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The pit stop


Mr.Grignard

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Hey. I wrote a thing to flex my writing muscles. Let me know if I’ve peaked anyone’s interest.

“Hey, let’s stop here.” I finally said aloud, breaking the silence.

“Huh? What for?”

“I want to grab a bite to eat, and this place looks good.”

I gestured towards the restaurant in question. It was a small, hole in the wall place on the road side that, based on the sign, served burgers and sea food. Just my style.

Ann knew as much, because she was cocking an eyebrow and studying my face.

“Fine. But if they don’t have salads, we’re leaving. I’m not eating any fried food on this trip.”

“Deal.”

I pull off the road, and park out front. For a small drive in place, it actually looked pretty good, aesthetically speaking. The paint looked fresh, the windows were clean, and they even had some nice outdoor seating with colorful umbrellas open. The only thing to indicate this place's age was the neon sign in the parking lot. It was shaped like a jumping fish biting down on a burger. The metal was rusted and it looked like part of the light was removed. On said sign, it stated this place was called “Todd's Tackle Box”. Kind of a weird name, but this is a fishing town, so I guess they’re playing to their strengths, at least.

I look back at Ann as she daintily slides out of the truck with a reluctant grimace on her face. Come on, don’t be like that. You know how much I need this. I wait until she makes eye contact with me so she can gaze into my puppy dogs eyes before turning towards the entrance and grabbing the door for her. As expected, this just makes her scowl. Inside, as indicated by the sparsely populated parking lot, the place wasn’t particularly busy. There was a family next to the window, and older couple ahead of us placing an order, and three construction workers sitting in the corner. Behind the counter was a tiny girl with strawberry blond hair, wearing a blue t-shirt with the restaurant logo on it. Which is stretched across her… generous bust. Ann immediately took notice, but I don’t think she caught me staring yet. I was more interested in the menu above her anyway.

“Hello there! Welcome to Todd's tackle. What can I get started for you?” She chimed upon my approach. Guess I’ll order first.

“I’ll take the double cheeseburger with grilled mushrooms and a side of fries.”

“Small, medium or large?”

“Small.”

“Would you like anything to drink with that?”

“No.”

She jotted down my order on a piece of paper. “All right, and for you?”

“I’ll just have the shrimp salad please.”

“All right, and what kind of dressing?”

“None, but can I get some oil on it.”

“Sure. Now, are you two together?”

“Yes.” I reply.

“Excellent. Your order number is right here. Thank you for your patronage.”

I accept the paper slip with a nod and find an empty table to sit and wait. My girlfriend follows suit, taking a seat with a sigh.

Hmm. I was expecting her to have a rod up her ass, but she seems even more out of it than usual. She must be nervous or something. There’s gonna be a lot of stuffed shirts at this little gathering we’re going to, so I can’t say I’m looking forward to it either. Still, it was her idea, so I’m not sure if I see the problem.

“Something wrong?” I ask, trying to get my concern across.

“Oh, it’s nothing, I’m just tired from all the driving.” She says, stretching. “But we need to make this quick so we can get on the road again.”

“Oh, is that all. We got loads of time, still. And besides, if you’re so sick of riding in the truck, isn’t it a good thing we’re stopping?”

“I guess it is nice to get a break, but I wish it didn’t have to be here. I don’t understand why you like places like this.”

“And I don’t understand how you can tolerate all that weird health food. It's just a subjective sort of thing. On that note, I haven’t eaten anything in eight hours, and I’m not planning on making up for that at the party, so you gotta let me have this.”

“Fair enough. Thanks for doing this by the way. It really does mean a lot.”

“Eh, it’s fine. I wasn’t really planning anything special for spring break either way.”

I hope I didn’t come off as too mopey on the car ride here. Maybe that’s why she didn’t put up much of a fight. Oh well, works out for me.

Eventually our number is called and I go over and pick up our food. The burger actually looks pretty good, with a toasted bun, relish, crisp veggies, charbroiled meat and a surprisingly generous pile of fries for a small. I could feel my mouth water just looking at it. Also, I’m not really a salad kind of guy, but from what I could tell, Ann's food was pretty good too. Tossed mixed greens with tomatoes and shrimp with that oil she likes for some reason. Apparently she picked up the habit when she tried ketosis this one time? I’m not sure. I don’t think she was doing it right.

I put the food out on the table and immediately begin tearing into it. Ann, for a moment, just sort of watches with a perplexed look on her face, before turning to her own food. I try not to let it bother me.

“I can’t believe you can eat that much. Where do put it all?”

“Like I said, I’m running on empty,” I reply in between mouthfuls. “And besides, I’m like twice your size. Of course I need more than you.”

“True. If I ate like that, I’d probably be as big as you in no time, just in the wrong direction.”

Well, she almost saved it at the end there but then she glanced at the cashier, who currently had her back turned to us. I just roll my eyes and sigh.

Because of her height, it wasn’t super clear from our current vantage point, but earlier we noted in addition to her bust, she had a pretty sizable rear and a small dollop of belly. Hardly enough to call her fat, but compared to my bean pole of a girlfriend, there was a pretty noticeable contrast. Actually…

“What, you jealous or something?” I decide to give her a prod.

“What? Jealous of who?”

“I saw you checking her out earlier.” I glance at the cashier. She still occupied with something else.

“Yeah right. And you weren’t?”

“Who me? No, no, I’m far too wholesome for that.”

“Right. You do realize how heavy those things have to be, right?”

“Eh, a fitness fanatic like you could probably handle it.”

“Whatever. Even if I did gain weight, I doubt would look as good.”

“So you admit she looks good, then?”

“…I’m not eating your trash. Drop it.”

Okay. Well, I think I’ve taken this far enough. I just shrug and go back to munching on my burger. Ann starts picking at her salad, ignoring the fried shrimp entirely. It’s hard to tell if she hates it or if she’s just being spiteful.

Eventually, I finish everything my plate, leaving the restaurant satisfied, albeit a little bloated. Ann doesn’t bother finishing her meal, tossing the left overs in the trash. At first it just seemed like she was being bitter, but she said she was full and as we got in the car, the way she shuffled in and held her stomach, it seemed like she meant it.

“What, was that too much salad for you to handle?”

“No, it tasted fine, but it was just really greasy for some reason. I think strawberry back in there added too much oil.”

“Ew. Sorry. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all.”

“Eh, it’s okay. At least you liked. That’s pretty much why we stopped anyway.”

“Cool.”

And like that, we drove off. Hope she’s still up for this, ‘cause there’s no way I’ll get through this with out her.

 

“Hey, Stacey, what happened to that jar of cooking oil I left on the shelf?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s over here. A customer asked for salad oil, so I used it for their order.”

“… I’m sorry, what?”

“I put it on the counter over-

“No, I mean what did you use it for?”

“A salad? Why?”

Todd's brow furrowed.

“When did they leave?”

 

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All right. I’ve got the weekend off, and I finally finished ODDtaxi. Let’s do this:

“You sure you’re ok?”

“Yes. For the last time, I’m fine. Really.” She’s been getting more and more cross every time I ask, but I can’t help it. It’s not like your body language has been super reassuring, woman. She’s been clutching her stomach since she stood up from the table, and I think I’ve caught her dry heaving a couple times when I hit the brakes to hard. Plus, I can tell based off the way she’s been twitching that she also has a headache, maybe even a migraine. Eugh.

Ann has pushed herself through events like this before, like when she got the flu on our trip to California last year, but this is definitely one of those “just because she can doesn’t mean she should” kind of situations. Taking that trip as a precedent, it’s worth noting she spent the rest of the trip in our room at the hotel after our first day, and I practically had to carry her back to the airport.

If I’m gonna be in the truck with her another six hours after this, I definitely don’t want a repeat of that.

Plus, although I’d never say it to her face, I don’t think this is worth all the trouble. In fact, even though we’ve covered almost 200 miles, I’d happily turn around and drive all the way back if it really came down to it.

We’re going to this party in a city six hours away from where we live because her friend’s dad's brother got himself a new yacht, and decided to throw a little family get together to break it in. Now, you may be wondering, ‘why would Ann, of all people, be invited to something like that ’? No idea. She and her friend Kim are close, sure, but I didn’t think she was this well acquainted with her extended family. Knowing Ann, she probably talked them into it, and Kim went along with it to see her again, since it’s been almost a year since the last time they met in person. As a result, I’m here basically as her chauffeur, since I knew she wouldn’t be able to make that kind of trip by herself, at least not by car. And I sure as hell ain’t here for the party, or her friend.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, I can’t say that I hate Kim. We actually hit it off pretty well the few times we’ve spoken, but those were so few and far between I’d hardly call us friends. Plus, while I can get along fine with Kim and some of the younger guys who go to these things, most of Kim's family make me feel… uncomfortable. They’ll generally ignore me and I’ll avoid them in turn, but that doesn’t exactly make for the most exciting party going experience, and whenever they do talk to me, the conversation inevitably goes something like this: so, what do you do for a living? Where did you go to school? How much do you make? How’s the crippling student debt working out for ya?

*sigh*. I don’t know, obviously I’m exaggerating a little, but it has come close to that enough times that I’m sick of dealing with them. I was kind of planning on sneaking off before the boat has a chance to leave port to kill some time on the pier, and after seeing Ann's condition, probably to find us a place to stay over night. But, that said, it probably isn’t a great idea to leave her alone at a party like this either, especially one on a boat. Ann isn’t really the type to get seasick… I think, but I can’t imagine rocking back and forth on a yacht will help her feel better.

So, so much for that idea.

All right, time to stop acting like a five year old and grow a pair. I just need to power through this and the rest of the week will be mine to do absolutely nothing. Besides, Ann is mature enough to know her body's signals. I’m sure she'll be fine as long as she gets some rest after the party.

 

(Ann's POV)

Haaaaauuuugh! I feel like my tummy’s are gonna burst! What was in that salad? Have I been poisoned?! Curse you, strawberry! I swear, if I ever see your stupid, greasy, face again, I am going to fu-

 

*POP*

 

“Huh?”

“Did you say something?” Devin glanced at me from driver seat, still looking concerned. Not that I can really blame him.

“Uh, oh! No, I just thought I heard something weird.”

“Weird how?”

“Did we… run over anything strange? It sounded like a pop.”

“No… are you sure you don’t want to stop again? In fact, maybe you should see a doctor, or at least take some medicine for your stomach.”

“No, actually I think I’m starting to feel better…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was just feeling a little bloated. It’s better now.”

He didn’t seem convinced, considering how poorly I was concealing my discomfort earlier, but he dropped it for now. Surprisingly enough though, what I said was… kinda true. My headache is gone now, and while I still feel a little bloated, but it’s more manageable than what it was like before. That was sudden. Hopefully it stays that way long enough for the party. I don’t want to do anything gross in front of Kim’s family, or I’ll never be able to live it down.

Hmm… I didn’t want to do this, since I’m worried about showing up late, but maybe we should make one more stop so I can freshen up a bit before we get there…

“Hey, um, Devin…”

“Yeah?”

“On second thought, can be we stop real quick. I have to pee…”

“Sure.” Definitely heard him suppress a sigh, but I’ll let it slide for now. We turn of the road towards the nearest public-looking building: a diner. Weirdly enough, my stomach growls hungrily. Great, not only did that salad make me sick, now I’m being punished for not finishing it. Could this day get any worse?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry I’m late. Just wasn’t feeling it last week. Hope you guys like the chapter anyway. 
 

“So, do you want me to keep the engine running or-

“Oh no- I mean, I don’t think I’ll take too long, but it’s been a long trip, so we should probably save on gas, right? Just wait here, and I’ll be right back.”

“All right. I’ll be in here, then.”

I force a quick smile as I slide out of the truck, then shuffle my way as quickly as I can across the parking lot.

Damn it. Why did I think this was a good idea? It’s not like I need to stop anymore. I feel fine, aside from… Whatever is going on with my stomach. I mean, first I felt like I was going to explode, and now it feels empty? What’s wrong with me today? Maybe it wasn’t just the salad. Maybe I haven’t had enough to eat today, period. Hopefully I can wait until the party to fix that.

Of course as soon as I finish that thought and walk in through the front entrance, the smell of burning meat and French fries slips into my nostrils and I immediately start salivating. The rumbling in my gut is only getting worse. I’ll have to make this quick.

I just need to stay in character and use the restroom. I’ll just go in, take care of my business, wash my hands, and then I’ll hop back in the truck. And well… my attention is pulled toward the other customers, eating.

Look. I know I shouldn’t, and obviously I won’t if I think it will take too long, but maybe I should get something for the road, too. Just to calm Derek down and tide me over until we get to Newport. We still have an hour to go, and I want to feel presentable when we arrive, so I should make the most of this stop. Like, maybe I could just order a small soft drink, or an order of fries, or maybe a-

“I’ll take take the deluxe bacon cheeseburger with everything on it, except onions.”

“Sure thing. That’ll be $9.87.”

“Right, here you go.”

Ack! What?! No! That’s too much, stupid! No matter how hungry I am, there’s no way I’ll finish all of that! And it's not like I can take it back with me! I saw while walking to the front counter how big the portion sizes are. It probably wouldn’t even make Derek break a sweat, but I know from experience that finishing even half a meal that size will be enough to put me in a coma. And besides, normally this kind of food makes me feel sick just thinking about it. I’m not a vegetarian or anything, but I’ve been conditioned since childhood to hate greasy foods, so normally just looking at it is enough to spoil my appetite, but now I-

“Here’s your order.”

“Oh hey, that was fast. Thanks.”

Automatically, I take my tray and start searching the dining area for an available seat as far from the window as possible. After lecturing Derek for the umpteenth time about his eating habits today, there’s no way I want him to see me eating this. In fact, I should just dump this thing the trash! Why did I want this thing? It’s gotta be at least five inches thick and as wide around as my hand. But… I mean, I did pay for it. I shouldn’t waste food. I sit down in a booth of the far wall, hopefully out of Derek's line of sight and take another moment to examine what’s on my plate. It’s pretty normal looking burger with bits of roughage, tomato, and bacon hanging out from under the bun. The whole thing was loosely held together by a tooth pick with some colorful plastic on the end, and when I picked it up I could immediately see why. The mixture of sauce and other fluids was already turning it into a soggy mess, so I had to be careful to keep it from falling apart.

All right, just eat your fill, the toss the rest in the trash. No big deal.

I take the first bite… and, it’s not bad. I guess you could also say it’s not great either, but the taste overall is pretty good. The patty is crispy but also tender, and the bacon is similarly cooked to a satisfactory degree. I wish it wasn’t super messy, but to be honest I was expecting a lot worse. I was planning on cleaning up in the bathroom before I go anyway, so as long as I don’t get any of this on my clothes, I don’t think it really matters.

How long have I been here, though? I shouldn’t keep Derek waiting for too long. I need to pick up the pace a little bit.

Whoa! Half of it is gone already! I don’t even feel full yet, at least not like I usually do. Whelp, might as well finish it. As I chomp away at the burger, I find taking bigger bites just feels more natural for some reason. By the time I get to the last few bites, I’m practically inhaling it. And then, just like that, it was gone in what felt like seconds. I rub my belly contentedly, notice it had taking on a slight curvature from my meal.

I actually feel much better now. And I even got rid of the evidence. Now I just need to wash up and make a clean get away. Heheheh.

Hey wait… didn’t that burger come with a tooth pick? Where did it go?

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It’s just like a horror movie. The main characters are gonna split up to cover more ground.

Hm? Oh hey, she’s finally back. Jeez, what took so long? She was in there for almost twenty minutes. Guess I better fire up the engine. She’s probably itching to get on the road again.

While I’m getting the truck started, I take a second to glance over and see how she’s doing. Based off the way she’s rushing over, it looks like she still has some energy left, and she’s probably conscious of time like I suspected, but something is bothering me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about her seems off, like her body language seems weirdly stiff. Whatever. It’s probably nothing. I must just be on edge because she was basically incapacitated a few seconds ago. I’ll just have to stay the course and keep an eye on her.

Eventually Ann climbs back into the truck a plops down beside me and slams the door, so we can finally pull out and get back on the road.

“Everything go ok in there? Not that I want the gory details or anything…” I ask casually.

“Wha- oh! Yeah, sorry about the wait. I- Uh… there was a line, so I had to wait.” She was stammering for a second there.

No. You’ve been through this before. You don’t want to know. Focus on the road.

I should change the subject.

“So, we should be there in another 30 minutes, give or take. How long do you want to stay?”

“Oh, well, the plan was to take the boat out for a quick lap around the sound after a little ceremony. I’m not sure how long it’ll take exactly, but Kim says we should be back before dark. Afterwards, she said she wanted to spend some time on the pier.”

“That sounds nice.” I reply, mostly earnest.

“Yeah…” She hesitates for a second. “Um… listen. I know you weren’t exactly thrilled to be on this trip, so I want you to know I really appreciate you doing this for me. I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”

Oh boy. Here we go.

But…” I start for her.

“Well, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still want you to come to the dedication, but, I know you don’t want to deal with Kim’s family. So, if you wanted to stay behind at the pier, Kim and I can meet up with you later. Only if that’s okay with you, of course.”

Well, that wasn’t what I was expecting. Figured I was in for another “look presentable and play nice” spiel.

Something’s wrong.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me.”

“No! Of course not. It’s just… I know this trip has already take a lot out of you, and if you need a chance to recharge your batteries that’s fine with me. But, if you want to ride the boat, that’s fine with me too.”

You’re worried about me when we just had to stop for you to do who knows what in a public restroom?

“My batteries are fine, but… there were a few places in town I wanted to check out, so I guess I’ll take you up on you’re offer. Only thing I’m worried about is you. You gonna be okay on your own?”

“I’ll have Kim with me, and it’s not like I’ll be gone for long. I promise I’ll call you if anything happens, okay?”

“All right. Just as long as I you don’t expect to rent a rowboat just because you get another tummy ache.”

As if on cue, Ann’s belly began to gurgle audibly, prompting her to clutch it in a vain attempt to muffle the sound.

“Damnit. If only I had finished that stupid salad!”

“Wasn’t it the salad that got you into this mess in the first place?”

“I know, but I’m sorry hungry now-oop!”

“Since when did you develop an appetite?”

“Since never. Now shut up and drive!”

I roll my eyes and suppress a giggle. I don’t understand why she’s reacting like this, but the flustered look on her face is pretty cute. She’s looking down at the floor and blushing with her cheeks puffed out like a nine year old throwing a tantrum. Actually, given her small frame, that’s weirdly appropriate.

Well, I was looking for an excuse to get out of this and wander around Newport, anyway. Guess today is my lucky day.

 

Oh god, what’s happening to me? Ever since I ate that greaseball on a bun, I can’t stop thinking about food! And even though I still feel full, my body is trying to get me to eat more! I have to get a handle on myself before we get to the party. I just need to get through the formalities, wait until we head out on the water, and then talk to Mr. Larritate in private.

I feel a little bad about getting rid of Devin after he went through all of this trouble for me, and I know I’m probably just gonna make him worry, but it’s not like he’ll be missing much, and he’ll probably have a good time on his own anyway. Now I just need to worry about not embarrassing myself in front of Kim and Mr. Larritate.

… I don’t know why, but I could really go for a drink right about now.

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2 hours ago, The_Respector said:

I must say, I like the bite sized releases. It makes it much easier for a tired me to read at night lol. Also, I must say that I like your writing style. Keep it up!

Hey thanks. I’m glad people seem to like this one because I’ve been playing with this premise for a while now. 

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So I was reading through some of the old chapters to make sure I wasn’t forgetting any details when I realized I’d accidentally changed one of the characters names. And I did it again a couple times in this chapter, so I had to go through and change it back.

I don’t have an editor, so you guys are just gonna have to bear with me and my brain farts. 

Finally, after hours of traffic, rough mountain roads, and unexpected set backs, we finally made it to Newport, and more importantly, the Newport harbor was just a stones throw away! Unfortunately, as I feared, I went right back to feeling miserable pretty soon after we started driving again. That burger didn’t even last me twenty minutes! Accursed empty calories! Of course that being said, I’m so hungry right now, given the opportunity I’d probably make the same mistake all over again, except this time with fries. My stomach feels like it’s eating itself and my headache is back with a vengeance. A dull pain just…
pulses against my forehead randomly, so I can’t really brace myself for it and end up wincing almost every time.

Devin has kept his eyes on the road and has been driving erratically to make up for lost time, so I’m not sure if he’s noticed yet. I don’t want to get into another argument with him since at this rate I won’t have an energy left by the time we get there. The last thing I need is another shouting match, and I know if he prods me too much I’ll just end up snapping at him.

Perhaps he has noticed, but elected to keep his mouth shut this time as result. He can be pretty intuitive like that when he wants to be. Anyway, back to the topic at hand: am I still going to be able to do this?

The real reason for this trip is, essentially, to do some networking. I’m looking to change jobs and Kim’s uncle has connections to a couple companies on the west coast that might be interested in my degree. If I can just get him to give me a referral, I’d be a shoe in. I’ve had plenty of amicable interactions with Mr. Larritate in the past (hence why I was invited to come to this party in the first place) and I’m sure he’ll be in a good mood when I see him. I just need to approach him with the right attitude and maintain my composure. Something that’s a little harder for me to do with Devin around, unfortunately.

Not that I don’t want him around! Believe me, the last thing I need is less support. I wish he could be there with me for this. The problem is Kim’s relatives, especially her second cousin, Nigel, and his groupies. They can’t be in the same room for two minutes without butting heads, and while Devin deserves some of the blame for engaging him, Nigel is always the one to start it. Plus he always has this smug, shit eating grin on his face that really boils my piss-

“Whoa!”

“Huh?! What?” Holy crap. My heart almost stopped. I look up at Devin in annoyance, but stop when I notice a tinge of fear in his eyes.

“Sorry, it’s just… are you okay? You face was bright red for a second, and you had like a vein popping out of your forehead.”

“Wait, what?” I unfold the mirror attached to the car roof and examine my face.

I push my black bangs out of the way and look at the skin underneath. It’s not bright red, at least not any more, but it is weirdly pink, like I just got out of a hot bath. Thankfully, it looks like I was just blushing, because it’s fading now that I’ve calmed down. Other than that, my skin looks normal: thin black eyebrows, a few freckles on my cheeks, a small button nose, and thin lips.  No cause for alarm.

“Sorry, I was trying to hold in a fart.”

… I… can’t believe I just said that.

… I want to die.

“Heh. Heh heh… Hhahahahahaha!”

“Quit laughing, it’s not funny!” Well, I mean, it’s a little funny- No! Stop it brain! Whose side are you on?

“All right, I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that. In all seriousness, you’ve been acting kind of weird since we made that first stop. I know you say your fine and everything, and I don’t doubt you’ll be okay as long as your with Kim, but, I don’t know… can I at least get you something while I’m out. Like some ibuprofen, or something else like that?”

“Oh! Sure, I’d really appreciate that, but for now, just stick to the plan. Kim and I will join you for dinner as soon as we finish up with the party, then I’ll see if can get my hands on some meds.”

“All right. If you insist. God forbid you spare a moment of the precious festivities to worry about your health and well being.”

“It’s not that. It’s just that if you leave, I don’t know if you’ll make it back before the boat leaves.” I replied matter of factly.

“Oh.”

“Listen, I’m sure Kim’s Uncle has something that’ll tide me over on the boat. And if not, there’s always wine.”

“Um, first of all, that’ll probably make it worse if your feeling motion sick. Second, since when do you drink?”

“… since… 2017? Why? Am I not allowed to indulge every once in a while?”

“So… you’re serious about drinking at this party then?”

“…”

“Maybe I should stay then. Sounds like it’ll be a one of a kind experience.”

“Will you knock it off! No, I wasn’t being serious! There, are you happy?”

“Oh hey, look! We’re here.”

“Don’t change the subject- oh hey, you’re right.”

Mr. Larritate’s Yacht wasn’t particularly big, especially compared to some of the fishing boats docked near by, but it would still be difficult to miss. Underwhelming size not withstanding, it was still about as big as a small house with a neon pink and yellow banner hanging on the side reading “Maiden Voyage”. There was also a few clusters of balloons and giant inflatable monkey on the roof. Gathered on the deck below was a group of about twenty or so people chatting idly while occasionally glancing and pointing at the boat in question.

Devin parked outside the harbor while I pulled out my phone to find the password to the harbor gate. Only members can get in normally, but I got Kim to send me the code in case we showed up late… which we did. By about 30 minutes.

Great.

As we walked up, I spotted Kim near the edge of the crowd closest to us. Guess she was waiting for us. Best go and greet her.

“Hey! Sorry we’re late!”

“Ann!”

Kim immediately lit up into a friendly small when she spotted us, running over and grabbing me in a hug.

“Ack! Uh… Kim… you’re crushing… me~!”

“Oh! Sorry.”

Kim looked down at me and smirked while winking and with her tongue sticking out. Weirdo.

I had to look up with her this close since Kim is a lot taller than me. She’s almost as tall as Devin, putting her at eye level with his chin. Today, she’s wearing a tight black dress to show off her curves and exposing her toned arms. Kim used to swim a lot in high school, and she’s kept up a lighter version of her competitive training, so she’s get defined arms and shoulders and a perky butt and chest. Though, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say, that dress is a bit snugger than I remember. Guess she hasn’t adjusted her diet to compensate for her new workout routine, since she’s looking a little poochy around the waist.

“It’s good to see you guys! I’m glad you could make it. I know it was a long trip.” She glanced at Devin apologetically.

“Don’t sweat it. It was a piece of cake for me. Ms. Feather weight here was the one puking her guts out on the ride here.”

“Wait, really?!”

“What? No! Don’t tell her that! I’m fine, I just didn’t get enough to eat on the ride and got a little motion sick. That’s all. I’m fine.”

“Oh, well, all right. If you say so. You look good, both of you. I love the shirt, Devin.”

Devin was dressed in a nice pair of slacks I bought last week and clean white under shirt. The collared shirt she was referring to was a blue, floral patterned one with sharks and sting rays on it. He’d insisted on it while we were picking our outfits because:

“Well, I heard this was a luxury cruise, so I thought I’d dress appropriately. I also figured after such a long drive, wearing a suit would be too much of a hassle.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. It’s not like I gave you guys any instructions, and I’m sure uncle Bill won’t mind.”

“Sweet.”

“So, not to be rude or anything, but do you guys have any food out yet? I’m kind of starving.” I interject.

It’s true, though. My stomach is growling, and I can smell barbecue in the air. It’s making my mouth water.

“Huh? Oh, right. I’m sure you must be after such a long trip. Uncle Bill is just going to give his little speech and then we’ll head onto the water. Mom’s already got the grill running on board so the food should be ready by then.”

“Awesome.”

“Well, looks like you’re all settled in then. I’m gonna head out.” Devin chimed in.

“You’re not staying?” Kim asked, a bit surprised.

“Nah, this whole boat business is Ann’s thing. I get seasick real bad.” He lied. “I was just gonna kill some time on the docks until you guys get back. After that we were gonna grab some dinner. Wanna come?”

Ah crap! I forgot to text Kim our plans ahead of time! Nice, Devin.

“Well… all right. As long as you don’t mind waiting a bit. I agreed to help clean up when we’re done.”

“Sounds good. Now scoot. Go have fun. I’ll be right here when you get back.” He waved us off with a grin, then turned around and headed for the gate.

“Sure it’s okay to just let him leave like that? I don’t want him to feel left out.”

“Trust me, he’ll be better off on his own. He’s pretty good at making his own fun. Besides, it’s just a boat ride and a barbecue. What’s he gonna miss out on?”

 

 

“For the last time, that’s all I heard!”

“Look, Newport’s a big city. There’s no way will find them before the carnage starts if we have to comb every street. Can’t at least remember anything about them? Like their truck or what they were wearing?”

“Well… the guy was really tall, kind of skinny with muscley arms… he was wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt…”

“Like that guy?”

“Wha…” Stacey squinted in the direction I pointed and then gaped. “Yeah! That’s him!”

“All right. We have to hurry. There isn’t much time left!” I step on it.

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Hey, I’m back baby! Sorry for the delays. I had some stuff to deal with last weekend and during the week, so I went on an impromptu hiatus. 
 

Shortly after Devin left the scene, almost immediately in fact, the man of the hour made his appearance. Striding slowly and confidently into view, he definitely commanded a great deal of presence, in spite of his appearance. Standing just shy of 5’ 6” with a thick gray handle bar mustache and a good natured smile on his face, Mr. Larritate got everyone’s attention with a surprisingly loud cough and a few waves to the crowd. After waiting patiently for everyone to settle down, he thanked everyone for coming and began his speech with a lengthy anecdote. I tried to pay attention, because I had a gut feeling he’d reference it later if I talked to him, but I had bigger problems at the time: I wasn’t just hungry, I was running on empty. My stomach was rumbling so hard my abs were quivering, and this damn headache just keeps getting worse by the second. It didn’t help that I could smell the grill fires from all the way down on the deck, even through the ocean spray and all these people. I needed something to take the edge off or else I was going to start eating my jacket.

“Hey, uh, Kim, I’m sorry to bother you, but I think I might be dehydrated after the drive here. Do you know where I can get something to drink?” I try to strike a balance between a casual and pleading tone.

“Oh, sure! The drink cooler is just on board. Here, follow me!”

“Wait, onboard? But what about Mr. Larritate’s speech?”

“Oh, he finished the important part. Now it’s just more of his fishing stories. I’ve heard it a million times by now.”

“R-right.” Probably should’ve phrased that better. I was kind of hoping she would just get me a drink.

Reluctantly, I follow Kim on board as discreetly as possible, sparing myself only a moment to glance back to make sure Mr. Larritate hasn’t noticed as we walked around him. Thankfully, if he did, he was too busy laughing at his own joke to show it. Something about his pants getting torn off by a defective motorcycle? Ugh, whatever. If I’m that curious I’ll just ask him about it later. I needed at least a pitcher of water, stat!

Was I always this ravenous? Even during that one time when I accidentally went without food for a whole day during exams back in college, I’ve never been this hungry before. And I’ve definitely never gotten hungry this soon after eating. Was there some kind of nasty corporate additive I ate in that junk food earlier?

“Oh, hey is that Kim? Perfect timing, dinner is ready! Would you help bring out plates and utensils for everybody?” A small, blond, older woman noticed our presence as we walked aboard. “Oh, hello, Ann. When did you get here?”

“Hey, Mrs. Cathaway. Sorry I’m late. We had to make a couple pit stops on the way here.” I give a deep, apologetic nod to Kim’s mom as she lays a platter of bratwursts on the table in front of me. My stomach churns.

“Oh, not at all. Since you’re here, why don’t you grab a plate from Kim and dish up your food. We’ve got sausages here, some prime rib and chicken over on that table, and there are salads and roasted veggies over there.” Mrs. Cathaway made several gestures to the folding tables on the far walls in front and behind us before turning back towards the grill.

“Um, sure. I will. Just, uh, before that, do you know where I can get something to drink?”

“Oh, there’s drinks in that cooler under there.”

“Thank you.” Better drink some water first to take the edge off. I don’t know what’ll happen if I over do it on the food. Something is wrong with me. I’m starting to feel faint, and I’m losing sensation in my legs. Is this the end!?

… Anyway, I drag the cooler out from under one of the tables with a little effort and remove the lid to take a peak inside. Poking out of the ice, we have soda, seltzers, hard ciders, beer, and, of course, bottled water. For a moment, I reach out for the water before stopping myself, and I remember my conversation earlier with Devin in the truck.

I’ve never been very good with alcohol. I don’t hate it, but I’ve never had a very high tolerance either. But of course, I can’t really build tolerance if I never drink it, right?

Reluctantly, I grab a hard cider, and then immediately crack it open. In the back of my mind, there’s a part of me telling me it probably isn’t a good idea to drink this on an empty stomach, but for some reason I choose to ignore it. I can smell the cider, feel it bubbling against the sides, and it feels… weirdly inviting. Like earlier…

I take a swig… and the can is empty before I even realized what was happening.

“Buuurp!”

“Whoa! I’ve never seen you pound anything that quickly. Since when do you drink like that?”

“Uh… I guess I was just really thir- oh!” Uh oh.

Immediately, a rush of hot blood floods it’s way into my head and my migraine gets a million times worse. Like someone is firing a laser into the middle of my forehead. I grimace and start to drop to my knees before Kim’s mom catches me. I feel hot and the room is spinning, so I can’t really see straight or make out what’s happening, but I can tell she and probably Kim are trying to lower me gently on the ground. My ears are ringing, too, so I can’t really make out what they’re saying, or if anyone down below has noticed what’s happening yet.

Yes, I know, I’m in the middle of violent attack of some kind and a part of me is still worried about appearances. Heh. Heh heh. This is so embarrassing. I can feel the tears leaking out now, because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. Am… am I going to die?

Is this really how it ends? Can I at least see Devin one last time? I… I-

 

*POP*

 

“Ah.”

I look up… and my vision is clear again. My head ache is gone… again. That sound… happened again. And Kim and her mom do not look relieved by my miraculous recover. The look horrified, confused, and… disgusted? Why? What’s wrong with my- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY SKIN!?

Immediately after looking at my arm, I bolted upright and started feeling it, scraping at, trying to rub or peel the red color off. Kim’s mom recovers first, immediately gripping me by the wrists to stop me from peeling my skin off.

“Ann, you need to calm down. Something is wrong, but panicking isn’t going to help. Okay?”

Her voice is quivering as she says this, but I try to obey her anyway, since it’s not like it was working.

“Why is my skin red?”

Why did I say that? Why would she know?

“You mean you don’t know why this is happening either?”

“No! I’ve just been feeling weird ever since earlier this afternoon, ever since I ate this weird salad and-*ooof*!” Immediately I clutch my stomach as a dull ache passes through it.

Damn it, not now, you stupid bottomless pit! This is your fault to begin with! None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t stopped for lunch with Devin! I know I should’ve just waited until we got here. Where’s Devin? Is he still close by? I need him to take me too the hospital because this is just too much.

“Ann, you need to sit still. I don’t think you should be moving around in your condition, especially with that strange bump on your head.” As I try to stand up, Mrs. Cathaway attempts to pushed me back onto my butt.

“No, I need to get Devin and- wait… strange bump? What kind of strange bump?”

And upon asking, both of them froze. Neither of them said anything, but Kim finally fished a compact for me to use after what felt like an eternity. Reluctantly, lifted the lid and angled the mirror’s surface towards my forehead.

Poking out past my bangs, just as they stated, was a black bump about the size of a golf ball, high came to a slight, hooked point at the end.

Or, in other words, a horn.

“Uh… uh…. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

All right. One last set up chapter before we can finally get into the action!

Upon seeing her reflection, Ann immediately started shrieking like a bat out of hell, so I kneeled down to try and calm her down.

“Ann? Ann!? Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?!”

“Right, sorry, not helping. Look, just take a deep breath. Everything will be fine, we’ll just take you to a doctor, and they’ll figure out what to do.” I mean, probably. Definitely.

While we’re talking, I try examining her body a bit more carefully. I’m not a doctor or anything but, well… even I can tell this’ll take more than first aid, to be honest. Her skin is bright red, like a tomato, with faint splotches of red-orange along her forearms. Also, I thought it was just a bump or something on her forehead pushing her hair out, but it almost looks like a little horn. It’s hard to tell since she keeps moving her head, and, whatever it is, it’s almost the same shade of black as her hair.

I reach out and gently lay a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me with frightened eyes, and forces herself to slow down her breathing.

“Okay. Okay… you’re right. But no ambulances, not yet at least. I’m just going to call Devin and have him pick me up.”

“Are you sure? It might be faster, and this seems a bit urgent. I mean… doesn’t it hurt?” My mother chimes in from behind me, also closing the distance between us, albeit reluctantly.

I can tell by her grimace that she’s not comfortable dealing with this. I should probably handle things from here.

“All right, call Devin. Mom, can you let Uncle Bill know what’s happening and keep everyone busy while I move Ann somewhere where she can lie down.”

“All right. I can do that.” With a quick nod, she scurries off down below to explain to everyone what happened. I’m not sure if they heard Ann scream or not, but from the chatter, it doesn’t sound like they were sending anyone to check on us.

I reach out to give Ann a hand up, but she brushes me off.

“I-I’m fine. I feel better now. I can walk on my own.”

She’s a bit shaky as she rises to her feet, but it might just be due to nerves. Her breathing is under control and she’s stopped shaking her head so much, so at minimum she’s calmer.

“Come on, let’s go below deck.”

“All right.”

And with that I lead her through the door to our right and down a spiral staircase. This dropped off into the living room, a long, narrow room with two white sofas along both walls available for Ann’s slight frame. There were also windows above the sofas, which would normally show the docks outside, but thankfully most of the shades were down and the glass was tinted, so we could get at least some privacy for now. The real problem is… what do I do now? Devin only left a few minutes ago, so it shouldn’t take him too long to get back here, but then that raises the question of how I’m going to get Ann off the boat without anyone seeing her. While I’m asking myself these questions, Ann has already pulled her cellphone out of her purse. As she’s dialing the number, I figure I might as well ask…

“So… any idea what might be causing this?”

“… not really. I mean, I have an idea, but it’s pretty stupid.”

“Right, sorry. I was just asking to… you know. Devin said you weren’t feeling well before. Does this feel similar at all?”

“It did for a little bit, actually. I had this really bad headache, and I got really hungry while we were driving the truck, but it went away after I ate something. Although, obviously this didn’t happen.” She gestured at her body, emphasizing her arms.

“What did you eat?”

“…” There was a long pause. Ann was trying desperately to form a poker face before she responded. “A bacon cheeseburger.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“Well, I ate this really oily salad before that at this one road side diner. It was right after that when I started feeling sick.” She elaborated calmly. “Wait, what do you mean is that all?”

“Nothing. It’s just… you were making such a big deal out of it, I thought it would be something weird.” I replied.

“Well it’s weird for me! How many times can you count that I’ve eaten bacon, let alone on a burger?” She exclaimed defensively, setting her phone down.

I thought back to when we spent more time together back in high school, since we usually eat out whenever we meet up now. What she’s saying is probably accurate for the most part, since I’ve never seen her eat fast food before, but on the other hand I wouldn’t exactly call her healthy either. She was always pretty reliant on energy drinks back then to compensate for her bad sleep schedule, and she’s also lazy and clumsy, and her tiny physique made it difficult for her to work out, so naturally she also hated exercising-

“You don’t need to think that hard about it!” Immediately she grimaced, reaching to rub her brow.

Only to retract her hand, what with her horn being in the way.

“Ouch. You okay?”

“Not really. Could you get me some water from upstairs?”

“Sure. I’ll be right back. Try to stay still.” Before I leave, I realized I’d almost forgotten why we came down here. “Oh, right, what about Devin? Is he coming?”

“I texted him, but he isn’t picking up his phone. I don’t know where he is.”

“Well, hopefully he gets here soon, ‘cause it sounds like Uncle Bill’s speech is almost over out there.”

Ann gave nervous gulp, and her stomach lets out an audible rumble.

“Um… could you bring back some of that chicken too? If it’s not too much trouble.”

I give a quick nod and head up the stairs.

 

As soon as Kim is out of sight, I flop onto the couch in defeat.

Devin isn’t answering his phone, and he hasn’t viewed my texts yet either. If he hasn’t noticed his phone ringing or vibrating in his pocket, I just have to wait until he checks it. Looks like I’m gonna be stuck here a while, then.

How much more of this BS am I going to have to endure? What’s wrong with me anyway? I think we can discount a normal bout of food poisoning at this point. Am I cursed!? For what reason? For making fun of Strawberry Shortcake’s weight back at the diner? Oh god, if that’s actually the only reason, I am going to pile drive her into a busy freeway for this.

Well, at least the headache is gone now. In fact, aside from how empty my stomach is, I feel pretty good. That chicken sounds pretty good right about now… as does everything else on that table, now that I think about it.

As I rock back and forth in a sulky ball, fantasizing about all the meat (and vegetables, I guess) I wanted to stuff down my gullet, a scent on the air caught my attention. It was very faint, yet distinct: plant based, fruity, a little earthy, with something sharper mixed in. I know this smell.

I glance back up the staircase.

Gee… it sure is taking Kim a while to come back. I’m sure she and Mr. Larritate won’t mind if I look around for a bit, right?

… Right.

Sliding off the couch I walk towards the next room over, where the scent is coming from.

 

All right, so I got a couple of waters, some chicken and roasted veggies for Ann, and some of that prime rib and sweet potato for me. Better hurry back, I think it’s starting to get cold-

“Kim.”

I look up and see Uncle Bill climbing up the gang plank. He had a concerned expression on his face, but his stride was slow and even.

“Uncle Bill, what’s up?”

“I just got word from your mother about your friends condition. Very distressing. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, well… I mean, she seems all right, for now. I’m sorry for worrying you. It sounds like she’s going to leave as soon as her ride gets here.”

“Oh, I see. Well, seasickness is nothing to be ashamed of. Do tell her as much. And let me know if you need anything. I happen to know of a remedy or two that might do the trick.”

“R-right, I will. For now, I think she just needs to rest. Would it be all right if I moved her somewhere more private?”

“Of course! There’s a guest quarters right next to the bathroom, on the right.”

“Next to the wine room?”

“Yes. Oh! That reminds me. I left a couple bottles of cheap chardonnay in there I’d like to burn through. Since you’ll be down there anyway, would you mind bringing them up?”

“Oh, sure. No problem.”

“Wonderful. I’ll just give you two some privacy, then.”

“Thanks, Uncle Bill!”

Satisfied, he wondered off to greet the guests headed towards the buffet. Guess I better get moving then. Turning on my heels, I power-walked back towards the stairs and glided down the steps, but as soon as the room was in full view, I realized Ann wasn’t here. Her phone was lying by itself on the couch. Picking it up, a notification revealed that Devin had tried to call her back, but she apparently didn’t answer.

“Ann? Hello?” No answer.

Maybe she had to pee?

Putting the food down and picking up her phone, I head down the hallway to check the restroom, only to notice the light was on in Uncle Bill’s wine cellar.

“Ann? Are you in he- oh my god!”

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

All right. It took forever, but we finally get a chapter with some excitement… sort of. Okay, it’s more transformation BS. But hopefully the fun kind. I’ll try and pick up the pace from here, guys.

I found Ann standing in the middle of Uncle Bill’s wine room, next to the bar. The strange part was what she was doing: drinking straight from a bottle of what looks like the Chardonnay I was supposed to get, at a pace that could generously be described as unhealthy. I don’t think it’s normal for her throat to be… stretching like that when she swallows. The entire bottle was empty in less than four gulps, and from the looks of her distended belly, it probably wasn’t her first.

Apparently she didn’t hear me yelling, because after she finished draining the bottle of it’s contents, she tilted her head forward, only for her eyes to widen with surprise and for her to spray me with a mouthful of wine.

“Ah! My eyes!” I cried out, dropping our food on the floor.

“Ah, Kim! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it! Are you okay?”

“Ann, what are you doing in the wine cellar? You shouldn’t be drinking right now.” I tried to stay as calm as possible while wiping my eyes with my now freed hands. “Wait, how much have you been drinking anyway?”

“...” she grimaced and looked down at her gut, giving it an experimental shake. It stuck out a good two inches further than normal, although honestly that was probably the least weird thing about her appearance at the moment.

A quick glance around the room could answer my question, though. I counted at least two on the floor, one of which was broken. Weirdly enough, though, she still seemed fine. If I drank that much all at once I’d probably be puking it right back up, but she doesn’t even seem nauseous.

“Are you… feeling okay?” I noticed she wasn’t really looking at me, but the floor. And her pupils were dilated.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I mean, I feel fine. I just followed this smell in here, and found a bottle of wine open on the counter, and… well…” She looked away from me in shame.

“And you just drank three bottles of wine? Ann, that’s way too much for someone your size! You might have to… expel it.”

“What?”

“Ann, that much alcohol could… um… hey are you-

Well, so much for the lack of nausea. Upon bringing up the possibility of my friend succumbing to the effects of alcohol poisoning, the red color in her face actually flushed to a weird shade of pink, and she immediately brought her hand to her mouth.

“Oh, whoa, okay, come on. Not in here. Let’s go to the-

“*UURP~!”

“Huh?”

“Oof, sorry. I thought that was something else for a second. Um, listen… are you going to eat that?”

“Eat what?”

“Oh, so I can have it then, right?”

Immediately, she plunked herself down in front of me, legs crossed, and began rooting around through the food I just dropped on the floor.

“Ah- Ann! What are you doing?! That’s gross!”

“Well, we’re going have to clean it up anyway, right? It’s be a waste to throw it all in the trash. Plus, some of it still looks good to me.” Picking up one of the paper plates, she starts by stacking all the meat on it first, than sifting through the vegetables.

“Ann, can you try and take this more seriously?”

“I am being serious. It’s just that I’m also seriously hungry.”

“How can you be hungry when your stomach is literally bulging… out of your… um, Ann?”

“Mmph, *gulp*, yeah?”

“I… I think that isn’t just bloating. You’re looking kind of…” How do I put this delicately? “Swollen.”

Ann cocked her head in confusion, causing her now thicker neck to crease underneath her newly rounded cheek. Her jacket was suddenly being stretched across her shoulders with her arms filling out the sleeves, while her stomach seemingly deflated, its taut looking appearance being replaced with a softer, flabbier one. The biggest change, however, was definitely below the waist. Ann had always had a very slight frame, even as an adult, so it was difficult to say what she’d look like if she was fat. The way her ass and thighs have decided to spread out and raise her off the ground though have definitely confirmed her as a pear. It was weird to watch from this vantage point.

“Ann, can you take off your jacket?”

“Huh? *huff*, okay? Sure, I was feeling a little, mph, warm, anyway. Hrng, hold on.”

Ann lethargically started tugging at her sleeves, trying to pull her increasingly tight jacket off in probably the least efficient way imaginable, resulting in a series of popping sounds coming from underneath the material, followed by a muffled snap.

“Oh!” Ann yelped in surprise. She blinked a couple times, her pupils shrinking back to normal.

“Hold on, let me help you.” I grab one of her arms and start tugging at the sleeves, but she pulls away from me, shaking her head.

“N-no, I, uh, I think I got it. Just… let me… actually, could you face the other way for a second? I… I need some privacy.”

“All right, I’ll leave you to it.” I turned towards the door and looked out into the hallway, checking to see if anyone else was nearby. “But I’m not leaving you alone, not after what just happened. Just hurry up so I can move you into the guest room.”

“All right. Thanks, by the way. But what about the mess? Shouldn’t -hrng!- shouldn’t I at least help clean it up?” Ann let out a few groans and I think I heard her stifle a gasp as well.

“I’ll take the blame for it. I promised to bring up the Chardonnay for uncle Bill and I can’t really do that if you drank it all.”

“What?! No! You can’t do that for me. Look, I’ll take the blame for that. It’s my fault.”

A firm hand clapped on my shoulder, so I turned around to face her…

Only to meet her gaze sooner than expected.

For a moment, there was silence, as if we’d just come to the same realization.

“Uh, Kim?”

“Yeah?”

“You didn’t just get shorter, did you?”

“No, Ann, I did not.”

Standing at eye level with me, Ann had to have grown at least a good 6 inches in height, on top of gaining all this extra weight. In fact, despite being taller, she also looked fatter without her jacket on. Turns out those popping sounds from earlier were the seams of her shirt giving out on her, splitting down the sides of her top to allow more red, excess flesh to spill out in the form of love handles. And on top of that, her ass apparently wasn’t the only thing to receive an upgrade, as Ann has apparently gone up a few cup sizes as well, based off the amount of cleavage I can see down her overtaxed neckline. Also, and this is just a guess, but I don’t think she’s wearing a bra anymore. More eye catching despite this, are the spots on her forearms, which are now a light, vibrant shade of orange, dispersed across their length all the way to the backs of her hands and even on her fingers. Additionally, her nails, which are now dark gray, have grown out and sharpened into a point, almost like claws.

Again, I ask myself: what do I do now?

“Ann, come with me to the guest room. It’s time to call Devin again.”

 

Meanwhile…

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1 hour ago, >_< 0_0 said:

I love the creative energy of this transformation story. The extra transformations on top of the gaining makes it very uncertain what’s gonna change next, which is exciting.

Gonna be honest, it was originally supposed to be so much worse for our heroines. I decided to tone it down a little to focus more on the size changes. And… other stuff ;)

I still want her to feel distinct from a certain other red skinned monster girl though, so I’ve focused on playing with Ann’s size and coloring recently. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

All right. Seriously, let’s check on Devin. He’s having a rough night of his own…

Ten minutes earlier :3

You know, when I said I wanted to kill some time in Newport, I didn’t think it would be this boring. Of course, I guess that’s mostly my fault. I didn’t really have clear idea of where I wanted to go after I dropped Ann off, so I basically spent the last five minutes driving in circles. I suppose I should find a motel at some point, since I don’t really feel like another 5 hour drive home. But I can take care of that later. I’ve got time.

Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t really know how long this will take. Larritate is apparently an experienced fisherman, so I at least know they won’t get lost at sea, but I don’t know what route they’ll take on his yacht’s “maiden voyage”, or if they’ve even left the harbor yet. Probably should’ve asked Kim before I left.

Ah, well, Ann can just text me when she’s ready for a pick up. In the meantime I just need to stick close to the docks and find a place that meets Ann’s rigorous standa- oh, hey! A Thai restaurant! And they’ve got a bar, too. That’ll work. Only problem is that it’d be kind of a dick move to just sit at a table waiting for the ladies to show up for… who knows how long. Guess I’ll just get a drink for the road and come back later. And also… I haven’t had a bathroom break in a while. I think it’s time I broke the seal.

Walking in, I greeted the hostess with a wave and asked politely for the restroom. Thankfully, I didn’t need to buy something first. The decor seemed pretty nice, although, to be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention. Wish I could say the same for the restroom though. The room was poorly lit, with only a single flickering fluorescent tube on the ceiling and a dirty window on the far wall. Plus, some idiot must’ve been vaping in here, because there was this weird sugary smoke in the air. Whatever. I’m not planning on staying in here forever. Stepping in front of the nearest urinal, I get to work… and then my phone starts buzzing in my back pocket.

Now, of all times?! Shit! I almost pissed on my shoe. Well, you’re gonna have to wait until I finish, because I’m not answering my phone until I wash my hands. Of course, it stops ringing before I’ve even had a chance to zip up my pants, and pretty soon after that I can feel it vibrating, letting me know I’ve got a text. Leaving her alone was a bad idea. I didn’t think she’d cave in this quickly, though. I hope it’s not too serious. Guess I’ll have to hold off on the drink then.

After rinsing my hands off, I head back out into the restaurant and start reading her texts:

“Devin, I think I might need to visit the ER. Please hurry back.”

Immediately, I scramble to call her back. No answer.

“God, damn it.”

Okay, don’t panic. I just need to get back to my truck and drive down the dock. Where’s the nearest hospital, anyway? Better look that up before I get down there. While I’m standing on the sidewalk, staring down at my phone, a green station wagon that had been speeding down the road suddenly pulls up and parks in the open space across the street. Then, emerging from the passenger side is a familiar looking red headed girl. Looking down at her chest, I immediately recognize the logo on her shirt. It’s the waitress from Todd’s tackle.

After getting out of the car, to my surprise, she locked eyes with me and sprinted towards me from across the street.

“Whoa, um, hey, it’s you, from the restaurant earlier. Todd’s, right?”

“Look, I know this is going to sound weird, but where’s that girl you were with earlier?” She had a worried look on her face. This can’t be good.

“She’s at a party. I was just about to pick her up.”

“Good. We need you to take us to her.” A gruff voice replied from behind her.

Looking over the red head’s shoulder, a short, burly man climbed out of the driver’s seat and looked over at us with a grim expression. He was wearing a green shirt, brown work pants, and a green trucker hat with the same restaurant logo printed on the front.

He looked up at me, passed the brim of his hat.

“What?”

“Your girlfriend’s sick, right? A headache, stomach problems, hunger pangs, weird cravings?”

“Um, yeah, actually-

“Well, that’s because she was poisoned.”

“…come again?”

“It happened back at my restaurant. I accidentally left the wrong oil sitting in my kitchen, and this blockhead went and dumped it into the poor lass’ salad.” He gave the waitress a slug, causing her to let out a squeak.

“… are you for real?”

“Yes. And before you ask, yes, we should take her to a hospital, but first…” While explaining all of this, the man walked around the length of the car and opened the trunk, retrieving two objects.

The first was a large mason jar full a translucent, purple fluid. The second was a stick, about two and a half feet long, wrapped in a gray sack that was tied off at the end.

“… we gotta give her this antidote, and fast. The poison in her body isn’t lethal, but it moves in stages. This antidote will only help if it’s still in the earlier stages.”

“Okay… what’s that for?” Referring to the thing in the sack.

To answer my question, he unties the knot at the end pulls the sack off, tossing its contents at me. “This is for you. Hopefully you won’t need it.”

I catch it by the handle.

It’s a sword. A short sword, to be exact, with a simple design. It’s got a purple sheath with a gold trim and a matching purple and gold handle. I remove the sheath to reveal a real, double edged blade underneath, with a surface so shiny I can almost make out my reflection in it.

I look over at the two of them. The dude is giving me a ‘no, I’m not shitting you’ expression, while the waitress appears to be doing her best to keep her mouth shut.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?”

“Well, if we’re too late, you are going to use that to cut her horn off.”

“What? What horn?”

“Don’t worry about it for now. Where’s your truck. We need to get down to the docks, ASAP.”

“I… you know what, fine. It’s just down the block-”

And just like that, my phone started ringing again. With a sigh, I swing the sword underneath me and lean on it like a cane (yeah, I know I probably shouldn’t). I pull my phone out of my back pocket with my free hand and discover that Ann has decided to call me back.

“Hello?”

“Devin? Is that you?” It’s Kim, and she sounds shaken up. There’s a dull series of thuds going on in the background, and I think I could hear someone groaning and yelping.

“Kim? What’s up? Why are you using Ann’s phone?”

“Um… actually, it’s probably better if you just see for yourself. Can you come back? Ann needs a ride to the hospital.”

At this point, I’m breaking into a cold sweat, and I can feel the old guy’s gaze bearing down on the back of my neck.

“Put her on speaker.”

Sighing in defeat, I do as he says without a word, holding the microphone out so he can speak into it.

“Hello, this is Todd. Sorry to bother you, dear, but I need to ask you some questions.”

“What? Todd? Is Devin still there?”

“Yes, he’s still here. He’ll be headed in your direction in a minute. We just need to know real quick: has she reached the horn stage yet?”

“What?!” Kim seemed shocked by this, frankly random, question.

“On the sides, or in the middle of her forehead, there should be one or more black horns. Am I right, or do I sound crazy?” Hey, I can see you glaring at me. Stop it.

“Well, you do sound crazy… but yes, she does.”

Todd’s brow furrowed.

“That’s not good. We’re out of time, then. Forget the truck, we need to sort this out fast.” With that, he hobbled back over to his car and opened the door to the back seat, gesturing for me to get in.

I hesitate for a moment, while everything that’s happening sinks in. Todd sighs, but without the impatience he had before.

“I know, trust me. I’ll explain on the way.”

Shaking my head, I finally concede, running across the street to join him, with the waitress taking up the rear.

“This had better be a good story, old man.”

He nods solemnly. “You ever heard of something called an Oni?”

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  • 1 month later...

Hey, did you miss me? It’s been so long, I actually had to reread what I already wrote. Sorry about that. 
Unfortunately, since fall has started I’ve been busy with school and being dead, but imagined to put something together for today. Totally didn’t  plan this, you’ll be able to tell. 
 

 

Okay, so that just happened. Devin or whoever that was hung up on me right after that. As worrisome as that would be normally, I have to admit it is a little reassuring that Devin and “Todd” seem to be up to speed. Can’t imagine how, though.

Still, it will be a while before he gets here, so back to the problem at hand.

Due to her larger size and gait, even though we only had to walk a few feet, it was still a bit awkward. I’m guessing Ann’s first step was longer than she was expecting, because as soon as I made that suggestion, she nodded and immediately slammed me into the doorway behind me. I know she wasn’t trying to hurt me, but her body is so fricking heavy now, it felt like she was trying to flatten me.

“Ah! Sorry. Could you, um, like… move over a little. The doorway is too narrow for both of us.”

“*Sigh*, sure.”

Pressing myself against the bathroom door, Ann squeezed past me and lumbered her way into the bedroom, narrowly avoiding the edges of the doorway with her fingertips. That’s just how wide she is now. Looking at her from this angle, it’s pretty obvious she isn’t just fat and taller. Her build has shifted around. Her shoulders and hips are broader, which, weirdly enough, gave her an hour glass figure, albeit one slightly ruined by her new beer belly. Her arms are also a lot beefier than they were before, but not just from body fat. Unlike the rest of her body, her upper arms actually became firmer than before, suggesting she’s also put on some muscle as a result of this. Traversing down for a moment, her calves and thighs seemed to have undergone a similar transformation.

After squeezing her way past me and into the room, Ann nervously glanced around, at her body, the bed, the chair, the floor, and then her body again before sighing and sitting on the floor with a loud thud.

“This… is all me, isn’t it?” She said, tugging at the skin on her arm. To are mutual surprise, it had some give to it, stretching a full extra inch out.

“I mean… that’s what it looks like, I guess?”

“Kim, what’s wrong with me?” She said, pulling her knees inward. She had a guilty look on her face.

“I… don’t know. Look, Ann, this isn’t your fault-

“Isn’t it?”

“What?”

“I mean, if you think about it, everything I’ve done up until now has just made this worse. I came to the party instead of getting some rest, I ditched Devin when I needed him, I couldn’t stop stuffing my fat face no matter how much I tried, and I wandered into the wine cellar even though I knew I’d get in trouble!”

“Oh, boy here go aga- oh, Oh! Um…”

Honestly, this is Ann we’re talking about, so I was expecting a little self deprecation. But now she actually looks like she might break down. Guess I can’t really blame here.

“Ann… look, you couldn’t have known this would happen, and yeah, maybe coming to a party when you sick wasn’t exactly a great plan, but this,” I say, rubbing her shoulder, “isn’t your fault. And look, it’s not the end of the world. Devin’s coming, and he’s all caught up on what’s happening… I think.”

“Wait, what? How? What did your tell him?”

“He was with some guy named Todd who asked about your horn.”

“Todd? But we don’t know anyone named- wait, Todd?! As in Todd’s tackle?!”

“Um, wait, now I’m confused-

“The restaurant Devin and I went to. I ate this awful salad and got really sick, and it was served up by this airheaded cow with strawberry blond hair.” As Ann explained, or rather ranted at me, her spots brighten again, almost like they were glowing, and I could feel warmth coming off of her.

And then it started again. It was happening so fast I could follow it with my eyes. She was swelling up, like an angry red tomato.

“Um, Ann, ok, I need you to take a few deep breaths. What I meant was that Devin is coming to fix thi-

“Just you wait, strawberry! I will have my revenge!”

*rrrip*

At this point, Ann’s shirt had completely ridden up her belly, exposing her deep red navel to the open air, which then proceeded to split the side of her skirt until it fell limply to the floor. Now, I was being given full view of my best friend’s black satin panties, which were stretched across her bright crotch.

I wonder how much eye bleach I’m gonna need to forget this.

Of course, instead acknowledging the loss of this article of clothing, Ann simply proceeded to give her belly an experimental shake with a grimace, before taking a bite of the chicken she’d apparently carried with her into the room with her.

“Righ afer finish ‘is.”

“Sure… go right ahead… You know your skirt fell off, right?”

“My what?”

 

“And then, he started going on and on with some nonsense about Chakras and evil spirits. His English wasn’t very good though, so it was kind of hard to follow. The gist of it was that the oil, in the wrong hands, infects the soul of a person with like… evil cosmic energy, or whatever, which builds up and transforms people.”

“Okay… so what does this need the sword for?”

“Well, the horn is where all the energy builds. It’s like her weak point. So what you need to do is cut her horn off with that sword. Then, all the bad stuff will flow at of the base of the horn.”

“Oh, well that makes it okay then.”

“Well, what would you use to cut a demon’s horn off?”

“I don’t know, a saw? And this is my girlfriend we’re talking about. Excuse me if I’m not comfortable sawing a bone off of her face. Why can’t you do it?”

“I’m getting too old for sword fights, and noodle arms back there can’t even lift a sack of potatoes.”

“Hey!”

“Anyway, I’m not just gonna leave you hanging out to dry. If worst comes to worst, I’ll help you out. Besides, I’ve got an idea.” I turn back to Stacey. “All right kid. Time to earn some hazard pay.”

“… what?”

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

All right. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the big climatic battle! 

“All right, we’re here.” I say as we come within spitting distance of the pier.

Time to do this.

“It’s that yacht, right?” Todd points to the boat with Mr. Larritate’s monkey on it.

“Yeah, it’s kind of hard to miss.”

I looked into the back seat. Stacey remained silent, although if she was trying to put on a brave face, she was doing a pretty terrible job.

I try to think of something reassuring to say, but most of them kind of sound like insults. To be honest, I’m still not entirely convinced I haven’t been roped into some kind of elaborate prank. Or a cult. It doesn’t help that the old guy even admitted his story was half assed because he could barely remember it, but to be honest I’m not sure if it makes him sound less credible based off the way he delivered it.

Either way, I think being pranked is probably one of the better outcomes, considering how weird everyone’s been acting. Ann wouldn’t ask for a lift to the hospital of all places unless she broke a leg, and Kim sounded… well, like she knew something I didn’t, and wasn’t super thrilled about it.

“All right we have to hurry. We’re already well into the later stages.” Todd said, sliding out of the car and breaking into a full sprint.

“Yeah I got it. We need to hurry or else- Crap!”

“What?”

“I forgot about the gate! We need a code to get in, and I forgot to ask Kim for it.”

“Well, call her again! We don’t have a moment to lose!”

“Hey, look who decided to show up!” A familiar voice shouted at us.

“… oh, lord.”

As though waiting to greet us, a short slender figure broke off from the outskirts of the crowd and sauntered over to us. He was dressed formally in a beige collared shirt and brown dress pants with matching loafers, his formal appearance only slightly ruined by his messy brown hair which formed a spiky crest on top of his head, and his beady black eyes which scrutinized my body.

“Hey, it’s Derek, right? What, did you get locked out?”

“Why does- no, it’s Devin, actually.”

“Whatever. You’re here for the short chick Kim was hanging out with, right?”

“Yeah, Ann. Is she okay?”

“Apparently not. Gramps is letting her commandeer the whole boat. Don’t know why though.” He pointed a thumb behind him at the crowd, half whom were seemed to be discussing something with Mr. Larritate and Kim’s mom, and the other half breaking off into smaller groups like Nigel’s.

“All right, thanks. If you let me in, I’ll deal with it.”

“… all right.” Nigel eyes me and my two companions up as the gate opens with a rusty screech, noticing the weird bag in my hand. “Were supposed to be performing tonight or something?”

“Not exactly.”

“Hey, wait a minute. Don’t I know you from somewhere?” He said, turning towards Todd.

“Yeah, I remember you. Bill and I will explain later. Right now, you need go back and help him keep people off the boat.”

“I don’t know. Sounds like kind of a pain. Can’t you guys handle it?”

“I wasn’t asking, son.” Todd meets Nigel’s gaze, and Nigel’s eyes narrowed it in turn.

Then, he made a sound that was either him clicking his tongue or releasing a bemused puff of air (he does it all the time, and I still can’t tell), and turned around, towards the larger crowd.

I just roll my eyes and follow in step behind him. Apparently Ann was somewhere on board, so that’s where I’d have to go if I wanted to deal with this.

But first, we’d have to talk to the big guy.

Working our way through the crowd, we eventually reach the center, where Mr. Larritate was waiting. Upon seeing us, his eyes flashed with recognition. Immediately he broke into brisk stride over to us.

“Ah, Todd! What a pleasant surprise!” He said, grabbing Todd’s hand and giving it an enthusiastic shake. “What brings you here? I thought you said you couldn’t make it.”

“I’m here on business, Bill, you should know that already.”

“Really? What kind of business? If it involves our fishing plans, I’m afraid this vessel isn’t quite ready yet. I was going to make some modifications the engine first, and I haven’t moved any of my good equipment aboard yet-

“Wait, you don’t know why I’m here?”

“Mmm- nope, haven’t the foggiest.” Todd looked like he was about to say something else, but Mr. Larritate’s attention drifted over to me. “Ah, and I believe I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“Uh, right, I’m Devin. Devin Martinez, Ann’s boyfriend. I dropped her off to meet with Kim a while ago.”

“Ah, now I remember. You must be here to pick her up. Do hurry then, best not to keep a lady waiting. I’m having everyone eat down here to give her some privacy.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate. If you’ll just let us through, I’ll take care of it.”

“But of course. Now, Todd, you said you had some business to discuss?”

“Forget it, I’ll explain later. Just wait for us on deck when we’re finished. It might get a little messy.”

“Ah, I see. Not to worry, my friend. I had a feeling tonight would be hectic, so I made sure to take the proper precautions.”

“Yeah, I seriously doubt that- Come on, you two.”

Waiting until we were aboard the ship and out of sight, I finally unravel the twine holding my sword in the bag, letting it slide off before balling it up and shoving it into my pocket.

Walking aboard down a spiral staircase I could hear yelling coming from down the corridor, along with some foot steps. Really heavy footsteps. Todd grabbed my shoulder and put a finger to his lips without making a sound.

Nodding in affirmation, I took a deep breath and stealthily tip toe the rest of the way down the steps, careful to make as little noise as possible. As we get closer, it becomes easier to distinguish the voices arguing, although I can’t quite make out what they’re saying yet. There are two voices, one of whom sounds like Kim based off the occasional “eep!” Coming from the hallway. But the other sounds… odd, like a woman’s voice being put through a filter. It was definitely louder, lower, and clearer then Kim’s, that’s for sure. It was also apparently the source of all the thudding and banging I was hearing.

While we did our best to tread carefully through the living room, the noises coming from the room on the left began to die down, although the shouting certainly didn’t. I also couldn’t hear Kim anymore. That probably wasn’t a good sign.

Sliding against the wall as quick as I could, I leaned up against the closed door to hear what they were saying:

“AND DON’T THINK I FORGOT ABOUT ALL THOSE TIMES YOU CALLED ME HALF PINT, YOU BITCH! LOOK WHOSE LAUGHING NOW, SHRIMP!”

“Ooough!” That sounded painful.

Opening the door just a crack to peek inside while they were shouting, I was greeted by a gush of hot air and a giant block of… red. Looking in from the hallway, that’s what took up most of my vision. Looking more closely, I realized the giant block had a head of long black hair running down its back, which flipped and waved as something wriggled underneath. That thing being a pair of legs in a black dress.

“Ann… your crushing… me…” Kim wheezed in between desperate puffs of air. “I-I give…”

“*sigh*, all right. I guess I can forgive you just this once.”

After a brief wind up, crushing out what little air Kim had left, the red giant lurched up onto her feet. Stretched across a set of two enormous butt cheeks were a set of black satin panties, which I was unfortunately all too familiar with. And as she stamped off to the side, allowing Kim to pick herself off the ground, my fears were confirmed. This woman had an enormous black horn growing out of the middle of her forehead just like Todd described. The tip of which was glowing red, like an iron poker.

Seeing enough, and without shutting the door, I turned back to the group with what I hoped was a concerned look on my face. Todd seemingly got the message, nodding and moving passed me to the other side of the door. Then he turned around and nodded at Stacey.

Stacey grimaced, and stepped out from behind me. Then, taking a deep breath, she pulled the door open.

“H-hey! Lard ass!”

Ann immediately turned towards the door, dropping Kim in the process, whom she was pulling to her feet by her upper arm.

“I-I’m -

“YOU!”

“…What?”

“YOU DID THIS TO ME!”

“N-no, I mean yes, I-

“I’M GOING TO EAT YOU!”

“What?!”

Well, that escalated quickly.

Stacey is panicking now (I mean, to be fair, I guess I can’t blame her). Still, we weren’t expecting Ann to react this quickly. Ann was basically at the doorway before she even finished talking.Todd said that because of the evil energy or whatever inside her brain, Ann should have difficulty making rational decisions. Still, I wasn’t expecting her to outright attack Stacey the moment she saw her.

Before Stacey had a chance to leap out the way, Ann had already reached out and grabbed her by the hand, sharply tugging her arm behind her. Unfortunately, Ann was so big that she didn’t bother squeezing all the way out through the door, instead opting to yank her back in through the doorway by her hand. Standing at almost a foot taller than the tiny woman, Ann was able to keep Stacey’s arm fully extended behind her seemingly without effort. Her black eyes narrowed and nasty grin spread across her round face.

“GOTCHA!” She said, hefting her up and tucking her under her arm like a stack of books. “You know what happens now, right?”

“NO! Please! Don’t eat me! I’m sorry! I promise I’ll- OOF!” Stacey squealed before being cut off by Ann tucking her under her arm.

“Kidding! Relax, I’m not actually going to eat you. But don’t think I’m letting you get off the hook for this.”

Plunking her self down on the floor, Ann positioned herself so as to smush every part of Stacey’s body, save for her head, which was currently locked into her left arm. She then proceeded to give Stacey’s vulnerable scalp a painful looking noogie, much to Stacey’s despair.

“How do you like that, short stack!”

“STAHP!”

Todd sighed, shaking his head.

“Oh for Pete’s sake. Come on, we gotta step in.” He whispered to me, barely making it over the yelling. “I’ll hold her head in place. Get ready.”

“Right.” I say, drawing the sword from the sheath. Weirdly enough, as I do, the sword feels… different. It feels a tiny bit lighter in my hand, like part of my arm was asleep until now.

“You’re gonna wanna use two hands. That’s a two handed sword.”

“Oh, right.” I take a deep breath and get into a good position to dash forward.

Then Todd, makes his move, rushing out from behind the wall. Since Ann is lying down and looking down at Stacey in her grip, she doesn’t react at fast enough. While she’s loosening her grip and trying to sit up, Todd has already side stepped her. Not wasting a single moment, Todd tries to wrap his arm around her neck to put her into a head lock. And that’s when the unexpected happens.

Instead of trying to wriggle free from the grip using her free hand, she instead continues to rise to her feet, hefting Todd’s body up with her.

“ACK! HEY! LET GO OF ME, YOU PERV!”

Again, instead of trying to pry him off using her arm, she instead uses her whole body, turning on her hips to swing Todd back and forth while still wrapped around her neck. And she wasn’t even phased by it.

Todd managed to hold fast, although he was barely able wrap his limbs around her thick shoulders and massive waist. In fact, while she was moving, I noticed Todd’s grip was slipping, not because he was being thrown off, but because Ann’s body was blowing up underneath it. This was proven by the fact that her over taxed top was falling apart at the seams.

However, eventually Ann decided this strategy wasn’t working, and with an smug grin she started backing into the wall behind her in order to slam Todd into it. This was my chance. I had to act before she seriously hurt someone!

Ah… I suppose I might be a little late in that regard, but you know.

The rest of my party is down for the count, which means it’s my turn to act. I step out from my hiding spot, sword at the ready.

In the mean time, before making contact with the wall, Todd actually let go with his legs, using them to brace himself against the impact. Of course, as a result he ended up digging his knees into her back, which actually seemed to hurt her, leaving her stunned. Todd wasn’t doing much better, unfortunately, since he let a grunt from behind her.

I was right in front of them, so I didn’t see much point in getting her attention. As a result, as soon as she finished wincing, a look of surprise came over he face as she saw me charging towards her with a sword in my hands. She put up a bit of a struggle to dodge, but she wasn’t quite fast enough to move what I was actually aiming for out of the way. Before she realized what I was doing, I turned the blade sideways and swung my wrists, whipping the blade around so that the edge made contact with her horn. It connected! And… well…

“Um… Todd? I think I’m stuck.”

To be fair, it’s not like I had a ton of experience using swords to cut apart demon horns. Still, I probably should’ve expected it to take more than one swing. Unfortunately, before I had time to take another crack at it, I felt something really heavy slam itself into gut, knocking me backward. Luckily, the sword was still in my grip, and the impact actually managed to pry it loose. Ann did not sound happy, though, actually letting out a cry of pain as the sword was withdrawn. While I was busy trying to force air back into my lungs, Ann decided she was sick of dealing with Todd and smashed him in the nose with the back of her head.

Finally letting go enough for her to shake him off, Ann turned her attentions back to me. She was livid, her angry sneer showing off a set of pointed teeth, like the mouth of shark.

“Devin, what the hell were you doing?”

“Um…” How do I explain this? “I was taking a swing at you horn?”

“And why were you swing a piece of razor sharp metal in my face?”

“To change you back to normal?” Yeah, I’m gonna be honest, on paper I probably sound crazy.

“Oh, is that so?” Then, instead of yelling, she shifted her stance, attempting to perform a sexy pose to show off her chest… causing her top to split open even further.

At this point, it was just shreds of fabric, barely holding on by a collar held tightly underneath her neck roll.

“You saying you don’t like the way I look now, hm?” A weird smile came across her face.

Oh crap, what do I say now? I probably shouldn’t lie, since she can usually tell when I’m lying, and she’s not as out of it as Todd said she’d be. But the whole truth might make things more awkward, especially after all this is over (assuming I’m still alive). Better go for a drip feed.

While I’m thinking this over, she starts closing the distance between us. I try to stay relaxed in my stance, while keeping the sword between us.

“Well, I mean, I don’t hate it. It has its positives.” I start. “The color isn’t as weird as I thought it would be, especially with your hair color, and I thought I’d be put off by the fangs and the claws, but the fierceness is kinda hot.”

“Really? It doesn’t bother you that I’m red now?” This actually got Ann to perk up a bit. Now that she was this close I also noticed her pupils were dilated.

“Well yeah. Of course not. It’s mostly cosmetic anyway. Although, I am wondering why you’re so okay with this. It doesn’t seem like the kind of look you’d pick.”

“Well, you’re right about that.” She replied, looking down at her lazily flexing sausage fingers. “I wasn’t too thrilled about it at first, that’s for sure. Still, this new look is more than just ‘cosmetic’, don’t you think?

“For example, it’s nice being the tall one for once.” Sure enough, as she stated, she had to be at least good three inches taller than me, since our eyes weren’t quite level. And that gap was widening as we spoke. She was still growing, and growing wider faster than she was taller. At this point her body had a bit of a gourd shape, with her oddly round torso taking up most of her mass, followed by her enormous butt and the zeppelins she had for thighs, and big, heavy bust stacked on top. It was pretty clear from their shape that they had a lot of give to them, but they were also taut, like she was packed full of… whatever she was filling with. Aren’t fat people normally supposed to have cellulite or something?

At this point, she was right in front of me, up against my sword, watching as I examined her body expanding. With a single finger, she nudged the sword off to the side gently to get even closer.

“And of course, you can’t complain about me being so flat anymore, can you, little boy~?”

I really hope I was able to keep a straight face, but I could feel it flushing, so that probably wasn’t the case.

“Here, why don’t I give you a closer look~.”

“Uh-

“Ew, gross!”

“WHO SAID THAT?” Dropping the sultry tone, Ann angrily looked towards the door over my shoulder. Not letting my chance slide, I flip the sword around in my right hand and bring it down on her horn while she’s distracted, this time on the other side. And this time, the end breaks off.

“Eh?” Immediately afterwards, the end of the horn remaining on Ann’s forward sparked and crackled for a moment, before releasing a jet of white flames from out the broken end, blinding me with a flash of light. Luckily, I managed to duck down before she melted my face off!

Opened my eyes through the haze of dark spots, I could see Ann deflating (there’s not really a better way to describe it), with her body pulling in on itself in all directions, until the jet of fire turned into a weak sputtering trickle and finally going out. Leaving her at her original height and a more anemic looking version of her weight. Her skin was still off color, but the shade had toned down into more of a pale pink. She still had her claws and fangs, too.

She gave a few sways before her legs buckled, fortunately falling towards me. I sighed, remembering what Todd told me as I cushioned her fall. She was not going to be happy when she woke up.

I turned around to look at my savior hiding behind the door, completely stunned by what he just saw. And also blinking rapidly from the effects of the light show.

“Thank you, Nigel. Now, would stop staring and fuck off!”

 

Fortunately, everyone else was more or less in good health. Todd actually had it the worst, probably because he was old, but fortunately his nose didn’t seem to be broken, and although he complained about his knees, he was still up and moving around with out too much difficulty. I was also worried about Kim, since she apparently had to deal with Ann the longest. Be she also said she was okay, and I didn’t really have evidence to the contrary.

Nigel got Mr. Larritate what was happening, and after coming downstairs and taking a moment to process what happened, he gave Nigel an earful for looking at Ann mostly while she was naked.

Then there was Ann herself. For the moment, she was wrapped in an old beach towel which did a good job covering her reduced frame, and being pumped full of the antidote Todd had cooked up, a long with some other herbal substances he stated would help rebuild her physique.

“You sure she’s okay? This doesn’t exactly look healthy.”

“That’s because it isn’t. Still, I’ve seen people bounce back from worse. She should be fine.”

“Honestly, I do apologize my good man. And ogress, right under my nose! If only I had known sooner, I would have called you immediately!” Mr. Larritate chimed in from behind us.

“It’s fine. The kids and I were able to handle it. Still, next time you should be more attentive.”

“Also, sorry about the mess Mr. Larritate. I know it was an accident, but if you need us to pay for the damages, I can at least chip in-

“Oh, pish posh. The lady broke a few wine bottles and a lamp. Nothing I can’t easily replace. Although, on the topic of money, there is one thing that concerns me.” As he spoke, Mr. Larritate walked over and retrieved the piece of horn I broke off during the struggle. “We’ll need to be disposing of this. Ogre horns are not to be taking lightly. They sell fairly well in certain markets because of their rarity, but are often used for unsavory purposes. If it’s all right with you, I’d like you to leave it to me and Todd, to dispose of it properly. Do that, and we can call it even.”

“Sure. I don’t really need it.”

“Splendid.”

“And, um, Todd… thanks. For everything. Sorry about your nose.”

“That’s fine. It’s my damn knees I’m worried about. Come on, kid, how much longer are ya gonna lie on the floor like that. You’re gonna need to pick up the slack while I heal.”

“What about me?! Haven’t I suffered enough!” Stacey yelled indignantly.

“Hey, I said I’d give you a raise. You still have to work for it.”

Stacey chose to respond by rolling away from us to face the wall.

“Anyway, um, here’s your sword back.” I say, holding the handle out to him, the blade returned to its sheath

“Keep it. Like I said, I’m too old for sword fights. Besides, you need it more than me.” Todd raised an eyebrow at me. “What, were planning on giving me a call every time you have to deal with this? I’m not always gonna be available, kid.”

“I know, but… I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“Well, that can be fixed. If you’re interested in putting that sword to use, I can get you a few odd jobs where you’ll need it.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Another protégé.” Mr. Larritate chimed back in. “It’s about time you found a replacement since poor Stacey decided to resign. I could also use a bit of assistance in that regard, if you’re interested.”

“… will I get paid?”

“Yeah. I said odd job, not charity work.” Todd responded.

“Then I’ll think about it.”

And with that, the nightmare of this event came to a close. Well, at least until Ann wakes up.

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