NRUKWyNF

1“...was that it?”
2
3“Ahhhh” The guy with the nice smile and nicer butt collapsed next to Sydney. The two had met at one of the local dive bars. He had caught her eye by lacking that distinct “human-ashtray” quality that was so common where Sydney lived.
4
5“Was it-was it good for you?” He panted.
6
7“Yeah that was a great...three minutes and 46 seconds.”
8
9“C’mon babe, that’s a compliment. It takes me twice that long with Mia.”
10
11“Please, please tell me Mia is your ex.”
12
13“...yes?”
14
15“Oh my god, get out. Get out!” Sydney pushed hard with her long legs. She smiled from the muffled thump of a nice butt hitting dingy carpet. He was up in a flash, struggling to button his jeans and his polo at the same time.
16
17“So, uh, maybe I’ll see you around sometime?” He flashed his adequate smile.
18
19“Get the fuck out of my HOUSE!” He ducked and covered as he was pelted by the contents of her nightstand. Just as the door began to close, Sydney took aim and flung her mug. The ping of ceramic hitting skull rewarded her.
20
21She smiled as a distant “ow” could be heard. Pushing onto her elbows, she examined the mess she had made. It was decided that this would be future Sydney’s problem. As she was about to let the night’s many drinks guide her to slumber there was a knock at her door.
22
23Sydney was up in a flash, grabbing a bludgeon on her way. She ripped open the door, ready to unload.
24
25“Whoa whoa, it’s me!” Rather than her cowering “date” her diminutive roommate, Adelaide, stood in Sydney’s doorway. The two had met in undergraduate and had become fast friends, choosing to continue living with each other after graduation. It only took them a semester to realize that they had both been named after cities in a country that neither of their parents had ever visited. Less than clever classmates had dubbed them "the Outback".
26
27“Oh Adie. I thought you were-never mind. Damn, I really wanted to hit someone.” Sydney looked at the lamp clutched in her hand.
28
29“Keeper?” Sydney dropped the lamp at her feet and stumbled back to bed. She grabbed the sheet and rolled until completely cocooned.
30
31“Oh yeah. He only waited until after he came to tell me he had a girlfriend.”
32
33“Ouch. Did you want me to get any of this?” Adelaide gestured to the growing pile on her floor.
34
35“Naaah. That’s future Sydney’s problem.” She said, shutting her eyes.
36
37“If you say so.” She turned to leave, “you used protection, right?”
38
39“Oh yeah,” Sydney mumbled as darkness took her, “of course.”
40
41~*~
42
43“Pregnant??”
44
45“Yes, you can see here-” Doctor Sanchez gestured towards a clipboard.
46
47“I can’t be pregnant!”
48
49“Well. You are. You can see here-”
50
51“But I can’t be!”
52
53“Have you had sex?”
54
55“Well yes but-”
56
57“Then you can be pregnant. Now Ms. Jackson, I realize this comes as quite a shock but there are a lot of resources for women in your position. I’d like to order an ultrasound so we can get a better idea of a timeline. I’ll be right back.”
58
59Sydney opened her mouth but the doctor simply flashed one finger and was out the door. She turned said open mouth to Adelaide who felt more than a little awkward.
60
61“I can’t be pregnant.”
62
63“Welllll”
64
65“Well what?” Sydney's fists found themselves planted on her hips as she stared at Adelaide accusingly.
66
67“Wellll you have been getting sick in the morning a lot.”
68
69“How do you know that?”
70
71“You’re not a quiet puker, Syd. And you’ve been complaining that you’re gaining weight, your boobs are bigger, you’re tired even though you’re sleeping more...”
72
73Sydney’s immediate reaction was to be defensive. But all the pieces seemed to fit together. The morning sickness, the missed period.
74
75The doctor telling her she was pregnant.
76
77It all added up.
78
79“Ugh. I’m gonna have to drop out from our dodgeball league.”
80
81“What.”
82
83“Adie, Duck Dynasty is undefeated!” Before he could respond the door opened and the doctor walked in, wheeling a sonogram machine with a nurse in tow behind him.
84
85“Roll up your shirt now.” Perhaps it was the power of suggestion but Sydney noticed a slight curve to her abdomen that she hadn’t that morning. Before she could ponder it any further, the nurse unceremoniously dumped a pile of gel onto her bare stomach.
86
87“I’m much more of a inch-my-way into the pool kinda gal.” Sydney shivered. The nurse gave a tight smile that didn’t even indicate she had heard her complaint. The doctor slowly moved the wand around her stomach, expression changing with each new spot.
88
89“Is there something wrong with the baby?” Adelaide spoke for Sydney whose tongue had caught in her throat.
90
91“Are you her sister?” The dark-skinned brunette and freckled redhead turned to each other.
92
93“Yes.” They said simultaneously.
94
95“Hem-hem.” The doctor cleared his throat, “It’s a little early on; you’re no further than 10 weeks along.” He swallowed. Even the statue posing as a nurse seemed to be in disbelief.
96
97“But?”
98
99“But. It’s babies, plural.”
100
101“...I’m having twins?”
102
103“Uh, no. Quintuplets. Five babies.”
104
105“Holy shit.”
106
107~*~
108
109After that bombshell the two were caught in a storm of information. Appointments were scheduled months in advance, some only a few days apart. Sydney was given almost an entire pad’s worth of scripts for some medicines and supplements she hadn’t even heard of.
110
111The roommates arrived back at their apartment carrying more bags than after a shopping trip to the outlets. Sydney collapsed on the couch, bags hiding all but the tight chestnut curls on her head.
112
113“So you’re going through with this, huh?”
114
115“Yeahhhh I guess so."
116
117"You sound totally convinced."
118
119"Do I seem like I'm ready to be a mom?"
120
121"...is this a trick question?"
122
123"Exactly! I don’t think so either. I just did my taxes for the first time last year, I’m not a real adult yet.”
124
125“Yeah I mean who can say-wait, seriously? You could get into trouble-”
126
127“I wish there was a way I could just give these babies to someone.” She mimed pushing her slightly convex stomach out.
128
129“There’s adoption-”
130
131“Without pushing them out of my vagina.”
132
133“You’ll probably end up having a c-section.” Adelaide ducked as a bottle of folic acid came flying in her direction.
134
135“Ugh. See how much of a know-it-all you are when you have five people living inside of you.” Sydney rose to her feet, molting the bags like a cocoon. She intended to go to her room but stopped in front of the full-length mirror on their wall. Full-length was a bit of a misnomer. As it sat it cut off the top of her head.
136
137“The doctor did say you have a good frame for a large pregnancy.”
138
139“Ha, yeah, that was the nicest way anyone has ever called me huge.” “Petite” was a word that had never even been thought to describe Sydney, except for her Great-Aunt Helen when she was 12. Sydney towered above her peers, matching heights with the most average of men. This meant Adelaide was the recipient of many a noogie.
140
141“Hey. Listen.” Adelaide sidled up to her roommate, hands wrapping around her shoulder, “if you wanted to, you’d make a great mom. And if not, you’re gonna make some families really happy.”
142
143“Thanks Adelaide.” The shorter woman rested her cheek on her shoulder. After a moment, Sydney bent her neck and did the same. But her desire smoldered on.
144
145~*~
146
147“Adie? Adelaideeeeee.” Sydney called. She was sprawled on the couch, angling her head towards her roommate’s room. Eventually, Adelaide could ignore her roommate’s cries no longer and got up with a heavy sigh. She walked out to a beaming Sydney.
148
149“Yes?”
150
151“Can you get me the remote?” Sydney pointed to the plastic rectangle on the end table. It was less than three feet from the expectant mother. The corners of her mouth pulled towards his ears, eyes narrowing slightly, clearly unimpressed.
152
153“Syd.” Adelaide started.
154
155“C’mon Adelaide, my feet are super swollen!” Sydney complained, wiggling her cinnamon colored toes to demonstrate. Peering at the piggies, Adelaide could have sworn they were just as thin and veiny as they had been months ago. But this was not the hill to die on. Sighing, she tossed the remote in her general direction.
156
157“Ouch!” Sydney yelped as the remote struck her squarely in her boob. As her stomach had swollen so to had her chest. Whereas before she might have had a pinch now each was a solid handful of light brown flesh. Sydney’s refusal to buy fitting undershirts or bras had resulted in a very mixed bag of comment cards from her customers. More than once Sydney had wagged a card affirming her sloppy dress while her manager countered with another.
158
159“Karrrrma.” Adelaide chuckled while pushing up her glasses. She knew exactly how obnoxious it was.
160
161“Puh-lease, I’ve built up a lifetime of karma by letting these little parasites feed off of me.” Sydney rubbed her exposed side. Her belly filled her lap and then some. It hadn’t taken long for her condition to become apparent. Once she began bumping customers while taking drink orders she had to fess up.
162
163“I don’t think it counts if you call them parasites or use them to pay for rent.”
164
165“I didn’t hear you complaining!” Sydney cried defiantly. “And besides, I’m not using them for anything. The adoptive parents aren’t allowed to pay me for a kid.”
166
167“Yes but they can pay for your rent, medical bills, food, apparently new entertainment system?” Adelaide gestured at the obnoxiously large piece of furniture in their obnoxiously small apartment. Their 32-inch TV looked outrageously out of place.
168
169“It’s to help with my stress levels. Stress is bad for the par-babies. I think Cindy said they were gonna spring for a smart TV...”
170
171“Speaking of stress,” Adelaide clicked her phone on, “don’t you have your 32 week checkup today?”
172
173“Oh shit oh fuck.” Sydney wriggled behind her belly for a moment before finding her center of gravidity. She slipped on two different sandals, grabbed the remote rather than her phone and almost ran into the kitchen island on her way out the door.
174
175“Finally.” Adelaide collapsed on the couch and splayed out, turning off CSI: Salt Lake City.
176
177~*~
178
179“Well, I’m surprised to not be surprised as usual. Everyone looks fantastic.”
180
181“Thanks doc.” Sydney said, wiping the gel off of her stomach.
182
183“Assuming your progress continues this way I wouldn’t be completely surprised if you went the distance.”
184
185“Hooray.” Sydney looked over her swollen stomach, already the size of a woman at term. Perhaps a smidge bigger. Doctor Sanchez had been right about having the frame for it; while huge it didn’t look out of place. She had yet to have any bad back pain and she barely waddled even as she grew beyond conventional norms.
186
187“We’ll see you in a week.”
188
189“So uhh, doc. What’s the scuttlebutt on any experimental futuristic alternative birth technology?”
190
191“Heheh.” The doctor chuckled. A soft, almost cough-like kind of laugh like when a child asks an inappropriate question in a room full of people. It made Sydney want to give him a light jab to his Adam’s Apple. “I don’t think that exists yet.”
192
193“I was hoping you might have an inside scoop.”
194
195“Ah, you should talk to Doctor Pendergrass. He’ll have an office across the hall in a century.” He had turned his attention to his clipboard, holding the door open. Leaving the cool office building she took a confident couple of steps before collapsing onto a bench.
196
197“Is it too much for you guys to just teleport out of there?” She received a couple of kicks in return.
198
199“Ugh, two for no.” As Sydney went to push herself off the bench she was offered a hand. She had never felt the need to describe a person as diabolical before now. The pencil-line mustache, slicked back hair, wild bug eyes all wrapped up in an immaculate lab coat came together to create a man who looked like he belonged in a Saturday-morning cartoon.
200
201“Madam, you are absolutely glowing.”
202
203“Ohthankyouverymuch.” Sydney had heard stories of humans finding incredible strength in incredibly stressful situations like a mother lifting a car off a child but never gave them much stock. But bouncing to her feet to avoid his hand felt like she was living an urban legend.
204
205As she hurriedly waddled away she heard him call out.
206
207“I think I can help you with that.”
208
209Sydney spun on her heel, “Keep talking.”
210
211~*~
212
213“No!”
214
215“Yes.”
216
217“No!”
218
219“Yes!”
220
221The back and forth continued for longer than either roommate wanted. Sydney had come home walking on sunshine. Adelaide immediately knew something was wrong. Sydney’s explanation verified that. Her second explanation solidified it. Her third explanation was just confusing. But there was no changing her mind. Adelaide only agreed to drive her to the good doctor because she had trouble reaching the steering wheel.
222
223“This is ridiculous Syd. What if something happens to you? Or the babies?”
224
225“Doctor Rengela told me that animal trials have gone super well. ‘Almost without incident’ were his words.”
226
227“You’re taking the word of a skeevy doctor who was skulking around another doctor’s office? And almost isn’t without incident.”
228
229“Whatever, he’ll be able to explain it better than I can.”
230
231The pair soon arrived at a nondescript location on the edge of town. The building was remarkable for how unremarkable it was. It it had been a color it would have been beige. Which it was. The couple were buzzed in through an entrance where they were walked through a full-body scanner. For what they weren’t told. The lobby was similarly undecorated; a single secretary placed in the middle with only a peace lily for company.
232
233“You must be Sydney, welcome!” The chubby redhead hurried up to Sydney, enthusiastically shaking her hand.
234
235“That’s me. Where’s Doctor Rengela?” She said, looking around.
236
237“He’s in the basement setting up, c’mon, follow me.”
238
239Sydney started as her arm was pinched. Adelaide mouthed the word “basement” with wide-eyes. Rolling her eyes, she waddled after the short secretary. Buzzing her keycard on the elevator, she ushered them in.
240
241“Good luck!” She waved as the doors clanged shut.
242
243“Why would we need luck?” Adelaide hissed.
244
245“I’m sure she’s just being friendly. Definitely.” Sydney’s unwavering confidence had met a stiff breeze but she ignored it. After the elevator felt like it had descended far too low a weak ding sounded and the doors sprung open revealing Doctor Rengela standing inches away.
246
247“Gah!”
248
249“Ms. Jackson, right on time, I love punctuality in my subjects.” His arm snaked around her shoulders, leading her down a dimly lit hallway.
250
251“Subjects?” Adelaide called from behind.
252
253“Patients. Slip of the tongue. You must be a sister or a cousin, perhaps?”
254
255“Both, actually.” Adelaide said while looking over her glasses.
256
257“Splendid! Perhaps one day you’ll pay me a visit as well.”
258
259“I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
260
261The doctor kept a firm grip and a quick pace as he shepherded Sydney. Her belly acted like a glow stone for the low lighting, her brown skin shining like a bulb. After another ominously flickering light the hallway opened up into a larger room. Much like the surface building the room was very utilitarian in design. Large interfaces with countless readouts lined the middle of the room. Two large chambers preceded the monitors, one seemingly solid while the other clear.
262
263The to-be-determined doctor released Sydney’s shoulder and scurried across the room. Rubbing it, she was surprised that he hadn’t left finger indentations in her arm. Despite being the same temperature, the room seemed to suck the warmth from her body. Her suddenly cold fingers stroked her sides; partially for comfort and also because it was the only part of her body that still radiated heat.
264
265The two gazed around the room before he beckoned, “Come come Ms. Jackson, time is my only finite resource.”
266
267Sydney slowed waddled forward, confidence flapping violently in her inner turmoil. The doctor was slightly hunched over rubbing his hands together while staring wide-eyed at the monitor.
268
269He’s just...enthusiastic.
270
271“Strip and we can get started.”
272
273“Excuse me?”
274
275He sighed, head tilting to the side in annoyance, “Any foreign bodies in the chamber might interfere with the mass transfer.”
276
277“So that’s what these things are? Some sort of pregnancy-transfer device?” Adelaide said.
278
279“Ugh, if it helps you understand their function, yes. This one is currently filled with the results of the past seven or so trials. But these machines,” Rengela scuttered over to the solid tube grabbing it lovingly, “are capable of transferring any mass. We haven’t had any volunteers for transferring their own mass. At least not voluntarily. ” Sydney and Adelaide simultaneously shivered.
280
281“But we make do.” Rengela’s smile stretched across his face like a cartoon, revealing what seemed like far too many teeth. With that, the pod opened, Rengela gesturing towards it. Audibly gulping, Sydney slowly slipped her tank over her shoulders revealing her strained bra. She had her sweatpants down to her knees before remembered the two pairs of eyes on her.
282
283“Could I have a little privacy?” The pair muttered some form of apology and turned around. Satisfied, she stripped off her undergarments. Gathering her clothes in a bundle, she hung it on a conveniently-placed clothes-hook on the side of the pod. She stepped inside, hands covering her nipples. She failed to notice her clothes inch downwards as the “clothes-hook” slowly fell until it locked into place.
284
285“Al-alright, I’m ready.”
286
287“Excellent!” The doctor spun around almost sprinting to his computer. Two clicks later and the tube door slid shut with a deep thud. The glass immediately fogged as Sydney’s heart hammered in her chest. She walked backwards until her rear smushed up against the tube leaving a sizable distance from pregnancy to glass.
288
289“It’s not too late to change your mind!” Adelaide called.
290
291“N-no, this is fine. This is fine, right doctor Rengela?”
292
293“Absolutely!” He said, voice crackling through a speaker. Sydney could feel a deep hum emanate from the machine as it powered on. The crackle of electricity could be faintly heard above between the two pods. The hum grew louder and louder forcing Sydney to clamp her hands over her ears.
294
295“Is this normal?” Sydney yelled.
296
297“Nothing to worry about!” The doctor yelled back, smile wide on his face.
298
299While she didn’t have a mirror Sydney was sure that her expression mirrored Adelaide’s. Just as she felt she could take no more the hum stopped. Slowly uncovering her ears she looked around in confusion. As she opened her mouth another sound filled the room. Like a drain uncorking, the noise condensed into a low, pulsing note. As soon as it began Sydney felt a warmth in her stomach.
300
301“I think it’s working!” She rubbed her sides, willing them to shrink. Looking up she expected the same over-enthusiastic smile but instead found a look of confusion.
302
303“What’s wrong-” And then she felt it. The warmth in her gut was not receding but expanding. She watched in horror as her stomach began to inch out. Her children kicked in every direction, protesting their new neighbors. She could feel her skin stretch as her womb exploded with growth.
304
305“Turnitoffturnitoffturnitoff!” Sydney went to beat on the glass but found she could no longer reach past her titanic belly.
306
307“I’m sorry dear girl. But once the process is started it cannot be interrupted.” For his part the doctor appeared sympathetic. Apologetic, even.
308
309For all the good it did Sydney. She slumped against the glass sliding down until her rear hit the ground. Much to her chagrin so did her belly. With every pulse it seemed to grow forward another inch or two. She could only watch on as the chocolate-colored oval advanced past her knees. Her sides had grown out that it would be apparent that she was pregnant from behind even if her arms were slack.
310
311Despite the avalanche of growth her belly had seen the rest of her body wasn’t unscathed. There was a tickling in her hips and butt that she wasn’t about to attribute to falling asleep. Her breasts were huge but hardly a patch on her stomach. Dark, thimble-sized nipples stood in stark contrast to acres of light-brown flesh.
312
313A crack of electricity broke her trance. Another crack and the hum began to die. The smell of smoke permeated the air before the hum cut off completely. Sydney looked on in bemusement as her stomach leapt forward with one last burst. As the door slid open a hand was immediately offered.
314
315“Is it too soon to say I told you so?” Adelaide said, a pained smile on his face.
316
317“Way too soon.” Sydney grunted as she got to her feet. She took a few uneasy steps, her legs unused to the weight that had been placed on them. In her head she stormed over to the doctor and throttled him. In reality she carefully waddled over making sure not to tip over.
318
319“What. the. Hell!”
320
321“Is that a question?”
322
323“Yes! This was supposed to be a return not a BOGO!” She gestured to her belly, now reaching a good two and a half feet from her abdomen.
324
325“I am very sorry Ms. Jackson, I really don’t know how this happened. I’ve run this test numerous times before and it’s always gone off without a hitch...” His eyes lingered on her prodigious bust for a moment before glancing around the room.
326
327“Can I help you with something?” Sydney now had to stretch to make herself “decent”. The doctor didn’t answer. He skulked over to the side of the chamber where her bundle of clothing hung. Her carefully removed the garments revealing the lever that Sydney mistook for a clothes-hook. A lever that had fallen to the opposite position.
328
329“These are your clothes, are they not?”
330
331“They used to be.”
332
333“You see, this lever reverses the function of the pods. These,” he shook the clothes ”made your pod into the ‘receiving’ pod”.
334
335Sydney stared, dumbfounded. “Why do you have a reverse lever?”
336
337The doctor stared blankly, “Where else would I put it?”
338
339“Gahh!” Sydney threw her hands up in the air. “Well, flip it and stick these back in there.” She pointed to her stomach and then back to the other chamber.
340
341“I’m afraid that’s not possible. As a result of the enormous amount of power used, the components are a one-off; we synthesize them ourselves.”
342
343“How long until you’re able to use it again?”
344
345“Hmm, three months? At the earliest.” The bottom of Sydney’s enormous stomach dropped out.
346
347~*~
348
349“Well.” Doctor Sanchez paused to shake his head for the umpteenth time that visit. When Sydney had arrived at her next check-up twice as big as she had been the week before he forced a nurse to check the batteries in a carbon monoxide detector. Even now he scanned her belly as if it were a bomb about to go off.
350
351“Well?”
352
353“They all appear to be similar in gestation. But I have no way of knowing for sure.”
354
355“What about-”
356
357“Ms. Jackson,” he interrupted, “I know you’re not thrilled with your situation but consider this a wake-up call. While this may have been a worst case scenario for you, it was probably the best result you could have hoped for. Please, if you get any more offers from strange ‘scientists’ do turn them down. That goes for you too.” He turned to face Adelaide.
358
359“You’re her sister, you need to look out for her.”
360
361“But I, that’s not-”
362
363“No buts. Do you understand?”
364
365“Yes Doctor Sanchez.” The girls felt like they were back in grade school being scolded. They promised to be early to Sydney’s next appointment and headed out.
366
367“You got me in trouble with Doctor Sanchez.” Adelaide huffed.
368
369“Oh boo hoo.” Sydney huffed as she heaved herself into the increasingly inadequate car. It had been a long car-ride home. Dr. Rengela made sure to say all the right things, promising to reach out if another transfer was possible earlier. The next morning his phone line was disconnected. Adelaide even made the trip back out to find the building gutted. No trace of the scientist remained, even the elevator they had taken receded into the wall. She returned to their apartment with only a peace lily to confirm what had happened.
370
371The adoption agency, to their credit, had taken Sydney’s situation in stride. Despite Sydney more than doubling her number of children it took them no time at all to find families happy to take them. This was little consolation to Sydney. The perks were nice; Adelaide had graciously volunteered to break in their new smart TV and game console.
372
373There had been almost a grace to how Sydney glided around her restaurant with only the occasional belly bump or button-popping, like a blimp navigating an airfield. She had been able to parlay her under-sized clothing and exaggerated waddle into a nice increase in tips. Most people had taken a glance at Sydney, maybe an up and down if they were bold.
374
375But after her expansion everyone openly stared. Every patron did a double and occasionally a triple-take as if their hunger had resulted in a temporary psychosis. Her tables were transfixed by the absurdity of the woman bringing them food, only the strongest able to tear their eyes away from her belly during their meal.
376
377The one bright spot Sydney anticipated hadn’t turned out. Her tips hadn’t scaled with her stomach. Her customers were just as likely to give her one dollar as one hundred. Still, Sydney persevered, hoping that her luck would change. Maternity leave was for quitters. She lumbered through her shifts for another month growing ever larger.
378
379“Ahhhhh” She exhaled, collapsing into an inadequate break-room chair.
380
381“Mmm.” One of her co-workers, Dustin, spoke up. He was leaning against the counter, buried in his phone. Tall and thin, even skinnier than Adelaide, Sydney wasn’t sure she had said more than a greeting or goodbye in the entire time they’d worked together.
382
383“Long shift?”
384
385“Just got here.”
386
387“Oh.” The two sat in relative silence, Sydney’s heaving breathing and Dustin’s tapping replacing conversation.
388
389“Ooof.” Sydney let out a groan. A pair of kicks multiplied exponentially until all the occupants of her womb felt like they were trying to escape. She rubbed what she could reach in an attempt to soothe her brood.
390
391“I know someone like that.” Dustin spoke without looking up from his phone.
392
393“What, being pregnant?”
394
395“Yeah.”
396
397Sydney waited for an elaboration that never came.
398
399“What do you mean?”
400
401“Was having triplets. Really active. Went down to this shop and they gave her something to calm them down.”
402
403“Shop? What kind of shop?”
404
405“Magic.”
406
407“Magic?”
408
409“Magic.”
410
411“Huh.” Sydney thought about what she had heard. A magic shop that helps out overly-pregnant women? Sounded far-fetched at best. Before she could go down the rabbit hole any further her phone vibrated. Feeling about in her cleavage she pulled out the device. A notification flashed across the screen.
412
413“What is this...the magic shop? Thanks Dustin but I don’t really believe-4.5 stars?”
414
415“You’re welcome. See ya.” Dustin headed towards the exit without breaking his gaze. Sydney pointed towards the dining room while her mouth opened and closed but Dustin was already gone.
416
417~*~
418
419“No!”
420
421“Yes.”
422
423“No!”
424
425“Yes!”
426
427As they argued, Adelaide inwardly wondered if the computer simulation there were living in had a small glitch, pulling her back in time a month. She hadn’t seen any people clad in black leather following her around so she had to assume the universe had a sense of humor. When Sydney burst through the door with yet another out, Adelaide had put her foot down. No more fucking with nature. Sydney, to her credit, sat and listened to everything she had to say, even if she did drum on her belly the entire time. After a split-second of consideration Sydney was out the door, never mind the fact that the shop was across town.
428
429So here she sat. Driving her ridiculously pregnant roommate to yet another wild goose chase.
430
431“Stop, we’re here!”
432
433“This is the magic shop?” The GPS had led them to a strip mall on the edge of town. A tiny, almost literal hole in the wall flanked by a laundromat and a liquor store.
434
435The sight was not inspiring.
436
437“How could I miss this being the nexus linking our universe to another. Look, I bet that hobo peeing onto an old pizza box is actually a 7th degree mage.”
438
439“Would you shut up? Let’s go take a look, at least.” Sydney followed Adelaide as entered the small store, sides of her belly scraping against the door-frame. The inside was similarly somehow worse. Sagging shelves jam-packed with cheap-looking merchandise that looked to be from the past century. There was a musty odor in the air that neither woman could place.
440
441The lighting seemed unnaturally dim, both taking care of their steps as they made their way through the narrow aisles.
442
443“Hello?” Sydney yelled.
444
445“Don’t yell, what if someone hears us?” Adelaide looked around nervously.
446
447“...that’s the point?”
448
449“Oh. Right.”
450
451“Hello? Anyone here?” As Sydney raised her hands to cup around her mouth her elbow knocked into the adjacent display. Adelaide reached for the falling object. She thought about diving but the thought of her skin touching linoleum, whose original color couldn’t be discerned, made her retch.
452
453“The Golden Pelydryn!” A figure rushed past them, scooping the object from the ground like a baby bird. “You’d better hope you didn’t damage it, this is priceless!”
454
455“Then why is it stacked on a pile of crap in the middle of your shop?” Adelaide said.
456
457The woman eyed her inventory, “Those are more priceless. What do you want anyway?”
458
459“We heard this was a magic shop?”
460
461“Ahh yes, you two are quite young to be curious about the mystical arts. I am Diamanda, welcome to Gondolin!” The scruffy looking woman dressed in black spread her arms out as if she were introducing splendor beyond imagine.
462
463The girls exchanged a confused look, “isn’t a Lord of the Rings thing?”
464
465“Yeah, the one with the big white cliff?”
466
467“Well yes, but you’re thinking of Gondor, which is one of the kingdoms of man-it doesn’t matter. What do you want?”
468
469“I was hoping you could do something about this.” Sydney swung her massive stomach into view. The billowing t-shirt that she had squirmed into this morning managed to keep her breasts covered but failed miserably for her pregnancy. The days where Sydney carried her pregnancy well were a distant memory. Now her mocha belly exploded out from her torso dipping down to her knees. Even turning around was a balancing act.
470
471“Woof.” The witch stared at the huge mound of belly she had been presented. “Was this Sybil’s work? I swear she has one summoning go viral and suddenly she’s the go-to for everyone in midtown.”
472
473“No, this was natural. Mostly natural.” Sydney elaborated, trying to avoid Adelaide’s glare. She went through her story; the witch surprisingly unphased even as she went through what sounded like science-fiction.
474
475“So you want me to get you a drought of calming for your progeny, is that it?”
476
477“Yes.”
478
479“No.”
480
481Adelaide and Sydney looked to the other in confusion.
482
483“Are you two sisters by any chance?”
484
485“Yes.” This time in perfect sync.
486
487“Witch’s intuition.” She said, pointing to her temple.
488
489“Anyway, is it possible to take them and put them...somewhere else?”
490
491“Oh my God Sydney.” Adelaide groaned.
492
493“What? It doesn’t hurt to ask does it? Can I ask? Is that okay?”
494
495“Oh cut the crap, what’re you tucking that tidbit away for a rainy day? Just an interesting factoid to bust out at parties?”
496
497“Come on, look at me! You’re really saying in the same situation you wouldn’t explore every possible option?”
498
499“Exploring every option is WHY you’re in this mess in the first place!” The girls went back and forth squabbling for a minute or two before Diamanda had had enough.
500
501“I can do it.”
502
503“Just because your mom likes me more-what?” Sydney stopped mid-rant.
504
505“I can do it.” The witch looked positively smug.
506
507~*~
508
509“I can do it!” Diamanda seemed to be speaking more to herself than anyone.
510
511“Umm” Sydney once again found herself stark naked. This time in the middle of a large circle of runes. “Should I hop out or…?”
512
513“No!” The witch yelled while dumping some squishy pink material on the ground, “this can only be done once every full-moon. You won’t get another chance until the next one.”
514
515“Next mo-yes, then by all means.” Sydney said as she eyed the powders that had begun to swirl around her. After a few minutes of explaining and many more of convincing Adelaide, the witch had begun work on the archaic circle that Sydney now sat in. Diamanda had dug more than a few questionable looking jars from deep in her shop but it was not the girls’ place to question her.
516
517“Should it be doing that?” Adelaide said, from a corner of the room. She was pointing to a crystal sunk into the ground that had begun glowing a brilliant purple.
518
519“Actually yes!” The surprise in her voice evident, “that means we’ve made contact with the Hooded Ones!” She scurried around, lighting candles as she went.
520
521“Hooded Ones?”
522
523“Yes, the fertility spirits. They hear the prayers of those who regret and those who long for children. They keep the passageway where these lost spirits reside. It’s basically a baby exchange.” She clarified after seeing the looks on her guests’ faces.
524
525“So this is normal?” Sydney pointed to her belly which had begun to grow crimson.
526
527“Oh yes, the spirits are targeting your children to be reborn to those who pray lkcjbhs”
528
529“What about this?” Sydney and Diamanda turned to see the glow emanating from her midsection. Jaw dropping, the witch looked down to see the same effect around her.
530
531“Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap” She raced around the circle, scratching out runs with her foot while blowing out candles.
532
533“Should I be doing something? Like running away?” Sydney said already struggling to her feet.
534
535“No no, just a little mixup.” Diamanda said while hurling anything she could reach out of the circle.
536
537“Mixup? Don’t tell me that, please don’t tell me that.” Adelaide appeared to be trying to squeeze through the molecules of the wall.
538
539“Just a little misunderstanding, I may have used the wrong runes when drawing the circle. Maybe it was henbane rather than hemlock.” The witch mused to herself while the lights and wind grew more intense around them.
540
541“Just turn it off!” Sydney yelled, barely able to see the occultist through the powder vortex. She could make out her faint outline as she scurried around the room attempting to stop the spell.
542
543“What does it look like I’m-oh, there we go!” The swirling abruptly stopped, leaving the powder suspended in the air for a moment before falling to the ground. Sydney received a mouthful as it plummeted. Adelaide looked as though she had been through a very-specific color run.
544
545“Well how about you ladies give me a hand cleaning up and we’ll try again?” She offered a hand to Sydney.
546
547“If you think that I’m gonna let you mess up another spell while our lives are at risk you have-thank you-to be more careful.” Sydney said as she stood up.
548
549“Oh my God Sydney, give it up alred-ughhurgh.” Adelaide’s sentence was not punctuated by righteous fury as she had hoped but instead by her lunch. The two watched while the shorter woman added some contrast to the red room.
550
551“Wh-what the fuck?” Adelaide complained, collapsing back onto her rear. “Why does it feel like the time we tried El Diablo at that hot sauce place in the mall?”
552
553Sydney could feel a warmth building in her stomach as well. Having a distinct feeling of deja vu, she turned to Diamanda. The witch’s hands were busy, one feverishly scratching the back of her head while the other was probing her stomach.
554
555“Diamanda” She started, a huge fake smile plastered on her face, “what spell did you end up casting?”
556
557“I might, might have had the book turned upside-down.” She said sheepishly.
558
559“Meaning?”
560
561“Meaning she flipped the reverse lever.” Sydney turned to Adelaide, now standing, hands around her now convex stomach. The women looked on in horror as Adelaide continued to grow. Her pale stomach pushed into view from underneath her red-stained top. She clasped her hands around it as if she could stop it from getting bigger. She could not. Her belly pushed out inch after inch until her fingers were wrenched apart. Adelaide took a heavy step as her increasing weight pulled her down. Planting her hands on her back she could only look on and waited for her growth to stop.
562
563After a suspenseful three minutes, the growth stopped. Her belly was so large that it almost overshadowed the diminutive redhead. Adelaide resisted the urge to clean her glasses, as if they were somehow responsible for the sight before her. It expanded out in all directions, her bloated sides obvious from even behind.
564
565If it had been possible for her to jump any longer, she would have once she felt a kick. She reached for the offender only to break out in a cold sweat when she couldn’t reach.
566
567“Damn it Sydney!”
568
569She looked on sheepishly as her already enormous belly began to lurch forward. Despite her head start Sydney grew with abandon. Her belly swelled as if someone didn't know when to stop inflating a balloon. What began at her knees dipped further and further until it was skirting the ground. Sydney furiously rubbed her swelling sides as if somehow it would slow her growth. Inches became feet as her stomach doubled the length of her arms. Despite her thick thighs Sydney toppled to the ground, entire body jiggling in response. Her breasts swelled in her already inadequate shirt; threads audibly popping as she grew on. 
570
571Despite being the caster, Diamanda was not spared. A pale belly swelled from underneath her robes, though looked like a sideshow in comparison to the main attraction. 
572
573Some long minutes later the women slowed to a halt. Sydney could only flash her friend a nervous smile.
574
575“Oops?”
576
577~*~
578
579“All ready back there? Good.” Tires squealed as Adelaide sped out of the tiny parking lot, a distinctively rounder Diamanda timidly waving in the rearview.
580
581“Ouch! Not really!” Sydney complained as her head bounced off the headrest. Adelaide ignored her. She fumbled with the seatbelt but found it woefully short of wrapping around her bloated chest. Her breasts bubbled out of the bottom of her shirt each wobbling mass twice the size of her head. Brown areola and nipples clearly visible through the tortured fabric. Proud and heavy they sat piled onto the top of her belly.
582
583It appeared as if fertility was exponential. At least when pregnancy spirits were involved. Diamanda and Adelaide had both ended up in the middle single-digits, Sydney had not been so fortunate. Her stomach also sat heavily on the floor in front of her, an enormous chocolate oval that extended past the reach of her feet. The girls had been forced to remove one of the seats to allow Sydney to face sitting forward. Even now her flank encroached on Adelaide’s elbow.
584
585Suddenly, a small peal of thunder echoed throughout the car.
586
587“Um, Adie I know you’re super pissed at me and everything, but do you think we could stop at McBurgerguy’s on the way home? I’ll buy you your favoriteee.” Sydney said in a sing-song voice.
588
589Adelaide tried to remain steadfast. She was currently hunched over her belly so she could reach the steering wheel while occasionally being bumped by Sydney’s. Her anger was fast evaporating even as she bemoaned her situation.
590
591“Fine.” She said just as her stomach growled in response, “but you’re buying me three of my favorite.”
592
593“Sold.” Sydney felt at peace. Even though she was many times more pregnant than when she had started, she had tried her best, exhausted every option, explored every alley. Her train of thought was derailed as a flashy billboard caught her attention.
594
595Dreading labor? Contact Pregnan-statis! Don’t delay, call today!
596
597“Hey Adie? Could we make one more stop?”