Out of The Well, part 2 (Patreon)

***** Here is the second and final part of the latest collaboration with ChaoticDjinn.  If you haven't already, be sure to give his page a look! *****

“Is that...that’s Chris, but who’s that with him?”  David put a hand out to stop Brad as they turned a corner onto a small balcony, his rough palm colliding with the massive, granite slabs of the other man’s chest.  

“Who?  Lemme see!”  Brad muscled his way past, craning his head as best he could on his thick, absent neck.  The formerly proportional jock still wasn’t used to the way his heavy new body moved and would have stumbled forward if his taller friend hadn’t grabbed him.  He shivered at the sensation, his small-by-comparison cock still throbbing in the tight lycra that had replaced his basketball shorts.  Below them in the grand ballroom he could see Chris, but with him was an athletic looking young man he didn’t recognize.  “That’s definitely Chris, but who’s the fuckin’ bro with him?  Do we say something?”  

David wasn’t sure how to proceed.  They’d been creeping through one dark hallway after the other, constantly on alert for the hideous creatures who’d somehow warped their bodies.  Both men tried not to think about their current predicament as they made their way.  They were inches away from collapsing into helpless, shell-shocked puddles, their adrenaline and stunned denial the only things keeping them moving.  There was a desperate hope that once they got outside everything would go back to normal, but they couldn’t do that until they found their friends.  “Let’s just…” 

“Chris!”  Brad’s yell cut off David’s word of caution.  The tall blonde just sighed and shook his head as the beefy Brad lumbered to the edge.  

On the floor below, Chris and Matt jumped so hard at the unexpected voice they nearly fell over.  Chris reached out and grabbed Matt, instinctively drawing closer to his inflated friend.  

“Jesus, Brad, you scared the shit out of…”  Chris’s voice trailed off, his startled brain finally catching up to the fact that his friend didn’t look the way he should.  It was hard to tell in the diffuse light filtering in from the stained glass overhead, but Brad looked wider, and his clothes were different.  “Brad? Is that you?”  

“It’s us,” David said, stepping out of the shadowed hall.  “Who’s that with…shit!” he gasped, finally getting a good look at Chris’s companion.  “Matt?!  What the fuck, man?  Is that you?!”  

“Yeah, it’s, uh, me,” Matt said awkwardly.  He had to bite back on the unaccustomed “bro” he wanted to add at the end of his statement.  

“What happened to...oh, fuck, not you guys too?”  The hulking Viking pointed to the mound of muscle next to him.  “There’s something in here, guys.  It did this to Brad and…” he trailed off without mentioning his own alterations.  

“Yeah, we know,” Chris said flatly.  “It nearly drowned me and it turned Matt here into uber douche.”  

“Did you see it?  What’d it do to you guys?”  Brad said, completely ignoring Chris.  

“I just told you!  It…” 

“It’s cool, babe, I got it,” Matt said, motioning over a broadened shoulder for Chris to be quiet.  “It came outta nowhere.  Tall fucker with these lanky arms and it fuckin’ floored us, bro.  Like, one second we’re shooting footage and the next I’m watching it drag the princess here into the other room.  I tried to nut up and beat it off,” he paused, laughing at his usage of “beat it off”, “but it got me too, dude.”  The formerly lean man’s face went beet red when his friends just stared at him in silence and he processed the way he’d been speaking.  “Fuck!  It…” 

“Just stay there, okay?  We’ll come down to you guys.”  David wrapped a hand around as much of Brad’s thickened forearm as he could and pulled the waddling ginger behind him.  Now that they’d found their friends he just wanted out.  

“Can you slow it down, man?  Your legs are longer and mine don’t work like they used to,” Brad whined, stumbling as he tried to keep up.  

“Sorry, I just want to get the hell out of here as fast as we…” the tall man came to an abrupt stop, still nearly bowled off his feet by the boulder that was Brad, even at their slow pace.  

“What…”

“Sshhhh!” David hissed, pointing towards an open door.  It was pitch black on the other side.  “That door was shut before,” he whispered.  

“Fuck!  Fuck!”  Brad stammered, his brawny frame trembling.  “What do we do?”  

“Let’s just tiptoe past real quiet.”  David started inching forward, wincing at the sound of Brad’s heavy footfalls behind him.  “I said ‘quiet’!” 

“That’s easy for you to say!  I’m like three times the size I used to be!  I’m doing the best I...can…” As he whispered, Brad watched the darkness begin to spill out of the open doorway and into the hall like a physical presence.  Tendrils of inky liquid snaked along the floor and ceiling, curling around the threshold to spread their way across the dizzying wallpaper.  

“Fuck it! Run!”  Still holding onto Brad, David took off in a full sprint, pulling the wrecking ball of a man in his wake.  The darkness erupted like a geyser just as they passed, spilling into the hall like a flood.  “Come on!” 

Brad stomped along as best he could, unable to wrap his brain around how difficult the simple act of running had become.  The athletic young redhead should have easily outdistanced the burly blonde, but each plodding step felt like he was fighting his way through molasses.  He may have had enough muscle to curl a hatchback with one arm, but anything requiring speed was clearly out of the picture.  

The two managed to stay a step ahead of the darkness, reaching the top of the ornate stairway just as Chris and Matt went bolting past into the dining room below.  

“It’s coming!  Hurry!” Matt yelled up at them, pointing at the approaching wall of darkness in the next room over.  

David and Brad didn’t descend the stairs as much as they fell down them in a controlled manner, but they managed to dart into the dining room and slam the door just as the darkness collided into the other side.  For the first time, Brad was grateful for his additional bulk as he leaned against the door and held it in place against the flurry of blows that crashed against it.  The thick oak held, and after a few moments the relentless pounding subsided.   

“What the fuck is happening?!”  The lumbering ginger shrieked when they were sure the creature had moved on.  “Look at us!”  

The four exchanged stunned, pale looks as they took in each other’s new appearance.  Matt had bulked up, but on the surface it was Brad who’d changed the most.  His three friends didn’t know what to say at the sight of the impossibly muscled beast where their handsome friend should have been.  

“Do you even lift, bro,” Matt finally laughed, slapping a bicep the size of his head.  “Sorry,” he said quickly when the attention shifted to him.  He scratched at his frosted tips, his own inflated arm flexing impressively against the tight polo sleeve that left his new ink exposed.  The motion caused the too-small shirt to lift, showing off the washboard abs that would have made his former pretty boy hosts look out of shape by comparison.  “I don’t know what’s happening to me...when I talk it’s like I’m turning into someone else.”  

“Okay, so we’ve got ‘roid monster and Jersey shore,” Chris said, looking David up and down.  “What about you?  How come you look the same?”  

“What about you, gorgeous?”  Brad laughed, interrupting Chris before David could answer.  “You fall face-first into a makeup counter somewhere?”  

“Fuck...fuck you!” Chris stammered, hating the way his heart started racing when the other guys looked his way.  “It’s not funny!”  

“It’s kinda funny,” Brad said, clomping over to his friend and lifting a meaty paw to the side of Chris’s painted face.  “Does it come off,” he asked, running a thumb along Chris’s bright red lips as he sniffed at the air.  “What’s that smell?  Is that...you?!” He grinned again when his friend’s face turned bright red under his makeup and goatee.  “Makeup AND perfume,” he laughed, giving Chris’s tight rear a pinch.  “What about the rest of you?”  Without warning he grabbed his friend’s shorts and underwear, tugging them down in as quick a motion as his oversized arms would allow.  

“Hey!” Chris chirped as his thick hose and hairy balls fell free.  He reached down to cover himself but didn’t pull the clothes back up.  “What the hell, man?”  

“Is that...are you glittery?”  Brad asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the slight shimmer on Chris’s skin.  His friend looked as if he’d used lotion with body glitter in it, but the beefy man’s attention was more focused on the girthy package his friend was barely concealing.  “Take it easy, babe,” he said, finally looking away.  “It’s a legitimate question.  Just ask David.”  

The blonde giant squirmed when everyone looked his way.  “Uh, yeah.  I, uh, I mean the monster...it…” 

“Just show them,” Brad interrupted.  

David took a deep breath and undid his pants, letting them drop to expose the empty panties underneath.  

“Fuck!  Bro...that’s a pussy!”  Matt cried, pointing at the flat, lacy fabric.  

“I’m aware,” David spat, confused by the eager thrill he felt watching Matt lick his lips as the other man stared at him.  

“I thought I had it rough,” Chris said, giving his equipment a reassuring squeeze.  

“Awww, is princess jealous?  I’m sure David’ll let you borrow his panties,” Brad laughed.  

“What about you, bruiser?”  With a burst of agility that Brad used to possess, Chris slid behind the mountain of a man and tugged his small lycra shorts down.  “I don’t see much going on in your shorts either,” he started to laugh until he saw the barely visible head poking out between Brad’s colossal new thighs.  Instead of humour, the oozing rod filled him with another emotion entirely.  

“If you wanted to see if you could have just asked,” Brad said, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Chris in a vice-like grip.  “Want a closer look,” he asked, grinding the throbbing pole against his friend’s twitching hose.  

Instead of pulling away, Chris heard himself giggle unintentionally as he squirmed in Brad’s unbreakable grip.  His friend’s presence wasn’t just physically overwhelming.  Something about being pressed up against another man was triggering a new response in him, and before he realized what he was doing, Chris had his arms wrapped around where Brad’s neck should have been and was leaning in for a kiss.  

A few feet away, Matt and David only half watched the two men’s strange new behaviour, their attention still more focused on each other.  The tall blonde still had his pants around his ankles, and Matt hadn’t stopped staring.  

“How’re things on your end?”  

“Huh?”  Matt jerked his head up to meet David’s eyes, blushing.  “Sorry, bro.  It’s just fuckin’ weird, right?”  He lifted his polo and flexed his newly acquired abs, the waist of his plaid boxers popping against the fake tan.  “I used to wonder what it’d feel like to have muscles the way those fuckers did,” he laughed, nodding his dyed hair towards the writhing pair.  “Feels good!”  

“That’s...not a bad look for you,” David said, his voice suddenly hoarse at the sight of Matt’s altered underwear sticking out above his jeans.  

The enlarged man followed David’s eyes to his waist and flashed a smug grin.  “Dude, I haven’t looked yet,” he said excitedly.  “Feels big, man.  Real big.”  He quickly undid his pants and shoved them down with his loose boxers, marvelling at the thick club dangling between his muscled thighs.  It was long and thick, hanging close to nine inches from bush to head.  “Check it, bro!  I’m a fuckin’ stallion,” the formerly shy man boomed.  

David couldn't’ believe what he was seeing.  Just a few hours ago he’d been the most hung of the group, and now he found his mouth watering at the sight of Matt, of all people.  He watched the heavy package twitch and sway as Matt groped at it, feeling his control rapidly slipping away.  

Without another word, he stepped forward and pushed Matt’s hand away, replacing it with his own.  “Whooooaaaa,” Matt laughed.  “Someone’s eager to take a ride!”  

David stayed silent, focusing on Matt’s arrogant, dull smirk as he worked the other man’s club to its full length with one hand and pulled his panties down with the other.  He hadn’t been able to finish with Brad earlier and his altered body still ached for release.  With a quiet grunt he pulled Matt towards him, slipping the thick cock inside.  

“Shhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit,” Matt groaned, staggering backwards with David until the burly blonde slammed into a wall.  “Fuck, bro, does this make me straight now,” he laughed, bucking his hips to jam the monster organ deeper inside.  

David could only gasp and writhe against the wall for support, trying to wrap his brain around a Matt that was the same size as him.  He should have towered over his friend, both in terms of height and bulk, but now Matt was on his level.  The man he had his arms wrapped around was broad and solid, adding to the confusion he felt.  David was still horrified by what was happening to all of them, but at the same time, his body relished every second of it.  The scent of his friend’s new, cheap cologne, the rough wallpaper scratching his back as he squirmed, the way the pants around their ankles tangled together; his senses were hyper-focused on all of it.  He loved the way Matt’s inflated bubble dimpled in his hands with each bliss-bringing thrust, and the way his friend’s full, altered lips pursed lustfully.  

Over Matt’s shoulder, David could see Chris and Brad in a similar predicament.  The oversized ginger was flat on his back with Chris bouncing on his widened lap.  The makeup covered stud looked small compared to the exaggerated lump of flesh beneath him as he worked himself as best he could on what little of Brad’s exposed poker there was.  Both experienced Ladies Men, he could only imagine what was going through their heads.  Chris had to have been more than a little panicked to find himself so eager to get another man inside him, and he knew Brad had to have been frustrated at his inability to do little more than lay there while someone else did all the work.  

Matt seemed to have no trouble picking up where they left off, rolling his hips in perfect rhythm until he and David were about to explode.  “Bro...oh fuck...bro...I’m gonna blow…” Matt whined.  

“Me...me too…” David stammered, his beefy muscles bouncing up and down from the other man’s rapid-fire hammering.  “Don’t...don’t stop!  Fuck...keep...keeeeEEIIIEEEEE!”  David howled, his every muscle locking up like he’d stepped on a live wire.  The pressure that had been building gave way all at once, like the walls of a dam had caved in.  He gasped and clutched at Matt, his stomach fluttering at the look of pure, animalistic bliss on the other man’s face as he launched his own load.  

Above them all, the stern-faced man looked down from his portrait, watching the debauchery unfold.  

“Oh fuck, man...what’d we just do,” Chris asked as he caught his breath.  His spent cock was softening against Brad’s solid gut while his friend wiped the glistening liquid from his bulging pecs and chin.  

“Holy shit, babe, you were great,” Brad panted, lifting his head up from the ground as best he could.  He pinched Chris’s thigh, unable to actually reach his friend’s solid bubble.  

“Would everyone please stop calling me babe,” Chris whined, sliding off Brad’s lap.  

“Whatever you say, hon,” Brad said, struggling his way upright even with the other man’s help.  “I don’t get why you’re so worked up.  It’s a compliment.”  

“What’s Chris harping on?”  

“I’m NOT…” the rest of Chris’s protest went unspoken when he turned and saw the softening monster between Matt’s thighs.  “Fuck!”

“Dude...give me a minute and we’ll talk, bro,” Matt laughed, tugging his boxers up.  Behind him, David was less enthusiastic as he pulled his lacey underwear and pants back into place.  “Well, that was somethin’” Matt sighed, scratching at his sculpted new pecs.  “Anyone else hungry?”  

“Starving,” Brad said as Chris pulled his shorts back into place for him.  “Thanks, sweet cheeks.”  He gave Chris’s bare bubble a slap as the other man pulled his shorts on.  

“Look, can we please focus?!  We still need to get the fuck out of here,” Chris fumed.  “Those things could come back any second.”

“Guys, we need to focus,” David said, fastening his jeans into place.  “Those things could come back any time and we still need to get the hell out of here.”  

“That’s what I just said!”  

“Shhh, honey, please,” Brad said, giving Chris’s ass a soft pat.  “Do we just try for the front door?”  

“What if those things are still out there?”  Despite his anger at being ignored, Chris leaned into Brad at the thought of what could be on the other side of the door.  

“Those things could still be out there, but we can’t stay in here forever.”  Matt gave his frosted new hair a once-over in the window, adjusting where it had fallen out of place during his romp with David.  “I say we try the front.”  

“Not like we have many options,” David sighed as the group gathered themselves.  He checked the edges of the door for any of the seeping blackness and found none, but the thought wasn’t as much of a relief as it should have been.  It felt too easy.  

“Let me, bro,” Matt said, stepping in front just as David was about to open the door.  “Fuckin’ monsters can come at me if they want some more of this.”  He flexed his free arm and slid the door open with the other, peeking out into the dim foyer.  The sun was setting outside, making it hard to tell which shadows were natural and which could be something else.  “I don’t see anything, dudes,” he said, opening the door the rest of the way. 

“It can’t be this easy,” Chris said as they hurried towards the front door.  

“Who cares as long as we can get out,” Brad countered, struggling to keep up with the group.  They made it halfway across the foyer before David motioned for them to stop.  

“Guys...I think we should head back…” he said, his eyes fixed on a patch of darkness next to the front door.  

“What?!  Why?!  The door’s right there!” Brad started to force his way through the group just as a familiar, gangly form skittered out of the shadow, blocking the door.  “Fuck!  Back to the room!  Back to the...shit!”  

The group turned to find another one of the creatures blocking the entrance to the dining room, and a third was lurking at the top of the stairs.  They turned as one towards the grand ballroom only to find a fourth waiting for them just beyond the door.  

“Fuckers are everywhere, man,” Matt yelled, pounding a fist against his inflated chest.  “You bitches want some more of me?!  Huh?!  Come get it assholes!”  

“Shut the fuck up and run!” David growled, grabbing the back of Matt’s pink polo and dragging him along.  There was an open doorway next to the stairs, their only option at this point.  

“I ain’t fuckin’ running man! These pussies are all skin and bones, they ain’t got shit on my pythons!” Boasted Matt, flexing his impressive biceps.

“Ok Jersey Shore, we get it. You can fight anyone, but these things aren't human. Now. Move. Your. Ass!” 

The towering nordic man gave the back of Matt’s polo another powerful yank and pulled him through the door just as the growing horde of creatures began their shambling charge towards them. With a swing of his powerful arm, David slammed the door shut behind him. As before, Brad moved as swiftly as his cumbersome body would allow and pressed his impossibly wide back against the entry point to a loud series of banging from the other side.

“This isn’t going to hold long, even with this fucked up body backing it up.” Cried Brad, his face red from the effort of barricading the door.

The kitchen the four men suddenly found themselves in was nearly as expansive as the grand dining hall. Rows of decorative metal shelving hung from the ceiling on chains, holding all manner of heavy looking pots, pans and assorted cooking equipment. The room was less a traditional kitchen and more like something that belonged in a five-star restaurant that was set up to serve hundreds of tables a night. Like the rest of the house, the atmosphere in the kitchen was much less drab and delipidated than it should have been. The copper pots shone as though they had recently been washed and hung with care and hardly a trace of dust could be seen on the row of gas stoves and expansive ovens. 

“Shit, what do we do?” Cried Chris, his voice breaking with the intensity of his plea.

“Don’t worry, baby. If those fuckers break on in here, I’ll knock them flat on their asses.” Reassured Matt, pulling the rattled jock close to his side.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. We need to get the hell out of here, and I don’t see any other doors!”

“Hey...guys, shit, I just realized, I don’t see any other doors in here.” Grunted Brad, eyes wide as he scanned the expansive kitchen as far as his limited neck would allow.

“Crap!” Cried David, running down the row of kitchenware.

Another series of loud wood-splintering crashes echoed through the room, hastening David’s footfalls onward. Reaching the opposite end of the kitchen, David’s heart gave a leap of unexpected joy. Wedged between an imposing shelf filled with bone china and the leftmost corner of the room was a single door covered with faded green paint. David grabbed ahold of the handle and gave it a powerful pull. Unlike the other doors in the house, its handle was rusted and its wood decrepit. Each inch that it gave took considerable strength to earn as it dragged unevenly across the kitchen floor.    

When the door was finally swung open, a soft gust of dank air whooshed out over David’s sweating body. A flight of stairs as equally rotted as the door itself lead down into a sea of inky black. Under normal circumstances, David would never have dreamed of traversing something so unstable looking, especially given the fact that he couldn’t tell where they lead, but in that moment they were a veritable beacon of hope to his racing mind.

“Guys, there’s some stairs overhear that lead down.” Cried David, jogging back to the group.

“Down? Like to a basement? That’s like horror movie 101, don’t go to the attic or the basement once the scary shit starts happening. We’ll be trapped down there.” Grunted Brad as sweat poured from his protruding forehead.

“We’re trapped in here!” Snapped David. “At least we can put distance between them and us this way. Now, Matt and I will hold the door while you and Chris head to the stairs. I don’t think you can waddle fast enough to be the last man out.”

“Man, you grew some major balls when you lost your dick.” Smirked Brad, eyeing his friend up and down with an impressed look. “We get out of this, remind me to buy you a beer.”

David shook his head, even in a dire situation and with a body that was almost unrecognizable from his original form, Brad was still Brad. It didn’t seem like anything was ever going to change that. David felt Brad’s massive forearm brush against his hip as the two of them shuffled to trade places and a wave of shameful pleasure throbbed from between David’s legs. Even in the height of panic and fear, he could remember the feeling of his friend’s trimmed goatee pressed up against the new mound that sat just below where his cock had been. Much as he hated himself for the thought, he knew the first thing he wanted to do if he and his friends made it out of here alive.

“You can go with Chris and Brad bro, I can hold the door by myself!” Boasted Matt, though his eyes looked as though they didn’t believe his mouth.

“I know this isn’t really you man, but god, you’re worse than the wonder twins. Just because you’re all buff and man-mode now doesn’t mean you can’t accept help from your friends. I’m staying, deal with it.” 

David turned his head away from Matt’s offended expression and back towards Brad and Chris who were shuffling their way across the kitchen as fast the former’s new impossible size would allow. It was strange to think that only a few hours ago, the two of them had been almost indistinguishable from behind so far as the size and shape of their bodies went.  Now Brad was as wide as he and Chris had been when standing shoulder to shoulder and was completely incapable of moving at any pace faster than a thigh rubbing waddle. While Chris still retained his proportionate body, his stride was decidedly less confident and more reserved. In the back of his mind, David was aware that he and the others had been ignoring him since they had met up again too, but he found himself completely unable to address the situation out loud. 

“Alright, we go on the count of three.” Said David, watching Brad’s shuffling mass turn sideways to squeeze through the door at the other end of the kitchen. He watched the bravado and swagger drain from Matt’s face. For a brief moment, he saw the reserved and thoughtful expression of his old friend, although it was obscured by the mask of fake tan and frosted tips.

“David, I just want to say, if we don’t make it out of this.” Began Matt before his face gave a quick twitch and reverted to its boastful sneer. “Fuck you lookin’ at? You wanna kiss me or somethin’?”

“I know bud, me too.” Replied David, feeling a painful sadness mount in his chest. Even if they got out of the mansion in one piece, he knew he wasn’t ever going to see his old friend ever again. “One. Two. Three!”

David pushed off the door and summoned every ounce of the adrenaline coursing through his body. From the side of his gaze, he could see Matt running in time with him while behind them the wooden door gave a sickening crunch as the wood finally buckled in submission to the creatures’ pounding. Neither man dared look back, knowing that only pale sunken flesh and needle filled grins awaited them. With Matt running down the stairs in front of him, David reached behind and pulled the door with all his strength. This time the door slid easily and clicked softly back in place behind him. Not waiting for the creatures to begin their assault on the newest barrier between them, David hurried down the stairs as fast as his trembling legs would carry him.

The stairs went on for what felt like forever, but each step that carried the group further away from the eldritch horrors felt like a generous mercy. Curiously, the only sound that could be heard was the rapid clattering of shoes against creaking wood. The creatures weren’t breaking down the latest door thrown between them. It didn’t make sense given their rampant pursuit up till that point, but nobody was about to question the reprieve that they had been granted.

“Shit!”

Brad’s voice cried out through the relative silence, followed by a series of louder sliding sounds accompanied with echoing bangs. Although no one could see more than an inch in front of their face, it was evident from the sound of things that Brad had stumbled and was sliding down the stairs. Much as he knew he shouldn’t think such things, David felt a ping of relief knowing that the massive wall of muscle was moving down the stairs at a rapid pace. He had previously had a horrific vision of the creatures bearing down on them only to find their path blocked by Brad’s wall-like form.

“I’m ok!” Came a cry from the dark a few moments later, amid the sound of scuffling gravel. “Does anyone have a light on them? It’s really fucking dark down here.” 

In their panic, none of the other men had thought of lighting their way. Each of them feeling equally stupid, they fished their phones out of their pockets and tapped on their flashlights. David who was the last one down the stairs, came up beside his friends already illuminated faces. Even in relative shadow, he couldn’t help but go wide-eyed at the sight of Chris’ painted but otherwise manly face and his friends’ other overt changes.  Curiously, everyone but Brad had pulled out their phones.

“Where’s yours?” Asked David, turning to Brad.

“It must be somewhere upstairs. I don’t exactly have pockets.” Replied Brad, gesturing to his small black running shorts.

“Oh, right.” Said David, feeling his cheeks heat up more the longer he stared at Brad’s bulging body.

“Guys, we need to keep going. We don’t want to just stand around and wait for those things to break down the door.” Boomed Chris, in his most authoritative tone.

“Hey bros, let’s peace. We should find a way out of here before those pale fucks come crashin’ down.” Mirrored Matt in his east coast accent, once again appropriating Chris’ suggestion.

“That’s literally what I just said!” Cried Chris, punching the burly douche bag in the shoulder.

“Aw, you want to hold my arm? Ok babe, but we gotta keep moving. I know you’re probably horny n shit, all that survivor drive and stuff, but we can fool around later. Ok?” Condescended Matt.

“Fuck you.” 

“I told you, later babe.” Replied Matt, shaking his head. 

The four men walked in a tight formation away from the stairs, guided by the illumination of their phones. Mercifully, unlike the halls of the mansion above, the light didn’t bend or otherwise misbehave and shone steadily wherever they directed it. Not that there was much to look at.  The ground beneath them was nothing more than dirt and loose gravel that sloped downward at a slight but noticeable angle. The ceilings were likewise bare and earthen. Save for the rickety stairs that brought them down, there wasn’t a trace of man’s interference anywhere around them. Not knowing where they were going, the four men simply wandered in a straight line, hoping against hope that they might suddenly find themselves outside the mansion and its cruel inhabitants.

“Hey, does anyone else feel that?” Asked Brad, pausing midstep.

One by one, each other man felt just what Brad was talking about. A soft, barely existent breeze was wafting over their bodies, carrying with it the smell of dank earth and stagnant water.  David licked his finger and held it up in front of him. At first, it seemed almost impossible to tell which direction the phantom breeze was coming from, but when he pointed his moist digit straight in front of him he felt the slight tickle of a chill.

“It’s coming from over here.” Said David, urging the group forward.

Walking towards the faint breeze and the hope it offered, the ground beneath the group’s feet began to slope in a starker and more drastic degree. Soon, their path was slowed as each of them had to take careful steps leaning far back on their heels so as to not fall forward down the decline. Looking to his right, David saw that Brad had simply given up on balancing his cumbersome body and had instead sat down to pull himself with his powerful legs at a slow and steady pace.  David’s new slit gave a throb at the thought of Brad being at nearly the perfect level to plunge his face back into it. The Nordic man shook his head and forced the thoughts from his mind. He would have plenty of time to figure out what was going on with his new sex drive later. The only thing that mattered was getting him and his friends out from under the mansion and its influence.

“Woah dude, that looks like somethin’ out of that movie with the little drowned bitch.” Murmured Matt as the four of them came upon what lied at the bottom of the slope.

All around them, steep walls of dirt and rock rose up in a perfect circle. At their center sat a modestly sized well constructed of crumbling grey brick. David walked up and gazed down into the manmade structure and whistled. The wind was indeed coming up from the well, but from what he could see with his phone’s light, the bottom of it was not within reasonable jumping distance.

“Man, you don’t want to climb down that, do you?” Asked Brad. “Because I can hardly walk, I don’t even want to imagine how hard it would be for me to climb down a fucking well.”

“I’m not saying that just yet, but it’s the only thing we’ve come across down here, and there IS a breeze coming off of it. It might be our best bet.” Replied David, his words serious and even.

“Well, I vote for us looking for another way out because I really don’t feel like falling and breaking what’s left of my neck.” Countered Brad.

Just as David was about to open his mouth in reply, something flashed in the corner of his eye and sent his blood running cold. It had only been for a fraction of a second, but he was certain that he had seen it. A long, slender arm highlighted in the darkness before being swallowed by the black once more.

“Jump. We have to jump.” Hissed David, ushering his friends closer towards the edge of the wall.

“Dude, what are you talking about? We can still look for-” 

The whites of Brad’s eyes shone in the phones’ ambient illumination. Every ounce of what little colour the pale ginger had drained away and, despite his best efforts, his top lip began to quiver in a suppressed show of absolute terror. The creatures were circling around the center of the slope, no less than fifty feet away from them. Each man wore their own expression of terror like a painted mask. Even Matt looked as though all the bravado had left him at the reappearance of the skulking abominations. Regardless of their capacity to grasp it, the situation remained the same. They were surrounded by the prowling creatures, their backs were against the wall, and the only place they had to go was down.

“Ok, On three.” Whispered David, grabbing hold of Brad and Matt’s hands.

“No way. I’m not jumping down there.” Hissed Brad, though there was no actual conviction behind his words.

“One.”

The creatures assumed the position of predators ready to pounce, their spider-like appendages tensed and twitching.

“Two.”

The creatures lunged through the air towards the group with their gnarled fingers outstretched.

“Three!”

The creature’s cruel maw’s opened in a grinning smile.

Brad tumbled in first, simply throwing his weight against the side of the well and letting his heavy top half drag him in under gravity's pull. Behind him followed the other three in close pursuit. As the last one to take the plunge David’s face twisted into a look of nauseated horror.  The creatures never made good on their promise to pounce. Instead they simply grinned their wide, needle-filled maws in grim satisfaction. Falling through the darkness David felt the truth of the matter like a punch to the gut. They were never being chased. They were being corralled. They plunged down into the darkness with nothing but the sound of rushing air around them. Though each man screamed, no sound left their mouths. All there was darkness and rushing for what felt like days compressed into mere seconds. With a sudden, painful thud, the world of black and rushing wind vanished, replaced with a starry black sky and the sounds of chirping insects. 

Matt was the first to sit up, rubbing his head uneasily in careful circles so as to avoid ruining his perfectly spiked hair. Even with his brain muddled with spray-on tanning solution and fighting against the bizarre urge to watch Entourage in its entirety, he knew that he should not have survived such a long fall. Feeling over his unfamiliarly muscular body, Matt found that nothing on him hurt in the slightest. On the contrary, he actually felt fantastic. His entire body was like one live wire, surging with the raging adrenaline from his encounter with the creatures by the well. With a loud, bellowing whoop, Matt jumped to his feet and beat his fist against his solid chest.

“Fuckin’ hell yeah! Matt, one. Pussy Ass Monsters, zero!” 

“How is he so happy right now?” Asked Brad, sitting up and going through the same body checking motions that Matt had. His expression fell when his hands found the bulbous muscles stacked all over his body.

“Well, we did survive, so there’s that.” Grumbled Chris, standing up and crossing his arms in a huff.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hey!” Cried Brad, struggling to get to his feet. “I can actually talk to you again.” 

Chris’ blue eyes sparkled with the makings of tears and he extended his powerful arm down to help lift his friend up off the ground. The two of them shared a look of mutual joy at the sudden rekindling of their original dynamic. Brad was happy to have his best friend back, and Chris was just happy to have someone to actually listen to him.

“Up you go, big guy.” Said Chris, flexing his powerful arm to pull his friend to his feet.

“Hey, thanks babe.” Smiled Brad, giving Chris a light pat on the butt followed by a smacking kiss on his juicy lips.

The two men stared at each other in mirrored shock for a moment. Neither of them knew what to say. Whatever force had befallen people’s perspective of Chris clearly hadn’t vanished, but only weakened. Looking at his ripped friend with his painted face, Brad realized that he didn’t see someone who was quite equal. In many ways, he was close to being on the same level as the rest of the guys, but in the back of his mind, Brad heard himself say that Chris would always need extra help and guidance. The idea of Chris working out at his side in the gym no longer carried the sense of just two casual bros lifting weights, but a guy getting swole and a little cutie who was trying to play along.

“Oh, shit. It’s spreading!” Cried Chris, pointing to Brad’s lips.

“What!?” Yelled Brad, horrified that he might be succumbing to the same fate as his former bro.

Looking down and puffing his lips out, Brad saw that there was indeed a small smudge of red lipstick on his otherwise pale lips. It took a great deal of effort for him to bend his arms inward and push against the muscle to bring his thumb to his own lip, but when he did, he breathed a sigh of relief. The lipstick rubbed off and onto his thumb and smeared into further obscurity when he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

“It’s not mine, babe. Looks like yours is just coming off.” Said Brad, holding up his thumb to Chris.

“Fuck, really?” Asked Chris, his voice filled with jubilant hope.

Chris grabbed the bottom of his breezy green tank top and brought it up to wipe his face vigorously. Brad found himself blushing at the sight of his friend’s tight eight-pack abs. Even though they were just as ripped and powerful looking as his had been at the start of the day, they were somehow the sweetest and most endearing things he had ever seen.

“Damn, you look like you’re really hitting the gym hard, babe. Not gonna be satisfied until you turn every guy around you into a drooling idiot, huh?” Asked Brad, reaching out his hand to pet Chris’ hard-earned abs.

“Fuck off, man! They’re not for dudes, they’re because I work fucking hard.” Snapped Chris, slapping his friend’s hand away. 

Even as he said the words, Chris’ heart gave a little nervous flutter. Brad complimenting him felt like it was more important than his actual gains in the gym. 

“Hey babe, your makeup actually came off.” Chirped Brad when Chris dropped his now make up smeared tank top back down to cover his exposed abs.

“Thank fuck for that.” Grumbled Chris. “Now, let's get the hell out of here.” With his face fresh and his friends listening to him, Chris felt a renewed sense of swagger slip back into his step. He confidently walked over to David’s still groaning form and tapped him on the face lightly with his cross trainers. “Sleeping ugly, wake up. We’re getting the hell out of here.” 

David groaned and sat up, smiling when he saw Chris’ face cleared of the makeup that had afflicted it. “Hey babe, is everyone back to normal?” He asked hopefully, his hand going to grab for his dick.

He knew the answer before Chris shook his head. His cock and balls were still completely missing and beneath the lace of his underwear he could feel nothing more than a small mound. Try as he might to regard the unwelcome addition with nothing but disdain the tingle of pleasure that came from his fingers rubbing against it was hard to argue with. The sensation only intensified when he caught sight of Brad’s still-swollen body. The way his skintight lycra shorts showed off his waist-thick thighs while simultaneously highlighting his minuscule-by-comparison package was more than enough to send a throb of pleasure through it. Worse still was the look of Brad’s overly inflated chest heaving up and down in his near functionless muscle shirt. David couldn’t help but picture his chest heaving up and down for an entirely different reason. Much as he hated himself David pressed two fingers harder against the front of his jeans, nearly moaning at the pleasure that ran up his spine from his new slit when he did.

“Come on, get up and let’s get the fuck out of these woods. I want to get as much distance between us and that fucking mansion as possible-”

Chris’ words trailed off. Everyone had been so rattled by their sudden trip down the well that they hadn’t even stopped to think about just where they were. It was hard to tell at first through the overgrown trees and weeds, but they were standing only a few feet from a pile of bricks that looked as though they might have resembled a well at some point in their life. Through the overgrowth, broken shards of wood, stone and occasional shards of window glass stood in drab counterpoint. With his heart in his throat, Chris was the first one to see the corner of a familiar looking painting. Unlike the rest of the mansion, which could hardly even be called ruins at that point, the painting looked as pristine and perfect as it had when they first strolled into the dining room.

“Alright, yeah. Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Agreed David, his skin breaking out into gooseflesh.

The burly Nord got to his feet, dusted his jeans off with his hands and lead the charge out of remnant of the mansion’s ruins. The feeling of his tiny lace underwear against his hairy thighs though still unfamiliar, didn’t feel nearly as oppressive as it had in the mansion. He wasn’t ready to admit it to himself at the moment, but the thought of his hidden lingerie actually made him feel a little sexy. The going was slow at first since the group had to stop and help Brad lumber over and around various patches of growth and debris. When they made it to the end of the strewn rubble, the underbrush lightened up in its thickness and Brad was able to shuffle by on his own. The path they had used to get up to the mansion was just as distinct as it had always been. While it was hardly a paved sidewalk, or even a mowed path, there was a distinct trail that lead the four of them out of the woods and back to their parked cars.

“Oh, what the hell!” Cried Chris when they stood in front of what should have been Brad’s Mustang and Matt’s Kia Soul.

In their place sat a blue Lamborghini with bright yellow trim and a silver hummer that looked like it could accommodate the entire Von Trapp family two times over. Although none of the men had ever before heard Matt utter a single word about sports car, they all knew he was head over heels for his flashy douche-mobile. In that same unknown way, they knew Brad drove his hummer not to compliment his douchey leanings, but simply because it was one of the only cars that was roomy enough for him to comfortably drive, even if he did sometimes need help swinging his legs up into it.

None of the men had the energy to care or ask about the change to their vehicles and simply split into pairs. David followed Brad to his hummer and helped push him up into the driver's seat while Chris blushed at Matt who had actually stopped to pull the passenger side door open for him.  They all knew that the pairs weren’t right. Chris and Brad lived together, so they had driven up as a pair, and Matt had swung by David’s apartment with his Kia Soul already packed with the majority of their equipment. 

“Well, uh, good night, guys.” Said David, rolling down the window and offering a weak wave to Chris and Matt.

“N-night!” Yelped Chris, his voice peaking when Matt’s hand groped up his thigh the moment he sat down in the driver’s seat next to him.

The pair of cars pulled out from the small clearing and drove down the winding dirt road. Each pair rode in silence, although both Chris and David found themselves with thick hands eagerly pawing at their uppermost thigh.

“I can’t believe I’m asking this, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since we landed back in the ruins.” Mumbled David, looking out the window at the trees passing him by.

“What’s up?” Asked Brad casually.

David took in a deep breath and shuddered at the musky scent of the sweat that trickled off Brad in a constant stream. “C-can you finger me?”

Brad’s face wore an expression of shock and confusion for a flicker of an instant before breaking away into a sweet smile. “Course, drop the jeans and panties and I’ll help you out. Just try not to moan too loud. You know how it gets me going and I have to focus on the drive.”

David nodded and dropped his denim and lace and winced at the sight of the slit buried beneath his sea of his dense blonde hair. The sadness and longing that he felt didn’t last long. The second Brad’s thick hand clamped down over his crotch and worked two fingers between his gap all thoughts of his missing tool left David’s head. He had never felt such pleasure from his original organ. He actually had to bite his lip to stop himself from loaning like pornstar while his friend fingered him, although a slow steady stream of suppressed groans did still echo through the hummer’s cab.

While the four men drove away from the scene of their horror, a group of slender white figures dipped their heads into a well that once more flowed with murky green water. It had been dry for so long that their withered hearts had almost felt something akin to worry.  Drinking in the water, any remnants of whatever nagging humanity still clung to their rotten husks vanished into the ether. They had fed, and so, they needn't worry about anything until the next time the well went dry. 

***

“No, no here, honey. Let me show you how it’s supposed to go.” 

Chris cursed at himself inwardly as he let his arms be guided by the sweaty muscle man that had approached him. Even though Chris’ own body was more impressive than his impromptu trainer’s, it hadn’t stopped the muscle shirt clad bro from coming over and offering his unsolicited advice. It happened almost every time he went to the gym. Since getting back home, which he had come to find out he shared with Matt, stuff like this had become the norm. Wherever he went, men would catcall, whistle and approach him with all kinds of misogyny. Worse than any of that, he actually found himself enjoying their attention. Whenever a dude told him that he would look prettier if he smiled, he beamed as brightly as he could and would even shoot them a flirty flexed bicep.

It was even worse at home.  From the moment they entered their shared apartment, it had been apparent to both men that their relationship was something more than friends. Much as he hated to admit it, Chris had actually felt a fluttering of excitement at the prospect of being paired with such a solid bro. It had taken him a while, but he had even come around to the fact that looking at the frosted-tipped douche made his cock twitch and leak like all kinds of sloppy pussy. He had been more than a little hurt the first time Matt brought strange women back to their apartment and the same hurt repeated in his heart every time after that. Whether Matt brought back a dude or chick to fuck, Chris felt a sadness in his heart. He so wanted to be the only one in Matt’s life, as bizarre and unfamiliar as the sensation was to him.

He thought back and cringed at how he had always called any woman that wanted to spend time with him outside of the bedroom clingy.  He couldn’t even begin to count the number of times he had brushed a woman’s heartfelt advances for another night of meaningless sex with a different piece of ass. Much as he wanted to think otherwise, Chris knew that he and Matt weren’t dating, but rather, just roommates who fucked whenever Matt felt like it, although that same rule didn’t work in reverse.

“There you go, babe. Now your form’s much better.” Cooed the stranger, giving Chris’ perky bubble a firm squeeze.

Chris laughed and thanked the stranger, even though he knew that his form had been perfect before the man’s adjustments. “I’m glad that there are so many nice, strong dudes at this gym, otherwise I’d be totally lost.” Giggled Chris in his deep tenor.

“It’s a friendly place that’s for sure. View isn’t bad either.” Smirked the stranger, running his hands over Chris’ powerful thighs. “So, you’re here alone right? That mean you’re you know, up for grabs?”

“Sorry, I’ve got a boyfriend.” Pouted Chris, pushing his lower lip down against his goatee.

“Well dude’s a lucky man. Still, if you ever want some more pointers I’m here most days.” Replied the stranger, strongly emphasizing his crudely veiled meaning.

“Sure thing, and thanks again!” Chirped Chris, flexing his rounded bicep.

Chris finished his set out and grabbed the gym bag from the locker adjacent from the row of weights that he had been using. He had learned all too quickly that, even though he was welcome in men’s changing rooms, the experience was more than a little bit degrading. Men treated him like a cross between a dude who had never lifted weights in his life, a chick and some kind of lost and confused puppy.  Even though he did go in on occasion to pick up a little action when he was going through a dry spell with Matt, it wasn’t an experience he particularly relished.

From his gym bag, Chris grabbed a tube of glittery watermelon lip gloss and applied it over his juicy lips with a satisfied pucker before spraying his chest with a floral unisex fragrance. Even though the makeup from the mansion had left him, he did learn that he felt at his best when he had a little something on his face. It didn’t often go farther than a little bit of concealer and some lip gloss, with maybe some mascara to make his eyes pop, but he had gone full hooker-face a couple times in the bedroom at Matt’s request. He still had trouble adjusting to seeing his masculine and angular face wearing makeup of any kind, but there was just something so deeply satisfying about it.

Chris pulled out a pink lucky rabbit’s foot keychain from the pocket of his lime green gym shorts and trotted towards his car at a jaunty pace. Clicking its locks open, he smiled at just how cute his hot pink beetle was, all washed and shiny. He always liked breaking out the sponge and turtle wax whenever it was a particularly hot day and Matt was lazing restlessly around the house. His charming goatee-framed face and chiselled body stuffed into a white cut off tank top and pair of frayed daisy dukes was always enough to get Matt’s motor running. If they didn’t have a fast and furious fuck between episodes of Entourage, Chris would at least be able to bury his face between Matt’s orange legs and suck him off, provided he didn’t make too much noise.

Clicking his car door closed and walking into the apartment, Chris heard a familiar sound and smiled brightly. Before even opening the door, he knew the scene he would walk into. Sure enough, when he walked in, there sat Matt on the couch, one hand down the front of his black silk boxers and the other cradling a can of Budweiser. Next to him sat a blushing David, who, although shirt clad, had his jeans and a pair of pink lace panties around his hairy legs. At his feet and slurping like a madman was Brad, clad as he always was in a pair of skin-tight lycra shorts and a tank top that hardly served its function of covering any real portion of his body.

Ever since the mansion Chris had never seen Brad in anything other than lycra running shorts, posers and low cut muscle shirts. It was either some combination of the three, or completely naked depending on his mood. Regardless of what he did or didn’t wear, the thick nipple rings that he had gotten shortly after their horror in the mansion stood out at the end of his massive pecs proudly. Adding to his forever gym bound look roid monster look, no matter the temperature or pace of his heart Brad’s body constantly leaked a stream of sweat that made him look like he had just finished breaking the world record for deadlifts.

“Hey babe, good workout?” Asked Matt casually, rattling his mostly empty beer.

“Oh yeah, it was good. Some guy came up to give me some help with my form again. It was really sweet.” Cooed Chris, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a fresh beer for his quasi-lover.

“You let him fuck you?” Asked Matt, taking a gulping swig from the fresh beer before letting out a resounding belch.

Chris hated the way that Matt talked so casually about the prospect of him sleeping around with other guys. He wanted so much for the walking stereotype to show some sign of jealousy or a hint of a protective nature, but he never did.

“Nah, didn’t feel into it...I wish you would have told me David and Brad were coming over so I could have put on something nice before coming home.” Pouted Chris, hating how he wanted to please his friends.

David made brief eye contact with him and shot a sympathetic gaze before letting out a loud moan and rolling his eyes up into the back of his head. He and Brad had become quite the couple since their misadventure in the mansion. In truth, they were everything that Chris hoped he and Matt might one day be, although he would never admit it. Even though the impossibly wide jock was totally fine with eating David out in semi-public settings, he was fiercely loyal and protective of his sweet and burly Nord. The actions had felt somehow familiar to Chris and it had taken him a little while to realize it, but he had seen that side of Brad before. He had treated the one serious girlfriend he had had back in the good ol’ days much the same way. Of course, with all the partying and flirting with other women he did while hanging out with Chris, their coupling hadn’t lasted long at all. It seemed that, with him out of the picture, the guy was more than capable of sustaining a long-term, loving relationship.

“Jackals are playing today.” Grunted Matt, scratching his hairy balls through his boxers.

Chris looked towards the TV and frowned. Even though he still remembered all the ins and outs of each and every professional sport under the sun, he found himself completely unable to enjoy them when he actually sat down to watch. He was fine with playing pretend when other people were around, but in the privacy of his own bedroom, he would much rather watch America’s Next Top Model or Project Runway.

“Oh, sweet. Catch me up on what I’ve missed.” Chirped Chris, walking towards the empty space on the couch next to Matt.

“Actually, you wanna run out and get some more beer and jerky? We’re almost out.” Said Matt, his eyes glued to the television screen.

“Sure thing. Anyone else want anything?” Chris asked in a cheerful pitch.

Chris heard Brad mumble something from between David’s thighs, which only served to send a shudder through the hairy man’s powerful body.  “Uh, Brad wants a-a c-co-couple rotisserie chickens.” Groaned David, struggling to get the words out through the tongue probing Brad was giving him. “Better make it four actually. He sk-sk-skipped out on his post workout protein because- Ohhhhh! Fuuuccck Brad, right there!”

Chris just laughed and nodded, knowing full well what Brad’s mouth had been so distracted by post-workout. After some polite back and forth, Chris relented to taking David’s money for the snacks and headed out the door. He knew that Matt had the money to pay for his share of things, but in his own way, Chris hoped that if he did enough nice things for the man, he might someday return Chris’ feelings. From the outside, it might have looked like Matt was using him, but in truth, Chris was happy to do anything he could to make his paramore happy.

“Hey babe, pick up some Jäger too, ‘kay? I wanna do some bombs with the boys. We’re all good on Red Bull but I wouldn’t hate you if you picked up a bottle of Everclear for later tonight.”

“Sure thing.” Chirped Chris, making a note of Matt’s latest request. 

Sitting behind the wheel of his car, Chris’ cheerful disposition suddenly vanished as a bolt of spiking pain surged white hot across his mind. Opening his eyes, he didn’t see himself sitting behind the wheel of the tiny pink beetle, but rather in his lifted white pickup truck. He was parked in front of the house that he shared with Brad, not with Matt, and he sure as hell wasn’t on his way to do a bunch of errands for his friends.  A scream erupted from Chris’ open mouth and the scene around him began to dissolve and rush upwards in a funnelling stream. He knew that he was watching his old life drain away into some unknown oblivion. Compressed into a single second he remembered each and every nightmare he had ever had of needle filled maws and fetid well water. The only solace he had in the crushing weight of the moment of clarity was that he knew he wasn’t alone. He had woken to the sounds of Matt’s terrified screams and groans as often as he had the nightmares himself.

Chris’ scream died in his throat and warped into a contented sigh as he turned the key in his little pink beetle’s ignition. The fleeting glimpse of the other reality had already been lapped up and devoured by the creatures that had come from out of the well.