4:32AM... it was 4:32AM when Carmen's fortitude gave out. She collapsed in bed, unconcerned when the springs stabbed at her, or with the meagre cover. Hot coals would lull her to sleep easier. On her desk, a series of newspapers were strewn about with random ads circled or crossed out, mostly the latter. Her phone was discarded beside them, out of minutes and power. A teasing breeze weaved through the cracks in their walls and ceiling.
Ryuka hovered nearby, awake as always. She didn't sleep. Sleep was a human necessity, not something a god of sexuality required, though the few moments of peace she saw on Carmen's face were during those times. Dreams were a wondrous escape. She'd heard of her kind finding ways into people's dreams, often recounting nonsensical landscapes or unusual happenings. Many dreamt of the things they longed to do in reality. Some were disturbing.
What did Carmen dream of? Ryuka could guess the answer with a glance to the other bed, where the smaller girl slept, unaware of the apparent discord heading their way. All Carmen claimed to want was a better life for the child and her mother. Not herself. And so, the Futa Note rested in Carmen's bag, untouched for days at a time.
Everything could be solved with a few sentences. No human would have reason to refuse such power, even those who already had it. Yet Carmen all but tore it to shreds each time Ryuka broached the subject. The goddess fluttered down to Carmen's level, mighty wings beating softly, and stared. It was admirable, that someone could control themselves to such a degree. Ryuka's very presence should have driven her into a lustful craze long ago.
It was only a matter of time, however. She would succumb. So long as she had the Futa Note, whether she used its power or not, she couldn't hold out forever. On that day, Ryuka suspected the wait would be worth every second. She'd already learned much from this single human.
"Sleep well, Carmen," Ryuka said and mimed the same pose, intent on keeping the human guessing about what she did, and didn't need. It was a childish game, but she enjoyed it.
Two hours of sleep were torture, almost worse than none at all. Carmen shoved herself up, her trained bio-clock rousing her at the usual time. If she let herself fall back to the pillows, lumpy though they were, she might not wake again. Perhaps not, she thought as a smell caught her attention. It was of bacon, a luxurious ingredient they had on special occasions. She got up and walked into the cubical that was their kitchen.
"Mom?" Carmen yawned.
"Morning, Sweetheart," Alicia said as she set three plates with a fried egg and strips of bacon, still sizzling. She beamed like the morning sun, "I've forgotten what it's like to cook. Well, this is hardly cooking."
"What happened?" Carmen asked, a deep frown tightening her brow, while her gut clenched and her lungs stammered for air. Scenarios ran rampant. Did her mother rob a bank in the middle of the night? Did she do something worse? She wouldn't sell her body for sex... would she?
"Nothing, just wanted to make my baby girls a nice breakfast," Alicia said and turned back to the sink, washing up the pan, "Wake Melody up and have some. This'll be the first time we've had a decent meal together in ages."
"About four years," Carmen said.
"That long?" Alicia's voice was strained, "Well, better late than never." Now her smile wavered, dipping in and out from existence. The longer Carmen stared, the tighter it became.
"Yeah," Carmen went to wake Melody. Maybe their mother had a plan? Some form of emergency funds stashed away for just this occasion? Her gut roiled. What if she wound up working as a stripper? Or a prostitute? Both?
Her own grin strained as she watched Melody scarf down her breakfast, despite being told to savour her food. Alicia also struggled, unaccustomed to the masquerade Carmen performed day after day with her sister. All was fine. All was well. Things would get better. The same lines, on repeat, spoken with a different word at times, but still the same empty phrases. Except she had the means to make them real.
"No," Carmen ground her teeth together. This was her problem, a human's problem. If she used the book for something like this, then what would stop her from using when she next had any difficulty. Nothing. Using it for others was fine. Sometimes they needed it. Not her. She was different. Better.
"Did you say something?" Alicia asked.
"Hmm?" Carmen blinked, "Oh, nothing. Just mumbling to myself."
"That's weird," Melody said.
"Oh yeah? What about this?" Carmen crossed her eyes.
"Ew!" Melody giggled, then tried it to no success.
"You'll get it. I'm gonna go get ready," Carmen said and slid a leftover strip onto Melody's plate. With how her body had developed, more fat was the last thing she needed. Back in her bedroom, Ryuka made her presence known.
"Just use it," she said.
"No," Carmen growled. This wasn't a good time. She doubted she could hurt the perverse goddess, but every muscle in her body was willing to try.
"You could get anything you want. That means a better life for your family," Ryuka said.
"I know," Carman said, all the fury evaporated, then condensed at the corner of her mind where it would wait until she couldn't handle it. Which may well be a few hours from then, assuming Gretchen showed up at school.
"Then why..."
"Because it's not natural!" Carmen said, "Or... something like that. I don't know! Just... just leave me alone for now. Please?" She sat on her bed. It creaked under her weight but held. Everything felt heavy, yet brittle, like falling onto a bed of grass would shatter her. She pushed herself up and went about dressing for school. Even her abominable addition did nothing to faze her. It hung limp against her dense thighs.
Carmen grimaced at the weight of her breasts as she tugged a clean shirt on. It was one of the few that still fit well, though only because it had been stretched to ruin by the former owner, so it hung over her torso. All her other tops were either stained or too small, even the cute blouse she'd found last year in a thrift store. As she moved onto her skirt, which coiled around her hips now, though it managed to reach a few inches past her obnoxious panties. The underwear rode up between her balls and pinched at her phallus.
The shirt was an ugly brown and had a few holes chewed in by moths. She couldn't use a bra, as the few options left were several sizes too small. Her former B cup supporter laid in a heap of now useless garments. If she had the luxury, she might've gone to get measured, but such a thing might well be fruitless. All because she had to have been the one to pick up the Futa Note.
"It's your fault," Carmen said, looking over the book. Her mother had seen Melody out, leaving Carmen spare time to lament the cause for her current predicament. The book was to blame. No doubt. Had Ryuka not dropped it, had she not picked it up, then none of this would happen. She would continue to exist without distractions, without Gretchen's sights on her, and without knowing Stacy's touch. At least her family wouldn't be on the streets.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ryuka asked at the door. She referred to the black notebook, the cruel machination for the family's woes, stashed under Carmen's bed.
"No," Carmen said and headed to school.
The day had no intent on improving for her. Dakota, Mary and Zoey offered to help, each inviting her to their houses, but no solution didn't have her taking advantage of them -- which equated to her using what the Futa Note had done. They wouldn't be her friends, or this willing at all, if not for the damned book -- nothing could done that didn't clash with her principles. Something might come along. Her mother could at least rent a motel room for a few nights, longer if they found work in time.
"Ugh, let's go the other way," Mary said, retrieving Carmen's attention. She looked and saw Gretchen, accompanied by the usual redhead and overweight girl, but now another pair were added. Carmen recognised them; they were the two Stacy had hired a few weeks ago.
"They didn't..." She whispered, mind flashing through all the information on Stacy's building. The only reason it could burn down is through the bakery at the back, or through arson.
"Oh, hey there dyke brigade!" Gretchen sneered, "Sorry about what happened, Carmen. I heard that shitty little café burned down. A shame really. But good thing Ashley's parents came along and bought up the property. Now the place might be halfway decent. Won't have that fat cow eating all the goods too."
"You made it happen?" Carmen asked. Her body was numb. Someone was nearby. She was aware of their presence, their warmth, but it was muted as if felt through a coat of metal. Her arms were shaking. A glance revealed that fists had formed. Confirmation was all she needed. No more than one word that justified what she wanted to do.
"Not me," Gretchen turned and arched a brow at Ashley, who stepped forward, confident as she could manage.