LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 6: Skitter
The Malaise of Madness evaporated as quickly as it came, those men afflicted by the sickness were driven to an insatiable lust the likes of which Keri had never seen. Nearly a thousand young men were exposed to the virulent strain, most from the House of Shade, and had to be isolated and contained. In the Rachelle Institute they never got past the second floor, but other institutes weren’t as lucky.
A dozen Peons and some thirty Pawns were assaulted by the roving gangs of hyper virulent sexual deviants. Had it not been for Keri’s hurried and desperate defense they might have gotten as far as the fourth floor before being stopped. Many of the Pawns were overwhelmed, being mostly on the first floor, and found no salvation.
Things were made worse by how extremely fertile their semen was. There wasn’t enough birth control on the planet to save all the women on campus from imminent insemination. Typically a collection of male sperm could survive inside a woman’s body for up to three days, but the semen belonging to those afflicted refused to die for several days longer. It wasn’t until three days following the harrowing experience that any of the men finally regained control of their senses, those that didn’t fall into a coma or suffer brain damage that is. The ones who were lucky enough to survive and take hold of their sanity had only one explanation for their actions. The last thing they could remember was taking acid, drinking, and trying a new type of male enhancement medication. When interrogated none of them could remember the name of the said medication, or how they had gotten it. They could remember very little at all.
Keri didn’t really care about any of that. She was busy suffering from the flood of emotions burning in her chest. For one she was absolutely terrified that Sena was still in the nurses ward unconscious. But there was another emotion deep down that she had a hard time placing. It was one that she hadn’t felt in a long time, one that she had forgotten about. It was pride…at being able to fight her way through a dozen or so larger men in close confines. It wasn’t easy, but she did have a few clear advantages. Her wrists and ankles were still sore, her previous injuries still evident, but she knew how to defend herself. It helped that the men were so dim witted they didn’t know how to block her shots.
All she had to do was avoid their clumsy brawling motions, and go for their jaws. It seemed that the malaise had stunted their critical thinking and reflexes. At some point during the fight she learned that their crotch was even more sensitive than usual, and when she kicked one of them in the dick he screamed like he was dying before falling over and sobbing. She adjusted her stance after that, focusing on the place between their legs that controlled their instincts.
That raw feeling of excitement made her feel guilty, especially as she sat next to her girlfriend. Sena was pumped so full of sauce that it left a slight bulge poking just below her stomach. That was another thing about their semen, it was overly thick and spilled in large quantities. Something in the male seed seemed to infect the libido of their prey causing the women who were being ravished to exhibit similar mind numbing symptoms. For this reason all the victims were put into a medicated coma until the affects wore off. Meanwhile Sena’s ovaries were overproducing new eggs at an alarming rate. Birth control was also sending her haywired hormones into shock, there was no guarantee it would work.
Only one thing was for sure, this would be the end of the House of Shade. Whether they would be judged for their actions or not mattered little. The honor of their house had been stained to the point of no recovery. It was likely they would lose their charter and face expulsion, even if they didn’t face any criminal charges.
She supposed it could’ve been worse. The Lyra Institute had been broken into and half their sisters attacked before any help could arrive. Meanwhile the Sasha’s entire senior class had been captured in a surprise attack. Apparently they were in a high profile meeting to plan homecoming when a small horde broke through the windows after scaling their Institutes walls! The worst horror story Keri heard came from the Bella’s, where several nearly died from strangulation. Their assailants pumped their throats so full of cum that they nearly died! Overall It was a miracle that there were no fatalities.
Every day since the disaster classes had been suspended, authorities were searching every inch of campus, and there was a rumor that the entire semester could be cancelled. Many of the victims families were in uproar about the Malaise of Madness, and threatened violence should those responsible not be brought to justice. The question was, who was at fault? Was it the stupid man-children trying to get hard on male enhancements, the drugs floating around school, or something worse? Whispers circulated about the identity of those who provided the enhancements, the nameless peddlers that swindled their way to the top of the college addicts supply lists.
There was nothing to do while Keri watched over her girlfriend but think about the rumors. She hadn’t left the nurses ward in three days, and still wore the same clothes as before. There were bags under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. She’d been forgetting to eat, and her skin was looking pale. Despite this she continued to study her lovers chest as it rose and fell, as if at any moment her breathing might cease. She was assured everything would be fine, but it wasn’t enough to relax her feelings.
Keri was so focused on her girlfriend she paid no attention to the sound of the dividing curtain shuffling or the sounds of Lilia’s boots stomping the floor. When she entered a draft followed her and made the temperature drop at least five degrees. It was only when she took a seat across from her on the other side of Sena’s bed that Keri noticed her.
What the fuck? It was impossible to hide her shock. Lilia’s transformations had already begun, her breasts had swollen into incredible mountains. Each of her twins were firm and perky, and thanks to her strong pectoral’s they fit her frame perfectly. They did not fit her blouse however.
Lilia blushed when she noticed her wandering eyes. A thin smile grew on her lips as she leaned back in the chair. When she spoke her voice was both stern and clearly focused, “How is she?”
“She’ll live,” Keri’s answer was weak and scratchy, and her throat was parched. It was wishful thinking to expect that her freshmen roommate would get up and leave her alone. She barely knew her and couldn’t imagine their friendship was anything more than a mutual relationship. But to Keri’s surprise she didn’t leave. Lilia Lichter remained sitting at attention and fully alert of her surroundings. The way she postured herself was less like a student and more like a military cadet. “Did you just come to check on me?”
Lilia fidgeted ever so slightly, her eyes quickly focused on Keri’s lips to read her words. Keri had the impression that Lilia wasn’t completely deaf, she witnessed subtle moments when loud bangs or abrupt disruptions would attract Lilia’s attention. When others shielded their ears or jumped in fright Lilia would simply turn her head and try to study the source. The fact that some of her sense of hearing remained told Keri that she was only partially deaf. It made Keri wonder how much she could actually hear, and how much she could hide. Keri knew she was getting paranoid but she couldn’t help but wonder, could Lilia hear more than she claimed…like the snickering of her sisters behind her back?
Lilia started to speak but her voice wasn’t clear, so she cleared her throat before trying again, “I’ve been ordered to get you something to eat and bring you back to the dorm.”
Keri had no concept of time and hadn’t tried to pay attention. Sena and most of her sisters were admitted three days ago and Keri had stayed by her bed the entire time. She ate little and slept even less, and knew she probably smelled but couldn’t leave Sena here alone. She had already betrayed her sexually, she wouldn’t live with herself if she abandoned her again.
Keri wondered how she should respond to Lilia’s awkward statement. She leaned forward, forgetting to face Lilia directly, and spoke sarcastically, “Is that all they ordered you to do…”
Lilia couldn’t make out what she said so she continued, “I’m not allowed to come back without you.”
Keri couldn’t deny she was tired, sleeping in a hospital was virtually impossible without a healthy dose of morphine. Her hair was a tangled mess and she couldn’t help but feel her stomach growling. Still though she wasn’t going to leave, not yet anyway. She brushed her hair aside nd looked over at Lilia, who’s facial expression alone was enough to tell her that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
There was something incredibly odd about her roommate. Keri judged it must have something to do with experience. Lilia was unlike any other freshmen on campus, every movement she made and every path that she walked had a purpose and she took every order seriously. Almost too seriously in fact. Lilia’s skills with knots and rope had translated well with her passion for dominating others, and her ability to excel academically was above everyone else. Even though she was deaf it seemed like only a minor inconvenience to her, an annoyance to overcome.
Rather than force her to get up from her chair, or bully her into submission, Lilia just sat in front of her with her legs crossed. Keri listened to the ticking of the clock on the far side of the wall. It was the only noise in the entire room. A small and everlasting click that interacted with her dreams when she did manage to nap next to Sena.
Silently, Keri started counting the clicks one after the other. Her eyelids were heavy and it felt so good to let them rest. No sooner had she planted her head on the bed of her unconscious lover had she felt the sweet bliss of sleep wrap over herself. There was an uncomfortable pinch followed by mind numbing warmth and for the first time in days she got a long and deep sleep.
There were no dreams, or nightmares, which she should’ve been grateful for. Instead when Keri awoke her tongue was dry and her lips felt numb. She was groggy and her head felt clouded as she leaned forward. Her first instinct was to check for ropes, which there were none, and then to check her surroundings. She was in her dorm and it was dark outside, the curtains had been drawn back to expose a clear starlit night. She had been resting on her own bed, her sheets smelled clean and recently washed. It must have been past nine o’clock judging by the increased amount of noise in the hallway, her sisters were always frisky in the late evenings.
It took a couple minutes for the groggy side affects to wither before she realized she was wearing different clothes…and her hair had been washed. She was wearing a pink robe, lace underwear, and a padded bra!
Apparently Lilia had taken the time to drag her back to the dorm, bathe her, and dress her!
I’m going to fucking kill this bitch, she made the decision right then and there. Her eyes scanned the room looking for the tiny German girl who had drugged her when she fell asleep in the hospital. She had taken her orders way too far!
“FUCK YOU!” She cried out to the darkness. There was no one with her in the room, but in her anger she noticed a couple of things that only then caught her eye.
Candles…
There were several lit candles on the far side of the room next to windows with its curtains spread wide. A potent fragrance continued to lay thick over her mind, making her instincts clouded and hard to comprehend. It was too hard to try to get up, so she laid back down onto her neatly pressed sheets covered in rose petals.
Rose Petals?
The smell from them was even more intoxicating than the perfume burning from the candles. Her stomach quivered and her heart began to burn. Her lower lips were so sensitive, the nub in between her folds began to swell. Pink nipples sharpened into fine points, as her breasts throbbed.
Keri bit her lip as she felt her heart begin to race. After her previous year she knew all the signs of a powerful aphrodisiac. All the smells and tastes in the air were no different to the intoxicating aroma that fueled her sexual tensions in the Grand Galla she attended last year. She couldn’t stop the feeling of rising pleasure from thrusting through her core. Sweat was beading down her brow and pooling down her cleavage.
I’m so fucking horny!
As her moans echoed a dark shadow manifested in the corner of the room. The flame light distorted its shape to appear more like a strange mirage. The eerie humanoid shape approached her bed, admiring her convulsing body before it leaned in closer. More than anything in the entire world Keri wanted someone to touch her. Her loins were moist, the tender folds of her lips puffy and sensitive. Her stomach was clenched as her legs shook and spread wide. The robe she wore was loosely bound and quickly spread to let her supple skin kiss the cool air. The lumbering shroud hanged over her body and with a single yank tore her thin underwear aside.
What? It had to be an illusion, whatever was in the air was making her see things. There was no way that a shadow creature was actually teasing her?
No….her mind fought with her sultry lust for control over her body. It was impossibly hard to fight through the layers of building excitement that had been weighing down on her already muffled mind. A part of her wanted the creature to forcibly spread her legs wide. But the larger more rational part of her was desperately trying to resist.
A new smell erupted from the shadow as it planted its elongated knees between her legs. One that filled her full of dread. The aroma wasn’t the musky odor of a proud man or the sweeter scent of a gorgeous woman, it was more akin to the smell of death.
Her eyes finally got used to the dark enough to make out the sinewy creature about to ravish her. Its giant shaft was an erected monument between its legs. At first she thought the figure was in her mind, or perhaps could be the one who had been stalking her for the past several months Axel Bane. But the person above her was very real. Its mouth spread wide to reveal rows of sharpened teeth, but its eyes were what was most alarming. Each of its orbs were white as pearls on a clear moonlit night and reflected her stunned face back to her.
“What the fuck are you?” She screamed as it grabbed hold of her wrists. She was too weak to resist its demanded ferocity. Her arms were pinned above her head as it laid its dark anaconda on her stomach. The appendage was longer than her arm and thicker than a balled fist, it was covered by sharpened edges like the thorny stem of a rose flower. Some of those sharpened edges dug into her skin which pained her.
This is a dream, she rationalized. She must still be dreaming, there was no other way this could be happening. Slowly the thing began making clicking noises. A cold memory washed over her.
A skitter?
Just as the thing’s hallow and shadowed face fell forward to just inches above her own it began trying to say something, “Breeding sow, you already gave me one son…I need more…so many more.”
A light penetrated the room, casting aside the shadows and the swollen creature from the room. The door had swung open as the real Axel Bane walked inside. It was then that Keri realized that she had been holding her breathe, and now that the shade had miraculously vanished, she screamed. She couldn’t stop screaming, even after Axel turned on the lights and called for help. Her skin had turned a stark white, she had released her bowels, and her body was pouring sweat. Keri couldn’t stop screaming, not until her voice eventually gave out.
Axel couldn’t see whatever it was that had frightened her so, and must have thought that he had done something to cause it. But even after several of her sisters poured into the room, Keri wouldn’t stop screaming. Even when her voice gave out she couldn’t stop panicking, it caused her body to seize and eventually pass out.
“Hey…” A voice disturbed her slumber. For the longest time Keri thought she was swimming in a luke warm ocean. The vision of the shadow creature, the skitter, seemed to always be hovering over her. It faded or disappeared whenever a source of light glared, or when someone else was nearby. But the sound of Sena’s voice was enough to keep her from submerging into the ocean of her thoughts and collapse into dispair. Slowly Keri opened her eyes and looked over the room.
After the incident, which is how her sisters simply labeled it, in her dorm Keri was immediately transferred to the nurses station. She needed hydration, meds to flush out the toxins in her pores, and most importantly rest. It was one of her older sisters that mentioned she should be placed in the same room with Sena, and that it might help with her recovery. Whoever it was that made that call she wasn’t wrong.
Sena woke up the following day, but it wouldn’t be until that night before Keri would do the same.
She couldn’t help but think to herself how good Sena looked, even in her hospital gown. “Sup gorgeous?” She couldn’t speak, her vocal chords were healing from the trauma. Instead she had written the message on a small chalk board while looking directly at her.
Sena rolled over and smiled, “Trouble sleeping?”
Keri nodded, then looked over to the corner of the room. It was the only place where a shadow was able to form in the room. In that tiny crevice she could’ve sworn a pair of pearly eyes were studying her. The doctors told her it was all in her mind, that the stress coupled with the aphrodisiac in the room had triggered an hallucination and that there weren’t any Skitters. Just to be safe campus security, and even some of the wall guard, searched every inch of campus and reported nothing out of the ordinary. But still, it was hard to ignore the damn eyes! She could still see them, and they frightened her.
Sena was still hooked up to an IV and unable to leave her bed, but she was within arms reach. Carefully she reached over and let Keri clutch onto her arm for support. “Don’t worry love, its just you and me. Were completely alone.”
Keri kissed her girlfriends fingertips and let her arm rest on her collarbone. The tears strolling down her cheeks was the only answer Sena needed. Keri clutched onto her girlfriends hand desperately, hoping it would be enough to ward off the dark.
