The Beast Within

This is a short horror story. It includes a description of the sex act – so, if you find such material offensive, please feel free to pass on it.  All constructive comments gratefully received.

The Beast Within

By

Mel Alanson

Eric had started his uni course a little late, over a week after the first lecture had pulled all of the other students together. He was a good mixer and confident about making friends, both on and off campus, but he’d yet to be allocated a buddy group and he’d not really engaged with many other students at university, apart from exchanging casual passing greetings.

On Friday evening when many of his fellow students had gone into town, he’d taken his washing to the on-campus launderette and sat for a fascinating half hour watching his gear going around and around in the machine. He moved his clothes from the washer into a tumble drier and pulled a paperback from his pocket. It was a copy of The Plague by Albert Camus. In complete contrast to his Sports Studies degree, Eric had decided to pick up a free module focusing on International Literature, and Camus’ book, despite its age, had gripped him.

His focus on the novel was total. He was aware that the story was an analogy for the German occupation of France in the second world war – but he was intrigued by the characters in the book and the fact that the disease, bubonic plague, ate its way steadily, and mercilessly, into a section of Algerian society. Eric sat facing away from the door, and the tumble dryer was noisy, so he didn’t hear the woman enter the launderette.

She spoke. “Excuse me.” Eric jerked and dropped the book onto the floor. “Oh, I’m so sorry – I made you jump.”

He bent down and picked up the paperback and responded testily as he turned to face her. “Yes, you did rather.” His irritation faded, though, as he met her gaze. He was instantly captivated by her bright green eyes.  

She apologised again, saying that she was out walking and that she had just popped in to get warm. “I’ve been in here before and found the dryer warms the place up. I hope you’re enjoying the book. I read Camus for my lit degree a few years back. It was my favourite. I’m Morgan by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Morgan. I’m Eric. Are you still studying here?”

“No. I studied at Edinburgh. Now, I live a short way from here. I often walk though the campus, as it reminds me of the good times I had at uni. I had aimed to buy a jar of coffee from the campus shop – but it has just closed, which is unfortunate.”

“I could let you have some coffee if you wish. I live on campus, just a minute from here in halls. I could even furnish you with a hot coffee at my flat.” He saw that Morgan was a little hesitant. “Of course, I hardly know you – so I won’t be offended if you say no.” As he finished speaking, it occurred to him that, although he was normally fairly comfortable around girls, his boldness, in this instance, was uncharacteristic. Nevertheless, although he’d only known Morgan for a few moments, he was already relaxed in her company. Strange!

After all, he was a good-looking athletic young man who’d had several attractive girlfriends in the past. This young woman was not the type that he’d normally go for. On the plus side, she had beautiful black hair and stunning bright green eyes. Nevertheless, she was very skinny with long thin legs, accentuated by tight leggings, and a face which looked quite drawn. Her eyes, however, were very unusual – almost hypnotic.

Morgan’s expression softened. “You seem nice enough to me. Anyone who enjoys Albert Camus, has to have at least a vein of decency. I’d love a coffee.”

A while later, the couple entered the communal kitchen-dining room in Hendrix halls. Eric made coffee and handed her a cup. “I hope that’s okay. Help yourself to milk from the fridge. I’ll be back in a minute. I’m just going to drop my washing into my room and I’ve also got a spare jar of coffee there that you can have.”

“This is really nice of you, thanks. Can I ask a further favour?”

By this time, he was becoming hopelessly smitten by her. “Anything. Just ask.”

“Well – when I was at university, I lived off-campus, and I’ve always wondered what the flats in halls were like. Can I see your room?”

Surprised, yet delighted by her request, Eric agreed, apologising in advance for the fact that his room was a little untidy.

Like most student rooms, it was spartan, with a bed, a small wardrobe, a cupboard, and a small table for study, along with a single chair. After placing his washing on the cupboard and moving a couple of items of clothing to a drawer, he sat down on the bed, and suggested that Morgan use the chair. However, she simply sat down on the bed beside him. She sat very close and, as the room was cool, Eric could feel the heat radiating from her slender frame. After drinking her coffee, she leant forward to place her cup on the table.

As she sat back down, she looked around the room. “It’s not too bad in here. It’s a bit cramped I suppose, but large enough for…well…this.” Morgan turned to face Eric, who felt almost as if he were being hauled into those incredible eyes. She kissed him on the lips – gently at first, then more firmly as he responded by kissing her passionately. He placed his right hand on her waist and inadvertently found bare skin as her top had ridden up an inch or so. Before he could remove his hand, however, Morgan grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand upwards inside her top towards her breasts. Those breasts were quite small and he became even more conscious of how skinny she was. Nevertheless, he found her very attractive, indeed; there was definitely something about those eyes. Within seconds, the pair were naked and beneath the duvet in Eric’s small single bed.

They lay side by side and Eric giggled as Morgan nibbled his ears and even his nose between planting kisses gently and repeatedly over his face. He did his best to respond by running his open hands tenderly over her upper body, from her shoulders to her buttocks. They were basking in shared sensations, and then Morgan encouraged Eric to lie on top of her. He was cautious – as Morgan looked almost frail – and he didn’t want to hurt her. However, she seemed to cope comfortably and became excited, breathless even, as he moved between her legs.

As he slid inside her, Morgan grasped both of his hands, easing them downward so they rested on the sides of her thighs. She then wrapped her arms around his upper body, gripping him firmly and, at the same time, she clamped her legs around his. When Eric attempted to move, Morgan tightened her grip, and, he was shocked when, as he began to resist with more determination, she seemed to match him easily. How was this possible? He was a man who spent hours in the gym every week. He played football, basketball and rugby. He was fit and very strong. She was skinny – close to emaciated. How could she? I’ll show her. Eric inhaled heavily, preparing himself for the supreme effort. He grunted as he attempted to break the grip of her arms. Nothing doing. He looked down into the bright green eyes. They were twinkling. They were hypnotic. Morgan smiled up at him.

“Come on Eric. Where’s your passion. Make love to me. Please. Screw me!”

As she began to gyrate rhythmically against him, Eric’s resistance subsided and his libido kicked into overdrive. A wave of sexual passion threatened to engulf him and he became mindful that he was already close to orgasm. What’s happening to me? This is crazy. Control yourself, Eric! His concern mutated into horror as something slid into the end of his penis and up inside his urethra. He cried out loud.

“No. Stop! What’s that? There’s something moving ins…” His mind leapt back to the time when he’d been forced to use a catheter when recovering from a groin injury sustained when playing hockey, a couple of years previously. A catheter? It can’t be. How…? Eric sensed the flesh inside his bladder being pressed, extended, and finally pierced. Responding to a ferocious stabbing pain, he drew in a deep breath, preparing to scream but, as he did so, he was hit by an overwhelming sensation of sexual pleasure – almost like a mind-bendingly powerful orgasm.

Eric began to shudder with a heady and unfathomable mix of excitement, desire…and terror. Morgan relaxed her vice-like grip, releasing his legs and arms. However, as she gently stroked his face, he found that he could not respond freely. His arms, unlike his penis were numb and flaccid. He started to mumble incoherently.  

Morgan kissed him. “Shush! Relax. Isn’t that enjoyable?”

Eric tried to smile, but struggled to manipulate his own facial muscles. He was aware of her presence, but could do little in response – apart from loving the experience. She’s gorgeous. Those eyes. Oh crikey! Why can’t I move? Those incredible eyes.

“Let’s swap!” Seemingly with little effort, Morgan slid to the edge of the bed with Eric resting on top of her. She rolled over and manoeuvred him onto his back, without dislodging his penis. Bending her legs at the knees, she was able to lift her upper body, so that she sat upright smiling down at him. Eric managed a weak smile in return and regarded her fondly as she began to bounce slowly and steadily up and down on his erection. “You must be wondering what’s happening, and what it was that you just felt invading your body – while you thought you were invading mine. I’ve just injected you with my special serum, my venom. I can see you’re excited – and so you should be! This is the greatest pleasure that you’ll ever experience. It will continue until you are totally mine. Until you expire, in fact. You’ll no doubt have noticed that I’m very skinny. My weight goes up and down from one month to the next. I don’t eat in the normal way. I consume a man every few weeks and then have to work off the weight I gain as a result. You’re very attractive, Eric. However, I require nourishment, so I’m going to devour you.

“Your innards are dissolving and I’m now beginning to absorb your flesh. This will result in your death in a while. Nevertheless, you’ll enjoy the process. You will see me starting to fill out – until my body is perfectly proportioned. That’s the way you’ll remember me at the end. Yes – I’m sure that you’ll find me incredibly attractive. As for my feelings, well, I’ll be sorry to see you go – and you will go, I’m afraid, quite literally, or at least much of your flesh will be transferred to me. Bizarrely, perhaps, in a few days from now, I’ll be somewhat overweight.” Morgan paused and chuckled. She glanced upwards, obviously recalling a past event. “I once met this guy who was very insulting to me. I was overweight, having only recently ‘dined’, and the idiot called me Porky. A couple of weeks later, after I’d worked off much of my weight, I saw him at a club in town. Hah! The fool didn’t recognise me and, when I let him know I was available, he was all over me – like a festering rash. He was only a small man, so it didn’t take long for me to consume all that he had to offer.”

Eric could hear her quite clearly, even though the condition which was suppressing his motor neural pathways, also reduced sensory acuity. Her voice seemed to echo and reverberate, as if she were addressing him from the pulpit in a vast empty cathedral. It was weird – he was finding the interaction petrifying, yet, at the same time, mind-bogglingly enjoyable. He regarded her adoringly, desperate – though unable – to communicate. He found he could open his mouth and he did so repeatedly, even though he could not utter any words.

“Oh dear. You resemble a goldfish. You so want to speak, don’t you? I’m guessing that you’d like to tell me that you love me, and that you’d do anything to please me. Isn’t that so?”

Eric opened his mouth again, but no words came forth. He thought: Yes, I do love you. I’ll do anything you want. Just keep loving me back.

As if reading his thoughts, she continued. “Indeed, you really are pleasing me. You’re giving me life. In fact, you’re giving me your life, so that I can continue to exist. You must now be aware that you’re being shagged into oblivion by your lover who’s rather more than your regular everyday woman. I’ve connected to your body and I have constructed a network of micro-vessels, like a cross between fungal mycelia, ultrafine communication threads, and fine veins, or capillaries if you like.”      

Eric’s background in human biology and sports science was such that he understood what she was saying, and he pictured the invasive web saturating the most energy-laden parts of his anatomy, drawing from them, sapping his strength, leaving him so listless that he would have been unable to lift his upper body, even if he’d been allowed to do so. However, he did not, could not, and did not wish – to complain. He was loving every moment of his gradual demise.

After two hours or so, Morgan eased herself off him and climbed from the bed. Eric could see that her abdomen was becoming distended by the material that she had already taken from him. She dressed. “I’ll be back in a while – I promise. Try not to miss me too much.” She winked at him, and left the room, locking the door with Eric’s key.

Eric’s penis remained erect and his whole body quivered, as he continued to enjoy a blissful ongoing climax in near silence for several hours.

When Morgan returned the following morning, it was evident that she had absorbed and fully assimilated what she had taken from him. She sat on the edge of the bed regarding him fondly with those bright green eyes, and Eric managed to smile back at her. She was, indeed, so, so, beautiful and incredibly sexy. She undressed slowly, as she treated him to a slow striptease which gradually revealed her remodelled and magnificent body. Eric marvelled at her transformation from a skinny girl into a full-figured, perfectly proportioned goddess. Morgan mounted him once more and Eric again felt his urethra and then the wall of his bladder being penetrated. This time, the coolness that he had previously felt spreading through his lower torso and legs, began to spread upwards through his stomach into his chest. Even as the ‘invasive web’ drew vitality from his upper body, Eric continued to experience ecstasy. He continued to stare lovingly into Morgan’s eyes and he continued to quiver with excitement and pleasure until, eventually, his entire body was subject to a shudderingly powerful spasm accompanied by an ejaculation which was constrained only by Morgan’s ‘insertion’.

The blissful stress that Eric had experienced for so many hours finally overwhelmed what remained of his physique, as he expired with a heart attack.

Epilogue

Several days later, a solemn group watched as a body was stretchered from Hendrix Halls. The medics had been shocked to find that the emaciated corpse wore what appeared to be a smile and that it was also sporting an erection. Among those looking on, were university maintenance staff and the cleaner who discovered the remains after entering the room to check on the source of the smell reported by other tenants. There were also a couple of police officers and a few others, presumably locals, including a young man, handsome, and athletic-looking. He held the hand of an attractive young woman, raven-haired with remarkable bright green eyes. She was quite slim. There was a well-thumbed paperback protruding from her jacket pocket. It was an Albert Camus book called The Plague.

Of course, plagues have a tendency to run and run.