Everett put down the bloody device. He cleaned his hands with a dirty rag as he took a seat in an old aluminum folding chair. The dim light above him flickered. The creature tied to the chair in the center of the room wheezed and coughed. It resembled a young girl at times, a middle aged man at others. The more someone concentrated on the changeling, the less distinct it became, like trying to identify something on the other side of a thin waterfall.
Everett gazed at the broken form in front of him. He wondered once again what he should see when he looked at it. His mind flipped from intrigue to revulsion in a regular rhythm. How long had it been trapped here with him? How much longer could it hold out?
Rust flecks rained down from above them as Poe walked along the catwalk of the abandoned factory, making his way to the floor level. They were hidden away in a long vacated factory, somehow protected from Mandi's roaming hunting parties. The old stairwell rattled as Poe descended.
"Any progress?" Poe asked in a hoarse whisper.
Everett's eyes didn't move off of the creature, "Not yet. We're close."
Poe shuddered slightly as he looked at the changeling. It had once resembled his dead wife, but now he could only see a gray, writhing mass of flesh. He looked away, "The others are back with food if you're hungry. Don't remember the last time I saw you eat something."
Everett ignored him. He stood and picked up the strange implement again. Moving over to the creature, he grabbed hold of its head. "The name," he said. The creature did not respond. It shimmered and a beautiful young woman looked back at him with a broad smile. "Say his name."
"I'll suck your cock. I love sucking cock. Please!"
Everett sighed. The device in his hand whirred to life, emitting a loud buzzing noise as metal grated against metal. Everett slammed it into the creature's neck and unearthly screams filled the room as blood splattered against the walls.
-
"What are you doing here?"
A young, nineteen year old, Everett smiled broadly as he climbed through the window. He grabbed hold of Teresa's hand and squeezed as he pulled her in for a kiss. "I had to see you."
Teresa giggled and hesitantly allowed him past her into the bedroom. She silently closed the window behind him, and the two stood breathlessly in silence. From somewhere down the hall, they could hear the wheezing snores of Teresa's father. Teresa wore only a nightgown and blushed profusely as she pulled on a shawl. "You shouldn't have come Everett Daniels. If my father finds out you're here, he'll have you arrested."
"Then we'll have to be quiet," he said holding a finger up to his grinning lips. "I'm leaving tomorrow, and I had to see you. I think your father would understand. Come, sit." He dropped down on her bed and patted the spot beside him. She firmly stood in place. "Come on Teresa, you know how I feel."
Her visage softened, "And you know how I feel about you. But you can't come here like this. I told you I would wait for you."
Everett shook his head, "I don't want to wait. Especially since I can't promise that I'll come back."
She padded over to him quickly, "Don't say that. The war will be over before it starts. You've seen the papers. By Christmas of next year, it'll all be old news."
Everett's face darkened, "Yeah, sure. A year is a long time though."
Teresa let out a quick huff of exasperation then walked over to the door and quietly turned the small lock. Everett's heart started to beat rapidly as she turned around to face him. They had kissed, and his hands had roamed over her sweater a few times, but now he was alone in her bedroom with the door locked. They had been high school sweethearts, but then the draft notice came on Teresa's eighteenth birthday. She'd sat with him all that night, only sat. Still he's been lectured by his mother and hers the next morning. The fathers weighed in and the matter ended in a bitter silence since both of the guilty party assured the everyone that nothing happened.
Everett remembered the look Teresa's father gave him. Pure anger until he noticed the piece of paper in the young man's hand. Teresa was a late addition to her family, and her father had spent time in Europe in 1918. The old man never spoke of it.
Teresa removed the shawl, tossing it on the pillows at the other end of the bed. She pulled her braided hair over her left shoulder as she reached behind her neck to undo a small clasp on her nightgown. She bent over to grab the hem of the teal fabric, and Everett's heart jumped as she lifted it up rapidly over her body and head. He had never seen actual breasts before. They weren't as round as he expected based on some of the statues he'd seen in art books. But they certainly elicited a response as his cock throbbed in his pants.
Teresa smiled at him while crossing her arms over her breasts. "Go on then, your turn."
Frantically, Everett pulled off his shirt and undershirt revealing a tanned and muscular chest. While he was at it, he kicked off his shoes and unbuckled his belt. Teresa moved over to him and reached out to touch his chest. She felt his heartbeat and wondered if hers matched its pace. Everett's gaze remained transfixed on the two breasts mere inches from his face. Instinctively, he leaned forward and nuzzled between them, lightly kissing over them until he reached a nipple. He allowed his tongue to gently lick at the tiny nub, eliciting a low sigh from Teresa.
She pulled away from him. "Can I see it?"