In the morning, Charlie looked around to find Uzzi, as they carpooled to work.  As her searching grew more frantic, Artie tried to get her attention.  It wasn’t until Mel noticed Artie’s distress that he was able to get any attention at all.  Mel called Charlie over, and Artie breathlessly tried to explain what had happened.

“So Uzzi stuck himself into you, like this,” said Mel, shoving her arm into Artie to the shoulder.  “Then what happened?”

Artie frowned, recalling.  “I kind of... pulled?”

Mel slid in to her waist.  “Hey, not me too!”

“Sorry!  Trying to... bother.”  Mel’s legs kicked wildly in the air before sliding down into Artie and vanishing.

Charlie groaned and smacked her forehead.  “This is not helping.  Can you do that again, only... backward?  Push instead of pull?”

“I don’t know how,” moaned Artie.  “I tried that with Uzzi, too.”

Charlie bit back a curse, and did her best to smile.  It was rather fearsome, and Artie recoiled.  “Right.  Sorry.  Magic is tricksy.  What do you do to get out of the collar?”

“I can’t do that!” Artie wailed.  “They’d be stuck!”

“Rrrh.  Just... use the same ‘get me out’ visualization, but imagine Mel appearing.”

“Oh!”  Artie brightened.  “I think I can...”  Mel’s head appeared between the cushions, looking a little flushed.

“Keep going, Artie.  That’s the way!” coaxed Charlie.  “Push!”

Mel yelped, and vanished again.  Artie winced.  “Pushing is wrong.”

Charlie sighed and nodded wearily.  “Yeah.  I get that.  Whatever you did that worked?  Do that, and keep at it.”

Mel slithered onto the floor a moment later, looking a little rumpled but otherwise none the worse for wear.  “Woo!  That was fun!”

Charlie rolled her eyes.  “You would think that.  Can we focus on Uzzi now, please?”

Artie strained and squished up its face comically.  “I...  Can’t find...”

Charlie swore, balled up her fists, and took a couple of deep, calming breaths.  “Okay.  Don’t panic.  Can you... feel anything inside?  Things that aren’t you or the couch?”

Artie brightened.  “Oh!  Yeah, there’s...”  The couch grunted as an ottoman-sized leather egg emerged, then tumbled to the floor with a thud.

Charlie slumped to the nearby loveseat, swearing.  It was Mel that figured it out, finding the zipper on the back.  She pulled it open, and Uzzi spilled out of the “egg”.  He was unconscious, but breathing.  A whiff of coffee brought him round, and he shambled his way into the kitchen for breakfast.  Charlie egged him on, as they were already on the verge of being late.  Soon the three humans had bustled out the door.

A few minutes later Artie yelped.  “Shirley!  Oh double-bother.  Come on, let’s see...”  It took a few tries to get the egg to stay out, without others to help it focus.

Artie studied the quiescent egg lying in front of it.  Calling to Shirley didn’t get a response, and nobody was around to open the zipper.  It took an embarrassingly long time to remember that it could remove itself from the couch.

As the leather melted away from the couch, it also melted away from around Shirley, so Artie was spared the task of hunting for a zipper.  Shirley moaned and squirmed, then muttered about where that nice warm cover had gone.  She frowned, then sat up.  “Oh!  Hey Artie.  I had the weirdest dream.”

Artie chuckled weakly.  “Was it the one where you got sucked into a couch and stuck there overnight?”

Shirley blinked at him for several seconds as she processed that statement and her memories.  “Oooh.  That was something else.  Were you worried?”

“Terrified.  Took Charlie’s help to figure out how to get you back out.”

Shirley licked her lips and grinned.  “But now that you know...”  She giggled at Artie’s expression.  “It felt really nice!  I’d totally go back inside if you let me.”

“But if I get stuck as a couch, you would too,” fretted Artie.  “I don’t know what would happen if someone took the collar off with you like that.”

Shirley suggested using a slice of bread in her place, and they discovered that it would appear on Artie’s lap when Shirley took the collar off.  Experiments with pillows and a bean bag chair had similarly safe results.  Artie weakly protested Shirley’s plan to use herself as the next guinea pig.  She was talking him around to agreeing, then she noticed his worried look and with effort managed to restrain her enthusiasm.

Shirley took a seat on Artie, petting it to calm it down.  They chatted for a while, then Shirley asked where the collar had come from.  The guy she knew of only had pet collars, and she had no interest in being a dog or snake.  

Artie chuckled at that.  “How would you even collar a snake?”

Shirley admitted that she had no idea if snake collars even existed, she’d only cared about the cat ones.  Artie was curious about her collar as well, and Shirley let him try it out, petting “Artemis” for a time until he wriggled free.

They shared a late lunch, then Artie went back to being a couch.  Shirley slipped her own collar on a little later, and curled up on the couch as Squeak.  She made sure to knead it thoroughly, mew-giggling at the faces Artie made.

The next few days passed much as before.  Artie found that the biggest change was that Mel and Shirley were both more open about caressing it while sitting on it, and would often give it a kiss as they sat down, got up, or just wandered through the living area.  It felt good to be included in the group’s casual intimacy.

Another weekend passed, leaving Artie stuck as a couch once more.  Shirley offered to change him back when she finally got up on Monday, but Artie opted for a kiss and cuddle instead.  Since she didn’t have to sleep all day to get ready for her job that night, she lounged on Artie as a human instead of a cat, and they spent longer than usual chatting.

Artie eventually worked around to asking about how the whole poly thing worked, because he’d noticed there was a hierarchy of sorts.

Shirley giggled.  “You probably should have asked that before agreeing to join.  Yeah, there’s... not exactly a pecking order.”  She swatted Artie at his snicker.  “I swear, it’s like guys are all still five inside.  The poly thing started because of Charlie and Uzzi, and the sitcom antics of having a cute guy living with three cute girls.  Despite the ‘can ask anyone for anything’ aspect, in practice... Uzzi says no past a certain point, except with Charlie.  We’re still allowed to look and touch, so it all kinda works out.  Plus Uzzi gives fantastic backrubs.”

“And you and Mel are... kind of a couple?” asked Artie.

Shirley nodded.  “Sorta how it worked out, yeah.  No regrets, I had a blast with Mel in college, then when she asked me to move in to help with rent...”  Shirley’s blushing smile told the rest of the story.

“So where do I fit in?” asked Artie.  “I’m the odd couch out.”

Shirley giggled, and petted Artie’s cushions.  “Best couch ever.  Are you happy like this?”

Artie nodded eagerly.  “Yeah.  It’s weird, but I feel...  Connected.  Welcomed.  Home.”

“And you wouldn’t rather spend the afternoon in bed with a naked woman?”

“That depends.”  At Shirley’s curious look, Artie continued.  “Can I be the bed?”

Shirley fell over laughing.  Artie shot her an offended look.  “You’re not supposed to... shame for requests.”

Shirley nodded slowly.  “It’s not just you.  Mel wants to be the bed too.  She bet me you’d be our bed before she gets to, though.  Want me to free you so you can change venue?”

“If I won’t be missed.”

“I’m pretty sure Uzzi would high-five you for jumping into my bed.  If you had hands.”

Artie snickered.  “He would, at that.  Sure, do it.”

He stretched and stood, shaking out his arms to get used to being human again.  As they moved to Shirley and Mel’s bedroom, Shirley turned the collar in her hands, studying it.  “This is the sort of thing one buys to fulfil a fantasy.  What’s yours?”

Artie stopped and stared at the floor.  “I...”  He shook his head.

“I won’t make fun of you,” said Shirley softly.  “Ask.  I can’t promise I’ll do it, but I’ll give it a fair shake.”

“It’s not just... the bed, or the couch.  Being used... is just part.  Being trapped.  Taken against my will.  Forced to become just a thing, that others use without thinking of me.”

“And this turns you on?  You understand the conflict, right?”  Shirley waggled the collar at Artie.  “You have to be willing for this.”

“For a day, I know,” sighed Artie.  “It was the best I could afford of what he had.  Dodgy prototype magic.  The good version traps you immediately, but it doesn’t get rid of your head.  I think mine’s better, but...”

“I could do it, you know,” Shirley said lightly, but with serious eyes.  “A sleeping pill or two, and you’d miss that first day.  A gag so you can’t beg for freedom.”

Artie’s breathing was ragged.  “Would you?”

Shirley winced at the need in Artie’s voice.  “I’d hate myself.  Didn’t your collar guy have anything that worked fast?”

“Oh sure.  Lots of stuff, but most of it out of a homeless bum’s price range, you know?”

Shirley tapped him on the nose with the collar.  “You aren’t homeless.  Or jobless.  You’re a very good couch.  Or bed.  Tell me truly, if cruel captivity is off the table, which would you prefer?”

Artie smiled at her shyly.  “I don’t know what a bed is like.  Yet.”

Shirley gestured toward the bed, and handed him the collar.  She tugged the duvet off before Artie lay down, then watched his body melt away under the collar’s influence.

“Do you need to breathe?” Shirley asked when he was done.

Artie shook its head.

“I have a really good idea.  Promise me no sneaky changing back.”

Artie’s eyes were bright.  “Promise.”

Shirley took a spare pillow and wrapped it around Artie’s head, then tucked a pillowcase over it to hold it in place.  “Hm.  A little lumpy, but suitably anonymous.”  She hummed softly to herself as she remade the bed with fresh sheets over the Artie-leather.  A few extra pillows plumped up beside the lumpy one made it look like a perfectly normal bed.  Soon it had a cat curled up on top of it, dozing away.

Later, Mel and Shirley made good use of it.  

The next morning after the others had gone Shirley freed Artie.  “So?  Was it everything you dreamed?”

Artie chuckled softly.  “It was good.  Thank you.”

“Just good?” asked Shirley, mock-indignantly.  “I’m going to have to get one of those faster collars, so we can really disappear you.”

“It’s just...  All things being equal...  I prefer the couch.”

Shirley brightened.  “Oh!  Yeah, the others missed you.  I did get a high-five from Uzzi to pass on, so off goes the collar...”  Shirley gave Artie a big hug from her and Mel as well.

They chatted for a while over breakfast, then Shirley headed out to go run an errand with the last of her days off.  Artie wandered aimlessly around the apartment for a time.  He contemplated Shirley’s bed, smiling as he recalled how much fun the night had been.  He hoped Shirley would make good on her promise.

Artie had only just settled in as the couch when Shirley bounced into the apartment eagerly.  She set a package on the kitchen table then, without even asking Artie’s permission, pulled its collar off.  She popped it into the drawer of the side table, confusing Artie further, but she was grinning too excitedly for him to consider protesting.

“I got it, I got it!”  Shirley returned to her package, and pulled out a shiny pink collar.

Artie’s eyes widened.  “But those cost so much!   How did you...”

“I save most of my tips, rent here is a joke split four ways.  Charlie and Uzzi have big nest eggs toward buying a house and getting out of here, but Mel...”  She sighed and shook her head.  “Nevermind that.  What do you want me to turn into?  This baby lets you merge with anything, even small stuff.”

Artie blinked.  “Small... like a pillow?”

“Or smaller.  Toy-sized.  I’m going to turn myself into one of Mel’s favourite toys... but right now I want to practice.”

“Practice what?”

Shirley put the collar around her neck.  “This.”

Before Artie’s eyes, her face went all glossy then melted away.  Her clothes maintained a human outline for a few moments as her arms went the same way as her head, then they slowly collapsed into a pile.  Artie stared down at it in confusion.  “Where’d you go?”

“A little help please?” came a soft voice from the middle of the pile.

Artie giggled as he dug through the pile.  “Did you shrink?”

“Not exactly”, came the soft voice.  It seemed to be coming from the panties in Artie’s hands, but he couldn’t see where until he looked inside.

“Why is your face on the inside of your panties?” asked Artie.

Shirley waggled her eyebrows at him and grinned.  Artie’s blush grew very bright as he realized the implications.  “You want to be... worn?”

“Shoulda merged with a pair of Mel’s instead.  Hey, this is cool, I don’t have the same breathing problems you do as a couch.”

Artie looked puzzled.  “You don’t?  But you’re almost as flat as the panties themselves.  How does that even work?”

“Magic, duh.  I bet if you put me on, I could...”

Artie’s blush returned in full force.  “I wouldn’t!  I mean, you couldn’t...”

“I don’t have to breathe.”  Shirley demonstrated by holding her breath as Artie examined her in wonder.  It turned out her remaining ‘skin’ was sensitive, and when Artie brushed his fingers over it she giggled.

“Can... can you get out?” asked Artie.

Shirley closed her eyes and concentrated.  “Nope.  I need outside help.  You need to will me out.”

Artie tried that, but nothing happened.  “I think your collar’s busted.  Are you... stuck?”

Shirley giggled.  “Don’t sound so hopeful.  I read the pamphlet.  For the first hour and a half, the only way to get me out is for both of us to will it at the same time.  If I don’t want to go, you can’t make me.  And if you don’t help, I can’t leave.”

Artie’s eyes shone.  “Oh, wow.  What happens after the time limit?”

Shirley licked her lips.  “Either of us can get me out.  But... the part of the spell that keeps me sentient with no brain ends too.  That’s why it wasn’t crazy expensive, at the time limit I’ll turn into a printed face, unable to think to escape.”  Her voice dropped, growing husky.  “I am completely at your mercy.  If you decide you like me better like this, there’s nothing I can do.”

Artie moaned, and clutched Shirley to his chest as he stumbled back and sat heavily on the couch.  “Ohhh, gods.  Why would you do this to yourself?”

“Because when you described your ‘trapped in another’s power’ fantasy, it made me horny.  I haven’t told anyone else about the collar.  If you decide to keep me...”

Artie whined, one hand slipping under his waistband.  “Stop.  Please.  Change back or I’ll... I’ll..”

“Do it.  I won’t let you change me back until you do.”

Artie stopped protesting.

A few minutes later, Shirley started giggling.  “That’s it?”

Artie set the Shirley-panties beside the sink as he washed his hands.  “Hey, it’s been...  A hell of a long time since I’ve had any privacy.”

“But you didn’t even use me!  At least wear me or something.”  At Artie’s blush, Shirley sighed.  “Okay, how about a kiss?”

Artie grinned, and pulled the panties close to his face.  He rubbed his cheek against Shirley, making her purr, then brushed her lips with his.  Shirley opened her lips and sucked on his, inviting his tongue into a kiss that quickly became frantically intense.

Artie broke for air first, panting desperately.  Once he got his breath back he looked down at Shirley’s smug grin.  “That was awesome.  I’ve never kissed like that before.”

“I’d be surprised if you had.  Kissing panties must be rare,” giggled Shirley.

“Or unique.  I suppose you won’t be able to kiss like that after time’s up.”

Shirley sighed.  “Nope.  Can I please come out now?  I’ll let you use the collar.  You can be my washcloth while I shower.”

With both of them focussing, Shirley soon surged out of the panties.  Her naked body eeled its way out of a space was obviously too small for it.  She shook the panties off her feet, and held them up.  “I don’t think I’ll ever see these the same way again.”

The collar had fallen off with the panties, and Artie picked it up.  Shirley only noticed when he put it on.  “Careful, that thing’s really... twitchy.”  Shirley sighed as she watched Artie’s clothes collapse into a heap.  “Can you still talk?”

No answer.  Shirley picked up each piece in turn, willing Artie to emerge.  She eventually found that he’d become a sock.  When asked why a sock, Artie blushed, and stammered something about being underfoot.  He glanced down at the bath-mat as he did so.

“Works for me,” said Shirley.  “Wouldn’t you rather join me in the shower?”  She wrinkled her nose.  “You really need one.  Maybe as a cloth, you’d get clean?”

Artie chuckled.  “If it means that much to you... sure.”  He accepted the cloth Shirley handed to him, and slipped the collar back on.  

Shirley watched in fascination as Artie’s body melted and was rapidly absorbed into the cloth.  It became fluffier and took on a pale pink sheen, but there was no face to be seen.  Shirley grinned.  “Anonymous object, is it?  Mmm, maybe I will keep you like this, you feel nice.”

Shirley kept up the teasing and banter all through her shower, and made sure to use the cloth thoroughly.  When she was done she squeezed the water out of it gently, then bundled it in a towel to dry.  Once she was dry, she tried to summon Artie back... and failed.

Shirley fretted for a time, and tried many tactics to lure Artie out of the cloth, but none succeeded.  Eventually she waited him out, and a couple hours after she’d started the shower, Artie finally emerged, blinking and confused, but thankfully clean.

“Did you like being a cloth so much you wanted to stay?” asked Shirley, more sharply than she’d intended.

“Ah...”  Artie looked at his feet.  “Can go back to the couch now?”

Shirley shook her head.  “Dangerous to combine the two.  The pamphlet wasn’t clear on the details, but it was very specific about ‘stuck’ magic combining badly.  I guess that’s why the cat collar never ran into problems.”

Artie sighed.  “Fine.  Being your washcloth was really nice at first.  Especially when you said you’d keep me.  But something about being used...   Before you were done, there was no more Artie, just the cloth.  A very happy cloth that really doesn’t want to be a person.”

Shirley kissed him, pulling Artie into a warm embrace.  When they broke for air she grinned.  “Still want to be my cloth?”

Artie squirmed, twisting his hips away from her.  “Really want to dive back into the couch.”

“Am I making you feel uncomfortable?  Or turned on and not sure what to do about it?”

“Yes.”  Artie ducked his head and looked away.

Shirley kissed him one more time, a gentle kiss on the cheek, then backed away.  “I won’t apologize for it.  Learn to say what you want.”

“I thought I was...”

Shirley sighed softly as she nodded.  “You were at that.  Do you mind if I push a little, now and then?”

“I... guess not.”  Artie looked up at her and gave her a shy smile.  “This was nice, just...  Overwhelming.”

Shirley patted him on the shoulder.  “Go be a couch.  I’ll keep the latex collar in my room, to be safe.”

That night, after the others came home, Shirley dragged Mel off to the second bedroom amid many shared giggles and grins.  About twenty minutes later she emerged, wearing nothing but a bra.

Charlie laughed to see it.  “You’re wearing one of Mel’s bras.  Wait a minute, how does it even fit you?”

Shirley did a little twirl to show off.  The skin on her chest looked artificial and shiny, and was slightly paler than the rest of her.  “These are Mel’s boobs, too.”

“Where’s the rest of her?” demanded Charlie.  “What did you do?”

“This is her.  I got a new toy today, from Artie’s collar guy.  Turns you into latex and lets you merge fully or partially into smaller things.”  Shirley cupped her chest.  “Mel gets to feel everything, and so do I.”

“Cool,” enthused Uzzi.  “You look great.  No surprise that Mel would have a blast with something like that.”

“How do you get her out?” asked Charlie.  “I don’t see the collar.”

Shirley shook her head.  “That bit’s, ah... tricky.  The collar melts into you, and vanishes.  You have to will yourself out of whatever you merge with.”

Charlie poked at the the latex-shiny Mel-breasts.  “Come on out, you.  I want to know you’re safe.”

Nothing happened.  Shirley bit her lip.  “You can’t will yourself out first hour and a half or so.  You need outside help, both willing at once.  I’ve tried to get her out, but she doesn’t want to go.”

“So you’re stuck with her until she decides to leave?”

“No, in another hour or so I’ll be able to kick her out if I want to.”

“And can she get out on her own at that point?” demanded Charlie.

“Ah... no.  At that point she’ll just be a pair of breasts.  I told her this, and she seemed happy enough to forget about her troubles for a while.”

Charlie growled.  “That means she’s trapped until you let her go.”

“Obviously I’ll let her out later,” placated Shirley.  “This morning at the latest.”

“Don’t you have a shift tonight?”

Shirley grinned and nodded.  “I bet I’ll get at least twice the tips I usually do.”

Charlie rolled her eyes.  “No bet.  Make sure you share with her, okay?”

“So you don’t mind if I...”

Charlie snorted.  “It’s insane.  But knowing Mel, she jumped at the chance.  Hell, she’d probably prefer this to her day job.  Think she could make enough money that way?”

“Easily,” enthused Shirley.  “I make more in tips than she does in salary.  She really needs a job where she can show off her sexy body.”

“You know why she doesn’t.  Make sure she’s safe, okay?  I’ve dealt with enough problems today.”

Shirley saluted.  “Yes boss.  The Saucy Whale might be a bit of a dive bar, but they have the best bouncers in the biz.  They went to regionals last year.”

“Go already,” said Charlie.

Shirley dashed off to get dressed for work, and was out the door soon after.  “Don’t wait up!”

Charlie slumped on the couch, and patted its soft leather.  “Do I have to deal with you now, too?”

Artie shook its head.  “Shirley and I had some... interesting times experimenting with that collar, but we’re good.”

“Good.”  Charlie flopped back on the couch.  “God, what a day.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Artie softly.

“Crazy stuff at work,” called Uzzi from the kitchen.  “She was grousing about it on the whole drive home.  Boss must have watched Glengarry Glen Ross or something, they’re on a sales push and the bottom two will be fired.”

Charlie cursed.  “And that little creep Tom is stealing all my clients.  Even my referrals!  Keeps claiming that I’m busy.  Worse, he’s chased at least a couple of them off.”

“She hasn’t slept well ever since this started a few days ago.  I don’t suppose you could give her a hand with that, Artie?” asked Uzzi.  “I slept really well the night I spent inside you.”

Charlie opened one eye to peer at him.  “Are you serious?”

“I’ll make dinner.  You relax inside our couch.  Just sit in the middle, and let Artie do its thing.”

Charlie bit her lip.  “It was a terrible day...”  She shuffled halfway over.  “But I should help with dinner.”

“I got this, honestly.  Relax.”

Charlie made a face at him.  “I do too know how to relax, I don’t need a couch to do it for me.”  But she shuffled over to the middle of the couch all the same.  “Now what?”

Uzzi nodded to Artie, and Charlie’s hips vanished into the couch.  “Oh!”  She squirmed and wriggled, legs flailing uselessly as she slid deeper into the couch.  “Hey, I...”  Another swallow, and all that was left was her head and feet.  A moment later, they vanished too.

Artie burped softly, grinning at his friend.  “All gone.”

Uzzi chuckled as he shook his head.  “That was quick.  Maybe we should leave her there until morning.  She doesn’t need to eat like this, right?  I wasn’t hungry in the morning.”

“Far as I know.”

“Good.  She’s really a good person, just under a lot of stress.”

Artie giggled softly.  “Not any more.  No Charlie, no stress.”

Uzzi snorted.  “As long as you can bring her back.  I love her just as much as the others.  Just can’t let her hear that, or she gets all prickly.”

“She was really... patient with me... when you were stuck,” said Artie, struggling for the little breath it could get as a couch.  “I’ll get her out... when you ask.”

Uzzi smirked.  “And not before?  Do I have a pet monster-couch to slurp up anyone who annoys me?”

Artie stuck its tongue out at Uzzi.  “I like being useful.  But not like that.”

Uzzi microwaved some leftovers, then sat on Artie to watch TV for a while.  He made sure to sit in the corner, well away from Artie’s maw, and Artie relaxed enough to tease him about it.

Long after Uzzi was asleep, Shirley bounced in, bright and eager.  Artie stirred enough to smile at her, and she gushed about her amazing night and all the compliments and tips she got.

“Why don’t you let Mel out... and share the news?” asked Artie.

Shirley pouted.  “Because I love having Mel’s big boobs?  Can’t I keep them?”

“Shirley...”

Shirley sighed, and stripped off her top.  “Fine.”  When she tossed it aside she saw Artie’s eager grin.  She took her time with the bra, giving him a little show and tease.  She posed at the end and grinned.  “See?  She looks amazing on me.”

“You look amazing... without her, too.”

Shirley blushed.  “Thanks.  That helps.  Wasn’t sure I could muster the will to free her, but...”  The latex sheen over her chest faded.

Artie fretted.  “Is that supposed to happen?  It looks like she’s more stuck now.”

There was a soft sucking noise as two large breasts pulled free from Shirley’s chest.  She tried to catch them, but only succeeded in batting them onto Artie’s cushions.  They bounced a few times then came to rest, pointing down.

Shirley stared at the breasts resting on Artie’s cushions in panic.  “The collars are touching.  Artie, are you okay?”

Artie groaned softly as his face took on the colour of the couch-leather.  “No.  Get it off!”

Shirley grabbed for the breasts, one hand landing squarely on the pink latex covering their back.  She stumbled forward as her arm sunk out of sight into Mel.  “Augh!  No, get off get off!”

Artie watched the scene before it unfold in horror.   “I knew this would go wrong.  You’re going to be stuck too.”  For a breathless couch, he was doing a good job of hyperventilating.

Shirley was faring no better.  She tried to lift the breasts off the couch, but their weight overbalanced her and she tumbled back onto Artie.  The impact drove her arm into the breasts completely, and they were now eagerly slurping up her shoulder.  “Make it stop!” she cried, just before her head vanished into the back of Mel’s chest.

“How?” asked Artie weakly.  It couldn’t turn away from the sight before it.  As Shirley’s torso slid inexorably into the breasts, Artie’s horror slid towards avidness.  Finally, finally everyone would be trapped.  Stuck as things.  Mel and Shirley would be a sex toy...  Artie stared down at the two as that thought slipped through its mind.  Shirley’s legs were vanishing now and Mel was... growing?

Shirley vanished, all except for her backside.  It made a nice balance to Mel’s breasts.  Artie realized with a start that they’d become exactly what it had imagined.  But trying to imagine them returning to normal produced no result.  

Artie tried to call out to Uzzi, but no longer had a working voice.  Its head slowly sunk into the couch.  In a few minutes Artie’s head was gone, leaving the apartment silent and still.