Tentacle University 2: The Sorority pt. 11

The Greek Row Commons was a small, one story building that was usually used for school approved mixers, or Greek Row meetings. Tonight, though, the place was pretty much empty except for the few people Willard had requested to attend.

Rachel and Alice sat at one table, while Stephen, Chad and Lance sat at another. Willard stood between them, sensing the tension in the room. He cleared his throat, and began.

“Alright, first things first, I made copies of all the evidence Stephen has collected.” He pointed to the small pile of papers and flash drives on each table. “Those are for you to take with you, and examine. As for how we move forward from here, Stephen has already filled me in on the Dean’s reaction to your meeting. I can’t say I’m surprised. While I have never had to deal with anything of this… severity before, I am well aware of the struggles Rachel has had with the new administration in this school.”

Willard paused, letting everyone take a look at the materials he had provided.

“Now, knowing that our in school options are limited, I have taken it upon myself to also submit copies of all of the evidence to the local police, as well as a friend of mine who works for the school paper. If these crimes are exposed, then we can at least hope to force the school to react. The original incidents, as well as Bethany’s suicide did place Hartford in the public eye, and with the release of these documents we can only hope that the public will apply enough pressure to the Dean’s office to force them to act.”

Alice shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Don’t you think this could backfire? The women in my house have already faced so much ridicule after the photos were released, I mean…”

“I can deal with it.” Lance spoke up, cutting Alice off. “If it means catching the bastards who did this, then bring it on. I’ve already had any semblance of pride completely stripped, so what else do I have to lose?”

Rachel nodded. “I have to agree with Lance on this one. I know I wasn’t effected personally, but I have seen plenty of the fallout. If this means the people responsible will be held accountable for their actions, then I can’t see a downside.”

Alice spoke up again. “But that could mean the pictures being brought back into the public. Things have finally started to die down enough where people are starting to forget.”

“Until it happens again.” Rachel looked at her vice president. “Alice, why are you suddenly getting cold feet?”

“I’m just worried. The more I remember the media circus surrounding Bethany’s death, and the original release of those photos... We need time to prepare the original victims, Rachel.” Alice was chewing on her lip.

“I understand that.” Willard nodded. “While I cannot control the speed at which the police act, I did ask the school paper to hold off on releasing their story. They won’t release anything for a week.  That should give you enough time to prepare anyone for the whatever happens next.”

The sound of a deep, masculine laugh made Willard pause. He looked up, and standing in the doorway were three very large masked men. Each of them held a weapon. The one on the right, a baseball bat, the one on the left had a hockey stick and the one in the middle gripped a very mean looking lead pipe.

“What happens next,” the one in the middle said, “is that you learn to keep your mouths shut.” 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 44

I glanced at the screen. What I read confirmed what he had just told me. Then I scooped Albert up, and headed towards the stairs.

“How could you use that computer without it attacking you?” I glanced around the hall. Things sounded like they were starting to quiet down. That didn’t make me feel better.

“That particular computer wasn’t connected to any outside network.” Albert’s voice was starting to sound breathy. He was getting tired. “And from what I could tell, it didn’t have any wireless capabilities either. So, there was no way Virus could get in it.”

I nodded.

Even a bastard like Albert could be useful sometimes.

“Come on. The stairs are this way.” I turned down the next hall, and froze. “Oh shit…”

There, blocking our path, had to be at least twenty people, all of them warped and deformed by electronics that had invaded their bodies.

We were trapped. 

Rituals pt. 17

The den was in chaos. The vipers were fleeing as streams of light broke through the dusty darkness. Around her, Missy could see the explosions of slime as the light hit the creatures, and their bodies combusted. It would have been disturbing if it didn’t feel so good.

A few vipers remained asleep, their brains unable to wake up during the daylight hours. Venom was one of them.  Others were trying to pull themselves awake, their defenses overriding their brains as they felt the hot burning of the light on their exposed flesh. Venom, though… Venom did not stir.

He slumbered as his people died around him. She didn’t know if she should be crying or laughing. Maybe a little of both? Those creatures had been human once. They had abandoned that humanity to save themselves, but could she blame them? Terror can make a person do some pretty horrible things.

Venom, though… Venom was a monster, through and through. He was pure evil made whole. He deserved everything that he had coming to him, and finally, it was coming.

It had begun. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 43

Without speaking I grabbed Albert, and started heading the other way down the hall. I kept close to the wall, hoping that the rolling tray cart would block us from view for a little while longer.

Ahead I could see a four-way intersection, and located on the far right, a nurse’s station. I wanted to run to it, but I knew that if I moved to quickly, or made to much noise, one of those infected… things would be on me.

“Your friend is probably already dead.” Albert’s voice was a low mumble, but just loud enough for me to hear him. “Look at how quickly this floor turned into a slaughterhouse. Do you really think they would have made it this far?”

“She survived you.” I glanced at him. “Now, when we find her you may not survive her.”

I could feel Albert tense up. “I was one person. This… this is an something much bigger.”

“I have faith in her.”

We made it to the nurse’s station, and I quickly started searching for a patient list. They had to have something on paper.

Albert collapsed into the rolling chair in front of one of the computers. “Why do you keep dragging me with you? I think most people would leave me to rot.”

“Janelle made it sound like we need you to deal with Virus, so I guess that means I need to keep you alive.” I didn’t look at him as I answered. My eyes were scanning the stacks and stacks of patient files littering the station. “Found it.” I grabbed the patient list, and started flipping. “She isn’t on here.”  

I looked up when I heard the clacking of keys on the computer. Albert had turned to the terminal, and was typing furiously.

“She was released not long after you both were admitted.” Albert stopped typing and turned towards me. “Can we leave now?” 

New Pom Pom Angel: Forbidden Kiss pt. 4

The force of pure shock and horror sent me flying out of the apartment and down the hallway towards Regina’s apartment. Before knocking I took a deep breath. What he had done was completely and totally wrong, but…

Maybe it was cultural differences?

Sure, Dante had crossed so many lines, but he also was knew to the human world. He was a demon after all. He had no real basis for right and wrong, right?

I let the breath out, and knocked on the door as calmly as I could.

Dante peaked his head out, his smile fading when he saw my face.

“We need to talk.”

“I screwed up?” He bit his lip.

I stood my ground.

“Just… we need to talk.”

Dante slipped out of the apartment, closing the door behind him quietly.  

He stood there, his eyes scanning my face. “Was the picture too much? I thought it would be…”

I held up a hand. “The breaking and entering was too much.”

“Oh.” His cheeks reddened. “Well, I thought to woo someone you had to surprise them.”

“Well, I was surprised.” I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“But maybe leave them at your door next time?” He continued to nibble on his lip, that one canine starting to poke out now.

“And no surprise nude pictures… in my room… while I’m sleeping.”

“What about nude pictures from my room?” That smile started to return to his lips.

“Save those for later. Like after I give you my…” I shook my head. “You got my number from my phone, didn’t you?”

He kicked at the carpet gentle. “Maybe.”

I held up my hands. “Dante, be honest with me. Is this cutesy deal an act, or are you really just trying to woo me? I mean, you are a demon, and I don’t want to sound racist? Speciest? I… I don’t want to sound like an asshole, but your people kind of have a reputation for being a tad bit sneaky.” I knew how bad it sounded, but he was an actual demon. “I mean, your sister is actively trying to find a woman to morally destroy my roommate. You can understand why I might be having a few trust issues here.”

“Well,” he glanced at me, “you’ll just have to wait and see.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

He gave me a wink, and slipped back into Regina’s apartment.

What the hell was I getting myself in to?

Tentacle University 2: The Sorority pt. 10

Kent knelt at the edge of his bed, three naked men sitting before him. His hands moved along their thighs and calves, never going too far north. He could feel the hair on their bare skin jump as his fingers caressed them. 

He had done his duty with Eugene already, and his body still felt sore from their less than gentle exchange, but he knew his work wasn’t finished. He still needed to take care of those damn brats who threatened to expose him.  So, here he found himself with his three favorite henchmen.

All three of them were thick necked, muscular and rich as fuck. They were also very much buried in the closet. Kent gave them that one thing they could never admit they wanted. He let them do things to him that, if anyone found out, they would all loudly deny. He had control over them.

First there was Morris, the white collar son of a big deal broker. He had more money than God, and less brains than a pencil eraser. He was expected to find himself a pretty blonde wife, get married and take over daddy’s business when the time was right. He also liked acting out football locker room roleplay scenarios. He was a serious bottom, and Kent gave him everything that he wanted.

Then there was Petra. He came from a traditional Russian family. They had money, but no one asked where it came from. Kent didn’t give a shit. Petra was on the same life path as Morris, and the fact that he craved other men seemed like something that could only get in the way. It wasn’t until Kent had promised him that they could keep things nice and quiet did Petra finally reveal his love of S&M. He was a brutal son of a bitch, and probably one of Kent’s favorites, if only because he made everyone else so uncomfortable.

Finally, there was Voigt. Dear, sweet Voigt. He was in school on a football scholarship, and was as All American as you could get, down to his aw-shucks hick accent. He was the one that drove Kent nuts, and not in a good way. Sure, he was in the closet, but he was also the one who was started to use words like “romantic” and “love”. If it wasn’t for his sheer size and brute strength, Kent wouldn’t have even bothered to bring him over, but if they were going to be dealing with guys like Stephen Markham, they needed as much muscle as possible.

Kent rested his chin on Petra’s knee.

“Now, before I let you three do whatever you want, I have a favor to ask of you.” He gently let his hand slide up between Voigt’s legs, and watched as the big lug closed his eyes and gasped. “I need you to help me deal with some pests.”

“Deal with?” Petra was looking at him, his eyes wide with interest. “How?”

“Just rough them up a little.  Scare them quiet.” Kent let his other hand slide between Morris’s legs. “You can do that for me, right?”

Petra smiled, and the other two just nodded.

“Good. Very good.” He continued doing his best to keep Morris and Voigt occupied, but his attention was completely on Petra. “These pests are having a little meeting at the Greek Row Commons later tonight. After, I want you to… put the fear of God into them. You think you could do that for me?”

Petra was grinning ear to ear. “Of course.”

“I knew I could count on you.” Without releasing the other two men, Kent stood leaning in close to Petra’s ear. “You make these two do what needs to be done, and when you’re finished, you come back here, alone. Then I’ll let you do anything you want to me. Okay?”

Petra didn’t even answer. He just grabbed Kent and kissed him, his rough, thick lips forcefully pressing against Kent’s.

As the three men had their fun, Kent lay back, doing his best to seem interested. He moaned when they needed him to moan, and he winced and begged when he knew it would really get them riled up. In the end, though, Kent was bored.

Sex was not something he enjoyed. It was just something he did when he needed to get something done. It had always been that way. He had used it to get into Luther’s house, or to keep Eugene off his back. Right now he did it because he needed brute force strength, but with enough distance where all roads didn’t lead right back to his doorstep.

So, Kent laid back and thought of anything other than what was happening to him in that very moment. He needed to focus on containment and control of the situation. So as the three men pawed at him, getting their fill, he plotted.

Tonight’s little scare would just be the beginning. He needed to make sure this stuck. He didn’t want to have to deal with any of this shit every again. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 42

The doctor grabbed the man first, his large hand wrapping around the back of the man’s neck.

“Doctor Hooper, please…” the screaming man was struggling.

Doctor Hooper wasn’t listening. He slammed the man hard against the wall, his face smacking into the smooth surface with such force that I could hear the crunch of his teeth getting knocked loose, then clattering to the floor.

“Doctor… Hooper… please, don’t.” The man’s voice was weaker now, slurred by the blood pouring out of his mouth.

Doctor Hooper and the other patient paid the man’s pleading no mind. Instead, the doctor ripped open the back of the man’s hospital gown, exposing his bare, blood streaked skin. Now the patient was moving towards the man. As he stepped closer, I could see that something large and metal had fused to his neck, smoking wires snaking under the patient’s skin, and distorting the right side of his face. His right eye was nothing more than a goopy mess sliding down his cheek.

His left eye was glowing that familiar, hot white.

The patient raised his hand, revealing the cellphone. The screen was lit, flashing bright white, then red, then green, then white again. The hand moved closer, the cellphone pressed into the screaming man’s skin.

His pleas for help transformed into pained howls as the cellphone parted his flesh, ripping his left shoulder blade wide open. The case of the phone cracked, and writhing wires burst forth, digging into the exposed muscle and bone.

Then the man stopped screaming. The cellphone shot out of the patient’s hand, burrowing itself into the large incision.

It was over. Virus now owned that man.

Rituals pt. 16

The front door of the town hall burst open, and several of the vipers tumbled out, their flesh already charred. They tumbled down the steps, the sunlight hitting them full on, and their bodies exploded, leaving nothing but a puddle of nasty slime behind.

A few more followed after, their fates exactly the same.

“They aren’t all going to come out,” I said.

“Then we have to drive them out.” Alana watched as another viper crawled towards the edge of the steps and exploded. “We could burn the building.” She glanced to me, and then to Doug.

“I don’t think…” I paused. I couldn’t explain why, but I just had the feeling that there is something in there that we need.”

“Then we go in.” Alana didn’t sound upset. She spoke as if she were just talking about an everyday chore, and not wandering into a pit of demonic viper-human hybrids.

Doug just nodded.

“Hope you’re right, Ren John. If you aren’t then we may be walking into a death trap for no reason at all.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m right.” I nodded. I hope, I thought to myself.

“Then we need to make a few torches. We go in there, get what you think we need, and then torch the place and run. That work for the both of you?”

Doug and I nodded.

“Then let’s get going.” Alana started off without another word. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 41

We hadn’t made it ten feet down the hall when we heard someone screaming, their bare feet slapping on the hard floor. They were coming towards us. From the sound of the screams I could tell it was a man.

“Oh God, leave me alone!” His voice was deep and ragged, as if he had been screaming for a long time. “Get the fuck away from me!”

I stood there, frozen.

The screaming man rounded the corner, and I could see him now. He was probably in his late twenties, early thirties. His face and hospital gown were streaked with blood, and I could see a loose IV tube dangling from one of his hands. He was spraying blood along the floor.

I tried to call out to him, but Albert grabbed my arm, yanking me behind a rolling stack of meal trays.

“What are you…” He cut me off.

“Look.” Albert pointed between two of the trays.

As I did I could see a doctor and another patient right behind the screaming man. They were on him in seconds.

If I had called out… But…

I needed to help.

“It’s too late for him.” Albert’s whisper was quick and frantic.

As I watched through the slats I realized how right Albert was.

New Pom Pom Angel: Forbidden Kiss pt. 3

The “wooing” started the next day.

I woke up to a vase full of red roses sitting on my dresser. There was even a card with them.

It read:

Dear Nando,

You did something nice for me, and now I shall return the favor. This is the first of many.

-Dante

For a moment I, holding the card in my hand, I couldn’t believe how sweet the gesture was. It sounds totally cheesy, and completely unmasculine, but I don’t fucking care. It felt nice for someone to give me flowers. I lifted one of the flowers out of the vase and took a deep breath, the musky, sweet aroma flooding my nostrils.

Then I froze.

“Missy?” I called out.

She poked her head into my room. “What’s up?”

“Did you bring these in here?”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Did Gus?”

“He’s still asleep.”

“Then…”

My stomach knotted up.

Dante had snuck into my room to deliver the flowers. He snuck in while I was sleeping.

A chill ran up my spine.

Had he just left the flowers, or…

I glanced around the room, and my eyes landed on my phone.  Sitting on top of it was a small, yellow sticky note.

With dread bubbling up inside of, I walked towards my phone. I could see that the note had the number two written on it.

“You okay?” Missy stepped into my room.

I just nodded, waving her away. “I’m fine. Totally fine.”

“Are you sure?” She inched closer.

“Yep.” I turned, giving her my best smile.

“Okay.” She gave me a final glance, and then left.

I waited until I heard her door close before picking up my phone.

I unlocked the screen and was instantly greeted by the site of a very naked Dante standing in front of my dresser, the only thing hiding his dick from view were the small cluster of roses he had clutched in front of his crotch. He was winking at the camera.

I couldn’t speak.

Tentacle University 2: The Sorority pt. 9

Chad sat at a bench in the center of the quad, his phone clasped in his hands. He had texted Lance, asking him to meet, but he wasn’t sure that he would actually show up.

Lance was someone that Chad had really grown to like, and just as things were finally looking up the pictures had hit the internet. Then, as expected, everything went to shit, and fast.

Lance hadn’t even yelled at him, or called him names. Instead he had just shut Chad out completely. No matter how many messages or calls were made, Lance would not respond. Chad understood why. Lance hadn’t been completely out when they had started seeing each other, but after the pictures hit, everyone knew. Lance hadn’t just been outed, he had been thrown to the wolves. Not only was his sexuality exposed, but so was his body.

“So, you really didn’t take those pictures?” Lance’s voice made Chad look up.

“I really didn’t.” Chad had to suppress the urge to smile at the sight of Lance. “And we almost have who did. We have their IP address, and a bunch of other information. I can show you everything if you…”

Lance held up a hand, cutting Chad off, then took a seat next to him. Their knees touched, and Chad felt his body tingle.

“You know; I really don’t know how to feel about you right now. I know what you’re saying, but those pictures are still out there. My life is still majorly fucked up.” Lance sighed. “If you didn’t do it, then I guess I can’t blame you. How can I really know that you had nothing to do with those pictures getting released, though?”

“Willard is holding a meeting tonight with the head of Kappa Iota Lambda, and I thought you should come.” The words flew out of Chad’s mouth quickly. He didn’t want to give Lance another shot at quieting him down again. “You were affected by this just as much as them, and I think you should have a say in how things get handled from here on out.”

“Handled? Shouldn’t the school be handling this?”

“The school is claiming their hands are tied. This is our chance to call bullshit on them.” Chad finally smiled.

He reached out, taking Lance’s hand in his. He loved the way Lance’s dark, rich skin contrasted against his own. He loved the way Lance’s long, slender fingers fit perfectly into his palm, and he loved the way his skin seemed to tingle when Lance touched him. For a moment, but just a moment, he forgot why he was sitting there with Lance. He forgot about everything that had been going on, and he just enjoyed feeling that special someone’s skin against his own again.

“What time is the meeting?” Lance’s voice was still cool, but not all together hostile.

“Six. We’re having it at the Greek Row Commons. We thought it would be better to have it on neutral ground. Make everyone more comfortable.”

Gently, Lance took his hand back. “I’ll see you there.”

Then, without another word, Lance stood. He gently kissed Chad on the cheek, and turned, walking back into the crowds of students moving through the commons. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 40

In the hallway we could finally hear it. Virus was everywhere, attacking the patients and the staff at an accelerating rate. The hallways were filled with screams of pain.

I needed to find Dina. She was somewhere in the building.

“We need to leave.” Albert was tugging at my arm like a child about to throw a tantrum. “Come on, we need to…”

I yanked my arm away from him, and he tumbled to the ground, his bony knees making a painful cracking sound when they hit the linoleum. “I am not leaving until I find my friend.”

“But…” He looked up at me, his eyes wide and wet with tears.

I almost felt pity for him. Outside of the Digital Void he was nothing. He was a weak and powerless creature who couldn’t even defend himself. In his digital world he was god. He could cause pain and torment people left and right, but here, in reality, he was nothing.

“I’d tell you to leave if you wanted to, but Janelle made it sound like you were pretty important. So, you’re coming with me.”

I grabbed his arm, yanking him to his feet, and we headed down the hallway. I needed to find a patient registry, or charts, or anything that could tell me what room Dina was in. 

Rituals pt. 15

Missy sat up, her eyes adjusted to the dark. She could see the sleeping vipers surrounding her cage, their chests rising and falling rapidly. The gentle hiss of snoring filled the den.  Venom was asleep not far from her. Oh how she hated him. She could feel that hatred so strong that it seemed to burn inside her belly. She wanted him dead, and soon.

She heard the shattering of glass.

It had started. She needed to be ready.

She felt around her cage, ignoring the screams and howls that started filling up the den. She needed to find a weapon. Once these things woke up, and they would eventually, they would be pissed, and the last thing she needed was to get caught empty handed when those creatures started lashing out.

She reached up, feeling the chain around her neck. Her leash. She gave it a tug, and she could feel the far end, the end attached to the cage, give slightly. She tugged again. She wouldn’t be able to free her neck, but if she could just get the chain free from the cage, she would…

She heard a snap, and the chain went limp in her hand.

Perfect. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 39

“What… what is it?” Albert was looking at the terrified expression on my face.  He turned, and had to cover his mouth to muffle his fear.

One of the patients had sat up and pulled away their curtain while I had had my back turned. The patient was watching us, although I’m not sure that they were even still alive.

The wires from the machinery next to their bed had dug itself into the person’s skin, pulsing and slithering its way along, creating deep, blood red veins to balloon along the greying flesh. Blood poured from their nose and the corners of their milky white eyes.

The patient raised their hand, reaching out for us. They slowly opened their mouth, and I could see wires snaking past the blood caked lips, pushing out teeth and slicing into the tender flesh inside of their mouth.

I grabbed Albert, pulling him towards the door just as one of the wires shot from inside the patient’s mouth and cut into wall were Albert’s head had just been.

“Holy shit!” Albert yelled as we left the room, the door slamming behind us. 

New Pom Pom Angel: Forbidden Kiss pt. 2

The next time I saw Dante was at the Wet Whistle.

The Wet Whistle was this bar down the street from my building. The place wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and cozy, and every Thursday it had a “Boy’s Night” which attracted a decent enough crowd to keep me stocked up in hazy one night stands that I haven’t regretted yet.

I went for my normal spot at the bar, and sure enough Dante found his way into the seat next to mine. He gave my elbow a gentle nudge.

“Hey neighbor.” He smiled.

“Hey.” I motioned towards the bartender. They knew me well enough where I didn’t have to call out the order. “So, how are you liking life in the human world?”

“Fine, I guess.” He kept his eyes locked on me as he spoke. “Fewer orgies, but better air flow.”

The bartender put down a rum and Coke in front of me, and I handed him a five.

“Well, I’m sure your sister could point you in the direction of a few orgies. She seems to have fallen in with the local sex club scene.” I didn’t look at him as I sipped my drink.

“You know,” he placed his hand on my shoulder, “I’m actually thinking of something a little more one on one.”

The next few thoughts all rushed through my head in a manner of five seconds.

Don’t even think about it. He’s a demon.

He is cute though.

He may also try and feast on your mortal soul after he’s done with you.

I’ve been a dry spell the last couple of weeks.

Was losing my soul to a demon who wore leather pants worth it?

HE’S A FRICKEN DEMON!

But he’s cute.

“I…” I stuttered, “I’m not really one to rush into bed.”

I was surprised my nose didn’t grow three feet after that gigantic lie. I wasn’t a complete slut, but I had been known to enjoy the occasional one night stand. Okay, maybe I was a frequent one night only member. Still, when dealing with a potential Incubus, one needed to think of protection, and I wasn’t just thinking condoms and PrEP.

“So, does that mean I have to woo you?” He leaned closer. His breath smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. “I can woo with the best of them.”
I backed up a little. He was more confident this time. “Why?”

He looked confused. “Why what?”

“Why me?” I glanced around the bar. “There are probably ten guys in here who would willing go home with you right now, and most of them are probably hotter than I am. So, why me?”

“You really want to know?” He leaned even closer.

I nodded.

“You were nice to me. Never really experienced that before. Kind of liked it.” He kissed my cheek, and sat back. “So, do I have to woo you?”

I nodded, a bit dumbstruck.

“Then I better get started on that.” He slapped a ten dollar bill on the bar, motioning towards the bartender. “One drink for him, and the change is for you.” He winked at the bartender, then got up and without another word, left.

I didn’t really know how to respond, and so I sat there, in silence, and sipped on my drink. Secretly I was hoping the alcohol could help me process.

It didn’t.

Tentacle University 2: The Sorority pt. 8

Stephen sat on the steps of the Delta Alpha Kappa house, a cigarette discretely hidden between his fingers. He hadn’t smoked in years, but all this shit, everything that was going on with the Dean, and the rest of Greek Row, had finally driven him back to the habit.

“Is it really that bad?” Willard Canelli’s voice made Stephen turn. “I mean, you always struck me as Mr. Clean Living. Now I catch you with a cancer stick?”

Stephen just shook his head. “Yeah, I guess you could say it has gotten that bad. The meeting with the Dean was a dud, and I’m pretty sure that the other houses still think we posted all those pictures.” He took a small drag off his smoke. “Now I finally have a small idea of what kind of bullshit Rachel puts up with.”

Willard nodded, sitting on the steps next to him. He gently took the cigarette from between Stephen’s fingers, and took a drag.  Then, with a flourish, he flicked the cigarette out into the yard.

“Rachel does what she has to do for her house. She’s a strong leader, and she makes me realize that maybe I’ve been playing peace keeper for too long. Maybe it’s time for us to make a little noise.” Willard gave Stephen a quick clap on the back. “You still got all your research?”

He nodded. “I gave the Dean copies.”

“Smart man.” Willard smiled. “If the Dean won’t listen, then maybe the rest of the campus will. Give Rachel a call. Tell her we need to put our heads together if we want to put an end to this.”

All Stephen could do was smile, and deep inside, he was hoping that Rachel would listen to him.

-**-

Rachel picked up on the second ring.

“Who is this?” Her voice sounded tense.

“It’s Stephen.” He started speaking before she could cut him off. “Listen, Willard wants to have a little meeting. I told him what had happened with the Dean, and I think he has a plan.”

“Couldn’t you just tell me over the phone?” She sounded annoyed.

“If I knew it, I would, but Willard isn’t always the most talkative guy. So, be here by six?”

The line was silent, and for a brief moment Stephen thought that Rachel had hung up on him. Then she spoke.

“Alice and I will be there.” There was another long pause. “I hope this isn’t some trick.”

“No tricks, I promise.”

“Then I’ll see you at six.” She hung up. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 38

Albert’s bathroom connected to the next room over. A corner room. The main door opened on to a different hallway.

“Come on.” I wrapped my arm around Albert’s waist and we started into the bathroom.

“It’ll get us.” He was mumbling to himself. “No use. It’ll get us.”

“Do you want me to leave you behind?” I loosened my grip.

He looked at me, shaking his head, his eyes wide with fear.

“Then be quiet.” My voice was ice cold.

The bathroom was small, and in a few seconds were through the other door, and in a room with two sleeping patients, their curtains drawn around their beds. Quietly we made our way to the door leading out into the hall.

I let Albert go, and leaned him against the wall. Then, doing my best not to wake the other patients, I cracked the door open and looked out into the hallway.

Empty. Perfect.

I turned back to Albert, and nearly screamed. 

Rituals pt. 14

Alana had been the one to act first. She spotted the window wells, the glass panes painted over an impenetrable black.

“We drive them out.” She gritted her teeth, and swung a rock at one of the windows. The glass shattered, and beams of light poured into the basement.

A hiss and a howl erupted from inside the building. Doug and I responded by following her lead, and began smashing the small windows that lined the bottom of the building. There weren’t many, but it was enough to get the results we had hoped for.

Soon the howls were so loud that we could barely hear ourselves think. Then we heard the first pop, and a spray of green-gray liquid splashed out through one of the shattered windows.

“I think we have their attention.” Doug wiped some sweat away from his forehead. 

Eye See You: Infection pt. 37

I was trapped.

I was trapped in a room with the son of a bitch who was responsible for all of this, and I had to figure out a way to get myself, and him out of this mess.

I quietly closed the door, hoping that the nurses hadn’t heard me.

“It’s going to kill us.” Albert’s voice was getting louder. He was starting to panic.

“Shut up.” I whispered. “If they hear us, then yes, they will kill us.”

Albert bit his dried, withered lip and backed away from me.

I tried to think. I tried to clear my head, and form a plan.

We couldn’t go out the window. We were ten floors up. The nurses were in the hallway, so that way was blocked.

I glanced around the room.

Then I saw a way out. 

New Series News!

So, as I've mentioned on the blog before, I am currently back in school. Actually, I'm pretty close to being done, and part of finishing up means having to do a final Portfolio presentation. Part of my presentation requires me to make a leave behind. Well, me being me, I tied my leave behind to the blog, and made it the first episode of a new series.

So, starting in the middle of next month I will be adding a short run (probably 8-12 episodes) Saturday series. I'll give you more information as we get closer, including an exact start date. So, stay tuned, as I add even more series to this already busy blog!

New Pom Pom Angel: Forbidden Kiss pt. 1

I, Nando, am being stalked by a demon.

Okay, maybe stalked is a strong word, but damn is this demon persistent.

It all started about a week ago, when Dante (that’s the demon) moved in down the hall. He actually isn’t the first demon for the building either. His sister, Regina, has been living here for a while now.

This is all familiar stuff, I know. So… back to my little Dante shaped problem.

I had spotted him the day he moved in. He had been dragging a large duffle bag up the stairs towards my floor. Of course the bag was completely blocking the stairwell, and me being in a hurry, but not wanting to be a complete asshole, asked Dante if he needed some help.

“Thanks,” he had said, giving me this adorable half smile that showed off his one, pointed canine.

That canine was the first clue that something was off about him. When I say it was pointed, I mean, it was a fricken fang. Not really vampire fang, but… kind of fox-ish.

Still, I’ve dealt with a few supernatural beings over the past couple of weeks, so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Things with Missy didn’t turn out, and she occasionally sprouted wings if she farted and sneezed at the same time.

Damn… I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone  that.  

Alright, back on track.

So, I helped Dante with his bag, thinking I was doing the neighborly thing. It didn’t hurt that he was cute in a kind of punk by way of emo style. Plus, he didn’t smell funky, and his teeth were clean. He was also giving me those “maybe?” eyes.  You know the ones. The “maybe this guy might be interested, but I’ll play it safe” eyes.

The truth was, I was kind of interested.

Until we got upstairs.

When we get to Regina’s door my “Nope” alarm started going off big time.

“You a friend of Regina’s?” I asked him, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“Brother, actually.” His smile twitched. “You know her?”

“Yep.” I nodded. “She’s in competition with my roommate Missy for my other roommate Gus’s romantic destiny.”

He just nodded.

“So, you’re a…” I paused. Was the word demon derogitory? I mean, I was guessing he was some hellspawn, but that didn’t mean I had to be rude. “You aren’t human, are you?”

“Nope. Demon.” He bit his lip. “Is that a problem?”

“Nope.” I completely and totally lied. “Anyways, I better get back. I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Okay.”

I started towards the door to my apartment and stopped.  If I have learned one thing from listening to Regina and Missy go on and on, it’s that there are specific kinds of demons to watch out for. I turned back towards Dante. He was still watching me, that mischievous, and yet adorable smile twitching on his lips.

“You aren’t a…” I had to search for the word. “Are you an incubus?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

Dammit.

Dante waved his hand over Regina’s lock, and I could hear it audibly click open. “You’ll just have to do a little… exploring to find out.”

Then he was gone, vanished into Regina’s apartment, and leaving me both a little excited, a tiny bit scared and completely and utterly confused in the hallway.

Tentacle University 2: The Sorority pt. 7

Rachel stormed into the Kappa Iota Lambda house and headed straight for her room.  She was so confused. Everything Stephen had said had made sense, but a part of her still thought that he was trying to avoid being punished. There was a chance he had made all that shit up, but when she had talked to him he had seemed so sincere.

She plopped down onto her bed, and felt something bump against her leg. She reached down, picking up a small envelope.  She looked it over, and could feel something solid inside.  On the front was her name.

“What the hell?” She ran her finger over the small bump under the thin paper of the envelope. 

It felt like stone, but when her fingers touched it she felt a small tingle run through her fingers. She started to open the envelope, then paused. She had a strange feeling she didn’t want to know what was inside.

She shook her head. It was just a letter. Probably from one of her pledges, trying to get an edge on the other girls by giving her a little gift or something.  It happened all the time.

She opened the letter, and tipped it so that a small, blue stone fell out into her palm.  It was cold to the touch, and that tingling sensation was stronger now.  Gently she placed it down on the bed, then pulled out the small note from the envelope.

Her eyes started scanning it, but before she could read further she heard the door to her room open.

“Love note?”

Rachel looked up to see the vice president of Kappa Iota Lambda, Alice McGovern looking at her.  She was smirking.

“I don’t think so.” Rachel shook her head.

“Oh? What’s it say?”

Rachel took a deep breath and started reading the note aloud.

“Find a host, and plant the seed.  Once it blooms, you shall receive the revenge you seek.” She folded the note. “Signed ‘A Friend’.”

“How ominous!” Alice clapped her hands and laughed. She spotted the blue stone sitting on the bed next to Rachel, and swooped in, picking it up. “Is this the seed?”

“I guess so.”

Alice started rubbing her hands together. “Weird.”

“Made your skin tingle, right?” Rachel glanced down at the small stone.

“Yeah.” Alice nodded. “It didn’t exactly feel bad.  It just felt… wrong.”

Rachel just nodded, scooping up the small stone and the note, placing both back into the envelope. “Maybe I’ll have someone down in the geology department look at it.”

She picked up the envelope and placed it in her bag. 

“So, how did the meeting with the Dean go?” Alice quickly sat down on Rachel’s bed. “Any chance of getting Stephen and his brothers kicked out of school?”

Rachel shook her head. “No, and as much as I hate saying this, it really looks like Stephen and his house didn’t spread those pictures.”

“What?” Alice sat up straight. “How the hell does that work?”

Rachel turned to her, crossing her arms and leaning against her dresser. “It looks like the Delta Alpha Kappa house got hacked. As in, all of their webcams got hacked. There is a good chance ours did, too. Stephen had all the paperwork to prove it, too.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. You know what is even more fucked up? Even with all the evidence that Stephen had, and he had a lot, the Dean wouldn’t do anything.”

“You have to be kidding me.” Alice looked shocked.

“Wish I was.” Rachel glanced at her bag. “At this rate I may have to give that little ‘seed’ a shot at getting things right around this campus.”

As she said the words Rachel had a growing feeling in her gut that there was a good possibility that if she tried it, that little stone might work. She just wasn’t sure she would like the results.