One of Us - 3 - Lingered

Story by Reaping on SoFurry

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#4 of One of Us

Synopsis: Ten young, homophobic adults gather for Halloween. Two of them are missing. No matter how much you run away, the bitterness of denial lingers eternally within repressed memories.

The plot thickens! As usual: WHO do you think is the imposter, if there is any (or more than one), in your opinion?

Character list for reminder:

Asher - the marine

Braxton - the (werewolf) footballer

Dimitri - the cowboy

Jennifer - the fairy

Larry - the ghostface

Mathilda - the Cleopatra

Sebastian - the lumberjack

Theodore - the wizard

Victor - the superhero (Captain America)

Wesley - the zombie


~ One of Us** ~**

Chapter 3 -- Lingered

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 12:00 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Theodore smiled smugly as he walked back to the shed. His legs still felt a bit shaky after such an orgasm, but it was more than worth it. A shiver ran down his spine as a breeze gently grazed past him, making him to tighten the warm clothes around him. He was actually glad wearing these ample wizard robes on this chilly evening. He was almost back to the shack when a looming shadow appeared near his destination, holding a weak fire. On his guard, Theo shut his flashlight and stopped moving forward. Furtively, he looked for some place to hide. With barely any hot spot at first glance, he simply mellowed slowly against the shadows of the mansion's walls. From this particular angle, the moonlight wouldn't give his position right away.

The steps of the dark figure got closer until the lantern illuminated the individual -- Sebastian. With a sigh, the short lad moved out of his hiding spot, pointing his flashlight on him. Oddly enough, he wasn't wearing the same clothes as earlier -- he looked more akin to a blue-collar rather than a lumberjack with the orange jacket. Nevertheless, the wizard shrugged it off.

"Hey, bro! What are you doing out here?" Theo asked with a smirk.

"Theo, man! Where were you at? Took you long enough to piss, huh?" Seb spoke back, surprised by his friend appearing out of nowhere.

"Oh, right. Yeah. Well, it was a bit chilly out here, so I went back inside instead." The guy explained, breaking their shared look to play with his eyeglasses -- they were dirty.

A short silence lingered on. Sebastian glared at his friend. Something felt off, but he shrugged it off, figuring he should change the subject. He didn't exactly want to chat about his previous whereabouts either.

"Did you see Jen?"

"No, I didn't." Theo replied, frowning his eyebrows this time. "Should I have?"

"Just asking, man. She still hasn't come back."

"Really? I thought she wanted to do nail stuff with Mathy."

"I dunno, dude. You know, girls and their things..."

Both guys chuckled at that.

"Where's Mathy, by the way? Did she stay in the shed?"

"Yeah, she was getting tired, so I'll let her nap a bit."

Theo's face suddenly paled, which didn't go unnoticed by his pal.

"Don't worry, man." Sebastian reassured. "I'm gonna check on her every once in a while to make sure she's fine."

"If you say so, bro. I've got a bad feeling about all this. Do you too, or am I just paranoid?"

"No, I get it, man. We just gotta stay on our guards."

"Yeah..."

"Yeah..."

Another silence occurred. The two men couldn't bear looking at each other this time, diverting their glances.

"Wanna go check on her, man?" Sebastian asked.

"Who?"

"Your girlfriend."

"I repeat: who?" Theo said, a wide grin betraying his seriousness.

"The one you brought here tonight."

"Oh! That one!"

"You're a jackass, dude." Seb snickered.

"Maybe, but the girls love my jackass cock, bro."

"It just looks big cause you're short, dude."

"If it gets me the ladies, what's the harm?"

"Anyway, let's go for my car."

"Hopefully, Jen did not leave us on foot."

"Then she would lose the game."

"Just like your snoring babe, Seb."

"Our girls are helpless." The tall lumberjack chuckled.

"Girls are helpless. Period."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 12:15 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Do you guys think... that thing got to Asher before us?" Dimitri pondered, feeling his stomach sink at the idea.

"I... I don't know..." Larry mumbled, remorse filling his face. "Oh God... I shouldn't have left him go alone..."

"First, let's not think about that until we're certain about what happened to Asher!" Victor cut off, leading the gloomy quartet, puffing his chest like the superhero he interpreted. "We gotta get out of here before that thing tears us apart! Let's leave, and come back tomorrow when the sun is high!"

"We can't!" Larry blurted out, eyes vitreous. "We can't leave the grounds!"

"Or else what? They'll send that bear after us?" Victor mocked. "Dimi's got a gun! If anything chases us down, we'll shoot it before it lands a single claw on any of us."

"Unless you are the faker?" Braxton growled at Larry. "Are you the fuckin' snitch who's set this all up tonight?!"

"What?!" The gamer cried out, visibly insulted. "I'm no snitch whatsoever, dumbass!"

"That's what the imposter would say." The footballer nagged. "What a fuckin' FAG would--"

"First, anybody with some common sense would say that! Two, I had a shit ton of plans online tonight! I wouldn't have decided to suddenly fuck up my night to play silly hide-and-seek games with you, fuckers!"

"ENOUGH!" The host shouted, stepping in between the fight. "Brax, leave my brother alone! Lar, calm the fuck down!"

"He's the one who..."

"Shut up!" The big brother asserted. "Let's make it out of here before..."

The beast tackled through the pipes room door. The four young men yelled and swore profanities at the sudden but expected outburst. Larry ran away first, going for the door facing the breaker entrance.

"Run, guys! Don't stay there!" The younger brother screamed.

Braxton pulled at Victor's shoulder to get him out of the thing's range. However, the towering creature's eyes shifted toward the firearm wielder. A malicious grin grew on the giant's smile, showing its pearly white fangs.

"This is for Asher!" Dimitri cried as he aimed his gun toward the monster.

The weapon fired.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 12:15 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jennifer was nowhere to be found. The car -- still in the driveway -- was empty. While Sebastian looked out for her through the window, Theodore looked briefly before swaying away. The doors were still locked, giving no insight if the fairy had come here earlier.

"Doesn't look like she's been here."

"Well, her kit doesn't look like there anymore." Theo shrugged. "Maybe she took it inside to our room?"

"Dude, are you hiding something from me?" Seb asked, triggered by the reactions of his friend.

"You're my best bro, Seb! I wouldn't!"

"Right, but you don't have to guts to tell Jen about your 'tutoring lessons' with Hope, Brittany and whoever else, huh?"

"Not so loud, bro!" Theo hushed, blushing red at the accusation.

"Theodore James, YOU are the one making a scene." Seb rolled his eyes. "And if it'd been any other night, I would not have cared -- you know me. But with a faker among us, we can't be too sure about anything tonight."

"What? Are you telling me you think I AM the faker, bro? Bro..."

"There's been some weird shit going on earlier, so don't 'bro' me like that, dude."

"I can't believe it, Seb. You're turning down on me, now? Is it because I tutored Mathy last year in History? Cause I can assure you nothing ever happened between the two of us, bro. That, I swear!"

"No, and no, and no! I already know Mathy doesn't go for tiny guys. I'm sorry, bro. You're right. I'm just confused with what's going on tonight. That's all."

"Eh... if one's gotta be paranoid, Seb, it's me, bro. You didn't do weird shit at all, bro. You're like... the perfect A angel. Besides... even fags have the hot for you!"

The two men burst into laugher, roughing each other up with playful punches until they stopped it out. A chillier breeze flew by and the lumberjack-now-blue-collar shivered, the orange vest doing very little to warm him up. The quivering didn't go unnoticed by Theodore, feeling bad for his half-naked friend on such an unusually cold night.

"Alright, bro. Let's check out on Jen inside. Maybe she did go inside."

Sebastian nodded and the two of them left the vehicle in the driveway to head for the mansion.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 12:15 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wesley had a conscious dream. Smoking weed had the effect of putting him into a trance after the third fag, where he was still awake, but could also hallucinate or envision thoughts and memories. Sprawled on the couch by the undying fireplace, he imagined the darkness of the room seeping away, filled with pure soothing light -- a bright radiant sun in a cloudless sky, shining on Austin City and its surrounding towns. The thoughts of his first day to Middle School in a whole new neighbourhood, the stress with it, came back to him. Wesley watched over himself in these days.

After his father had lost his job as an engineering operator, he fell into depression and drown into alcoholism. Wes's parents would yell at each other at night, keeping him awake for hours rather than sleeping through. His mother eventually vanished, leaving him with an abusive and violent dad who did not even know how to wash clothes or how to make dinner. Each time he saw himself walk on the way to school, the dark bags around his eyes grew more pronounced. His modest garments became messier and dirtier, smellier. He remembered how people used to mock and humiliate him further for his appearance. Piggy-Wes was a nickname that haunted him for years.

As much as he could, Wesley tried to live through these hard times, connecting with his friend Seb only via Facebook and Kik. He didn't tell him everything, hoping not to screw their bond with his negativity -- but also because he feared his father's reaction if he read their exchanges. Hugo Gibbs was the first person he's considered a friend in his new neighbour. They met in High School, by the fence wrapping around the perimeter. Since he didn't want to hear the other teens make fun of Piggy-Wes, he used to eat the few bologna slices for lunch outside.

Hugo was a marginal kid. He dyed his hair, had more piercings on his face alone than he had digits and was smoking weed daily. He was a sophomore when they met, but was actually three years older than Wes -- Hugo had repeated junior year. He was the first to let Wesley know he didn't mind his dirtiness since his nose didn't catch on most smells. He offered Wes his first fag and told the solitary freshman that smoking like him would eventually wear off the reeking musk.

Doing drugs did not only cover his stink, but made him lose fat fast. While not obese by any means, he had always been chubbier than most of his male classmates. By junior year, he had shed off most of his excess weight. He had started drinking with his new older friends, taking pleasure at disobeying his father's curfew at night. His grades went down as he lingered with the nonchalant Hugo and his crew.

Wesley squirmed into the cushions by the crackling fire in the chimney, the outdated memories flowing in front of him like an unstoppable movie.

He remembered the evening in Hugo's apartment. The two of them had had a blast that day -- skipping school, stealing chips and candies from a store before getting drunk. They were both lounging -- Wesley on the futon, Hugo on his bed -- and watching TV. Wesley complained about probably failing junior year as well. Hugo, who started Senior year earlier that year, had altogether just dropped out, fed up with academics.

The audacity of his friend had Wesley admiring him. Hugo was so confident and extrovert. He aspired to become like this man, someday. That very night, in lieu of both beating off to porn like Hugo usually suggested, the punk asked if Wesley would be interested in smoking on his "personal fag" instead. Until that moment, no homosexual thoughts had made him curious enough to conceive something of the sort. The names Hugo called him back then still haunted him to this day.

"Queer."

"Cutie."

"Faggot."

"Babe."

"Homo."

"Hun."

None of the bashful terms came out as derogatory or mean, but as teasings. Wesley, who trusted Hugo with his life, complied to his older pal's request -- whom, then, reciprocated. He didn't hate it. If anything, Wesley had loved it. It was way past midnight, both of them naked under Hugo's sheets, when Wes decided on leaving.

"Stay, Wes."

The high, but oh so masculine, voice of Hugo demanded him. Past and present muddled together, tears ran down on Wes's cheeks.

"I can't. My dad wanted me home by midnight and it's 3 now." Both Wesleys said in chorus.

"Don't go back there. Stay with me, Wes. Here, just you and me."

"I... I can't. See you tomorrow, Hugo."

They never saw each other again. Wes's hair stood still on his arms as he reimagined the scene when he got home. His drunk father waited for him with a baseball bat. Wes had learned to bluff in front of him, but the man caught up a new smell around his son -- mainly his breath.

"I ain't gonna have a shit ass queer for a son!" The words repeated before Wes's screams and pleas echoed through the neighbourhood.

Wes spent a few days in the hospital, learning afterward from his dad that he had taken care of Hugo. Since then, when his paternal noticed him weeping or thinking back to his friend, a new beating ensued. Wesley grew to hate him -- Hugo. All of these beatings happened only because Hugo had forced himself on him -- exploited his young vulnerable self. And yet, every time Wesley remembered that scene, he hurt himself up for it. He longed for that part of him to die with Hugo, to get rid of this heartache he constantly felt after that faithful night.

He didn't even know who Oliver McClay really was. Wesley was a sophomore and he had heard about this younger student being a fag. The same part of him who wanted to kill himself targeted the homosexual and unleashed its own built-up rage against him. He had heard of the consequences his behaviour brought and, instead of facing the implications, he dropped out, a week before his 18th birthday.

Present-Wesley realized his joint was done. The images of his past were still vivid, but the stoner had enough strength to jerk the fag into the fireplace.

"Happy thoughts?" A distant voice echoed to his ears.

It took the smoker a moment to focus on the voice provenance, his vision clouded by the drug's haze. His eyes settled on a giant silhouette by the double doors of the living room. The figure walked closer, holding a glowing object in its hand.

"Seb? Buddy, is that you?" The stoner asked, the image still somewhat blurry.

"Damn, that's what you call being caught with pants down!" A more energetic voice added, grabbing a blinding light.

Wesley's focus shifted a little, Sebastian and Theodore's frames standing out more and more. The mocking sneer of the smaller guy was bursting his eardrums, as if they were combined to the countless laughter of the other kids in Middle School. Wesley shook his head to clear the disturbing thoughts. He tried to bring his hands to rub his face, only to realize he had one of them down his pants, wrapped around his softening manhood.

"Fuck! Dammit!" The stoner burst out, pulling his hand out and adopting a sitting position rather than lying.

His movements were slow and disoriented, as if he had forgotten what gravity was. He heard brief chuckles and some bickering, but instead on focussing on whatever they said or do, Wesley simply shut his eyes and lowered his head, a dull aching hitting it all of a sudden. He came to when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Wes shook it off and used his own to push it away.

"Fuck off, guys. Leave me alone." He grumbled, pulling his pulsating head in his palms, feeling as if it might explode any seconds.

"Calm down, man. It's me, Seb."

"Go away, Seb. I was doing well by myself."

"We definitely saw that." Theo chirped in mischievously.

"Theo, can you fetch Wes some water, man?"

"Alright, alright." The short lad complied, raising both hands in defeat. "Just don't make it too gay while I'm gone!"

As the steps of the annoying nerd left the room, Wes felt his friend roughly rub his shoulder.

"What's going on, man?" Seb asked him, concern written all over his face. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine, dude. Just been thinking about stuff."

"It's all good, man. Don't bother about it. Theo's quirky here and then, but he's a good guy."

"He's still a nerd." The stoner snarked.

Sebastian shook his shoulder while chuckling, bringing his friend to laugh as well.

"Come, Wes."

"Stay, Wes."

"What?" Wesley muttered, eyes snapping open in confusion.

"Don't stay back here."

"Don't go back there."

"Come with us, Wes."

"Stay with me, Wes."

Wesley's face turned pale white, as if he just saw a ghost. Sebastian seemed to dematerialize before his eyes, changing into Hugo instead.

"I... I can't..." The stoner spoke emptily.

"What?" Sebastian's voice suddenly asked back, breaking the imagery.

"Here, drink this, bro." Theo offered him a tall glass of water.

"Do you need painkillers too, man?" Seb added. "Jenny's brought some if you need any, man."

"I'll be fine." Wes mumbled, taking the water against his own will. "Just... leave me alone for a while. Is it too much to ask?"

His childhood friend looked at him with downheartedness. He gave him one last shoulder grip and stood up. Just as Theo and Seb were about to blend back into the darkness, he heard them ask:

"By the way, have you seen Jennifer, Wes?"

To which he answered: "No, I have not" before basking disconnected with reality, plunging back within his memories.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 12:30 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The beast let out a terrifying roar as the bullet hit its chest. A crimson-red glow appeared at the place the pellet touched the furry flesh, without even piercing through. Like a rippling effect, the light spread quickly all across the brute's body, making it lurch and evolve even more into a monster. Its shoulders and stance cracked in a sickening way, widening considerably. Its humanoid clawed feet surged again in size, bearing more and more resemblance to mighty bear paws. The dense red hair covering the creature thickened further, making it look part-Wookie to some extent. The bullet, clinging to the skin, did not pierce through but dissipated into ashes.

"That HURT!" The monster growled.

"The... the fuck?!" Dimitri exclaimed in shock, surprised by the beast talking just as much by the dusted ammunition.

Having nowhere to run to, the host grabbed the bookshelf that priorly blocked his way out of the breaker and knocked it down onto the giant. Files and boxes fell on the creature and the lad used the slight distraction to jump over the desk, scattering countless papers all around the dark room.

"Come on, Dimi!" Victor encouraged him to get into the other room -- the reunion room.

After shutting the door closed and bypassing the table, the four young men barged into the bar where the beast previously ravaged the liquor shelves. Upon noticing the destroyed displays that his parents showed off to their friends and colleagues, Dimitri feared the future wrath Larry and himself would receive from their folks -- dying to a Wookie didn't look so bad after all, then.

"AHHH!" Larry groaned in pain, slipping and dropping the pumpkin on the floor, its light stifling off.

"Hush!" Braxton hissed until he realized what just happened.

"My foot!" The lad moaned, trying to keep balance while standing on a single foot.

Dimitri used his flashlight to look at his brother's foot, bleeding abundantly -- a glass shard stuck in it.

"What did you do?!" The older sibling asked, unable to hide the panic in his voice.

"The glass!" The footballer hit his own head in reminiscence. "Careful, there's broken glass all over the floor!"

Dimitri moved his light for the ground, noticing many bottles of booze and liquor shattered all over the place. He considered himself lucky in that instant to wear his dad's boots. Even if they were undersized for him, it was a price he didn't mind to pay rather than have a piece of glass go through his foot.

"Why are you barefoot?!" Dimitri exasperated.

The host suddenly glanced back at the meeting room as something loud broke down in there. The imminent thuds of the beast grew closer to their emplacement.

"I was in my room! Why would I have--...?" Larry started, the stinging pain clouding his judgment.

"Let's go!" Braxton commanded, grabbing the injured guy onto his shoulder and leading the way back into the theatre.

Larry gasped, taken aback by the footballer's sudden altruistic action. While Braxton was strong, carrying the wounded brother proved no easy feat. The rush of adrenaline probably contributed to why he could lift him without too much difficulty. The quartet barely made it in the next room when the monster caught up with it.

"Stop right there!" Its powerful voice boomed in the darkness.

"Make one more step and I'll shoot you--...!" The cowboy warned, targeting for the head.

"Are you really going to shoot your best bro again, Dimi?" The beast heckled with a mocking laugh.

"W-- what?!" Dimitri exclaimed in shock, lowering his aim.

"Don't listen to him!" Victor shouted.

"Oh, will you shut up, Vic!" The creature growled in annoyance, approaching the superhero.

"Don't you move!" The host ordered, stepping in between them and threatening the red monster with his shotgun. "What did you do to Asher?!"

"Haven't you figured it out yet, bro? I am Asher."

"That's... that's impossible!" Dimitri cried, starting to tremble. "You're not Asher!"

And yet, the longer he looked at the massive bear of a man, the more Dimitri could see bits of his missing friend into him. The red fur, the bushy beard, the stance, the playful expression... the cowboy shook his head, aiming for the monster's face once more.

"You CAN'T be Asher!" He denied, his very core on the brink of surrendering to tears.

"Wait, Dimi!" Braxton intervened before turning back to the proclaimed missing friend. "If... this is really Asher... then that means, Asher was the imposter all along, right?"

The three other men looked the accuser when the beast burst with laughter.

"And why would that be me, Brax?" It mocked.

"You... you turned into this... werewolf or bear thing!" He blurted out, feeling cheated on. "You were the fucking queer all along!"

Asher's chuckling grew sour and his smirk faltered. How ironic of the werewolf footballer to call him that way.

"Are you really that stupid, bro?" The monster snarked. "Even if I knew who the imposter was, I would not tell any of your dumb homophobic asses!"

"A-- Asher! We gotta cooperate! What happened to you? How... how can we turn you back to normal?" Dimitri asked.

"I have been turned by the imposter -- I lost the game." He answered with a toothy grin. "Perhaps you'll learn a lesson or two when you'll lose as well!"

"That's enough!" Braxton shouted.

The footballer put the agonizing Larry on a theatre seat and went for the host. He tried taking his gun away, intent on using it on the monster proclaiming to be Asher.

"Stop it, Brax!" Dimitri struggled.

"That thing's tricking with us! It's not Asher!"

"Wait! We don't know! Maybe it's..."

"You're too naive, Dimi! Hand me your gun!"

"No!"

The fighting men tumbled on top of one another, wrestling for the firearm. Their fall resulted in detonating a shot across the room.

"Stop it, guys!" Larry pleaded. "Victor! Stop them! Do something!"

The weapon rested on the floor next to the tackling boys, hitting at each other with fists. Victor, scared to look away from the monster, tried telling the battling men to cease bickering -- to no avail. The door leading upstairs suddenly opened drastically, two figures coming in.

"What's going on, here?" Theodore called, barging inside first.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Sebastian asked, noticing the two buddies roughing each other up on the ground.

"It's Asher! The monster's Asher!" Dimitri cried, spiting some blood.

"No, it's not! We gotta kill it before it kills us too!" Braxton chimed in, his nose bleeding out on top of his childhood friend.

"Monster?" Theo gasped, looking around.

"There!" Victor pointed toward the bar's door.

But there was no more such thing. The creature which had called itself Asher was gone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 12:50 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wesley couldn't believe how much of a dumbass he made himself look like in front of the guys -- especially in front of his childhood friend Sebastian. He chuckled at his own self, he was a whole joke on itself after all. He glanced back at his stash on the short table and wondered if he should make another joint still. As much as he hated his past with Hugo, smoking weed was part of a secret yet forbidden pleasure he longed for. After a few puffs, the flow of memories that assailed him soothed him in remembering the bliss from that night.

He heard a loud banging sound, like a detonation. The noise plunged him back into his recollections, to the time his father threatened to take his life with a gun. The scenery changed to another one, completely imaginary, where he saw Oliver McClay standing in front of him, in some unknown room. The teen was the epitome of the fag stereotype -- his feminine features and clean hairless skin were complemented with blue eyes and dyed blond hair. His plump lips called for sucking cock and the stiff yet awkward grin of him cried for the annoying gay lisping. Wes wanted to bang his head on the wall, to obliterate every part of the queer that reminded him of his secret.

And yet, when he saw the guy raise a gun to his own temple, an afflicting emptiness filled the stoner. In a futile attempt to prevent the incoming suicide, Wesley tripped and fell from the couch as a detonation echoed once again in his mind. He began to sob uncontrollably. He was used to seeing these haunted visions when he smoked, but somehow they hit harder and more painfully tonight. Was it because of how he had been outed as a murderer earlier in front of his friends? He's always hated the homosexuals since his father's beating, yet there was one thing he detested above them all -- himself. He had tried to believe the death of Oliver would bring him some peace, as if he had killed the very part of himself he despised from it.

But no -- it was still there. Deep down, he had loved Hugo. If he had just one more chance, a way to go back in time and, this time, stay rather than leave, he would do it in a heartbeat. Each moment he sank into these visions, he had hoped to finally overcome this profoundly rooted fear of staying.

"Why are you crying, Wes?" Hugo's voice asked.

"Fuck you! I'm not crying!"

"Could have fooled me. What's going on, Wes?"

"I... I wanted to stay." He sobbed, his eyes wet and unfocussed. "I'm... I'm tired of running away! Of running from you! Of running from myself!"

"...then, stay with me, Wes." The voice said.

Wesley burst into tears and dropped to his knees. He clutched at Hugo's legs, their warmth comforting him.

"I've... I've always wanted to be with you! I was young and stupid! Will you ever forgive me, bro?"

"I'm not the one you have to apologize to, Wes."

"You... you're right. I should forgive... myself."

No answer, but the hands of his imaginary lover caressed his mop of dirty hair.

"I just... I just want to lay there with you. To fool around, get drunk, watch movies, smoke fags... I just want to be with you, Hugo. Like in the good old times..."

"Do... you want to smoke on my fag, bro?"

"That's so gay, bro..." Wes actually chuckled at their past reference. "But for you, I'd do anything, Hugo."

"...then get going, bro. No homo, right?" The voice chuckled.

"Right. No homo, bro."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Sunday, November 1st, 2020 -- 1:00 AM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jennifer checked her delicate nails with a wide smile across her face. The new polish she's applied earlier was finally dried up. The pumpkins and ghost patterns she alternated between her fingers looked gorgeous. Sitting on the bed in the guest room she would have shared with Theo for their stay, she had been following the latest Elle magazine she had bought for her nightly read before sleep. The time it took to dry her nail polish was inexorably long, but at least she had her book to entertain herself, in the meantime.

Deciding to take a moment to appreciate the view of her 20 painted nails in a large mirror, she entered the bathroom next door. Lantern in hand, it actually proved to be easier to maneuver and do her things rather than holding a flashlight.

"I'm such a genius!" She mumbled to herself with a smug smile.

Upon seeing her body in the glass, she was greeted with a surprise, however. Her bulb-like hair didn't retain its shape and had deflated into some awkward, flattop, poison mushroom.

"So much for having a good time, huh?" She commented.

She hadn't thought of how hot she could get when having fun. She tried to pull the form back up, but there was nothing to do. She would need more hairspray for that, which was in the first-floor bathroom while she was on the second. She didn't want to walk by stoned Wes again. However, she also figured the man was probably harmless anyway with that much drug in him. She knew how to defend herself anyway if anything went wrong.

Jennifer grabbed the lantern on the counter and headed out to the hall's mezzanine. She descended the steps, holding her light and humming an improvised tune when moving shadows and odd noises caught her attention in the living room. The double doors were ajar and the sounds that came from there were definitely intriguing. She actually could have gone directly for her destination under the staircase, but her curiosity took the best out of her.

Softly, she approached the doors and peeked inside the room. To prevent a loud gasp, she blocked her mouth with her free hand. There, by the fireplace, Wes was on his knees... giving a blowjob to a gigantic creature. Moreover, as she witnessed the devious scenery before her, she saw Wesley's body changing -- mostly growing.

The man filled his ample costume, then passed it still. The zombie clothes, already damaged when Wesley arrived, tore further, exposing parts of his slim but increasingly hairy build. The watch around his wrist snapped and fell to the ground in a dim clatter. His forearms and biceps inflated like pumped balloons. Wesley's back stretched in all directions, especially upward. Whereas the red-hair monster receiving a blowjob appeared about seven feet tall, in comparison to the nearby doorframe, the one on its knees slowly had to lean more as it picked on a staggering height. The old tramp jacket split across the upper seams, revealing how broad Wesley's shoulders were getting.

The overused sneakers around the lanky giant's feet burst, attaining a size that would rival a basketball player's. As they reached further on the ground -- thanks to the lengthening shins -- , Jennifer gasped in horror at the growing menacing claws jutting out of each toe, scraping the floorboards of the living room. The audible screeching made by these only made her slowly falter with unease. The groans of the standing monster intensified, becoming louder and more demanding. He was about to cum.

Jennifer watched silently the scene unfolding before her eyes -- it looked as if it came from a nightmare. With a powerful growl, the burly behemoth ejaculated. The one on its knees moaned through the oversized organ that filled his mouth. Copious amounts of semen dribbled on the floor, the dripping echoing in the room with rallentando.

Feeling enough sober to know she was not imagining things, Jennifer understood. This wasn't just a silly game anymore. This whole thing was real. And anyone who would lose would eventually turn into a monster like these. The massive red furred beast pulled out from the now gigantic but still slender Wesley, whose eyes shone scarlet with the same devilish aura.

"Avenge the gays!" Wesley cheered with a new, deeper timber. "Convert the homophobes -- until there are none!"