Chapter 2
“–and then I did this one just before the meeting, so it isn’t quite finished, but I’ve been pretty sure that, well, that the light I saw in the forest, that it wasn’t really a yellow, but more of a green, you see. I mean, that’s what it was in my hibernation dream, I think–at least, that’s what I remember, and the figure, well, I think that rather than saying it was like a shadow, it was more like a mirage, like the air just sort of bent around the body, and then it almost shimmered into being. I think I thought it was shadowy, because the light behind the body was so bright that the bod–”
“Look, as much as I love the art gallery each week, Ron,” Dennis said, before stuffing his fat hand back into the bag of chips he had in his lap, “This art of yours isn’t helping. It’s just bullshit, alright? I mean seriously, what does it matter whether the light was red or purple or whatever.”
“Yeah, well if you’d seen what I fucking saw, then maybe you’d care.”
“Yeah, well none of us saw it, and none of us care, so why don’t you just fuck off?”
“Guys!” Matt said, “Enough, Dennis, leave Ron alone, we’re all dealing with this in our own way, alright?”
“Yeah, some ways are just a bit more productive than others,” Dennis scoffed through a mouthful of chips.
“Yeah, well at least I have a healthier coping mechanism than eating myself silly.”
“I told you, I was fucking cursed,” Dennis shouted, “I can’t fucking help it.”
“Preaching to the choir, man,” Gus mumbled, looking a bit bored, “”weren’t we all? Still I think you’re looking pretty good.”
Dennis rolled his eyes. Gus’s boyfriend Clay was probably the fattest guy on campus now, and pumped cum from his cock into his fat rolls as he walked, and Dennis couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.
“Look, let’s get back to what we were doing,” Terry said, “Do you want to keep going Ron?”
Everyone looked over at the big bear, cigar in his mouth, eyes welling up, and he ripped up the watercolor he’d painted, and started sobbing. “I’m trying to remember, I really am, I know what I saw was important, but I just can’t…I can’t…”
Terry was off his feet and had the big bear in his arms before anyone else could react, and Matt felt his heart swell. He’d made the right decision, crossing campus. Terry was the sweetest, most compassionate man he’d ever met, and he was lucky to have him now. Terry had been surprised and gleeful when they’d woken up in each others arms, and the sex, after their cocks had been pent up in hibernation for over a month, had been long, their orgasms massive and numerous, like everyone else on campus it seemed like, but for them, it had been special. It was a new beginning, and when Matt got his stuff from his dorm room a day later, and told him he was moving out, he was able to do it with a confidence that caught even Tom by surprise.
However, this first resistance meeting was not going as well as Matt might have hoped. Before hibernation, they’d been discussing whether or not a long sleep would hurt or hinder their memories. Apparently, the later was the case. Nearly all of them reported having a harder time recalling what they had been, and five members hadn’t even shown up, making Matt worry that they’d lost their previous identities entirely. Ron was the exception–he’d spent his entire sleep caught in the same dream he’d had every night since the changes–the forest, the light, and the figure. He had never gotten more out of it than that, and Matt was worried it was driving him a bit insane, especially since assholes like Dennis didn’t have much sympathy for him. Still, even Terry had admitted to Matt in private that Ron’s art shows had gotten more eccentric and wild as of late. The art, which had begun from reasonably understandable, representationalist roots, had, in the month before hibernation, taken a far more surreal and abstract direction, and Ron’s mental stability had started wearing thin as his art was driven further and further from life. When his cub left him a week before he fell asleep, it crushed him, and Matt was now seriously worried about him, and whether he might hurt himself.
“Look, maybe we should just call it a night. We’ll meet again next week. Make every effort you can to find everyone who didn’t come tonight–see if…well, if there’s anything left, but don’t give us away.”
“Hold on,” TJ said uncrossing his tattooed arms are leaning forward. He hadn’t said anything yet this meeting, and everyone had forgotten he was there, “There’s something else that we need to talk about, something big. I mean, I don’t have all the details, but…well, there are plenty of rumors flying around the administration building, and I think we need to look into them?”
“Rumors? Really?” Gus asked.
“Don’t discount rumors, trust me,” Dennis said, “What are people saying?”
“Well, apparently, there were some disappearances that happened on campus that happened over hibernation, or at least, that’s what I’m hearing.”
“Who went missing?” Matt asked, “Is it anyone we…uh, know?” he asked, wondering whether their missing members might have been abducted.
“No, or at least, that’s not what people have been saying,” TJ said, “It’s a lot…worse. Well, I don’t know, it’s just…if it’s true. then–”
Oh just spit it out already!” Dennis said.
“Ok, ok, Vince heard from Greg, that, when Harry was up by the board room for the trustee meeting, he heard someone shouting, and they said that Professor Erikson and Tristan Newbeary were missing, along with Frank Longen. Just gone, and no one knows where any of them went.”
Everyone was silent–even Ron stopped his blubbering for a moment. “What…What does that mean?” Matt asked, “Who’s in charge now?”
“Well, best possibility? Someone on the board of trustees took control, but I don’t think so. Rumor has it, the person shouting in the meeting was a member of the Masters Program. My best guess? They’re in charge now.”
“What does that mean?”
TJ shrugged. “I have no idea, but it seems like we should do something about it, right? Aren’t we the feared campus resistance movement? This might be the chance to come out of the woodwork and take advantage of some chaos to try and fix this?”
“How, we still don’t even know what happened.”
“It was the woods, whatever happened in the woods! Why won’t any of you believe me?”
The meeting devolved into flurry of voices, until finally Matt shouted, “Alright, that’s enough!” and everyone settled down. “Look, we don’t even know if the rumor is true–we need to confirm it, and then we ought to try and find out what happened, and if there’s anything we can do about it.”
“What in the hell would we do, even if it were true? If Tristan disappearing isn’t enough for all of us to just change back, then what in the world is it going to take?” Dennis said.
“Well maybe we need to find him.”
“And how are we supposed to do that, exactly?”
“Look, I think everyone’s tempers are running a little high right now,” Terry said, “Why don’t we give this a break for a week, split up, see what we can find out, and meet back here, same time next week. I think the best thing we could all do is just calm down a bit.”
No one disagreed, and got up and left, none of them feeling good about how the meeting had gone. Matt looked around, a disheartened. Terry and him, when they’d started gathering people together, hadn’t planned on forming a resistance group. It had just been a way for all of them to come together and keep remembering who they were before the changes swept campus. However, once Tristan had labeled them the resistance, the mantle had fallen on them to try and do something, but none of them had a clue what was going on in the first place. It was hard enough just hanging on to who they were, without also trying to save everyone else. Soon, everyone had left aside from Terry, Ron, and himself, and Terry came over. “look, I think I need to take Ron back to his room, and make sure he’s ok. The guy is…well, pretty exhausted. I don’t think he really…slept, this winter, do you know what I mean?”
Matt nodded, “Yeah, I understand. Hey, maybe, uh…maybe give him one of those blowjobs of yours. They always put me right to sleep,” he said with a grin, hoping the joke wasn’t too ill timed, but Terry just smiled, and walked back to Ron.
“Alright you big lug, let’s go get you to bed.”
“But I…I have a painting I need to finish back in the room, I don’t want to sleep yet,” Ron said, but the exhaustion in his body was obvious. Terry gathered up the bears artwork and helped Ron stumble out of the room and off to his dorm, leaving Matt to walk back alone. It was just coming up on dusk outside. They’d found that meeting in the evening let them both have some privacy but also avoid the suspicion of late night meetings. If security stumbled on them, they usually just said they were a study group, and they didn’t really bat an eye, often enough. The best disguise usually was just hiding in plain sight. Still, the walk back to the dorm was empty, and so when Matt heard the voice call his name behind him, he flinched, and felt a bit of a knot form in his stomach. “Matt!” Leon called, “There’s our man, hey Matt, wait up!”
Matt sighed. He’d known that something like this would be coming down the pipe eventually. Tom was too much of an asshole to talk to Matt directly about what had happened, so naturally he’d send his two surrogates, Leon and Butch. Unfortunately, Matt actually liked both of them. They were both nice guys, fun to party with, and great in bed. It was just Tom who the jackass of their group. Unfortunately, Leon and Butch didn’t see it that way. They thought Tom was a natural leader, and that he and Matt were perfect together, never minding how Matt might feel about it. The few times he’d complained to them about Tom’s rough treatment, they’d usually dismiss his concerns with a joke, or just insist that Matt must like it since they were together. He kept walking, pretending, for the moment, that he didn’t hear them.
“Matt,” Leon called again, running up, Butch chugging along behind him, “Hey come on, aren’t we still friends? We just want to talk.”
“I’m not talking about Tom, if that’s what you want to talk about.”
“Nah man, we don’t have to talk about Tom,” Leon said, laughing nervously, “We just haven’t seen you in class lately, and we were a bit worried.”
“I switched majors.”
This caught Leon off guard. “What? But Construction…Construction was your life man, what’s up?”
“No, construction is Tom’s life, I never cared for it. I’m going into Daddy Studies.”
“Daddy Studies? Seriously? You want to end a stodgy old prude or something?”
“I’ve been enjoying it a lot more than fucking construction.” Matt was still walking. Leon had made a few attempts to get in front of him, but Matt just kept going. Finally, Leon grabbed him by the arm and pulled on him to stop, and Matt yanked his hand away, “Don’t fucking tough me.”
“Dang man, calm the fuck down,” Butch said, “We’re all friends here.”
“Look, I know Tom sent you here to talk to me, but I’m not going back to him, alright? So why don’t we just go our separate ways, since neither of you can see him for the asshole he is.”
“Look, we know Tom can be a bit rough around the edges, but that why you two were so great together! Because you could take it. I mean, now Tom’s just a bit, well…” Leon said, “Look, we’re worried about him, and we were thinking that if you just talked to him, maybe he would be a bit better.”
Matt rolled his eyes, “I’m not talking to him. I have no reason to talk to him.”
“Look, he’s really in a bad way,” Leon said, “I’m serious man, you know how Tom has his bad spots, well this one…well, he’s really wreaked man, he fucking loved you.”
“No, he loved my holes.”
“No, he loved you,” Leon said, throwing himself in front of Matt, making him stop, “Look, I know that the two of you have had your differences, I know your relationship wasn’t perfect, I know all of that, but think about Tom for a second, he hasn’t been to class, he’s throwing shit around the room, he’s fucking nuts at the moment.”
“And you think I want to talk to that?”
“I’m just saying that it might help him.”
“No,” Matt said, pushing onward, “I’m not going to talk to him. He wreaked our relationship, not me, I don’t care how he feels about it. He can go see one of his fuckbuddies and work it out of his system. God knows, he had plenty of them behind my back.”
“Alright, I’ve had enough of this,” Butch said, “You need to talk to him. At least clear the air for the rest of us.”
“No. I don’t have to.”
“Do it, or we’ll go ahead and tell security about that little meetings you’ve been having with those friends of yours. I don’t think that it’s a study group–there isn’t enough fucking involved. So what could it be, I wonder?”
“Well, it is just a study group.”
“Oh yeah? For what class?” Matt didn’t have a lie ready for that one, and he fumbled his words for a moment, before he decided to just keep on walking. “I fucking mean it, Matt,” Butch said, “I’m not bluffing here.”
“Oh for fucks sake, fine, I’ll fucking talk to him,” Matt said, “But not because you’re threatening me, just because it’s the only way the two of you will fucking leave me alone.”
Butch and Leon beamed a bit, glad that they’d gotten through to him, and the three of them changed direction, setting off for Matt’s old dorm, where Tom was supposedly locked in his room, smoking up a storm, and sure enough, there was so much it was leaking out the cracks of the door. Matt wondered how in the hell one guy could put out that much smoke, but then he was through the door, Leon and Butch nearly pushing him inside, and shutting the door behind him.
“Tom?” Matt called into the haze, “Tom, are you there?”
There was no answer. Matt walked a bit deeper, the amount of smoke inside making even a practiced smoker like himself cough a bit. The tobacco was also different from anything Matt had ever smelled Tom smoking before. He preferred darker, almost burnt tobacco, and this was much lighter, almost sweet around the edges. It was making him feel a bit floaty…and happy. As he worked his way deeper into the room, he found that there was no one there at all, and that all of this smoke must have come from the pile of of ash in the tray on the bedside table. Feeling a little woozy now, he worked his way back to the door and called out, “What gives guys? Tom’s not even in here?” However, again, no one replied, and when he tried to door, it was locked, or not locked, but barred. They were keeping him in there, but why?
“Oh you little fucks,” Matt said. It was the smoke, there was something in the goddamn smoke. Already he was feeling something change inside him, and without even hesitating to looking the mirror, he started ramming himself against the door, trying not to breathe in, but it wasn’t budging. He looked around and saw the window and threw it open, but there was no way he could get the smoke to clear in time. He looked down–his room was on the second floor–he could make it, provided he could slip through the window.
It was a tight fit. In fact, Matt thought that the reason he eventually squeezed through wasn’t because he was small enough, but because he was getting smaller, but slip through he did. However, he made the mistake of going out head first. Luckily, the bushes down below broke his fall, but he still got the wind knocked out of him. Still, he was alive, and looking down at himself, relatively the same as he had been. He’d lost a bit of height, and looked like he’d put on some weight. What in the hell had the two of them tried to smoke him out with? He looked down at the cellophane wrapper he’d grabbed from the bed and saw it read Bear Boutique on the label, that store at the mall nearby he’d heard was some hot new store at the mall. Leon and Butch had heard him struggling out the window, and had run down the stairs and outside to where Matt was pushing himself up off the ground.
“What the hell man?” Leon said, “What was that all about?”
“The fucking smoke, you assholes!” Matt screamed, “What kind of fucking smoke was that?”
“I don’t know what in the hell you’re talking about, you’re talking crazy man, did you talk to Tom?”
“Tom’s not even in there. Did he put you up to this? Was this his fucking idea to try and get me back? That’s fucking messed up. What was it. What were those cigars you fucking burnt?”
Leon and Butch looked at each other a bit shiftily, but refused to give up the game. Matt turned around to stalk away and stopped in his tracks, as he saw Tom walking towards them, chuffing on his own cigar, and he stopped, genuinely surprised to see Matt there talking to Leon and Butch. “Was this your fucking idea, Tom?”
“What are you even talking about?”
“Look, we were just trying to do you a favor,” Butch said, “We just wanted to get you two back together.”
“What was in the goddamn smoke, Butch?” Matt asked.
“Shut up, man!” Lepon said, but Butch felt too guilty to lie now.
“Look, it was Leon’s idea. He thought that, well, if we made you a little more receptive to Tom’s attitude, then maybe the two of your could get back together like we all want.”
“What was in the smoke, just fucking tell me.”
“It was…well, a mix of things. Something to, you know, make you a little more submissive, and a little more cubby. We just wanted you to be happy man, and you were always happy with–”
Butch didn’t get out another word, before Matt’s fist slammed right into his mouth. He wheeled on Leon, and went to sock him, but Tom ran up and grabbed him, holding him back. “I’ll fucking kill you!” Matt said, flying off the handle, “God fucking damn it! Haven’t we all been fucking changed enough?”
“Calm down Matt, for fuck’s sake, you’re embarrassing yourself,” Tom said, and Matt wrenched himself out of his grasp.
“Did you know about this?” Matt said, turning to Tom, “Because for a second, I thought you were better than this.”
“Look, Matt, I’m sorry. I’m sorry these two are such idiots, and I’m sorry I was such a jerk, alright? Maybe…maybe we could all just go out for a drink, eh? Like old times? Maybe a round of strip poker?”
“Fuck you,” Matt said, and spit in Tom’s face. “Fuck all of you.”
Tom’s face, went from sweet to mean in the space of a second, but Matt was ready for him. He dodged the left hook he always opened with, and landed a sucker punch right in his gut. “We’re fucking over Tom. For real. I’m done, and see if you can get that through your friends’ heads too,” Matt said, and walked away.
“You’ll be back, you fucking pansy!” Tom shouted as best he could with no breath in him. “You fucking want me, and you always will. No cub can give you what I can, no cub can give you what you fucking need. You’re always gonna be my bitch, Matt, fucking always, just you fucking wait.”
Matt didn’t respond, and just kept walking, now crying, cursing himself for being stupid enough to walk into a trap like that.
Back in the room, Terry still wasn’t back from taking care of Ron, and so he took a moment to strip down and take a look at himself. He had changed a bit. He was shorter, and definitely a bit stockier and chubbier. He even looked a bit younger–the grey he’d by now become accustomed to in his beard gone, along with some of his wrinkles. He noticed with some disappointment that his cock had shrunk a bit–no more than an inch, but still, he was pissed. He hoped the changes would reverse eventually, but he doubted that would happen. The changes here didn’t seem too fond of going away with time.
It was hard not to cry again, as he took measure of himself. Just as he was getting used to one body, those fuckers were trying to give him a new one? He didn’t want to deal with it–with any of it. He just wanted his old body back, but he didn’t even think he could remember what it looked like anymore. He was too used to this bear in the mirror, and these big hands and feet, and his beard, and now…now he didn’t even know if he wanted to give it up. He was happy, here with Terry. he really was, and if he went back to how things were, this would have to go too. He’d be straight again, and he’d be the same tight ass Christian he’d been before, and he didn’t know if he wanted that either. Still, what he always came back to was choice. He wanted control, and it felt like everyone was doing their very best to rip in away from him. Still, no more. He wasn’t going to let anyone push him around or change him anymore.
Terry returned a few minutes later, finding Matt on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Hye. Ron’s down, and out like a light. I hope he sleeps soundly for a bit,” Terry said, “You…you alright?”
“No…No, I’m not alright,” Matt said, and told Terry about what had happened, how Leon and Butch had confronted him, about their idiotic trap, and about his confrontation with Tom. Terry stayed silent the entire time, just listening, occasionally stroking Matt’s thigh, watching his daddy cry as he recalled what had happened. “I’m just…just so tired of being changed, Terry. I’m so tired of people trying to make me into something I’m not. But the thing is…even I don’t know who I am anymore. I don’t…I just don’t know.”
Terry could sense that words wouldn’t do any good here, so he climbed on top of Matt and gave him a deep kiss, Matt eagerly returning the favor, wrapping Terry in his arms. “Well, I know one thing you are,” Terry said, “You’re my big daddy bear, even if you’re a bit younger than you were. So how about you give my cubby butt a good fuck? I bet that would make you feel better.” With Matt on his back, Terry moved to fuck himself on Matt’s cock…but found it only semi hard, which was strange. Usually Matt had no problem getting it up during their sessions, and Matt was obviously embarrassed. He was horny–that wasn’t the issue, it was just like his cock wasn’t getting the right signal from his head.
“It..It’s ok, we can just cuddle for a bit,” Matt said. Terry feeling bad himself, decided that would have to do for the moment, but after a few minutes in bed together, Matt got up, using the excuse that he had to go to the bathroom. Down the hall, he went into a stall and locked the door, and started jacking his cock. Lying with Terry had only made him hornier and hornier–he needed to get off, but his cock stayed soft. Still, in the back of his mind, he knew what might work. He licked a finger and slid it into his ass with an uncharacteristic shudder and moan, as his cock immediately stiffened to full mast. Apparently, one of the cigars in that medley had been designed to turn him into a complete anal whore, and he felt the anger build up in him again. Those fucking assholes had really fucked him over, and goddamn, if he wasn’t going to get them back for it somehow. Still, he knew how to work his cock now. He went back to his room, and he grabbed one of Terry’s buttplugs, and slid it into his hole without a word, Terry watching Matt’s cock leap to attention.
“Something in the smoke?” Terry asked.
“I think so.”
“Well, fuck it. Get over here and fuck me, daddy,” Terry said, and Matt was happy to oblige him, and god, if it wasn’t one of the most intense fucks Matt had ever had. The sensation of being filled while he fucked was nearly a sensory overload, and that only made him feel worse. Angry, humiliated, he started slamming his cock deep into Terry, not even hearing as Terry started to protest, eventually pulling himself off of Matt’s cock.
“Fuck Matt! I know you’re angry, but you don’t have to be rough with me.” Terry said.
“Sorry, I’m sorry,” Matt said, trying to get a handle on himself. He just felt so strange all of a sudden, and he couldn’t chalk all of it up to the smoke. “I just…God, I just don’t know.”
“Look, it’s alright if you can’t tonight, I understand.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just…I’m going to get them back, they’re all going to regret it. Tristan, Tom, all of them.”
Terry didn’t know what to say, and Matt rolled him back over and fucked him again, as sweetly as he could, but the innocence in his sex had gone, and Terry missed it. Still, it was good enough to get them both off, and they both fell asleep in each other’s arms, but Terry fell asleep last, uncomfortable in Matt’s arms, though he wasn’t able to tell, exactly, why that was, and he slept roughly, running towards something he could never quite catch up with.
Bracken's Corner 