by Mary Ramsey
“I think I’ll be ok. Can we go chill in the truck?” The truck bed was made of metal, so we would have to move our ‘bed,’ but it seemed safer than sleeping on the ground.
“You guys are seriously not eating?” Kai asked. He seemed genuinely disappointed.
Somehow, I managed to get back to sleep. I was no longer cold. I felt so comfortably warm. As I shifted my weight, my eyes forced themselves open.
I noticed my hands were glowing. Ripples of blue energy stroked over my skin like a deep, tender massage with warm oils. I felt so good, I wanted to pull my hands to my chest. But they were stuck in place, around Kent’s neck. “Why?” I asked out loud. But I knew why. Becca wanted me to make a move; murder Kai or watch my husband pass away. But there was a third option.
I slipped off my shirt, revealing my breasts, swollen with milk. I held my tender pink nipple to his lips. I could feel the warm air of his soft, weak breath. I couldn’t get comfortable on my back, so I lay on my side. I had not worn underwear in a few days, making masturbation easier. There had been many nights when I ‘had taken matters into my own hands’ if only to be able to sleep. So I knew for a fact that when I climaxed, the liquid that expelled from my breasts held the strange, blue, lifegiving energy. I got to work, and that was when I felt Kent’s hand on my thigh.
“What are you up to, Barbie?” He slipped his rough, fingers between my legs.
“I need…”
“I know exactly what you need.”
At first, it felt like being fucked by sandpaper, but my juices quickly soothed away any discomfort, allowing him to go deeper. The more I clenched my muscles, the more my skin sparkled with a familiar electric-blue glow. I could feel my milk dripping down my stomach as I was orgasming over and over. We had a little privacy since the back of the truck was covered in a tarp, but I could still see the light of Kai’s fire.
The sensation was pure bliss. I was gasping for air, moaning, crying. I glanced at the fire one last time, the flame burning as strong as the fire in my very soul. But where was Kai?
“Don’t stop on my account.” Kai was watching.
“Do you want me to suck you off?” I asked, removing my hand from my chest in a desperate attempt to maintain balance.
Kai came forward, crawling on his knees as he slipped out of his jeans.
This was for me. This was all for me.
I felt pain, physical pain. A horrible burning sensation washed over my skin. The best I could compare it to would be a sudden sunburn or being locked in an oven.
The air crackled with energy, leaving behind a distinct glowing portal. “Fucking loser,” said a familiar voice. Becca stepped through, wearing what appeared to be camo-patterned body armor. Her boots made a loud clank as she took a step towards me. “I guess this is goodbye.”
“What?” The sound that came from my lips was nothing more than a breath.
“I’m nuking this world. Maybe in a different reality, my mother won’t be a stupid damsel in distress.” She hit a button on her wrist, causing a helmet to wrap over her face. She looked like something out of a video game. “It won’t hurt for long. The last few versions of you died pretty easily.”
I had an idea of what she was about to do. She came from a place with the technology to wipe out entire timelines. But I had one hope. Kai?
Of course, I couldn’t be that lucky.
“I’m not stupid; where is he?” Becca asked, her voice digitized through her helmet. “Where is the fuckboy-clone that you chose over my father?”
Kai lunged at her from behind. “Grab her!”
Becca tried to fight him off, struggling under the weight of her armor.
Wait, why didn’t she just shoot him?
I suddenly had a realization; Becca had no weapons. The armor’s sole purpose was purely to be able to travel and activate the contained nuclear annihilation... and escape. We needed to follow her through the portal!
I hesitated for only a moment; could I leave behind everything in this world? I had to try. It’s what Kent would have wanted.
If you’re reading this, then something went right. But now it was just a matter of where the hell I landed. For starters, I somehow traveled from France to Mississippi. I landed naked in a field of grass just outside of Keesler Air Force Base. Yes, I’ve watched the Terminator movies. But before I had a chance to rob a biker gang for clothing, I was arrested by the local military police.
After being forcibly dressed in a hospital gown, I was strapped to a gurney before being loaded into an ambulance. No one told me where I was going, just muttering about me being a Jane Doe. I was tense, with thoughts of escape running through my mind. Only when I saw the lights of the emergency room sign did I realize I’d been taken to the on-base hospital.
I could only assume I’d been drugged since my heart was racing too fast for me to actually rest. I awoke in an elevator. My mouth was unimpaired, but I couldn’t speak or even scream. Vomit choked in my throat as I struggled to breathe. My heart was racing so hard, I almost didn’t notice how my vision was slipping in and out of focus. I could see I was surrounded by people; men, women, nurses, doctors, black, white, Asian, even Native American—all at once.
The image was layered, like watching a 3D movie without the glasses. I was expecting a headache, but none came. I could hear all the voices perfectly clearly. They were talking to me, referring to me by different names; Fiona, Emily, Miss Davis, Mrs. Mercer, Patient Zero, the female. But the one I kept hearing over and over was ‘the Vessel.’
From what I could make out, someone called ‘the child’ was still missing, possibly destroyed, but they were still looking. At least a few dozen voices were hopeful for this individual’s safe return.
The elevator stopped on what felt like a sub-basement level. As my gurney was wheeled into a room, the conversation shifted. Someone called ‘the man,’ ‘male specimen,’ and ‘Project K’ was still at large. That had to be Kai or maybe even Kent. It had to be.
“We have to send her back,” said a male voice with a Russian accent.
“There’s no place to send her back to,” replied a mousy female.
“What do we do?” the voices said, layered over each other. “What will we do?”
One woman came forward, and her silhouette seemed to stand out from the others, casting an oddly neon glow. “We do what we have to.” She had the voice of someone who smoked a pack a day and drank herself to sleep. But this sound was layered over what sounded like my voice. This woman had my voice.
As she came closer, her figure came fully into focus. She wore a lab coat over military fatigues, with her blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun. Her face looked tired, weary, somewhat angry, but also young. She looked about my age. As she moved in close, leaning over me, it became clear; the woman had my face.
“Take samples of skin, hair, blood, tissue, and bone,” she said with cold confidence. “Burn the rest in the incinerator.” The woman pulled a black glove from her pocket. She snapped it hard as she made a show of putting it on. “You killed my baby; now I get to return the favor.” She pulled out a knife with a laser blade.
“Please, no,” I said in a whisper. “You can let me go. I’ll probably die somewhere on the side of the road.”
“I know you will. But I can’t wait that long.”
I could feel the heat of the blade against my neck. Blisters formed as the red light touched my shoulder.
My life flashed before my eyes. I could see my parents, the day my father died. The day I left home, the day I... graduated from college? I was seeing visions of military training, combat training. And then blood. The other version of me lurched forward, vomiting blood. The knife dropped with a clank.
I was still strapped to a gurney as the other woman’s body started to bleed into me. But she wasn’t bleeding, she was melting.
My eyes darted around, trying to see the reactions of the rest of the doctors. Were they going to help their boss?
My vision star
ted to pixelate. They were transforming into something; a dark mass of shadows.
I blinked a few times, causing my vision to clear. The room was getting brighter.
Becca, in full armor, was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a giant humanoid rabbit.
A wave of energy washed over me over and over. On instinct, I reached my arms toward my chest, pulling myself into the fetal position. My hands were free. My legs were free.
With each new reality, my clothes changed, as did my hair and even my skin. My final form had tattooed hands and a massive, painfully swollen stomach.
A furry hand grabbed my shoulder. The massive appendage felt like part of a mascot costume. But unlike the grip of Chuck-E Cheese or Mickey Mouse, this hand was fully articulated and scary-strong.
“Get up,” growled a male voice.
“I’m trying!” I couldn’t stand up no matter how hard I tried. My legs were buckling under my weight, causing me horrific pain in my back and hips.
The rabbit-man did not seem to care. He dragged me by my shoulder, pulling me through a portal. With a thud, I landed hard on my shoulder. I closed my eyes as pain shot up my arm. I couldn’t move.
I rolled onto my back as I struggled for breath. When I could open my eyes, I saw a bright blue sky. I was outdoors? My shoulders felt wet and cold; I was in a field of green grass, wearing a crop-top and what I assumed were denim shorts.
I couldn’t see my lower body over my massive belly. But I could feel the denim, and I could feel that my shorts were soaking wet. I was in labor, I had to be. But I was alone; no rabbit, no Becca.
I moved like a turtle who had been placed on its back, struggling with my arms and legs. After much trial and error, I managed to wiggle out of my shorts. Gripping them in my left hand, I rolled my shorts into a tube shape to bite down on. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pushed with every ounce of strength. My body felt like I was being ripped in half. I could feel something coming out. I knew I had to keep going.
Just when I felt like I had no more strength, I saw my husband’s face. There were wrinkles around his eyes as he smiled at me. He was older, like a kind father or grandfather. But he was alive. “Hey, Barbie-girl.”
I tried to speak, but no words came out. My vision drifted as the pain washed over me.
“This is your world now, Barbie-girl.“
A massive boot struck me in the face, over and over. I needed to get up, or else I was going to die.
A familiar laser knife slashed me across the chest, leaving behind a cauterized wound. My body sat up all on its own, instinctively moving away from Becca.
I expected her to be in armor, but she was only in fatigues and combat boots. Not that it made her any less deadly.
Becca spat in my face. “I’m taking the baby. It’s mine anyway.“ With her gloved hand, she pulled the baby out, causing the afterbirth to follow.
The horrific pain caused my vision to blur. I rolled onto my chest, leaning on my forearms as I struggled for balance. Only then did I realize the baby was still attached.
I turned in time to see Becca use the laser blade to cut the umbilical cord. Time went in slow motion as she held the newborn by its ankle, letting the little girl cry.
“Such a pathetic little creature,” she muttered.
“B-but she’s you.” Was she really going to kill her own form?
“I know.” Holding the child by the leg, Becca swung it like a doll, moving it closer and closer to the laser, not unlike an executioner. “I figure killing off my original form will reset this world.” Becca’s sentence was cut off by a sudden burst of light. The rabbit-man grabbed the baby from her and teleported away. At least the baby would be safe or at least not dismembered by a laser blade. Becca screamed an unholy roar. “I am sick of this trickster bullshit!” Becca charged at me, pinning my already weak body to the ground. Sitting on my legs, she plunged the laser blade into my chest. “I could stay and watch you die, but I’d rather go rabbit hunting.”
I closed my eyes, assuming that the next breath would fill my throat with blood.
“Get up,” said a kind male voice.
Blinking my eyes, I couldn’t see anyone. But I felt something solid in my hand. It was a cigarette lighter. Was this Kai’s lighter?
At that moment I missed Kai as much as Kent, if not more.
But it was also at that moment I realized Kai never told me how he’d ‘escaped’ the military medical facility using just a lighter. I flicked it a few times, letting the warmth of the flame burn my thumb. Only it didn’t burn. The tip felt soft, like a marker, but the surface was translucent like a mirror. This wasn’t a lighter; this was a portal.
However, it was a portal the size of a small coin. I needed to figure out the next step towards finding the activation switch. I slipped my thumb in the portal to see what I could feel. I closed my eyes. My mind slipped to visions of calm; apple trees, flowers, sunlight, my first date with Kent.
The thoughts coaxed a smile across my face. For the first time in a long time, I felt genuine joy. My eyes opened, and now my entire hand was in the portal. I tried to jerk my arm back, but I was stuck.
Well, shit. I needed to figure out how to fully open the portal. I spat blood, my body in agonizing pain. I reached my hand deeper into the portal as if hoping someone would grab me. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on what I wanted. Not Becca, not a monster. I wanted to be safe. Please let me be safe.
I looked at the portal, trying to see what was on the other end. Would I ever get to meet my baby? Or reunite with my husband? Or would I be fighting for my life for all eternity?
The portal rippled like water, so I took a deep breath before falling headfirst. I wanted to go through before I changed my mind (and I sure as hell didn’t want to risk getting stuck halfway). I landed on the wooden floor of a cabin. “Ow!” The fall was not that bad, and next to me was a soft carpet that I easily rolled onto.
I could hear a baby’s coo, followed by a male voice. “Shh, Daddy’s here.”
I entered the room to the sight of the rabbit-man sitting on a rocking chair. He wore what looked like an open white bathrobe, with his muscular human chest clearly visible. He was holding a swaddled baby in his arms, rocking the little bundle gently against his sun-kissed skin.
“Shh, she’s asleep,” he said, lifting his head. The rabbit took off his mask, revealing a human face. He looked like a younger version of Kent. But as he tossed the mask to the floor, his rabbit ears sprang up. Apparently, those were not part of the costume.
“What about your hands?” I asked.
“Is that really a deal-breaker for you?” he asked with a smile as his paws held the baby comfortably.
“I guess not,” I said nervously. “But what are you?”
“A fantasy, a dream; I’m whatever you want me to be.” He put the sleeping baby in a cradle.
I was relieved that I could hear her softly breathing. “Is that my daughter?”
“Our daughter.” The rabbit-man looked at me with his dreamy bedroom eyes. His lips were pillow-soft and feminine. His blond hair fell in a choppy cut, just shorter than shoulder length.
“Will you lie with me?” He reached out his hand, biting his lip in hesitation.
“Sure, ok.” I took one step towards him, and the light from a nearby window caressed over my body. I was naked; that was not unexpected, but the condition of my body was oddly pristine. I was completely uninjured; no blood, burns, or even scarring.
He cupped my face with his paws. His fur felt silky soft, and the pads of his hands felt like those of a kitten. He guided me to the bed, laying me down on the patchwork quilt made of floral nature patterns. He leaned in to kiss me, his nose touching mine.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. His nose was human; his face was human. I ran my fingers through his hair, catching my hand on his ear. It actually started where a human ear would.
He chuckled as he pressed his lips to my earlobe. “Do you like them?”
; “Your ears?” I asked as I placed my hand upon his shoulder. I reached under his fur robe, undressing him down to his human body. His back and shoulders had a fine layer of gray fur, creating an elaborate pattern down his body. “What are you?” I asked again, this time more flirty than curious.
“I’m yours.” Over what felt like hours, my mysterious lover transformed my body into a playground of sin.
I awoke the next morning to the sound of my baby crying. I was naked but clean, as if he had washed me in my sleep. Rolling over in bed, I could see I was alone. The room was comfortably warm, and the smell of coffee and cinnamon wafted through the house.
The rabbit-man came in holding our daughter. Except this time, the child was at least a year old.
The little girl turned to me and giggled. She had her father’s blue eyes and blond hair. Her hair fell in soft curls, but among the doll-like waves were two rabbit ears. She had her father’s ears. She reached out her hand, revealing a paw, five fingers covered in white fur that crept up her arm. “Mama!”
I wanted to reach for her, I really did.
My hesitation caused my lover to take a seat by my side. “Does she please you?” My husband put the baby on the floor, allowing the toddler to stand.
I could see her face morph, growing with her body. Within moments she was standing tall, as a proper three-year-old. Her white dress even grew with her, making her look as sweet as a summer day. “Does this please you more, Mama?” Her voice was Southern, the way I always imagined it would sound.
The moment was adorable, beautiful, perfect. Too perfect. It was like I was writing a story in my head. It was all wrong.
I ran for the door, forcing it open. I didn’t know what my plan was. But it didn’t matter; there was no world beyond the cabin, only darkness. I cupped my hands over my mouth. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. From behind me, the rabbit-man reached around and closed the door. “You died. Becca killed you, just like the last time.”
I could feel tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. “What do you mean by ‘the last time’?”
The rabbit-man only smirked. “Last time, and the time before that.” He put his arms around my waist, holding me close. “You’re just not very good at this game.”