You find yourself looking up at the face of a snake.
Well, sort of a snake.
The head is smooth and scaly with no visible hair. Two small holes rest at the end of the broad round snout, replacing what should have been a human nose. Likewise, the creature has no ears, just like you would expect on a snake. But the bright yellow iris of her eyes look human. And the smile is also undoubtedly human, although it is plastered on a lidless, toothless jaw filled only with two large fangs.
"Your payment? Just a kiss, sweetie, " hisses the snake woman, as she presses her mouth tightly against yours. It is useless to resist. You can feel her hands tightly gripping your wrists, preventing you from pushing her away. You can feel her long forked tongue moving around inside your mouth, playfully teasing your own tongue. It is a deep, passionate kiss. A desperate kiss that she doesn't seem to want to end You find yourself struggling to breathe. Finally she releases you from her embrace.
"Damn, that was good. It has been SUCH a LONG time, " she says wistfully.
As you gasp for air you get a better look at the creature that surprised you. It resembles a cross between a snake and a woman. Its entire body is covered in scales with an orange base marked by repeating patterns of black diamonds. A webbed hood surrounds its neck, reminding you of a cobra or something. But unlike any snake you have ever seen before it has two arms ending in very human looking hands, although hands covered in scales. Likewise, although the creature's chest is covered in scales you can see two bumps rising beneath them that can only be nipple-less breasts. Its waist is narrowed, giving it the appearance of an hourglass figure. But the illusion is ruined by its lack of legs, replaced by a single long tail that is coiled around your body.
"Was it good for you, too?" says the snake, flicking its forked tongue out at you.
You try to wriggle free but the snake tightens the coils of her tail around you.
"Where ya going? Don't ya want your clothes?" asks the snake.
"Please...please don't eat me," you say.
The snake laughs loudly, loosening her grip a little.
"If I wanted to eat ya, you would already be dead. Sides, I don't eat people. Plenty of better stuff to eat round here, " says the snake.
"Then let me go, " you say, trying to use the distraction to slip free of her grasp.
"Not yet. You still owe me," she says.
"I thought you just wanted a kiss, " you say.
The snake sighs.
"Okay, you got me. I lied a little bit. I guess it is my nature - you know, snake and all. That was just part of my payment. But I wasn't lying when I said that I knew who took your clothes and where they are. And I can help you get them back and get out of here. If that is what ya want," says the snake.
"Can you at least let go of me?" you ask, still trying to wriggle free of her tail. It seems like it is in constant motion, moving along your body and occasionally gently squeezing it.
"Sorry, no can do. If I let ya loose, you will just run away. I mean, it wouldn't do ya much good. I can slither much faster than you can run. But all that chasing just gets you and me both all worked up. And ya might get lost or hurt. So, you are just gonna half to bear it until ya hear what I am proposing," says the snake. " I am sorry about all the mysterious cloak and dagger stuff. I wasn't trying to scare ya or hurt ya. But most people - human or animal - get one look at me and head for the hills. This is really the only way I could get a chance to talk to you. And that's all I want to do is talk. If ya don't like what ya hear, then are free to try your luck on your own. But I wouldn't recommend it. That kangaroo was kid's stuff compared to some of the other things lurking around here."
You realize you have little choice other than to listen to her. But you are anxious to get this over with. Feeling her smooth scales glide over your nude skin is making you a little....uncomfortable.
"Okay, fine. I'll play ball. Let me hear the terms of your 'deal'. What do you want in exchange for my clothes and leading me out of this forest?" you ask.
"Well," says the snake softly as she turns away from you. It is like she cannot bear to look at your face. Her tail seems to be moving quicker and more furtively. She is clearly agitated. And is she actually blushing? "What I really need for you to do for me is ....."