The Swamp
My stories are copyrighted, so NO takee!
The Swamp
By William W. Kelso
The two rental cars pulled up into the cracked and weed overgrown parking lot of the abandoned liquor store. It was awhile before the occupants got up the nerve to open the doors. They sat idling with the AC's going full blast, the occupant's dim shapes visible behind the tinted glass.
"Bruce, are you SURE this is the right place?" Patricia asked in an angry voice.
"Yes M'am, Bruce replied, this is the address I was given, and the directions match." God he hated babysitting these corporate wieners, but the pay was good.
"Patricia, Mandy whined, this place is nasty! Are you sure this is the land the company bought?"
Patricia sighed, Mandy was a good secretary, but was pretty much useless otherwise, the little clean freak. "Yes, I knew it would be swamp, but didn't think it would be THIS bad, and it's in the middle of nowhere!"
"Reminds me of Jurassic Park, Bob said, yell if you see a dinosaur, or a great big hungry crocodile! They swallow you whole, slurrrppp!"
"Crocodile!?" Mandy squealed.
"Bob, STIFLE IT!" Patricia hissed, she was not in the mood for that kind of crap right now.
In the other car, a sub compact of course, Janet and Stan were about as enthusiastic about their surrounding as the occupants of the Lincoln. Being a junior engineer and surveyor they got the budget stuff.
"Are they really serious about draining this cesspit and building condos here?" Janet asked.
Stan replied, "Oh yeah, it's the up and coming thing. Once the swamp has been drained and filled in this will be premium real estate. They buy it for nothing, spend a little 'improving' it, and make a killing selling it. They even paid off the local EPA officials on this one. Smooth sailing, all the way, no worry about rare bugs or anything. Don't know why they dragged us along though; we can't do anything without the proper equipment."
"They just want us to look around and then tell them how great the place is." Janet said, "We're just window dressing."
"OK, Stan said, we've looked, it's great, let's go back to the motel, get a drink, and take a swim in a nice cool pool."
"I second the motion, Janet said, but it's up to El Supremo and the head bitch."
"Yeah, Stan said glumly, and I'll bet Captain Commando will want us to go for a run and calisthenics or something. He's such an asshole."
"Yeah, Janet said, the two ought to get married; they're perfect for one another. Don't let him hear you say that though."
"Oh, don't worry, Stan said, I'm always respectful and a good little soldier when he's around, I want to live to collect my retirement, thank you very much. Maybe we'll get lucky and they WILL get married and go to live in Africa or something, they'd probably like it over there terrorizing the poor dumb natives."
"Yeah, Janet giggled, he'd be Tarzan, she'd be Cheetah!"
Patricia looked out the window at the jungle like surroundings; everything was perfectly still, not a breath of air stirred. Well, might as well get it over with. She said, "Well, come on, let's go gang."
"You have GOT to be kidding!" Mandy squealed.
"NOW! Move it!" Patricia said, as she opened the door and stepped out onto the cracked asphalt. The heat and humidity hit her like a wet pillow. Good God, she thought, it must be at least 100, and that's in the shade! In just a few seconds she felt sweat prickling on her face.
Bruce wasn't bothered much by the heat, he'd seen worse in the service in South America and Afghanistan, it was the humidity that really got to you. Already he had sweat stains under his armpits. He looked at his companions in their designer dresses and trendy suits, well, this should be interesting. His own heavy boots, jeans, and cotton shirt were much more practical. So what if he wasn't a fashion statement.
Bob wasn't bothered terribly either, he'd always liked creepy crawlies like weird bugs and things with scales. He was worried about getting his Italian leather shoes dirty though, and at least they'd be in the shade, he burned easy.
Mandy was disgusted, she hated dirt and bugs, and it was hot and nasty!! Why had Patricia dragged her way the Hell out here anyway?? She'd much rather be back at the hotel, online. This sucked!
Janet and Stan sighed as Patricia gave them a 'come on' wave, and obediently got out of their car. The dragon queen had called, they must obey.
The all gathered in a little group and gave their leader questioning looks. Well, we're here, we're miserable, now what? All accept Bruce; he didn't care one way or the other. He would do as he was told, that's what they paid him for.
"Well, let's have a look around, Patricia said, but stick close together. Wouldn't want to get lost out here."
"Yeah, said Bob, if the crocs don't get you, the quicksand will!"
"Quicksand!?!" Squealed Mandy.
"BOB!" Patricia snarled, giving him the evil eye.
Wusses, Bruce thought.
They looked at the old liquor store, but didn't go inside as the roof had collapsed. Mandy practically hung on to Patricia's sleeve; much to her annoyance, and the others stayed in a loose group, Bruce being the only one that was fairly 'adventuresome'.
"OK, said Stan, we all agree, the place is a total dump, now what?"
"Hey, Bruce called; I found a path, well, kind of."
Patricia walked around behind the old store to see what Bruce was talking about, and sure enough a rather vague path meandered back into the swampy ground behind the old building.
"Want me to check it out?" Bruce asked; anything to get away from these whiners for a few minutes.
"Go ahead, Patricia said, but take Stan, he's the engineer."
Gee thanks, Stan thought, as he followed Bruce. At the least the path was fairly dry; which wasn't saying much as his clothes were already drenched in sweat and his shoes were squelching.
About a half an hour later they came back; and Bruce said, "We found a house, kind of, and I think someone is living in it."
"Actually it's more of a shack, Stan added, but he's right, someone's home."
"What?? Patricia said; there isn't supposed to be anyone living here. We'd better go take a look. Come on, and that means everybody!"
They made their way down the faint and hard to see 'path', following Bruce who didn't seem to have any problem following it. They eventually came to a small raised 'island', and sure enough a large shack sat on the highest ground, faint smoke drifting from a rusty tin stovepipe.
"What a charming dump. Bob said, I wonder if the wicked witch is at home."
She was, Old Betty had known the second the strangers entered the swamp, and curiously she opened the door and looked at them. She didn't get many visitors, at least hadn't had any for a very long time.
"Ewwww", Mandy said, sidling behind Patricia.
She looks like the Crypt Keeper's mom, Bob thought. The others just stared with varying degrees of curiosity, fascination, and revulsion.
Patricia looked at the old, really old, woman, who was looking out at them through the partially open door. Skinny to the point of skeletal, wispy white hair, small, hunched over, wearing a baggy bag of a dress. Her skin was pale, but she looked like she was at least part black from her features. She looked like she wasn't a day over a 110.
"Whatch youse want?" Old Betty asked, squinting her eyes against the brighter light outside the shack.
"Um, lady, Patricia said, what are you doing here?"
"Whatch youse mean, ah live heah! Old Betty cackled. But I'se being rude, ya'll come on in, get out of the sun. You get the heat stroke in this heat. Come on." And she disappeared back into the dimness.
Patricia raised an eyebrow and stared at everyone else, who raised their own eyebrows and stared back. Don't look at us, you're the boss, they seemed to be saying. OK, she thought, here goes nothing.
She was the first one in the door, followed by Bruce, then Mandy, then the others in no particular order. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the inside dimness of the shack she wished she hadn't. Mandy latched onto her with a squeak as the contents were revealed. "Let GO!" Patricia hissed, as Mandy's fingernails dug painfully into her arm.
The others gathered around her in a loose group and stared around. The old lady was sitting in an old overstuffed chair looking at them with a neutral expression on her wrinkled old face. The shack was quite large, and every nook and cranny was crammed with junk, and...things. Bundles of dried; or drying, plants and what looked like weeds, skins, odd pieces of china and pottery, glass jars; empty and full of things you didn't want to take too close a look at as they might look back, odd shaped pieces of wood, and all manner of bric-a-brac and junk. It looked like a combination herb shop, antique store, flea market, and rummage sale.
"You all wants some tea?" Old Betty asked, squinting at her visitors. City folk, she thought. Still, they was guests, so best to be polite.
"Um, no thanks, Patricia said, pretty sure she was speaking for all of them. No offense, er, M'am, but what are you doing here?"
"You done asked that onecet already, Old Betty said, and I'se told you, I'se lives heah! This heah is mah home."
"Um, no it's not, Patricia said, my company owns this land."
"Girl, Old Betty said with a cackle, and slapped her leg, I'se lived here since befo yo mama was born, and don't NO one own de swamp! Dat's a good one, own de swamp! Hee, hee, heeeee! Wheeezz, cough."
"Let's get the HELL out of here! Mandy whispered in Patricia's ear, she's crazier than a fruitcake!"
"With nuts." Bob added.
Frankly Patricia was inclined to agree, but if the old lady really did live here and had a deed or land grant that could mean trouble. That's all they needed, a legal battle.
"Look lady, Patricia said, we bought this land from the state, if you have a claim or deed you need to take it up with them."
"I ain't got no deed or nuthin, Old Betty replied, getting mad, I'se lived her all o'mah natural life, don't need no piece o'paper from some shyster lawyer to says what is and ain't mine. And de state don' own nothin out heah!"
Well, thought Patricia; that pretty much solves everything. "Be that as it may, she said, you have to leave. In a few weeks the workers will arrive to start draining the swamp, and the place will be leveled and filled in.
Old Betty cackled, "They done tried to 'civilize' the swamp befo, din do'em no good, no how! Now GIT!"
"Look you crazy old nutjob, Bruce said, stepping forward, you have to leave like the lady said!"
A large black snake that had been watching the exchange closely; unseen so far in the dark under his Mistress's chair, slithered out and reared up with a loud hiss to protect her.
"Holy crap!" Bruce yelled, and brought his steel capped and heeled boot down on the snake, crushing its head, the snake writhing violently as it died.
"Nooooo, Sammy!" Old Betty wailed, bending over to pick up the dying snake, holding it to her chest. She could feel the life leaving it, and she raised her head and looked at the arrogant city folk, and hissed,
"Ya'll ain't welcome heah! Git OUT o' my house! The swamp, it gots ways o' dealing with problems, takin care o'itself. You'all is marked now!" Then she turned her attention to the feebly twitching snake. "Oh Sammy, my sweet!"
They left, rather hurriedly, jamming the door on the way out. After a few minutes Bruce said,
"OK, we can stop running now, she isn't chasing us."
"Great going Jungle Jim, Janet snapped at Bruce, had to go and kill the old ladies pet snake! What a jerk!"
"Damn thing tried to bite me, Bruce said, it could have been poisonous!"
The snake probably would have died if it bit you, Stan thought, but didn't say it loud as he didn't want HIS head stomped on.
"Who cares about that horrid old woman and her nasty snake, let's get the HELL out of this place!" Mandy mumbled.
The rest of them pretty much agreed with that sentiment.
Bruce carefully examined their surroundings as they made their way back to the old liquor store parking lot. He'd honed his instincts while serving as a soldier and mercenary around the world, and he felt like they were being watched; it was way to quiet, even for a swamp in the midday heat. But his sharp eyes saw nothing. They reached their cars, and drove away, all of them feeling greatly relieved that their 'adventure' was over with.
Old Betty sat cradling Sammy, tears running down her face. "I'se sorry baby, she said as she stroked his slick black scales; the old snake had been her companion for as long as she could remember, they din half to do dat, you din mean'em no harm, no how. But they gonna pay, oh yes dey is, de swamp gonna see to dat, with some hep from me. Own da swamp, de very idea!"
She took the snake outside and buried him next to her shack, after first carefully removing a few of his scales. Then she went back inside, it was time for some conjuring, yassuh. She would call to the spirit of the swamp for help and justice, and she knew it would respond. It had taken care of her all this time, but she knew that time would soon be up, she was tired. She tinkered around gathering up what she would need, but she already had the main ingredients. Even as her 'guests' had been leaving she'd taken the first step, and she opened her hand to reveal six long strands of hair. One from each, it had been a simple spell. What she would do wasn't none of that Voodoo crap, it was far older and elemental then that, the crazy black's what messed with that stuff didn't know what they was messing with. But she did, the swamp had taught her. Every since she'd run away from the big house when the Yankee soldiers burned it she'd lived on her own in the swamp, ever since she was six years old. Her white daddy had gone to fight the Yankee's and never come home, and they'd raped and hauled off her Mama, and when a soldier tried to rape her too she'd run into the swamp and been there ever since. For a long time folks; colored and white, had come to her for doctorin and conjures, but that had stopped a long time ago. Didn't no one believe no mo, just her. Well, she'd make believers out of those six city slickers, sure enough. But this would be her last big conjure, she still had enough power for this. She had to run out in the swamp for some of the ingredients, but had most here. She carefully mixed various substances into six small bowls made of clay, added the 'main' ingredients to each, then put them in the center of a intricately drawn diagram in a circle in the middle of the shack that had no floorboards, the rich black dirt of the swamp being exposed. She sat the bowls on the dirt, called the spirit of the swamp and conjured, and then watched as the bowls crumbled and sank into the dirt leaving no trace. It was done; they belonged to the swamp now. Now all she had to do was wait, she was so tired. She settled down in the old chair some kind soul had left by the side of the road many years ago, wishing Sammy was there to coil up in her lap.
"Well, that was interesting", Bob said as they ate dinner at the diner next to the rather dumpy "Motor Lodge" they were staying at, it was the best one in the little nothing town; actually it was the only one, which wasn't saying much.
"Interesting isn't the word, Mandy said, more like disgusting! That nasty old woman and her pet snake! Creepy!"
"Well, Patricia said, I'll give the local country Mounties a call in the morning and get her out of there. She belongs in an old folk's home, or nut bin, anyway. Probably has all sorts of medical problems, poor crazy old dingbat."
"That was mean, killing her pet like that." Janet mumbled, but not too loudly.
"Did you see the stuff in those jars, Bob said, one had a frog with two heads! It moved, I think it was still alive."
"Sorry, wasn't paying that much attention", Patricia said.
"Ewwww!" Mandy said.
Bruce looked around the shabby diner carefully, he still had a feeling they were being watched, a kind of almost palpable brooding presence. The sooner they got the Hell out of this burg the better. If he didn't have to babysit the five executive types he'd have blown this place already.
After dinner, which was surprisingly good and they were all ravenous, they split up and headed for their individual little 'cabins'. None of them had ever stayed in a place like the 'Motor Lodge" before, it had been built back in the 1950's, and not much in the way of improvements had been added, except for cable and internet access. Janet thought it was quaint, Mandy thought it was nasty, and the others didn't express any opinions one way or the other. At least the private cabins were comfortable enough, and each had their own room. Patricia liked her privacy, no one wanted to stay with Mandy, and the boys had stayed together in one room in the city and weren't about to repeat that nightmare. At least it was cheap. So they said their goodnights, and went to get a good night's rest in air conditioned luxury. In the morning they'd drive back to the city, catch their flight, and leave for home.
Bruce bolted the door to his cabin and made sure the windows were all well secured, and then he took out a 9mm Glock; which he wasn't supposed to have, jacked in a round, and laid it next to the bed in easy grabbing range. He still felt uneasy, and kept looking over his shoulder. He didn't bother to take a bath, just stripped down to his shorts and got in bed, and lay looking at the ceiling until the monotonous hum of the AC window unit lured him into a deep, dark sleep filled with strange and disturbing dreams. Outside a mist was rising from the swamp. At first just a wisp here and there, but it slowly thickened.
Janet took a short cool shower, got in her jammies, and settled down to read a bestseller for awhile, but after about an hour had to give up as it was getting hard to keep her eyes open and her stomach felt a little queasy. She took some Tums, and slipped into the nice soft bed, and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her dreams were strange and disturbing, but she didn't wake.
Stan had a nice long soak in the old porcelain tube, which was actually big enough for once, and slowly fell asleep in the nice cool water. The occasional mosquito that found its way in didn't bother him as he slept soundly, his eyes moving rapidly under closed lids.
Mandy threw her sweat stained and stinky clothes in her laundry bag with a grimace of disgust; she'd probably have to throw them away! Then she took a long hot shower and scrubbed herself until the hot water started running out, her skin almost raw in places. God, she hated this place! The heat, bugs, dirt, it was all so nasty! How could anyone live out here!? She made sure the door was locked and window shades nice and tight, and then got her 'play toys' out of her carry-on bag, and taking her favorite dildo pleasured herself for awhile. It was much better then with a man, and much cleaner. Sex was nasty. She slid the dildo in and out of her pussy, faster and deeper, until she brought herself to a very nicely intense orgasm, and then took another quick shower before putting on her nightdress and going to bed. Better not be any bedbugs, she thought, as she drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of a dark wet place of pleasure, and moaned and turned in her sleep.
Bob got cleaned up, ate one of the candy bars which he was never without, and got on line and played WoW for awhile, but since the connection was spotty finally gave up. Since there was squat on the TV he finally just stripped down to his shorts and hopped into bed, and was soon snoring loudly with his mouth open, a poor passing mosquito being sucked in to a horrible death. He dreamed a dark formless dream in which he felt he was being watched, stalked by something he couldn't see.
Patricia stripped out of her sweat stained clothes with a sigh of relief, and took a nice cool shower. She slipped under the sheets in the nude once she had dried off, she liked to sleep au-natural. She liked the feel of the clean sheets against her nipples and pussy. She'd thought about putting the moves on Bruce, he was a hunk, but he was also about as smart as bag of hammers. Maybe tomorrow night, he probably was a great fuck. Usually it took her awhile to fall asleep, but this time he fell into a deep, but troubled, sleep. In her dreams it felt like someone, something, was calling to her.
Outside the mist rose, growing thicker as it crept from the swamp into the small town, being thickest around the Motor Lodge cabins, swirling from place to place almost as if it was looking for something. None of the locals were much concerned, swamp mist; or fog, was common enough. They might have remarked how dense it seemed to be in that one spot, but since everyone had gone to bed long ago there was no one up to make the comment. Slowly the mist penetrated into the cabins under doors and through cracks, first swirling on the floor in thick eddies before rising up the sides of the beds. Once there it flowed over the beds to the sleeping people, and into their mouths and nostrils in a steady stream like they were inhaling smoke, continuing even when they breathed out, and no one stirred. This continued for awhile, until the mist in the cabins was gone, only the mist roiling around outside remaining. The night was quiet and still, waiting.
Bruce, sweating heavily, began to writhe and moan as his body started to undergo fairly rapid changes. His skin turned soft, then hardened and began to peel away in places to reveal black scales, dirty white bands forming on his belly and neck. His spine kinked and popped, stretching as a tail began to push out from its base, and his legs began to atrophy, his toes growing together as they began to pull into his body, as did his arms. He tried to wake up, subconsciously knowing something was very wrong, but sleep refused to release him from its grasp, at least not yet. The tail became longer, his legs and arms continuing to shrink as his hair fell out leaving his now scaly head slick and black as he shed his now dead human skin. Finally, with a gurgling moan, he managed to drag himself back to awareness; and rearing up tried to scream as he saw his body, but only gave a loud squealing hiss, forked tongue licking over thin hard lips, his tail flailing about. He waved the stumps of his arms and legs; that now ended where his elbows and knees had once been, frantically, not able to believe what was obviously happening to him; that he was turning into a snake, a big black snake. He tried to call for help, but his hisses, though loud, did not carry very far. The phone was useless, even if he managed to pick it up he could no longer talk. He watched helplessly as his legs finished drawing up into his body leaving no trace, his now much longer tail hanging off the end of the bed, his sex having disappeared into a fold between two of his dirty white belly bands. With a despairing hiss he rolled over onto his stomach, and lifted his head as his lower jaw began to flatten and push out as his shoulders disappeared, his arms now mere flipper like paddles that drummed uselessly against the bed as his neck pushed out, then they too slowly disappeared into his now long round tubular body. He hissed in discomfort as his head flattened and broadened as his snout finished forming and the change came to an end. The huge snake lay there in shock, emotionless reptilian eyes not revealing the utter terror of the human mind trapped in a reptile's body. And he became aware he wasn't alone as another presence slowly seeped into his mind and merged with it despite his desperate efforts to resist the invasion. Sammy lived again, but was also Bruce now. Slowly the large snake coiled on top of the bed, resting his head on the top coil as he pondered his/their new existence and life, the only movement his forked tongue as it flicked in and out randomly.
Janet gasped and moaned as her body twisted and changed, dark grey and white fur spreading across it as she started shrinking, a pink hairless tail pushing out from under her panties. Her face began to push out into a muzzle, two large chisel like teeth forming in the center of her top jaw as the rest of her teeth began small fangs. She gave a squeak of pleasure as more breasts formed on her lower stomach as her shrinking human ones slid down lower, and as her vagina took on a new form. Still fairly large she suddenly snapped awake as her dreams released their hold, and sitting up wondered why her pajama top was so loose, and what was she sitting on?? She reached up to scratch her muzzle with her pink hand with the long claws, and froze, then gave a shrill squeak of terror as she realized she was becoming an animal, and with even more horror realized she was quickly becoming a...RAT! With a squeak she tried to get up, but was tangled in her now much too large sized pajamas and panties. By the time she was able to fight her way loose she was only two feet tall, and as she hopped off the bed she finally stopped shrinking at about one foot, and couldn't reach the phone as she clawed at the stand squeaking in terror.
Stan slept on in the bathtub in bliss, unaware his body was softening and settling into a new form, soft white skin forming on his belly and thighs, green rubbery skin with black splotches spreading across his back as his head began to flatten and broaden, his mouth becoming a large long slit. His toes and fingers lengthened and grew thinner as flaps of skin grew between them, his hair falling out to float in the water around his now mostly inhuman body. As he started shrinking his head slid under, and choking he woke up and grabbed the edge of the tub, which now seemed more like a swimming pool. He blinked his large bulbous eyes, and said "Ribbit!??" He held on to the edge in growing horror as he slowly shrank until he was a rather large bullfrog, and grunting and croaking in panic managed to drag himself over the edge of the tub and fell to the floor with a wet splat, and gathering his legs under him crouched there, his throat pulsing as he stared around trying to understand what had happened to him. "Ribbit?!?"
Mandy tossed and turned in the bed uncomfortably as her skin began to ooze a thick black mucus like slime as it turned rubbery, causing her nightdress and the covers to stick to her body. Her fingers began to soften and drew into her hands until it looked she had balled up her fists, but the now featureless lumps had no definition, their surfaces quivering like black jello. Finally she woke up, and sitting up gurgled in horror at the sight of the black muck soaking her body and nightdress. Oh God, she thought, I'm filthy!! Where had the nasty slime come from?? Did some bug get in bed with her??! ! With another loud gurgle she got up, her legs feeling strangely rubbery, and staggered into the bathroom. She managed to turn the shower on, at least enough for it to run a little, and sliding off her nasty sticky clothes, what the HELL was wrong with her hands??, stepped in the shower. She grabbed a bar of soap, but with a squeal of pain threw it as far from herself as possible, it had burned her! She felt her legs suddenly go jelly like, and with a gurgle slowly slid down in the corner of the shower, the lukewarm water drizzling over her. She rubbed her increasingly limp and boneless feeling arms across her breasts and stomach trying to wipe off the horrible black stuff, trying to scream but only producing horrible wet sounding squeals. She writhed and squealed as her legs slowly grew together into a soft floppy tail, gurgling in terror as her pussy disappeared into the slick rubbery black skin without a trace along with her large breasts, and finally she could only lie there squirming helplessly as her arms drew into her body. Oh God, oh God, she tried to scream, what's happening to meeeee, but only mewled wetly and drooled as her mouth became a round gaping churning maw lined with small razor sharp fangs, a long tube like tongue slobbering and licking in and out of it as she stared in horror. Her eyes were the last to change, fading to mere black bumps, little more than photo receptors able to tell the difference between light and dark. Slowly the giant leech began to shrink until it was about six inches long, frantically crawling and flopping around the shower floor in panic as the warm water kept it moist. Every now and then it raised its hideous head and gave a faint mewl of terror and disbelief.
Bob didn't notice at first as his body began to swell, his shorts tearing as they gave up the fight to contain his increasingly bulk. Heavy leathery skin and thick scales spread across his body, yellowish colored bands forming on his stomach and chest. His arms and legs changed shape and shortened; his toes and fingers sprouting heavy claws. His spine pushed out into a thickening tail, and with a moan he rolled over on his stomach as the raised ridges forming on his back and tail became uncomfortable. With a grunt he woke up, and realized he was staring at the headboard of the bed, his arms and legs uncomfortably splayed out at his sides. He grunted as his jaws suddenly began to push out and his head felt almost as soft as putty as it flowed into a new shape, his changing eyes moving back and up on the sides, his hipbones snapping as they assumed new shapes and slid into their new configuration along with his other bones. He clacked his jaws with loud hisses as he tried to call for help, whipping his now long and fully formed tail violently back and forth, shattering the luggage stand. He reared up on his front legs and turned his head as much as he could, and realized in stunned disbelief that he was now an alligator! What the HELL!?!!? He shifted and tried to pick up the phone with his now stubby and clumsy fingers, but just knocked over the stand. Giving an angry hiss he tried to accept what had happened, he knew it was real, horribly so. He was now a reptile. But how, WHY?? He opened his mouth and gave a deep grunting bellow.
Patricia suddenly sat up in bed, but she was still asleep, her head lolling. She was having a marvelous dream in which a lover; whom she couldn't see for some reason as he appeared to be some dark unseen presence, made love to her, caressing her whole body at the same time, sensuously pleasuring her. She slowly raised her head, still sound asleep, as she slid her fingers between her legs and began to stroke and caresses herself, and as the dream intensified she slid her fingers inside of herself and began to finger fuck her pussy, moaning in pleasure as her dream lover caressed her body. Slowly, still pleasuring herself, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, moved to the door, opened it, and walked into the misty night, her nude body moving through the mist like a ghost as; moaning in pleasure, she moved into the swamp.
Bruce/Sammy's new feelings, instincts, and needs slowly flooded into his now inhuman mind, and he began to look for a way out of the strange place in which he had found himself. Finally he pushed through a corner of the seal around the window AC unit until; his long slender body sliding through, he dropped to the ground, and then quickly he disappeared into the tall grass and weeds as he headed for home. Bruce gave up trying to fight, giving in to his new needs and desires, the merging was complete and he was now Sammy, though he retained memories of another life now gone forever.
Janet, her mind starting to fade into something simpler, managed to get out of the cabin by enlarging a small knothole in the paneling, and once inside the wall quickly found a hole under the eaves through which she escaped. Her new needs and instincts were calling to her, irresistible, she needed something, and went to find it.
Stan sat and croaked for awhile, then hearing other frogs calling begin to look for a way to reach them. A crack behind the toilet allowed him to squeeze through and drop to the crawlspace under the cabin, and with a happy 'ribbit!' he hopped towards the beckoning swamp in long graceful bounds, his last one taking him into the stagnant water with hardly a ripple.
Mandy blindly found her way through the shower drain, squeezing her soft rubbery body through one of the holes, and flushed by the running water was washed out into the sewer which eventually dumped her into the swamp some ways from the Motor Lodge. With sweeps of her tail she swam through the still stagnant water, her terrible hunger driving her to find her first meal, and soon she latched onto to good sized alligator and began to feed along with other leeches. She felt total revulsion for what she was doing, but had no choice. As the cool blood flowed into her stomach she shuddered in an almost sexual ecstasy, she had never tasted anything so good, and gorged herself as the alligator swam through the warm water.
Bob, retaining a little of his once human mind for now, didn't know what to do, he had to find help! He tried to get out of the cabin by pushing at the door, but it held firm, and the windows were too high to reach. So he finally crawled under the bed, hissing in frustration. As he hid in the safe darkness he felt strange needs and feeling wash over him, and slowly his mind devolved into something much simpler, but still aware he was supposed to be something else.
Patricia, still sound asleep, walked through the warm humid night, the moon shining on her pale nude body, one hand rubbing her nipples, her other busy between her legs as she dreamed of her dark lover as he took her, made long slow love to her. She deftly avoided any fallen logs, quicksand bogs, or other hazards as she was guided into the heart of the swamp. A place was being prepared for her.
Old Betty woke with a snort, and looked around sleepily. It was almost over, she had watched them change in her dreams, but now it was time to meet the final one. She gave her butt a scratch, and then headed out into the swamp, moving with causal familiarity through the deadly terrain. She had no fear of the other creatures that shared the night with her, they were her friends. She reached the clearing just before the sleep walking woman arrived. She sat down on a fallen log and got comfortable, and as she was getting settled she looked up as the nude woman slowly walked into the clearing. The woman reached the center of the small muddy clearing, and stopped, moaning in pleasure as she kept lewdly fondling and fingering herself. Betty wished she still had titties that nice.
Patricia finally reached her destination, and moving to the center of the clearing stopped. In her dream her 'lover' began to fuck her even faster, and she begin to rapidly approach orgasm as her fingers sped up, her other hand rubbing her hard nipples as she moaned and gasped in sexual euphoria. As she did the ground began to bubble and churn, and she started to slowly sink as tentacles made of the very earth, slimy with rich black mud, began to coil around her legs and move up her body. She sank to her knees and stopped, and then gave a deep throaty scream as she had a massive orgasm, and as the last wave of intense pleasure crested and faded she woke up with a start. If she hadn't been held up by her sunken legs she would have fallen over she was so shocked and disoriented. What, where was her lover, where was SHE??!!?? She pulled her hand out of her sopping pussy and looked at it in confusion. Oh my God, she realized, I'm outside, and I'm NAKED! What the fuck?
Patricia looked around in growing confusion at the small clearing, the light of the full moon making it almost as bright as day, but with a silvery tint. She felt something warm and slick caressing her legs, and looking down screamed as she saw the wet black tentacles working their way up her legs, and as she screamed the first one found, and slid into, her still quivering pussy, and her scream turned to a gasp of pleasure as the warm slick invader plunged into her sex. With a moan she clawed at it, but her fingers just pulled through the black mud and slime of which it was composed. Seconds later the second tentacle penetrated her asshole, and she groaned as the soft powerful invader slid deeper and deeper into her bowels. Whimpering from the horrible pleasure as the one in her pussy kept sliding in; gently rubbing against her pussy lips and vaginal muscles as it filled her womb, she pulled at her legs, but they wouldn't budge. She looked up and saw the old lady watching her with an expressionless face, and said,
"For God's sake don't just sit there, help me! Get help!"
Old Betty didn't say anything, just kept watching.
Patricia screamed as she started to sink again, being slowly drawn into the soft rich earth up to her waist, her pussy sliding beneath the surface even as the tentacles continued sliding in to her as she writhed in pleasure, oh God it felt wonderful, and she gave a guttural scream as she orgasmed violently. But now she could feel something happening to her, her legs were burrowing deeper into the soil, she could feel them, but she'd stopped sinking! What was going on? She wriggled her now much longer and thinner toes in the warm moist ground, and moaned in horrified pleasure as she realized what was happening. Oh my God, I'm taking ROOT! Looking down she watched as her skin began to darken, a mesh of rough scaly patches appearing. Moaning she tried to dig herself out, but her arms began to stiffen and slowly; as she lost control, began to rise over her head as if reaching for the moon that bore witness to the ongoing horror. She looked around frantically, and remembering the old woman, screamed at her,
"Please, please help me!! Oh God, oh God, what's happening to meeeeee!!!??"
"Youse part of o' de swamp now, Old Betty said, it's making youse a part o' it, a part o'its dark soul. You and your fancy city folk friends, youse all parts of de swamp now. But there always be a part of you what will know you ain't always been dis way. Yassuh, and you be dat way de rest o' time, so long as dis place exists, livin as critters dat don't evah grow old or die. You done said you own de swamp? Hah, de swamp, it own you, body and soul!"
"NOO, PLEASE, NOOOO!!" Patricia screamed as her body continued to harden and her arms began to split and branch, her fingers growing longer and longer, splitting again and again. She could feel the swamp continuing to pour into her body, changing her from the inside out; and screamed as she orgasmed again and again. Rough bark grew over her breasts as they faded to lumps before finally disappearing entirely, leaving a still human face staring out of a rapidly growing cypress tree as her branches sprouted leaves and her canopy took form, her thickening body growing upward. "NOO, Please, NUUMFF, help, UHHH, MFFFF!" she moaned, staring in horror at the old woman, pleading with her eyes for her to make it stop, to save her. Nooo, she'd didn't want to be a tree, a plant!! She felt her blood thickening into slow flowing sap, her heart beating slower and slower until it stopped as it too changed, and her screams faded as her vocal cords turned to cellulose and the bark flowed over her face and eyes leaving only the faintest outline from which muffled whimpers came for awhile until the thickening trunk swallowed that last faint trace of her humanity. She continued to grow and branch out for awhile until she was over eighty feet tall, Spanish moss drifting down from her limbs. With a final rustling of leaves the rapid growth ended, and the night grew quiet again. A soft creaking came from the tree as it shuddered, and it was over.
Old Betty got up and walked over the new swamp giant, and gently patted the gnarled moss covered trunk, which trembled slightly at her touch. She could feel the human soul trapped inside, knew it was fully aware.
"Tha's right, Old Betty said, youse always know. But it won't be so bad; de swamp it take care o' you and youse friends, foevah. Now I got's to go, needs to get these old bones some rest, that were a right powerful conjurin. Welcome to yuh new home missy."
Bruce slithered through the undergrowth, he knew this was wrong, that he wasn't supposed to be like this, but the other mind who shared his body knew where it was going and it was in charge.
Janet had found; and been accepted, by a pack of swamp rats who had a lovely burrow under an old tree trunk. She squealed in pleasure as the alpha male mounted her with a squeal of pleasure of his own as he welcomed the pretty young female to his harem. He was big and strong, and she gave herself t to him eagerly. She remembered, knew who she really was, but could not refuse the instincts and needs of her new body, and the male's hardness inside of her felt so good, and she squeaked in pleasure as they mated.
Stan sat on a water lily, adding his own booming croaks to the chorus the other bullfrogs around him were producing. He was much larger than most of the rest of the males, and figured he had a good chance at getting his pick of the females when the nearing breeding season started. Part of him was appalled at the unnatural lust he was feeling as he remembered who he used to be despite the limitations of his new simpler mind, but there was nothing he could do about it. He gave another booming croak
Mandy had chewed a hole in the alligator's tough hide and was eagerly drinking the rich blood, trying to satisfy her ravenous hunger. The alligator didn't even know she was there as it moved leisurely through the water. Finally; her hunger satiated, she pulled lose and swam to the muddy bottom of the swamp. There she joined other leeches, and a male quickly found she was receptive, and they squirmed and writhed together as they mated, her maw open in a silent scream of ecstasy as he fertilized her eggs. Her mind was horrified by what was happening even as she quivered in pleasure. This was disgusting, how could she be doing this?? Her 'mate' was a vile squishy THING, filthy and dirty! But he gave her such pleasure, and she gave herself over to the primal lust and euphoria of their joining as they rubbed and ground against one another, her new needs stronger than any inhibitions her still partially human mind might have. Soon she would lay hundreds of eggs, her blood meal nourishing them. Then she would feed, mate, and lay her egg again in a never ending cycle, and she would always remember who she had been, and what she was now, the horror never ending.
Bob hid under the bed until the cleaning staff came around to the rooms in the morning. They were confused when they found the cabins to be unoccupied, the guest's cars still in the lot and their personal belongings untouched. There was evidence of what might have been violence in a couple of cabins, and most had messes of some kind, but nothing special. The cleaning lady who opened the door to #7 received a Hell of a fright when a large alligator came charging out of the door, hissed at her, and then disappeared into the swamp with a large splash. The authorities never did find out what happened to the six missing folks from out of town. Some of older folks had a bit of an inkling though. Eventually the newest project to develop the area fell through, and the swamp was left alone like always.
The swamp welcomed its newest 'children', adding them to the assortment of other changelings that made up part of its dark primal soul. They would remain with it always, never dying, never growing old. It was a simple life, and in time they might even forget they had ever been human.
Old Betty looked down as she felt something rub against her leg, and with a big smile picked up the large black snake and let him coil in her lap, and she hugged his thick scaly body while he hissed in pleasure. "Oh Sammy, she squealed, I'se knew yew'd come back to me! I'se missed you baby." The snake's only response was to hiss even louder and lovingly flick its forked tongue over her face; she had taken care of him for as long as he could remember, ever since he'd almost been eaten by a crane when he was only a few inches long and a few days old. She looked deep into his expressionless eyes, and said,
"I'se can see youse in there mistofer, but ah reckon it wert only fair youse give mah Sammy a new body since you done kilt his old one. But don't worry none, Sammy don'mind sharing and I'll take real good care of youse both. Ah thought mah time was up, but looks like de swamp don'wan let me go just yet. Fine by me! Now, let's find youse a nice fat rat, or a couple o'juicy frogs! Mm,mmm, would youse like dat Sammy? Momma's so glad to see her baby again, yes she is!"
The only thing a little odd about the new cypress tree in the middle of its own little clearing not far from the cabin was that every now and then it would quiver and shake a little bit even if there was no breeze, mostly on the nights of the full moon, and if you listened closely you might hear a muffled moaning sound, but it never lasted for long.
The End
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