💋Scriblings of Naughty Mischief💋

"Babe, what's going on? What's happening to your eyes?"

"I thought I packed it. I thought you'd be safe."

"Packed what? What's...oh, god!"

The loud popping sound was Valentina's joints popping out of their sockets. First it was her shoulders, then her hips. Her skin rippled as if there was something crawling underneath her skin. A sheen of sweat covered her body as she began to tear and rip off her clothes.

"Babe..."

"Stephen, you need to run."

The last word, Run, came out almost as a growl. He wanted to run, but his body was frozen in terror. He watched as her French manicure fingernails were pushed out and replaced by a bloody set of claws. Her feet followed suit. Hair...no, not hair...fur began to push through her skin at her shoulders and hips. His heart was beating so hard in his chest he thought it might explode from his ribcage.

The camping trip was supposed to be a fun getaway for Valentina and Stephen. They'd only been together a few months, but they really clicked. Now, under the light of the full moon, Stephen was watching his girlfriend transmorgrify into some sort of nightmarish beast.

"Valentina...I can...you need..."

"FUCKING RUN!"

The words were spat through an ever-growing set of sharp canine teeth that were jutting out of her mouth. Stephen almost retched as she rolled onto her hands and knees, and her legs snapped. He held back the vomit as he witnessed her bones reknit in a grotesque shape, bending her lower legs in a humanly unnatural form. There was no way she could stand with her legs bent like that, but she could run if she were on all fours.

That's when the horror hit Stephen as he tore out of the tent. The last thing he saw was her ears reshape, and the base of her spine elongate into a swishing furry tail. The sounds coming out of her mouth were no longer human. Stephen was about 50 yards away from their campsite when he heard the most terrifying howl split the night open. He heard the tent rip to pieces as the creature tore its way out.

Stephen ran. He ran back up the dirt road towards the main road. Hopefully, he could flag down a trucker or something. The forest around him went eerily quiet. No night birds hooted or trilled. The insects had all suddenly gone mute. Stephen could see the main road up ahead and hear vehicle traffic. He never made it.

Stephen heard a tearing cadence behind him, like someone had replaced horse hoofs with knives that were slicing up the ground. He looked back and saw Valentina racing towards him. The last thing he saw was her gaping, salivating mouth and the razor-sharp teeth that would end his life. She hit him with the speed of a train, and his whole world went black.

"Stephen! You're alive!"

Stephen and Valentina were lying in the remains of their tent, naked. The sun was up, and early morning songbirds could be heard singing to their mates.

"I thought I would've killed you. I forgot my Wolf's Bane pills. They keep my wolf at bay during a full moon. I am so, so sorry. Oh, God. You must hate me. I'm a monster."

"Babe, you are not a monster."

"Yes, I am. I almost killed you last night."

"Almost. I woke up back here. You'd dragged me back. When I woke up after the tackle, you were hovering over me...sniffing me. I was terrified. Then you managed to say something."

"What'd I say?"

"Mate."

"Oh, God...did I...did I bite you?"

"That and so many other things." Stephen turned his head to show Valentina the bite on his neck. "Really, what you did to me could've been a late-night edition of Wild Kingdom."

"Stephen, do you know what this means?"

"I think I'm going to find out during the next full moon."

"You! I just knew that son of a bitch was cheating on me. I found some of your slutty underwear stuffed in the back of my dresser drawer. Like I wouldn't notice a pair of lace crotchless panties in my drawer. Where is he? Where is that cheating motherfucker?"

"I knew this day would come about eventually. Addiction is so hard to conceal after a while. Mark was so careful when he started, but he's been getting reckless lately."

"Look, Slut, I don't care about that shit. Where is that lying, cheating, cocktard at? I want to cut his balls off!"

"You won't have to, Leslie."

"What? Why? By the way, don't think I'm above slapping a ho. I'm going to deal with you after I deal with him. MARK! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

"Why? You got him tied up or something? Look at you. Of course, you're into kinky shit like that."

"No. I mean, Mark is gone and won't be back anytime soon. He's been chasing the high, and he took a rather large dose."

"Oh, my God! Did Mark OD on something? MARK, ANSWER ME. IT'S OKAY, BABY. I'M HERE. BABY, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I knew you still loved him, Leslie. No, Mark is alive. He's just...gone."

"What do you mean, gone? You'd better start making sense, Bitch."

"There's no delicate way to put this—Mark is an Elixir addict."

"What? That's a female aphrodisiac. What good would it do him?"

"In large enough doses, it triggers massive physical transformation, even in males."

"Wait a minute. Are you..."

"I'm Megan, your husband's Elixir alter-ego."

"No, it's not possible. My Mark would never do that."

"Have you noticed some changes lately?"

"Like what?"

"Mark being more emotional and moody?"

"Maybe."

"What about his change in aesthetic?"

"What?"

"Does he ask for your opinion on his clothing choices like he used to? Or does he always look immaculate on his own?"

"Now that you mention it..."

"What about sex?"

"What?"

"The last time he made love to you, how attentive was he to your needs? Foreplay, clitoral stimulation, sensual touching..."

"Oh, god..."

"He learned about the pleasures of femininity, and he has become a better lover."

"You said he's not coming back for any time soon. What do you mean by that?"

"Like any addict, the first high is always the best. You need to take more and more to get that same rush."

"Chasing the high, okay..."

"Well, he took a lot of Elixir this time."

"How much?"

"I'd say...I'll be here all weekend."

"WHAT!?"

"Don't worry, Leslie. I'm going to show you all the things I've done, and by proxy...Mark."

"Wait, so he is cheating on me?"

"Sort of."

"That motherfucker!"

"I say the best revenge is to give him a dose of his own medicine."

"What does that mean?"

"There's enough Elixir for you. I anticipated this and called Tyrell over. He's bringing some friends this time."

"So, you want me to take Elixir and..."

"Join me. Let's unleash that inner slut. I've always wanted a slutty BFF. Plus, I don't think I can handle 5 black cocks on my own."

"5! And...black..."

"Big, black, and beautiful. It should be a wild weekend. Imagine Mark's face when he realizes you've become slutty besties with me."

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK...

"Those are the boys. What's it going to be, Leslie?"

I am going to kill Bridgette! One tiny comment about how she'd look better if she got her boobs done and...

POW!

Whatever she did knocked me out cold. I woke up in the back of her SUV wearing this stupid outfit and impossible shoes locked onto my feet. I was so disoriented that it took me a moment to even question how hooker heels like this even fit on my feet.

I looked at my reflection in the SUV window and saw a silicone slut looking back. There was not a single piece of her...me, that was real. I looked like I'd undergone the knife for everything: lips, nose, cheeks, jawline, even my eyes looked fake.

"Well, look who's awake? I was getting worried that you'd sleep all the way until the drop-off."

"Bridgette, like, what the hell did you do to me? OMG, my voice...what the fuck?"

"Wow, with a voice like that, the name Candi sure does fit."

That name, Candi, started to make my head swirl. I was having a hard time focusing on anything. I'd think of something to say or to ask Bridgette, and then, poof, gone. I could feel myself lost in the pink fog of my brain. I was fighting to say something, to do something, but when it came time to act...nothing.

"Having a hard time, Candi? Don't worry. Soon the transformation will end, and you won't have the pesky little thought buzzing in your brain."

"Oh, my, gawd. I can't wait for that to happen. It's, like, really annoying. It's like this annoying little man is inside my head and stuff. He keeps saying silly things."

"What kind of things?"

"Things like, fight it. You're not a bimbo. You're a man. That's so silly. Do I look like a man?"

"Not with those tits."

"I know, right. Hey, where are you taking me?"

"Downtown. Hey, do you think you could let that little man talk for a second? I want to tell him something. Just clear your mind. It should be easy."

"Like, okay..."

"Carl, you in there?"

"Bridgette! What the fuck are you doing? God! Why is my voice so annoyingly high-pitched like this?"

"It sounds way sexier as Candi. Look, you pissed me off with that boob job remark. So, I'll make you a deal. You get back home, on foot, like this, and I'll forgive you."

"And you'll undo whatever this is?"

"Yes. But you have to be home by sunrise. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Okay, Candi, this is your stop."

"Oh, is there a nightclub nearby? I hear music."

"There is. In fact, a new hip-hop club just opened up down the street."

"Oh, I love hip-hop."

"I bet. Just remember the deal."

"Right, the deal. Well, I'll see you later. By the way, where's home? I forget so easily sometimes."

"Just ask Carl; he knows."

"OMG, Sis! It totally worked! Gawd, I'm even talking like you."

"See, this is going to be so much fun having a twin sister for 2 weeks."

"Yeah, but won't Mom and Dad be a little pissed off about using magic and stuff?"

"Please, have you seen Mom lately? Or Dad?"

"Yeah."

"Since when does our Mom have tits like that? Or since when does Dad have a beach-bod?"

"OMG! They're using magic on this vacation, too?"

"Oh, yeah. In fact, I think they went way overboard."

"How so?"

"Haven't you noticed Dad using some of Mom's euphemisms? Or how Mom suddenly has mannerisms like Dad?"

"Yeah."

"I think they swapped."

"No way! Really?"

"Oh, yeah. Last night, I heard Mom screaming in orgasm. She never does that."

"That's who was doing that? I thought it was one of the other bungalows. Wow. Dad must be a demon in the sack to make her do that. Speaking of which..."

"What?"

"Well, I've never been a girl before, and all your hormones are really making me..."

"Horny? I thought they might. When we checked in, I saw a couple of hot guys by the pool. What do you say we go introduce ourselves?"

"Okay, but we make a deal. We're a team."

"Oh, if you want one, you have to have both, sort of thing."

"I'm not taking on my first dick alone. I'll need my twin there for support."

"Of course, Babe. Now, let's open that top a little. Ready?"

"Lead the way."

"Oh, and if you see Mom or Dad by yourself, just act like me until we can drop the bomb at dinner."

"Oh, I can't wait."

"For sex or the bombing?"

“Constance, where’s the Boss? He told me to meet him here. He said something about a big change coming down the pike.”

“I know. I did.”

“Constance, are you feeling okay?”

“Never better. Did you know this little gutter-twat was fucking Anthony?”

“Wait, you’re fucking the boss’s bodyguard?”

“No. She was, I’m definitely not touching that asshat. He’s sleeping right alongside Luca now.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously? You’re in the fucking mafia and you’ve never seen the Godfather?”

“Oh, yeah, right. He’s sleepin’ with the fishes. Wait, Constance, where’s the boss?”

“God, Mickey, it’s me. I caught that little bitch goin’ down on Anthony, so I SkinSuited the whore and slit his throat.”

“Carmine?”

“Call me, Carmen. This is the big change, Mick. To get to Anthony, I had to become Constance. The fucking guido came in me before I could pull him out or slit his throat. So, Constance’s Skin sealed me in.”

“So, let me get this straight. You’re the boss.”

“Wearing his slut wife’s skin.”

“Now, you’re stuck in the suit and a woman.”

“Not just any woman. I’ve got Carmine’s brains and Constance’s body. All I need now is a second to back me up when I introduce myself to the family.”

“A second?”

“You could be that, Mickey. Vouch for me with the Family and you can have me.”

“What?”

“I know all your exploits and endowments, Mickey. I know you could make this body sing in orgasmic nirvana. Just like I could use this body to pleasure your manhood in ways you never knew existed.”

“So we…”

“Partners. I’m the brains and the body. You’re the face. The Family thinks you’re calling the shots.”

“And I get?”

“Me.”

“Done. But can I sample the goods before I declare all this to the Family.”

A part of me was going to miss Michael. Of all the men in his Family, he was the most attentive when it came to a woman's pleasure and needs. Not that I knew much about a woman's needs other than sexual gratification. I'd only been a woman for a few months.

I'd experienced the Curse of Eve, and that was hideous. I will never complain about any pain or discomfort ever again. I'd rather be punched in the beytsims once a month than deal with all...that.

But the job was ending, and Michael's time had come. He didn't know it yet. The drug I'd been introducing into his system was slow-acting. It built up in the system and then triggered a massive heart attack during any type of strenuous activity. Let's just say Michael and I are going to have a rather strenuous evening.

"God, Victoria, you look amazing."

"And you look horny."

"Darling, I'm going to do so many things to you tonight. I hope you plan on going to church tomorrow. You're going to need to confess."

Probably not the best time to joke about being Jewish, so I just smirked. I was planning on making this night one to remember. If it was going to be my last night as a woman, I was going to live it up. A part of me was tempted to go AWOL with the SkinSuit after Michael was done. I'm sure the rival Family wouldn't mind if their assassin just faded away. If that happened, they wouldn't have to pay me the last bounty.

"What are you smiling about, my little minx?"

"Oh, just thinking about how I'm going to make you see God tonight."

19.

That was the historical number of the witches executed in Salem during the Craze. All the "executed" were hanged—according to the history books. Not a single one of them mentions the 20th victim, my ancestor, Rebecca Danforth. Goody Danforth was a young widow, single mother, tough as nails, and the only real witch to be executed in 1692.

Fast forward 13 generations, and the female descendants of Goody Danforth still live as pariahs of the town. Life for Rebecca's orphaned child was harsh, to say the least. The town never let Sarah forget she was the offspring of a Devil's Whore. But every female, from Sarah to me, has inherited Rebecca's gift.

Rebecca wasn't some hedge witch brewing potions or reciting incantations from her faux spellbook. She was a true sorceress with genuine power. That didn't really help me any. I was still living in a trailer park and getting bullied senselessly at school. My mother was always on me to not use my power out of spite or anger.

"That was the path Rebecca took, and the villagers took their revenge."

I never really believed that. But I didn't want the world to know that real magic existed and that women like us could wield it. If the 17th century was bad, I could only imagine today with powerful men and their fragile masculinity. Heaven forbid a woman have power. But my mind kept circling back to Rebecca; it was becoming my obsession. Unfortunately, aside from census records and our family line, there is no record of Rebecca's existence.

Then I found the spell.

It was a possession spell. Not a full possession like in The Exorcist, but rather a symbiotic hosting. For 48 hours, I could be inside Rebecca's mind, see with her eyes, hear with her ears, and speak to her mind. Maybe if I could influence her, she wouldn't be burned at the stake.

That was another thing left out of the history books: she was the only witch to be burned at the stake.

It took some time to gather what I needed for the spell. I also needed my mother out of the house for the weekend. For those two days, my body would be comatose on my bed. My spirit and mind would be in 1692 with Rebecca. Luckily for me, my mother's friends were holding their yearly equinox sabbath next week, and my mother would be with them all weekend. I'd stopped going when they decided I was old enough to go sky-clad. Mother kept trying to convince me to go, but the thought of all that nudity still icked me out.

"Okay, Abbie, you got this."

I set the candle that would burn for 48 hours beside my bed and mark the end of the spell. I burned the herbs, focused on the crystal, and recited the incantation 3 times. For a moment, nothing happened. I was starting to think I was just making a fool out of myself when the whole world went black.

I felt my body fall back onto the bed, yet my soul pulled out of it like warm taffy. I looked down and saw my body sprawled out on the tiny mattress on the floor of our shitty trailer. I saw the candle flame beside my bed change from its warm yellow to an irradiant green. Then...whoosh! I saw stars blaze past me and galaxies born at the edge of the universe. I saw Time as a physical weave before my eyes. The glowing green of the candle illuminated one particular thread. I reached out and plucked the luminous thread of time, and I felt my spirit sink back into reality and physical form.

God, what the fuck is itching my tits?

"Who said that?"

You can hear me?

"Of course I can hear you, spirit, but where are you? Manifest before me."

I can't. I'm not a spirit in that sense. I'm...

Okay, she and I can talk to each other, cool. But will she believe that I'm her 12th Great Grandchild and that I'm hitchhiking in her mind?

"Yes?"

I'm Abigail Danforth. I'm your granddaughter from the year 2026. I'm inside your mind.

"The MindWalker spell. I have read about such spells. You must be powerful to cast it so far and to weave it together with the TimeWalker spell."

I'd never thought of myself as powerful. I just didn't have the apprehension that my mother or her coven did about casting. If the spell didn't work, what was the worst that could happen?

"Why have you come, Goody Abigail?"

To warn you and hopefully save you.

"How so?"

The town and Hathorne are going to burn you at the stake as a witch.

"I know."

Wait, you know? Then leave. Runaway. Take Sarah and leave Salem Village.

"No. If I flee, we will be hunted. If I let them carry out their punishment, they will spare my daughter."

But...

"If I don't face the fire, you will never be born, Abigail. They will hunt Sarah and me down and kill us like dogs. If I burn, Sarah, and all the Danforth women will live."

I had never thought about that. I thought maybe if...I don't know what I thought, actually.

So what now?

"How long are you with me, Dear Daughter?"

Two days.

"Then I will show you why I am destined to burn and some secrets of the Danforth women."

Okay...

Knowing that the end was near and having a powerful relative observing everything, Rebecca pulled out all the stops from her forbidden grimoire. She showed me spells that had been lost to time or were forbidden from casting. I learned: The Shroud of Shadows, The Ink-Stained Mind, The Scorched Tongue, The Winter Blood, The Blood Mirror, Mirror of Sin, The Echo of Desire, and The Mask of Glass.

I also learned the real reason Rebecca was accused of witchcraft. It had nothing to do with spite or anger and everything to do with lust and jealousy.

That night, while baby Sarah slept peacefully in her crib with Soot (Rebecca's pet familiar) looking after her, Rebecca and I snuck into the village proper. Using Tenebrae Velum (Shroud of Shadows), we moved through the houses of Salem Village until we came to Jonathan Corwin's house.

You're joking, right?

"He's an amazing lover. The things he does to me while his wife sleeps in the next room are sinful. Plus, I like to check in on my son."

Your SON?

"Probably the darkest magic I ever worked. His barren shrew couldn't give him a son. So I planted the seed he gave to me in her womb."

You got pregnant by the town judge and made his wife the surrogate?

"Yes, but Tobias is mine."

She wasn't lying about the sex. Oh, my God! Jonathan spent long hours worshipping my...her body, but I felt all of it. The things he did with his mouth alone made us orgasm twice. Then he slid his long and girthy cock inside us. I've never felt this whole because of sex. I'd had a few tumbles in the sack, but the way Jonathan's body made mine sing. For hours, our bodies were entwined as one. When he was ready, he growled in my ear and unleashed his seed into my womb.

"God, forgive me."

"It's too late for that, Jonathan. Farewell. Look after our son."

What are you going to do now?

"Go home. Be with my daughter one more day and prepare for the end."

The entire day, I was quiet. I let Rebecca play, nurse, rock, and hold Sarah. I thought about the spells she had taught me and others that I saw in the grimoire. If I could not prevent the death of my beloved ancestor, I could make the sacrifice mean more.

Rebecca, do you trust me?

"Of course, Daughter."

When they take you, let me take over. Go to sleep and let me take the pain.

"Why?"

I have a plan. For Sarah's sake and all your daughters to come. Invictus Maledictum.

She smiled and nodded.

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

The men came. Sarah was taken as Soot ran into the woods. They took Rebecca and bound her wrists. She nodded once to Judge Corwin, who hid in the crowd, and went to sleep. I took control as they bound me to the stake and kindled torches. I stood and watched them with a malicious glee.

"Any words you wish to confess before the sentence is carried out, Witch?"

"Just this: By the wood that burns and the breath that dies, I bind my blood to your hollow cries. Each word of scorn, each stone you throw, is a seed of power that my kin shall sow. The more you hate, the more we rise— Your bitter tongues are our greatest prize. Through every age and every heir, Your shame is the crown that we shall wear."

The congregation was shocked into silence before Hathorne himself lit the pyre. Just to wish them a farewell and demonstrate a bit of power, I manifested my favorite earrings and a cigarette. I leaned forward and lit the cigarette. I hadn't had a smoke in months, and it felt amazing.

"Three times the word is spoken, Three times the seal is set. Three times the heart is broken, By the debt you’ll not forget.

By the Power of Three times Three, As I will it, SO MOTE IT BE! Motherfuckers."

The candle was extinguished, and I awoke in my bed. It wasn't on the floor of a shitty trailer. I was in a luxurious bedroom on silk sheets. My mother came into the room with an armful of bags.

"Seriously, Abbie, you should've been at the Sabbath. The rites were amazing, but the shopping afterward was incredible. I picked up a few things for you from Neiman Marcus. How was your weekend?"

I looked at my Mother, well put together, screaming with old-money wealth and power. I looked at my room and smiled.

"Oh, just hung around and read some books. I learned some new spells."

Father Jaime had been taking confessions for 20 years. He was well practiced in his speech and knew all his parishioners by voice and manner of speaking.

"May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips that you may truly and humbly confess your sins."

"Bless me, Father, for I am Sin. This is my first confession."

"You are new to our humble parish, aren't you?"

"Not entirely new, Father. May I confess?"

"Begin, my child."

"I've had impure thoughts about men and women. I've had sexual thoughts about men and women."

"Continue."

"I've fucked."

"Excuse me?"

"I've fucked men and women—sometimes at the same time. Last week, I arranged an orgy where I fucked dozens of men and women."

"My child, this is a serious place of confession."

"I am being serious, Father. Did you know Margaret Levin has pierced nipples? I know you know, Margaret. She has that adorable strawberry birthmark on the back of her thigh. You saw the birthmark when you christened her, didn't you, Father?"

"My Child, are you saying that Margaret was at this..."

"Orgy, Father. Yes, my cleft tongue sucked and teased those sweet pierced nipples while she rode her step-daddy's cock. Her mother watched as two huge black men jerked huge loads of cum all over her."

"My Child...this is..."

"Getting you hard, Father. I can smell your cock, you know. Just like I could when I was young."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you remember little Timothy Reynolds?"

"Yes, he was sent away by his parents years ago. Some sort of mental breakdown."

"Yes. An abuse-induced mental breakdown. Tell me, Father, how many have there been since Timmy? 5? 10?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Child?"

"Oh, you do. I can smell the sin reeking off you like cheap perfume in a whore house, Father. You see, Father, I've come home to collect on a debt. A debt you owe Timothy for his innocence."

"Miss, I think it's time for you to leave this place of God."

"Father, this place hasn't been a place of God in years. Now, are you ready to pay the devil his due?"

"Miss..."

"God, I still love hearing that. Miss. I haven't been like this for long. Lilith changed me—made me more so I could exact my revenge and embrace the corruption of this world."

"Timothy?"

"Enjoying your weekend?"

"Oh, shit! Mary, I can explain."

"You don't have to, Cody."

"How...how'd you know it's me?"

"A little critical thinking and some googling. But you're not my Cody are you right now, are you?"

"No."

"What's your name?"

"Colby."

"Well, Colby, I found your panties the last time Cody's Vari-8 wore off."

"How do you know it's Vari-8?"

"Some snooping. I found your kit."

"Oh..."

"I had a friend in college who was an Elixir addict, so I knew it wasn't that. Elixir is bright pink; this was more amethyst-colored. I did some googling—1, 2, 3...Vari-8. So, this is my husband as a woman."

"Are you mad?"

"I was at first, after the shock wore off. I thought you were out fucking every cock on the planet the second work sends me on my business trips. I thought, like Elixir, you were addicted to becoming some raging slut."

"I'm not."

"Just tell me one thing: have you cheated on me?"

"No. Never. I've only taken Vari-8 a few times. I've never even left the house as Colby."

"Then why do it?"

"I..."

"Babe, nothing you say will anger me as long as you're being honest about the cheating part."

"I like being a woman from time to time. Something about it just clicks with my soul. I feel like there's a part of me that was meant to be like this. I feel...whole like this."

"Makes sense. Cody was never a very masculine man. Not effeminate, but not some Alpha-hole toxic male."

"God, never. Plus, I've learned a few things as Colby."

"I had a feeling there was more to the story when he suddenly got better in the bedroom. He finally knows where the clit is."

"God, it's amazing, isn't it?"

"When your lover finally knows what he's doing and makes you cum so hard you see god? Amazing."

"Cody wasn't that bad before..."

"No, but he's exponentially better since you."

"So what now? You're not mad, as far as I can tell."

"No, now I'm curious."

"Curious?"

"How many doses have you taken?"

"Just one. It wears off in 6 hours."

"Take another."

"What?"

"I want to meet the real Colby."

"What's that mean?"

"It means I'm taking you upstairs and I'm going to make love to you until you cum so hard you see god."

"Oh..."

"Are you blushing?"

"I've only ever masturbated, and that was just with my fingers. I felt weird using your vibrator."

"Well, for the next few hours, I'm using everything. I've always been curious about having sex with a woman."

"You never told Cody that!"

"It's my little secret."

"Okay, but why the extra 8 hours?"

"'Cause after we blackout from sapphic bliss, we're going to get cleaned up and hit the town."

"Go out? I've never been out."

"I know. We're going to have a Wild Girl's Night Out. We're going to drink, dance, and find you a man."

"WHAT?!"

"It's not cheating if I approve. I want to watch you lose your virginity."

"You want to watch?"

"Another secret fantasy of mine."

"Ok, but can we go slow for my first time?"

"Nope. We're hitting the new Hip-Hop club downtown. Go big or go home."

"Oh...okay."

"But you're all mine first."

"Can I help you?"

"Maybe."

"Do you know Mark? He's not home right now."

"I know he's not."

"Okay...who are you?"

"Well, that's kind of complicated."

"Lady, you're sitting on my steps, obviously waiting for something or someone. It shouldn't be a difficult question. Who are you and why are you here?"

"Whoa, pump the brakes, Diane. I'm not some stranger."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know that you and Mark play around with Dupli-8 on the weekends. Your favorite so far is turning into a petite twenty-something while Mark turns into a huge black guy with an impossible penis."

"What!? Lady, how do you...who the fuck are you?"

"It's me, Diane. I'm Mark."

"Mark? What the hell did you do?"

"We've been playing with Dupli-8 for a while, and I got curious about the other formula, Vari-8."

"Vari-8? Wait a minute, so, this is you, just female?"

"Yup."

"You're gorgeous."

"Thank you."

"So, what happens now? How many hours are left, 5,6?"

"About 12, actually. I took a double dose."

"Babe, that's getting dangerous."

"It's only 16 hours. I won't go over the 24. I wanted to get a more immersive experience as Marcy."

"Marcy?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, still...what happens now?"

"I was thinking about going upstairs and making love to you for the rest of the afternoon."

"I...you...I...are you..."

"I don't know. I know I still love you as Marcy. I love making love to you. I'm curious to see what we could do as a little lesbian couple."

"Oh..."

"Are you blushing?"

"A little. I've been curious, too."

"Well, well...let's head upstairs, then. And after..."

"After..."

"Let's hit the town. I want to get dolled up and paint the town red."

"So, an afternoon of lovemaking followed by a wild girl's night?"

"Exactly."

"You know what, Marcy."

"What?"

"Hey, Sluts, what's up?"

"Jared!? What the fuck happened to you?"

"It's the new me. You know that chick I was makin' out with in Times Square at the Ball Drop."

"Yeah, didn't she look like...this."

"This is her. The sneaky bitch was a Body Hopper. One minute, I've got my tongue down her throat and my hand up her shirt, when, BOOM! I'm out like a light in the street. The cops picked me up. Thought I OD'd or something."

"Did you tell the cops?"

"Like they'd believe me. 'Yeah, officer, I was about to stick my hand in this girl's panties at the ball drop when suddenly I was in her body.' They'd lock me up."

"So what happened after. It's been two days."

"Well, first I tried to take out some money from my ATM. The bitch cleaned me out. Accounts emptied and closed."

"Shit! She stole your body and your money?"

"All of it."

"You don't look that upset."

"I was at first. But I have her ID, so I don't have to fake one. And look at me."

"Yeah..."

"I'm fucking hot. I can make more money. And now I have this hot body to have fun in."

"Fun?"

"You didn't ask what I did after I got over my butthurt at getting hopped."

"What'd you do?"

"I got fucked."

"What!?"

"I went to the old frat and found the new Pres. I sucked him dry then fucked the Pledgemaster in front of everyone."

"Wait, that was you. Carl texted about some wild mystery chick that up and vanished."

"Tony, Tony, Tony, struggling is pointless. I'm not some rank amateur tying you up with Home Depot discounted nylon rope. Those are milspec zipcuffs."

"Why the fuck are you doing this, Francine? I thought you and I were..."

"Ah, yes, that. The romantic jet-set dates to Paris, dinner on your family yacht floating down the Seine, and lovemaking under the stars."

"Yeah, that. The Family loves you. You're one of us."

"And that, Tony, is where you're wrong. Have you noticed a lack of communication in the past couple of days from "The Family?"

"So what?"

"It's kind of hard to talk when you're dead."

"Dead? No, that's not possible. Not all of them."

"Yes, Tony, all of them. Sal, Dante, Rocky, Carmine, Dom, Vinnie, Enzo..."

"All dead? How?"

"Oh, you want me to go into details about how I killed all of them?"

"You? No, that's impossible."

"Sal was the first. That fat man and his stoogies were too simple. Watching him puff on those nasty maduros laced with Dimethylmercury was too precious. Watching him take his last breath after all that screaming and thrashing almost made me cum."

"Sal didn't die that way."

"Oh, he did. I watched."

"Dante and Rocky, the dim-witted duo was fun. It's been a while since I got to practice my marksmanship. You should've seen Dante's face when that bullet blew apart Rocky's head."

"That was a hit from another Family."

"That's what everyone thinks."

"Carmine, Dom, and Vinnie..."

"Died in a car bomb that targeted Papa."

"Yeah, too bad I didn't get Enzo with that, too. But watching him die under me was so much better."

"Under you? Papa died of a heart attack in his bed."

"That's what happens when you mix heart medication with Viagra. I have to admit, I know why Enzo had such an ego. When it was up, that beast was impressive."

"No, no, no, you did not fuck my father to death."

"And to think, I didn't have to fake my orgasms with him. The old man died with a smile on his face a mile wide."

"So you kill my fucking family for what? Money?"

"Please, I wouldn't go to all this trouble for money. This was revenge and a pleasurable revenge at that."

"Revenge? We ain't done nothing to you, Bitch. But we will when I get out of here."

"I don't think so, Tony. See that bucket over your head? The one that is hooked up to all those tubes."

"Yeah."

"It's full of what Vinnie used when he was cleaning up the Family messes—sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. See those hoses? They're set to drip over your balls, shoulders, and head in that order."

"You sick bitch!"

"And you see those cameras? They're going to stream your slow, agonizing death to all the other families. The Triads, Yakuza, Bratva...all of them are going to see the punishment coming for them."

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?"

"Do you remember Francis G. Castiglionee?"

"That dead vet, Frank Castle. That was years ago. You're telling me you did all this for some dead PTSDd vet and his family?"

"Not dead."

"Huh?"

Brazil! I was so excited to serve my Mormon Mission in Brazil. My friend from the church, Jeffery, got Connecticut (so boring). My mom and dad were so proud. Mom was worried about it being in a foreign country, but the church assured me of my safety. Dad, of course, gave me some tips in case anything bad happens. It was all very standard parental worry and bother. The one person who seemed genuinely worried for my safety was Alan.

"I promise I'll be fine, Alan. It's a church mission, not an armed incursion."

"It's Brazil, and you don't even speak Spanish, Isaiah."

"They speak Portuguese in Brazil."

"Whatever. Look, just be safe, okay."

"I will, Dad."

I joked, but I was really touched that Alan was worried. I'd met Alan in Little League, and we just clicked. We were inseparable after that. We did Cub Scouts, Pee Wee football, Middle School Track, the Academic Decathlon, etc. There was even a rumor in high school that we were lovers. Both of us dating the Gallegher sisters put an end to that rumor.

"I'll be back in 18 months, and I'll join you at State, just like we planned."

"You better."

He hugged me, actually hugged me. We joked, but his care and concern could be felt in that embrace. He was treating me like his little brother going off to war.

"18 months and I'll text when I get there."

Two weeks. I was there for two weeks and was just getting situated when I got sick. At first, I thought it was the regular flu, then it got worse. I was worried, and so was my companion, Garrett. He thought maybe I caught COVID. I went to the local doctor and passed out in the waiting room.

From there, all I remember is flashes and lots of pain. I knew I was in a hospital and hooked up to all sorts of machines. I would hear snippets of conversation between the doctors and the church pastor in semi-conscious moments. I had some kind of virus. I heard the doctor say transgênero. I didn't speak Portuguese, but the look of horror on the pastor's face told me it was serious, and then I passed out again.

I woke up feeling like I'd run a marathon with weights on every appendage. I looked at the clock on the wall. It had the date on it. 3 weeks? Had I been in this hospital for 3 weeks? A pretty, smiling nurse came in with a bag of saline.

"Ah, you are awake. How do you feel, bela menina?"

"I feel weak. My muscles..."

What was with my voice? It sounded higher. I sounded like Alan's little sister Sophie.

"You went through much, bela menina. But you live. You lucky."

Lucky to be alive? What the hell did I catch? The nurse changed the saline bag, and a doctor came in, holding my chart.

"Ah, Mr. Williams, you are awake. That is good. I think the worst is behind you."

"What did I have, Doc? And what's with my voice?"

"There is no easy way to tell you this, Isaiah, but you contracted the TG Virus."

"That's not possible, Doc. That's super rare. I couldn't have..."

The doctor held up a mirror, and a girl with huge blue eyes and a pixie face stared back at me. When I moved, she moved. When my hand went to touch my face, so did hers. I looked at the doctor and the nurse. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. They just looked back in that cold, professional stare medical people have. I pulled the blanket off me and looked at my body. I tore the flimsy hospital gown off and saw two breasts on my chest and a smooth mound where my penis used to be. I looked at the doctor and nurse again, this time in full panic and tears streaming down my face. They just nodded, and I passed out again.

They kept me for another two weeks for observation. The nurse, Rosita, was my most sympathetic companion. It was her idea for me to come up with a new name, since Isaiah no longer fit me. I told her to write 'Alyssa' on my chart, but she wrote it as 'Ilyssah'. Something about seeing the name on the chart clicked, and I felt myself feel like Ilyssah. I woke up every morning and looked at my name. I walked around to regain my strength and get used to the way my body moved now. Rosita even brought me some clothes from the church donations down the street.

"You are bela menina."

"What does that mean? You called me that when I first woke up."

"Pretty girl. You are a pretty girl, Ilyssah. You are blessed."

I looked at the mirror, and the girl looking back was very pretty. I smiled and felt...happy. She looked happy, and I felt...normal. Was that typical? Shouldn't I be spitting mad and railing against fate or god or something about all this? But I didn't feel that. I felt content and happy. I felt like this, the girl looking back in the mirror, was who I was supposed to be. God works in mysterious ways. Maybe this is who he meant for me to become. Maybe my Mission was to become Ilyssah.

A week later, I was on a plane home. The Brazilian government and the church told my family what had happened. I even called my mom and talked to her for a few minutes. The conversation was...odd. I won't lie and say that I wasn't nervous about seeing them again like this. I went to Brazil as Isaiah, and I'm coming home as Ilyssah.

Mom and Dad were there, and so was Alan. I saw the disbelief on my parents' faces. My mom hugged me awkwardly. My dad...shook my hand. It was so funny how small my hand looked in his now. The person I was most happy to see, though, was Alan. I hugged him, and he hugged me back. It felt good to be in his arms. It was like they were sheltering me and keeping me safe. I looked into his eyes when we stopped the hug, and I could see he was mesmerized by mine. I blushed and felt my heart skip a beat as he looked at me. What was this feeling? This was my best friend. My buddy. My brother. No, not a brother. He didn't feel like that at all.

Home was...odd and...distant. Dad could barely look at me, and my mom didn't know what to do, suddenly having a daughter in the house.

"I...I guess we'll have to go shopping for clothes. I don't think Isaish's clothes will fit you."

"Some of them might, but it would be nice to have a bra that's properly fitted."

The mention of needing a bra sent my father into a baffled unrest. You'd think I told him it was my time of the month and needed tampons. Which reminded me, the doctor did say I would have periods and ovulate now, so...

We went shopping, and my mom eventually seemed to lighten up. I even made her smile once. We got a good assortment of clothes, including a few dresses for church. I hadn't brought up church yet because I wasn't sure whether the pastor had mentioned my return. I asked my mom, and she said they'd talk about it later. I shrugged and continued to look at clothes. The weirdest thought popped into my head as I was looking at some tops. I wonder if Alan would like this? The thought of Alan looking at me and liking me in clothes that way made my heart flutter. I needed to see him again to see if this feeling was all in my imagination.

Not in my imagination.

We hung out on Saturday. He was still living at home since the state university was in our town. We played some video games, he talked about his classes, and I talked about my short time in Brazil; it was completely normal. It was close to dinner time, so I texted my parents to see if I could stay a little longer. The response seemed detached. Either way, we ordered a pizza, and he put on a new movie. Partway through the movie, I curled my legs up on the couch and cuddled into him. I don't know why, but I just felt this need to be close to him. He tensed for a moment but relaxed again. He even put his arm around me. My heart fluttered as his arm encircled me. I felt safe. Probably for the first time since waking up in Brazil, I felt safe.

Things went on like that for a couple of weeks. My parents didn't seem to care that I was spending so much time with Alan. His mom was thrilled that I was home safe. Sophie was nuts. She was like a little sister that I never had. She had so many questions, and she showed me so many things. We talked about girl stuff, and she even showed me how to put on makeup.

Things at home were getting glacial, though. I could feel my dad's eyes on me constantly. When I would look at him, he would look away or go into another room. My mom was distant and elusive in our talks. I asked her about church several times, and her response was, "The pastor says it's not time yet."

I'd been home for about 5 weeks when it happened out of the blue. I had just spent the afternoon on campus with Alan. He showed me around, and we found this amazing park next to the college with a copse of cherry trees. I walked into the living room, and a bag was packed by the couch.

"What's all this?"

"You need to leave."

"Excuse me?"

"Your stuff is in there. You need to leave this house."

"Mom, what's going on? Did I do something wrong?"

"You are wrong. You are not my child and I want you out of this house."

"Mom..."

"No, my son, Isaiah died on his mission in Brazil. I don't know who or what you are. I want you and your ungodly presence out of this house."

"Dad, please."

"Your father doesn't say, I do. Take your temptations and sacrilege out of this house of god."

"What are you talking about? I haven't tempted anyone. I pray every day like you taught me, Mom. Dad..."

"Do not speak to him, temptress!"

My world was imploding on me. My mother was berating me and throwing me out of my home. My father couldn't even look at me. He looked embarrassed and ashamed. What was all this nonsense about temptation and sacrilege? I looked at my dad, then I looked at my mom. Suddenly, the dots connected, and my hurt turned to fury.

"You're kicking me out, your flesh and blood child, because your husband has unclean, sinful thoughts about me, doesn't he?"

"Shut your mouth!"

"What happened, Mom? Did he moan my name while making love to you?"

You'd think I'd slapped her across the face with a Gutenberg Bible. I was pissed off; I didn't expect to guess what had caused all this to begin with. My father burst into tears, and my mother stormed towards the suitcase and wheeled it at me.

"Out, Harlot."

"Fine. Have fun with your lies and hypocrisy. Just remember this when you stand in Judgement."

I left the house and broke down crying.

I don't remember the walk to Alan's house. I remember crying and thinking about everything my parents had brought me up in. In that one moment, I saw the self-righteous hypocrisy of their lives. I vowed that I would never become that, even if I had to abandon the church. I would be true to myself, true to my heart, and true to my love. That last phrase struck me as I found myself at Alan's doorstep. I knocked and waited.

"Ilyssah, what's wrong?"

"They kicked me out."

"What?"

"My parents—they kicked me out."

"Come inside. Oh, my god, why?"

Everything was a bit of a blur. I told him what happened, most of it. I left out that part about my dad and the lovemaking bit. I curled up under the blanket we snuggled under when we watched movies. He brought me tea, and I leaned into him. He pulled me closer, and I felt...love envelope me. I felt it pouring through me from him. I felt so safe and loved in that embrace. I knew Alan would keep me safe.

I felt his hand run through my hair, and my heart fluttered. It was the caress of tenderness that made me hope against hope that something was happening. I'd been feeling things, new things, towards Alan for weeks now. But I didn't want to ruin our friendship by assuming something else. My heart wished against the very fates that the small, tender caress meant what I thought it meant.

"Alan..."

I looked up at him, into his deep, chocolate-brown eyes. I felt a hopeful tear well up in my eye. The eyes looking into mine held nothing but love and hope. Ok, a little bit of fear, but I understood that. My heart was beating so fast that I could feel it pulsing in my neck. I looked at his lips and prayed to the God that I knew and loved that this was happening.

Alan leaned down, his eyes locked on my lips. I met him in between, and our lips met. If my heart could've leapt out of my chest and burst into a million little fireworks of pure joy, it would've. Every uncertainty and doubt evaporated in that one blissful moment of our lips meeting in a chaste kiss. All fear vanished from my mind, and my soul knew this was why God had given me a rebirth disguised as a virus.

"Well, it's about time."

Alan's mother had walked in while my world was exploding beyond the known cosmos. We pulled apart and watched as Ms. Cummings walked upstairs with a knowing little smirk on her face. I looked into Alan's eyes and saw love beyond reckoning looking back at me. I knew in that moment that this was meant to be, and this man, my best friend, was mine from here until eternity.

Epilogue...

The wedding was marvelous. Sophie was the happiest Maid of Honor you ever saw. My parents had moved out of state, but I had formed a great bond with the pastor when I returned to the Church. He gave me away since Alan wanted a non-denominational wedding.

We were just out of college, and Alan was about to publish his first novel. It was a romance novel based on us. The publisher thought it had the makings of a best-seller. We were walking across our favorite bridge, looking at the blossoming cherry trees.

"Alan?"

"Ilyssah."

"Do you remember what I asked you six years ago on this very spot?"

"Of course. How could I forget? That was the day I became the happiest man on the planet."

"I can make you even happier."

"I don't see how."

He smiled at me with that smile that melts my heart and makes my knees weak. He wrapped around me, and we looked at the blossoming trees. I guided his hands to the slight swell of my tummy and the beginning of a definitive bump.

This was driving me crazy. I'd known Ilyssah for years. We'd grown up together since we were 8. Granted, 11 of those years, Ilyssa had been Isaiah. After graduation, Isaiah went on his Mission to Brazil. I was worried about my friend going to a foreign country, but his religion required it. It was there that Isaiah caught the TG Virus. He spent a month in critical condition in a Brazilian hospital. When he was deemed safe enough to travel, the Brazilian Government flew him home. His whole family and I were beyond astonished when Ilyssa got off the plane.

Isaiah had always been small for his age. It was one of the things that he was picked on for in school. Now, with the delicate curves, long chestnut hair, and elvish face, it fit. She was petite, not scrawny. The eyes were the same, and I saw my best friend in them, but in her face, they sparkled. I never really knew how deep a blue Isaiah's eyes had been. Ilyssah's eyes were so deep and hypnotic a blue that I found myself staring into them, completely mesmerized.

Needless to say, her conservative and religious family didn't know what to make of her. They knew that it was not her fault or Isaiah's that they caught the Virus. Cases of the TG Virus were so rare that most people didn't think about it. It was only really known to the mainstream because a few Hollywood actors and a politician had contracted it. But the cute, petite girl with the infectious smile baffled the Williams family.

They weren't cruel or hostile to Ilyssa; they just became distant. Which is probably why she started to spend more time with me at my house. My mother welcomed her with open arms, as if she were a niece who'd been gone too long. My little sister was curious about her and asked her ten million questions. Dad, thank God, was still in prison because his lecherous personality would have driven Ilyssah away.

The part that shocked everyone was how natural she felt as a girl. The few cases of TG Virus documented long transition periods, during which people had to adjust to being the opposite gender. The Congresswoman who eventually became Senator John Montgomery wrote an entire book about her adjustment to being male. Ilyssa had almost none of that. Her mannerisms and expressions all felt feminine from the start. Her sense of style and modesty flowed from her like she'd been a female all her life. The incident that highlighted this the most was the first time everyone saw Ilyssah in a dress. She wasn't awkward or self-conscious about wearing an outfit Isaiah had never worn. The dress was modest, but it illustrated that she had curves that most men found alluring. Her legs were shapely and smooth. She was wearing flats because high heels were still a challenge for her. When she sat down, she naturally smoothed the dress behind her and crossed her ankles. It was my mother who pointed it out.

"She's such a natural. I still have fits with your sister about how to sit when she wears a dress."

For me, she still felt like my best friend, but with something else. There was a comfort in proximity that we never would have shared as two guys. She had an almost instinctual manner to be close to me. She'd nestle into me as we watched movies. She'd laugh and wipe whipped cream off my nose after my first drink of a mocha. She'd lean into me if we were sitting somewhere public or on the city bus. We still had the same jokes and banter. We still talked about the same things as before. Now, I found myself staring into those mesmerizing eyes when we spoke. I heard her voice and her laugh in my dreams. I felt myself longing for that closeness when she wasn't around. Then it happened...

"Ilyssah, what's wrong?"

She was at my door with a carry-on suitcase, and it was clear that she'd been crying.

"They kicked me out."

"What?"

"My parents—they kicked me out."

"Come inside. Oh, my god, why?"

"Some bullshit about all of it. About me not being their son anymore. About me being a temptation, an abomination, a freak, an affront to God and their religion..."

She burst into a fresh bout of tears, and I pulled her into my arms. For the longest time, I held her in my arms as she sobbed. I found myself soothing her and gently stroking her silky hair.

"Let's go sit. I'll make you some tea."

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Alan."

"We'll figure that out later. Right now, sit. You're staying here until we figure this out."

"But your Mom..."

"Loves you like a daughter. She won't object to it."

I busied myself boiling water and putting tea in a mug. I added one packet of sweetener and got a small serving of half-and-half to go in it, just the way she liked it. I watched her cuddle up on the couch under the huge blanket we kept draped across the back. My emotions were all over the place. I wanted to go over and hold her to keep her safe. I wanted to march over to her parents' house and punch them both in the face. My mind kept racing as I tried to reconcile the feelings in my heart. Ilyssah was my best friend. We'd gone through Little League and Cub Scouts together. We'd bragged about our first sexual experience to each other. We got shit-faced with each other after our first broken hearts. All these memories of Isaiah clashed with the feelings I had for Ilyssah.

Every time I looked at her, my heart skipped a beat. When she snuggled in close on the bus, I felt my body melt around her to hold her and protect her. Last week, when she fell asleep with her head on my lap during a movie, I felt this comfort and contentment that made me never want to move or disturb her sleep (I fell asleep upright that night and never moved). Now, I wanted to hold her to me and make her mine so horrible people could never make her cry again.

"Your tea."

"Thanks, Alan."

She had a little smile on her face as she took the cup from me. I sat beside her as she blew on the steaming cup. She took a small sip and put it down on the coffee table to cool. My breath caught in my throat as she cuddled into me. I lifted my arm to bring her closer, and she nestled into me. I put my arm around her and held her to me like something beyond precious. I felt her body relax in my arms. I closed my eyes and let the breath I'd been holding out slowly. I inhaled and could smell the scent of her hair. It was her herbal shampoo and her. The smell filled me, and I felt my heart hammer in my chest. My mind careened into my heart, and it all burst into one solitary emotion and one desperate hope.

"Alan..."

She looked up at me with those enchanting blue eyes. They sparkled with fresh tears, but the puffiness was absent, as if she hadn't been crying in earnest. The staccato rhythm of my heart was pounding in my ears as I looked down at her perfectly angelic face. She looked into my eyes and glanced down at my lips. My eternity hung in that moment. My heart was bursting with need, anticipation, and fear. This was the moment I knew would change everything. This was salvation or damnation.

I leaned forward slowly, my intention clear. My heart was ready to spring out of my chest as her face got closer to mine. I wanted this more than air at the moment, but did she? She closed the gap, and our lips met. My anticipation and fear erupted into a fountain of joy and love. Her soft lips gently kissing mine in the sweetest, chaste kiss ignited the feelings I'd had since I'd seen her get off the plane all those months ago. Joy and rapture filled my soul as the kiss lingered for several minutes. I felt her body inch closer to mine, as if any distance was too far away. In that moment, I wanted so much—I wanted to hold her, protect her, make love to her, laugh with her, cry with her, make my life with her, spend eternity in her arms, and see the love that shone from her perfect blue eyes.

"Well, it's about time."

My mother walked in as we held each other in our first-ever loving kiss. I looked at Ilyssa, who blushed a little at being caught in the act. But I saw my same feelings radiating off of her. I knew in that terrifying leap of faith, we'd gone from best friends to soul mates.

Epilogue...

Ilyssah stayed with us for a few months while she got everything in order. The Government had a TGV Assistance Program that helped Ilyssah get into a university and provided enough money to get a place of her own. I saw her parents one time at the grocery store and had to refrain from verbally assaulting them in the produce section. Ilyssah held me and restrained me.

"They're not worth it, Love."

She was right. She's always right. We went our separate ways and never saw them again. I heard they moved out of state or something. It didn't matter. Ilyssa was my world, and I was hers. How did I get so lucky to find love with my best friend? Is there any way this could be even better?

"Alan?"

"Ilyssah."

We were on a walk in our favorite part of the park connected to the university. We'd stopped on our favorite bridge that stretched over a stream that gave a beautiful view of the cherry trees that were in bloom.

"Are you happy?"

"More than anything. Why?"

"Just asking. Want to be happier?"

"I don't know how that's possible."

I woke up in my hotel room bathroom, gagged with my hands tied behind my back. I was alone, so the need to panic abated a little as my brain tried to figure out what had happened. The last things I remember: it was Friday, I was in the hotel bar after the conference, I was flirting with a cute redhead, she clocked the wedding ring tan line on my finger, I gave her the usual lie, we came to my room, things were getting serious, and I felt a sting in my neck.

Had that bitch drugged me? I tried to stand but felt something weird around my body. I looked down and almost passed out again. My body was...gone!

I mean, I had a body, but it wasn't mine. It was a girl's body. There were breasts, smooth legs, and a completely flat mound where my dick should've been. She was also wearing a sexy lace negligee. This couldn't be me. I had to be hallucinating. The drugs that the redheaded slut gave me must be making me see things.

I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. The girl in the mirror was beautiful—tied up and gagged, but beautiful. I moved and she moved. I blinked and she blinked. I looked at my...her body. It was sexy as hell. The lace of the outfit rubbed my...her breasts and was making her nipples hard.

The more I looked in the mirror, the more reality sank in. I was in the body of a girl. I was a girl, and I was tied up in a bathroom.

Yes, she should be awake and ready for you.

Excellent. I can't wait for him to see this.

The voices in the bedroom sounded like the girl from the bar and...my wife...No, that's impossible. Claire was at home with the kids and two states away. There is no way she's in the bedroom with the redheaded slut who drugged me and did this to me.

"See, she's awake and from the looks of things fully aware of her situation."

The redhead walked into the bathroom, followed by Claire. Claire had a look of resigned unhappiness and ire on her face.

"You know, Ryan, if you hadn't brought Mara here up to the room, none of this would've happened. You would've bought a pretty lady a drink, finished the conference, and come home to your loving wife and kids. But, you couldn't resist...again."

I tried to say something, but the gag prevented real words from forming.

"I know about them all, Ryan. Every time you've gone out of town for business, I see charges to our card that can't be explained except for something like this happening. At first, I denied it. Then I followed you to Seattle three months ago. I saw you with the petite Asian girl. For weeks, I didn't know what to do. I joined an online support group, and that's how I met Mara here."

The redhead winked at me and blew me a kiss.

"Itch!"

"Oh, no, Darling. Mara is not a bitch. That's going to be your title very soon."

I was trying to figure out what that meant when Claire started to take off her clothes. As she did, Mara prepared an injection gun with some sort of black liquid.

"You see, Darling, Mara dosed you with a roofie and Elixir. I have to admit that watching you change into this was quite arousing. I almost followed Mara's example and masturbated while watching your cock disappear and tits form."

"Ready?"

Mara looked at Claire once more for assurance.

"Yup."

Claire moved her long hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck. Mara put the injection gun to her neck, and click! The black liquid in the gun shot into Claire's neck as Claire winced.

"Now, the real fun begins, Ryan. While I gave you a rather large dose of Elixir, I gave Claire a nice big dose to BLK-XXX. In a few minutes, your charming and demure wife is going to be quite different."

I watched in horror as a black stain at the injection point began to spread across Claire's skin. It looked almost like some zombie movie body rot thing, but it faded into a natural skin tone as it traversed Claire's naked body. BLK-XXX, was it making her black? It appeared to be doing so. Even Claire's blond hair was turning black.

"Oh, that was the tame stuff, Riley. Do you mind if I call you, Riley? Ryan doesn't fit you anymore."

For some reason, the feminine name swirled in my head and made my brain fog over a bit. It felt like the new name was revealing a new identity. I found my thoughts swirling around and around in my head, making me think things I never would've thought before. The self-awareness was cut short as I watched Claire continue to transform.

The transformation was becoming grotesque. Her limbs began to twitch and spasm randomly, like she was having some sort of fit. Muscles bubbled under her new chocolate skin like boils. I heard the definitive snap and pop of bones breaking and joints popping out of their sockets. The entire time, Claire had a look of ecstasy on her face. Like it wasn't the most disgusting and horrific sight ever, but the most exquisite pleasure she'd ever felt. Then, she started to...grow.

"This is the best part. I can't wait to see what she becomes."

Mara was downright giddy as she watched the transformation. Under the influence of the drug, Claire grew over a foot taller. Soon, she was towering over me at at least six and a half feet tall. The bubbling and boiling of her muscles had subsided, and they began to swell on her larger frame. Her breasts pulled into her chest or flattened out as new muscles bulked up all over her. I nervously looked down at her sex.

The pubic hair had fallen completely out, and it looked like her clitoris was enlarged. No, not enlarged...enlarging. It was getting bigger and bigger by the second. Soon, the tiny nub had an elongated shaft and a bulbous head. It would swell and recede, swell and recede, each time getting longer and thicker.

"Yes..."

Her voice came out as a deep baritone growl that shook my thumping heart and made me quiver all over. At the same time, I watched a pair of testicles fall from her vagina before the slit closed entirely. The BLK-XXX had transformed her ovaries into testicles that were now dangling in a scrotum underneath her impossibly large penis.

"Let me help you with that, Clarence. I know the first time can be excruciating with all that pent-up new cum."

Mara draped her arm over the man's bulging shoulders and began to stroke the new cock with her delicate hand. The man still had his eyes closed, but growled as her hand began to coax an orgasm out of him. I watched in terror and fascination as Mara stroked the black beast in long, luxurious strokes. The man, Clarence, opened his eyes and looked at me.

Something new and alien bloomed inside me. I felt a heat under that gaze. He watched me as his arousal from Mara's attention got him more and more excited. The hunger in his eyes made my sex quiver, and I felt a moistness bloom between my legs. The man, if you could call him that, was almost feral with the need building in his body. I knew if Mara didn't have him by the cock, he would be on me in an instant. The desire was frightening and stimulating at the same time.

"There it is, Clarence, cum and feel release."

I saw his balls tremble and pull tight to his body. I saw his cock swell until I thought it was going to burst, and in a way it did. The man howled as rope after rope of cum erupted from his cock. It was so violent that it sprayed onto me from several feet away. Mara kept milking the thing until it was exhausted, and pools of pearlescent cum were all over the bathroom floor, walls, and me.

"Thanks for that, Mara."

"Anytime, Clarence. Now, I'm going to leave the two of you together."

"Aren't you going to stay and watch? I thought you liked watching. I thought maybe you might want to join us."

"Tempting, Luv. But I've got other things to do tonight. Don't worry, I've got the room set up with cameras. You'll get a high defintion momento of this weekend and so will I."

Cameras? Weekend? I looked at Clarence, who was eyeing me up and down, wondering where he was going to start. I looked at the deflated creature dangling between his legs. Ryan was screaming in terror in my brain, but Riley was curious about what the Alpha male had in mind.

"Maybe next time..."

"That sounds like a date, Luv. Now, go have fun with your new toy. I'm sure Riley here will be more than eager to please her new man."

"Are you, Riley? You ready to please me in any way I want?"