πŸ“š evan's artifact Part 2 of 1
Part 2
evans-artifact-ch-02
MIND CONTROL

Evans Artifact Ch 02

Evans Artifact Ch 02

by express_latte
19 min read
4.11 (4100 views)
adultfiction

Evan couldn't tell what he was standing in. It was warm and also simultaneously cool, but more than anything it was just pleasant. Wherever he was, he was enjoying it.

Better still was the sight before him. He was standing in the middle of his high school's courtyard, his closest friends by his side. All he could hear was the sound of kids laughing as their parents played and danced with them, the euphoric vibrations of vocals and instruments crashing away at the stage just ahead of him, and the excited sizzling of an array of foods being prepared fresh and hot, ready to eat. It was his school's Spring Fair, and everyone was enjoying themselves.

But on the corner of the building they stood in front of, just an arm's reach away, was his heart. It beat slowly, but steadily, a soft 'whoosh' escaping its taut musculature with every cycle. Mesmerized, Evan bent down to pick it up. It was pale -- almost pink, rather than the deep crimson it was depicted as in his textbooks. Veins and arteries adorned the struggling organ, grey and inanimate. His heart smelled like candy.

Curious, Evan took a deeper breath. Mmm. Like licorice. Throwing caution to the wind, he licked the heart as he turned back to his friends, eager to share his discovery.

"Guys, this is incredible, my heart tastes and smells just like licorice!"

Nothing but stunned faces stared eerily back at him. "What?" he offered, taken aback by their hostility. "Seriously, it's good, try it!"

Evan reached out, wanting nothing but for his friends to share the delicious snack he'd procured. He didn't need a heart, after all. He'd never needed one. And besides, he didn't have any blood to pump through his body. No one did.

The deep, viscous sea of red he stood in sloshed as he motioned closer to each of his friends, their faces expressionless, their eyes void of the light of life. It'd been years since he'd come to visit their corpses, but the stink still didn't bother him. Just like licorice, he thought happily, licking at his heart.

A soft squeal escaped from the lips he'd just licked. Lips? The heart in his hand was no longer a heart, but the exquisite portrait of Lee, his girlfriend. An expression of fear and disgust was plastered on her porcelain features.

"Evan!"

"Mmwhamhaa?" Evan's neck was terribly stiff. As he blinked away his lacking sleep, reality seeped into his bones. In front of him floated Nessa's amused face.

"Long night? Professor Cho asked me to come get you -- most everyone's already eating." Before Evan could answer, she ripped the tent's Velcro door away and climbed inside the spacious tent. "Wow," she enthuses mockingly, looking around. "Remind me again why you get the family sized tent all to yourself?"

Evan sat up slowly, shrugging off the weight of sleep. His entire body ached with fatigue. Then the events of the night before returned like a sledgehammer, almost knocking the wind out of him. "Lee -- is Lee back?" he stammered.

Nessa furrowed her brows. "Lee?" she repeated before falling lazily onto the tent's padded floor. "What Lee? Someone you made up to not feel so lonely in here? You realize there're plenty of real people around?"

Evan was getting fed up with the whole flirty routine. Yes, it was great that a girl as cute as her was still trying to get close to him despite him and Lee having been a thing for over a year, but even baseless flirting had boundaries.

"Lee, Lee Suzumura?" Evan's voice caught in his throat as again, his thoughts turned to last night. "Or Lee Suzy, as she calls herself."

Turning to look at him, Nessa raised an eyebrow. "Wow, she even has a last name. Seriously Evan, how're you up and fooling around like this so soon after just waking up?"

"What? No, Lee -- Lee, my girlfriend since freshman year? Lee, half Chinese, half Japanese? Lee, practices badminton with the guy's team because the girl's team is terrified of her?"

It looked like Nessa was the one getting fed up. Pulling herself up to a sitting position, she eyed Evan with a coy, overly concerned look. "It's great you've got this whole backstory going for the imaginary girlfriend you think you're sharing this tent with, but if you just needed to stall for time, there was no need to be so stiff Evan."

"What the hell are you on about?" His hands shot up to his temples, rubbing furiously. "S-,"

Before he could say another word, Nessa coughed and motioned downward.

Of course. Good morning to you too, Captain Evan.

"You know, if you need a little help with that, I know someone," Nessa continued, her flushed cheeks breaking their usually pale complexion. Though her body language maintained the shy innocence she'd always exhibited, there was a twinkle in her eyes. "Or you could keep pretending this 'Lee' will...tend to you."

It was officially all too much for Evan. Red creeping into his ears, he hastily covered himself with more blanket, and looked as if he was about to make conversation with his tent's canvas top. "Okay I'll be right out. Give me a bit to wake up."

Nessa responded only half a beat late. "Of course," she murmured, leaving as quickly as she'd entered. "Be quick, the professor's really starting to get annoyed!"

And like that, Evan was once again alone, still flustered, but at least alone. Some semblance of assuredness settled onto him, and it was with growing concern that he thought back on the events of the previous night.

After Lee disappeared, Evan had stayed up until the sun's waking hours, searching for any trace of her that may have been left. Though they'd been walking next to each other only a moment before, even her footprints -- which should've been easily visible in the mud they traversed through -- were gone. Following his own path all the way back to the camp and each of the tents they'd visited, Evan still found absolutely nothing. In a moment as dreamlike and disorienting as that of deja vu, Evan thought he'd got a whiff of her perfume as he was looking around in the forest near where she'd first disappeared, but he couldn't be sure. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him...or maybe she'd really been there. Nothing made sense.

But she was there, Evan thought. I was talking to her, and then I wasn't.

Just before leaving the excavation site for his class's encampment, he had grabbed a box of research papers from the large tent in desperation as a bit of tangible proof that the last night's events actually occurred. Now, it sat contentedly in the corner, its existence berating him for losing Lee.

Nothing made sense. Nothing at all.

πŸ“– Related Mind Control Magazines

Explore premium magazines in this category

View All β†’

Yawning the tiredness from his eyes, Evan finally got up, grabbing a towel, change of clothes, and toothbrush before heading to the communal bathroom down the hill. If he was going to do right by Lee, he would have to find her without smelling of sweat and grime.

Though the path down was short, it was on muddy and loose dirt with only sparse bits of grass to keep his footing secure. Most everyone set their tents on a plain at the base of the hill, but Evan figured he'd make the sacrifice of being further away to make up for his access to a larger tent. It wasn't much, but it made him feel better.

As he approached the rest of the camp, his eyes darted quickly around his classmates in search of any glimpse of Lee. No luck. To make matters worse, where her tent was just the night before was now an empty patch of unoccupied space. She was sharing a tent with Pat though, wasn't she?

"Hey, hey Pat!" Evan jogged over to one of the fold-able, rickety camp tables where Pat and a number of her friends were eating breakfast. "Pat, you haven't seen Lee have you? Pat?"

Though of very different cliques, Pat was one of the nicer high-society girls. Many people from Evan's university came from rich, high-profile political families, often either because of their incredible industrial successes or through connections to literal royalty. I mean, how many universities take their students on a trip abroad just "for the experience?"

But stereotypes aren't always true, and in Pat's case, they were utterly wrong. She was sweet, friendly, and in all frankness, a hoot to be around. Evan quite enjoyed her company.

"Morning Ev!" Pat half-turned toward him, putting down her spoon of congee. "Looks like you woke up a little late. Quick, get a meal in before we've got to head out."

Evan nodded in acknowledgement, smiling a greeting at the other girls around the table. Pat's friends mumbled their hellos before shyly burying their faces in their phones. They really stuck to their own, didn't they?

Noticing Evan's pause, Pat continued, "What's up, Evan?"

"Oh, well, you haven't seen Lee then?" Evan asked again. But he hadn't really expected to in the first place. Lee didn't usually hang out with the high-society girls, even if they got along fine. She was always more involved with the athletic crowd. Even so, Evan couldn't help but feel disappointed by her absence.

"I can't find her," Evan continued in answer to the blank look on Pat's face. "I won't lie, we were out a bit late last night -- past curfew -- and somehow I lost her as we made our way back to camp. You didn't happen to se-,"

"You were out past curfew? Someone got lost?" There she goes again, Evan thought, straight into RA mode. "Evan this isn't a joke, have you told a teacher?" Pat gave Evan her full attention now, wrinkles of concern settling onto her small, pale face.

Hope stirred in Evan's chest. Pat didn't question who Lee was! "I know," Evan started, "I know it sounds worse than it is, and no I haven't told anyo-,"

"Evan! How could you? We need to tell someone no-,"

"Yeah I will, but if you've see-,"

"Come with me, we'll go see Professor Loyle right now," Pat started to get up, her small frame moving quickly with purpose.

Evan was taken aback by her quick response. What would he say? How could he explain what he and Lee were looking for? "Wait Pat, wait just a-,"

"Seriously Evan? Someone's missing, we have to let a teach-,"

"Someone?" Evan asked carefully. "Lee, Lee's missing," he said, watching for signs of recognition.

But Pat seemed to care more about what to do, more than why. She was on her feet now, stepping gingerly over the table's built-in bench. "Professor Loyle can let the other teachers know, they'll sort it all-,"

"Pat, slow down a bit," Evan's chest was tight with worry again.

The slightest pause in her movements. "Why?" Pat demanded.

Evan smiled internally, moved by how swiftly she acted. He wished he were more like her. But if his experience with Ness just a second ago was anything to go by, this would also lead to nowhere but more confusion.

"Pat, let me ask you something first." Evan said. He continued despite the narrowing of her eyes. "I know I've got to involve the professors, of course I do, but I just want to ask you something first."

Her rigid posture seethed impatience. "What is it?"

Evan licked his lips. "Lee. You shared a tent with Lee right?"

"I'm... sharing a tent with Nessa," Pat replied slowly. "I'm afraid I don't know anyone named Lee?" the name rolling over her tongue with lack of any familiarity, the simple statement curling into a question in hopes to not bring disappointment. Her brows furrowed ever so slightly.

Evan's heart sank. Closing his eyes in frustration, he repeated, "Lee Suzumura. You called her Lisa. She hated it." And before she could confirm what he now knew to be true, Evan's heart sank yet again. Confusion and concern replaced Pat's look of sorrow, and before she could answer, Evan backed away. "Forget I asked, we should get ready for the day," he mumbled.

For the first time that morning, Pat's calculated nature seemed to fail her. "Ev, I might not know who this Lee is, but if she's missing, we have to let-,"

Evan's frustration overpowered how bad he felt walking away from Pat. All he could do to keep from blowing up was to focus his mind on some other task. A shower. He should take a shower. Ignoring her continued calls, he made his way to the men's bathroom, shouting a half-hearted thank you at her as he left.

πŸ›οΈ Featured Products

Premium apparel and accessories

Shop All β†’

So not even her tent-mate knew where she was. It was as if everyone's memory of her had simply been wiped.

Evan's head pounded. He couldn't put a finger on what he was feeling earlier, but now it was unmistakable.

He was scared.

***

Lee woke up with a very, very loud sneeze.

Then she noticed the pain. Or was it pleasure? Or pain?

As her senses slowly made their return, Lee lifted herself up and immediately regretted it. The pillow and bed she had just removed herself from were so perfect, so comfortable against her naked form that it felt like an essential part of her existence was being taken away upon loss of contact. Were drugged pillows a thing?

Sleep was just only rescinding its grasp on her mind, her eyes half closed and her jaw slack. Her tired body longed to be caressed by her perfect bed again, but in the next moment, perfect clarity rang through her. It was the most natural thing in the world for her to gracefully stand up, and -

Evan. Her mother. Her transformation. Her body, hair, lips, eyes.

Yet before her fear and panic could overwhelm her, again, utter calmness and acceptance took their place.

Expressionlessly, she looked around. Spotting a pile of her old clothes on the ground, she gingerly put it back on. Immediately, she hated it. Her shirt felt loose on her now much smaller frame, and the jeans she used to wear, though now tight against her full ass and widened hips, covered far too much of her skin. Similarly, her sneakers felt... sticky. And walking with the soles of her feet even against the ground? It felt wrong - not just wrong, but painful, as if her feet weren't made to do so anymore. A slight but concentrated pain ran the length of her foot with every stride in her old sneakers, causing her to sit on the floor and immediately take them off. No, her feet deserved better than that.

As if aware of her thoughts, the room reacted, a single tile on the floor suddenly retracting below and back up again, but this time with a white, strappy, satin dress, next to pair of white stilettos, adorned with a simple, golden, metallic clasp. She hastily replaced her old attire with the new pieces.

The dress clung to her every curve, accentuating her new, incredible body. Light and shadow danced delicately off the smooth satin, framing her body with a refined sensuality. Her bouncy hair fell easily onto her shoulders, elegantly framing the dress's thin, delicate straps.

And finally, she slipped on the stilettos with perfect practice, despite their very shape forcing each foot into a sharp bend at the balls of her feet. Their platforms were at least three inches high, the heeled portion of the footwear easily raising her soles by four inches, if not more. She tried walking, falling easily into a hyper-feminine gait that caused her hips to swing with every footstep, accentuated further by her taut legs and raised derriere.

Thank god for that, she thought softly, watching as her old clothing was taken away by another receding floor tile. She turned her attention back to the room as a whole. This was the first time she'd seen her surroundings clearly, uninhibited by any inexplicable desire to sit in any machine or follow some subconscious command.

And the room she was in was massive. Like before, she could only just tell it was a vast, dome-shaped area with no end in sight. In every direction she looked, the furthest she could see faded to a faraway ambiguous horizon -- like staring across the ocean.

A wisp of worry threatened the veil of peace that Lee felt. She closed her eyes, working her numb mind to find the source of discomfort, the bubble of a thought. It was faint, but she could tell there was something hiding, some version of truth that was trying to make its way out.

"Achooooahh!" A half sneeze, half moan broke the tension in her mind, immediately alleviating any worriment that may have plagued her. Lee licked her lips, cleaning away the bits of saliva that spewed out with her sneeze. Mm, strawberry lip gloss.

As soon as she was rocked back to her senses by the sneeze, Lee walked forward with a new sense of direction. She had to get to the room's center -- to where the power of the Artifact pulled at her.

While there were zero physical markers to point her in the right direction, some perfect measure of intuition gave her inhuman awareness of it. In fact, anyone untouched by the Artifacts influence would've had zero chance of finding it. It would've been like trying to navigate a maze without being able to use any of their empirical senses.

But having been molded by the Artifact, Lee could feel its powers radiating outward, travelling up to the surface where it would transform -- no, free the fellow members of her species of their free will. After all, thinking was so laborious. Lee giggled, thinking of how bothered she used to be by everything.

Lee picked up her pace as she caught sight of the same chair that'd just put her through the best time of her life by far, mere hours ago. It was just there, a perfectly unassuming piece of furniture. An intense, inescapable feeling of eagerness began to build deep within Lee again, and just as she was sure that it was going to give her what she wanted, a voice echoed in her direction.

"-it's better like this, since Evan's been acting a bit crazy anyway. Hey, what the hell?"

Lee immediately turned to the source of the sound. One word in particular rung loudest: Evan. She knew that name.

Then her eyes found the lanky, stumbling boy. He was no doubt the Artifact's next tribute. Inexplicably, a sense of relief ran through her. She wasn't sure why she felt relief of all things, but she didn't pay it too much mind. More than relief, she felt excitement. The boy in baggy jeans and a green faded flannel that looked more like a lost child at a mall was about to join her in her permanent bliss. Hurray!

"James! From Economics, right?" The question came out of Lee's mouth seemingly automatically. Familiarity turned to recognition as Lee realized she did know this person after all. They were foggy memories at best, but she definitely remembered him sitting behind her in several classes. Though they'd never interacted much, she recalled numerous instances where his ragged breathing distracted her from her studies quite a bit. Studies, she thought. What an insane thing to once have cared about.

James stopped his frantic glances around the room when he heard his name. Then his eyes found Lee. "Who are y-," his voice cracked as his eyes immediately glued onto her perfect form.

Without a word, Lee strode toward the frozen boy with newfound purpose. They must have been at least a couple hundred meters apart, but even in stiletto heels she effortlessly closed the distance in little time.

The closer she got, the wider James' eyes seemed to bulge. She didn't blame him. How else would a common member of such a backward race react in the presence of one touched by the Artifact?

"James." Lee said again, more a statement than a question as she came to a stop. At her new height of 5', few people were shorter than her. But in her heels, James was only a touch taller.

Yet god taketh, and god give. Even through his worn jeans, Lee could see the large, growing bulge of James' awakened sex. If it weren't for the instructions so deeply burned into her new sense of being, Lee would have jumped him with little regard for anything else.

But her new calling took priority. Ignoring the tingling in her stomach, she remained calm and composed as she proceeded with collecting James. "This way," she said, turning away. The boy remained where he stood, only his gaze moving as it flitted from her sweet porcelain face to her extraordinary features.

Enjoyed this story?

Rate it and discover more like it

You Might Also Like