said to the sea lion who in return slapped ilbv across the face on purpose. It seemed to approve the name and barked happily. ilbv grinned and yelled up to Todd, "I named him Slappy, you can't digest him now, he's gotta name." Todd stroked his belly, "I'll do what I like and how I like it ilbv, and don't forget that I can do it to you to! You are in my stomach after all." "Yes Todd, you are right, but please leave us be?" ilbv begged. Todd smiled and gently cooed. "Alright ilbv, you will both be safe, but I want that story done!"
"You and your cousin will get your dang story." ilbv said half giggling, but he knew they were serious. Redfang and Todd were not to be messed with, ilbv had heard stories, he was practically in one himself.
ilbv had been inside Todd for more than a day, his own stomach was running on empty. "Hey Todd, I really need to eat, I've missed a lot of meals being your, it would be nice if you could let me out at the next beach-" but Todd didn't let ilbv go on. He had guessed the situation would happen sooner or later. Todd cooed excitedly and chased a school of fish he came upon. He gulped a few down and rubbed his belly. "There you go, enjoy ilbv." The fish rained down on ilbv and Slappy. They flopped and squirmed, making Todd's stomach wriggle and massage the contents. Slappy had no problem dining on the meal he had been provided, but ilbv held one wriggling fish up by the tail and looked at it cringing. "Todd, they are all raw, I can't eat raw fish!" Todd smirked, "Well I'm not letting you out of there until I read the completed story you owe my Cousin." ilbv tossed the fish to Slappy who promptly made quick work of it. He squealed happily. ilbv smirked at him, "Don't forget, you have been swallowed by a whale Slappy, it's a grim situation." Slappy ignored ilbv and continued to feast.
Todd ate a few other types of fish but ilbv refused to eat anything raw. "Well you can't cook it, so you might as well eat it." Todd said. ilbv crossed his arms, "Can't you just let me out so I can grab a bite to eat? Like really, what's the big deal?" Todd didn't answer; he seemed to be enjoying ilbv's frustrations and imprisonment. "Todd, I need a battery anyway. I can go get one and grab a bite to eat and then finish your story." ilbv reasoned.
Todd growled slightly, "I'm not letting you out of there. You are mine." ilbv laughed nervously. "Wow, Todd, I'm honored and all, but I need to go, and I'm pretty sure Pike might have something to say about that." Todd rubbed his belly, "I'm not scared of Pike, he and I are equally predatory and see things on the same level. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I had you all to myself for a while, we do share things you know." ilbv sighed and fell back into the softness of the stomach. Todd smiled widely. "That's better. Now relax and have a bite to eat, or take a nap." he said. ilbv frowned, he couldn't do anything right now, why was Todd being an jerk? Slappy came over and smelled ilbv, his whiskers tickling his cheeks. ilbv winced and rubbed the animal's head. "You seem right at home." ilbv said sulkily.
An hour went by, ilbv was ever hungrier and his laptop was just as dead as it had been an hour ago. ilbv punched at the stomach walls, "Todd, really. I can't do anything without a new battery and some cooked food." "No." "Todd please!" "No." "Todd-" "NO!" "Why are you playing? Just let me go!" ilbv shouted. "Shut up already! I ate you, you are in my belly, and you are not leaving! Now don't say anything else or I will digest you!" Todd thumped the bulge in his gut hard to settle the matter. ilbv punched back. He knew Todd would never hurt him and that he was full of hot air. "Why won't you let me go?" ilbv asked angrily. Todd sneered, "Cause you won't come back and RedFang will have my head and your innards." ilbv laughed, "You big lug, I'll come back." "No you won't, you have been running for months, now I have caught you and I'm not about to let you loose again." "Todd, I need to go." "No." "Todd-" "No."
The two of them carried on that way for a good ten minutes. Finally Todd washed up onto a beach shore. "Oh look, I happened to wash up on a beach, now get out and get your stuff. Then you better come back!" Todd muttered sarcastically. ilbv smiled, Todd was one heck of a joker. Todd opened his mouth and began to heave his stomach and burp. ilbv was spat out a minute later. "Thanks Todd." ilbv said as he sat up. Todd rolled his eyes. "Whatever ilbv, just do what you need to." ilbv stood and brushed off the sand that clung to him. "Are you going to spit Slappy out too?" Todd grinned maniacally. "Oh no, he's staying inside. And if you don't get back here quick, I'll digest him!" ilbv frowned, "Todd that is so cruel, how could you do that?" ilbv said hurt. Todd shrugged as only an orca can. "Easy, he was a meal I happened to catch, he isn't human like you, he can't talk, he is regular nature, I eat regular nature every day, as do you, deal with it, it is how the world works." ilbv ran a hand through his hair and he stared at what he could see of Todd's stomach that no longer stuck out. If ilbv had not been inside, he would never have known a full grown sea lion was inside Todd's body. "Fine Todd, I will hurry back, but please don't hurt him." ilbv began to walk into the beach town. "That will depend on you." Todd called over his shoulder. ilbv winced. He could imagine the cruelty of Todd and how scared and lonely Slappy was probably right at this moment. ilbv broke into a run.
His first stop was a café. He had not eaten in days. After chugging a coffee and munching a sandwich, ilbv raced to an electronics store. "I need a laptop battery." he said nearly breathless. The man at the counter looked at ilbv with a questioning look. "I'm sorry sir, we don't sell batteries individually." ilbv raised his eyebrows and leaned over the counter. "Sir, I have had a hell of a week, I need a battery, now!"
ilbv left the store with his battery and several more as compensation for the hour delay such an order took. After heated argument and rapid pricing, the man behind the counter worked out a deal and got ilbv what he wanted.  Thanking the man, ilbv raced back to the beach where he didn't see Todd anywhere. "Where did he go?" ilbv thought. The horrible thought of Todd giving up and digesting Slappy washed over him. "Todd!?" ilbv shouted out into the surf. Waves crashed onto the sand beautifully, the sky was clear and gloriously blue. An airplane flew by. No Todd in sight. ilbv sat down in the shallow water, the bag of batteries in his lap. ilbv had bought a waterproof bag from a camp supplies vendor on his way back and the water beaded off of it and slid back into moving froth.
ilbv stared into the vastness of the ocean, suddenly his whole frame of vision was blocked by a mass of black, white and water rushing at him. Todd had erupted from the water just after the shallow drop off and lunged at ilbv jaws snapping playfully. ilbv fell back surprised and at first scared. Todd grabbed ilbv in a fin and rolled over and into the water. ilbv held his breath as he went under the surface. Todd swam briefly into deeper parts and held ilbv out in front of him. "Good job. You seem to care about your seal friend too much to let him die, now in you go." Todd said opening his mouth. He brought his jaws down on ilbv and using his tongue, pulled ilbv inside and swallowed him promptly. ilbv slid down Todd's throat again and landed in a watery splash on top of Slappy who had been napping. The sea lion barked his disapproval of being fallen on and slapped ilbv for it. ilbv laughed and scratched the animal under his neck. "Sorry buddy, go back to sleep." ilbv said softly. Todd burped and watched delighted as the bubble from his mouth rose writhing to the surface. "Ah, ilbv, you do taste so good, I might have to fight Pike off for a while before I let you go. But that won't be happening for a long time, because you have a story to finish." Todd was firm but kind about it. ilbv smiled and popped a new battery into his laptop, it came to life and the screen popped back to the saved story of Camp Fang. "Now to get back to work." ilbv said to himself. He began typing away as his flippered companion napped beside him and the great orca Todd swam off into the blue, rubbing his filled stomach and feeling very proud of himself for solving ilbv's problem with writer's block.

The End