Lorie and Jake return...
Lorie and Jake Manton sat on a bench, watching people file in and out of the Venn Machine. Jake clasped Lorie’s shaking hand in his own. She was paler than he ever had seen her, and he felt guilty for bringing her here now.
But he knew he had to, if he wanted to save their marriage.
They were bordering on divorce due to Jake’s transformation addiction. Lorie was deathly afraid of being changed, but Jake craved it more than anything else. And that was why he had cheated on her.
He thought back to the few times he had tried to share his changes with her. Once, she had come home from work to find a hippo in their side yard. This little prank had not been wise, however handsome Jake felt he was as a hippo. Pursuing his screaming wife down the block in this form had also been the wrong approach – not to mention the many potholes his heavy girth had created in the pavement. The neighbors had not been too happy about his little misadventure either.
Then was the Valentine’s Day he had become a toaster. Their friend Bayla had deposited him on their bed with a sign beside him saying: “I’d like to warm you up.” Jake had hoped Lorie would run to the Venn Machine, become a piece of toast or something, and Bayla would put her inside of him and turn him on. Instead, when Lorie discovered him, she had shrieked and thrown him angrily onto the floor, shattering his glass door.
And he had lain there ignominiously on his side, an ignored, broken appliance, until he changed back the next morning.
Of course, some of the things he had done had not been as disturbing. Lorie’s discovery of a golden statue of herself in their bedroom had first made her shudder, but a small smile then broke out on her face. She had knocked against his metal surface, saying, “Well, you’re freaky like that, but it’s nice to know I inspire you that much.” He had become flowers, a diamond necklace, and even a bird in a cage, all of which seemed to soften her. Unfortunately, when he then sent himself to her as a box of chocolates for Mother’s Day, she grew livid. “What are you, crazy? There’s no way in hell I’m going to eat you, Jake!” And he had remained on the glass kitchen table until he changed back and subsequently crashed through the table top. This accident had resulted in an unpleasant trip to the hospital to remove several shards of glass from his backside and legs. “Serves you right,” Lorie had spat as he had lain on the hospital bed, his bare, wounded rear end visible for the world to see.
And so he had set out to find others to change with.
But, after Lorie had her revenge by changing him into a garbage can, he had admitted his problem to her, and she was willing to give the marriage one more chance. She would try to get over her fear of transformation and join him at the Venn Machine.
And here they were.
They watched a young couple enter. “Oh, they’re always here. They’re gastros,” Jake remarked.
Lorie watched the doors disappear behind the couple. “They’re what?”
“Gastros. People who like to become food and be eaten.”
“Eaten?!” Lorie stood up in horror. “Seriously, people want that? I remember you were chocolates, and the whole idea of eating you was just… I mean, that’s awful! They want to get chewed, and swallowed, and digested, and then…” she stopped herself from continuing with a shake of her head.
“I don’t know how many people go all the way through…” Jake stuttered.
“You’ve done this, though? Did one of those…girls…eat you?”
He hung his head. “Yes, but we changed me back right after I got digested. I don’t want to become…well, let’s just say, waste material.”
Both looked at each other, each wanting to make a quip regarding Jake’s experience as a garbage can, but they refrained from this as half of the gastro couple emerged from the machine. The woman was gone, however, the man was carrying something on a platter...
Jake jumped from the bench in glee. “Bravo!” he cried. “You turned her into an ice cream cake! I never would have thought of that one.”
The man walked by, displaying his new dessert. “Didn’t she come out nice?” He stuck his thumb right into the middle of the cake. “Mm, you are enjoying that, huh, Mona?” He swished the finger back and forth, removing it and sticking it into his mouth. “Oh, Mona, you taste so good! You guys want to try her?”
Lorie recoiled in disgust, and Jake, seeing her reaction, quickly refused, despite his great wish to indulge. Transformee-desserts often tasted better than the real thing. Venn Machines only made the best.
“Your loss,” the man said, licking at the cake amorously and walking off.
“Enjoy her!” Jake called after him, and he turned back to his wife.
“You wanted to taste her,” Lorie scolded him.
He sighed. “Yes, but I knew that would freak you out, so I didn’t.”
She gave him a light kiss, the first in a long time. “Thank you, Jake. The fact that you can control yourself is definitely encouraging.” She stood up and took a deep breath. “Okay, I guess it’s now or never. Can we start simple?”
He rose. “Of course.” He walked her to the Venn Machine. “The first thing we’ll do is something really easy. We won’t change your form, but simply alter something like… I don’t know, let’s make you blue.”
Lorie regarded him oddly. “Why?”
“Well, let’s get you used to the feeling of the change before anything else.”
“And what will I feel?”
“Well, probably nothing much in this case.” Jake set the duration button outside of the machine, and each stepped into the separate doors that opened for them. Jake fiddled with the controls inside. “Okay, ready?”
Lorie gritted her teeth. Well, changing color could not be that scary, could it? “Okay. Do it quick, before I chicken out.”
And suddenly, she was blue.
They exited the machine, Lorie unable to take her eyes off of the Smurf-like appearance of her body. “Doesn’t feel any different,” she said, running her hand up and down her arm.
“And you’re still alive, see?” Jake smiled.
“Well, I’m still human, so… I think changing into something else is what really scares me.”
“Okay, well, we’re taking it slow. Let’s sit back down here, and when you’re ready for the next change, you let me know.”
Lorie sat down on the bench, continuing to examine her skin. Another couple entered the machine, and the woman exited with a dog, which she slipped a leash onto. “Hey, Jake!” she waved at Lorie’s husband, and he returned the favor. The pair walked through a door to the left of the machine which read, “Tunnel to Trust Motel, for Venn / Hotel patrons only.”
Lorie raised an eyebrow. “You know her, huh? What’s she doing with the dog?”
“It’s not what you think, and that’s not her husband. Claire is an employee of the hotel. They call her a ‘carrier’. The hotel provides a service to their guests—if they’re alone and they want to be transformed, someone like Claire helps. She can program the machine, and, if person wants, she can take them back to their room. This is especially helpful if you’re something inanimate, or too small, or…” His voice trailed off.
Anger brewed deep in the pit of Lorie’s stomach. “Boy, aren’t you the expert? Just how many times did Claire take you through the door?”
Jake sighed again. It was only honesty now, no matter how painful. “More than I can count. Although once or twice, I took her through.”
This was supposed to be amusing, but it only served to frustrate Lorie more. “As what? A tasty soufflé? Was she delicious? Did you like having a crushed-up woman in your stomach?”
“I’ve been in people’s stomachs plenty. It’s different when you’re food. You want to be eaten. You need to be eaten.”
“Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’ve had these sicko people eat you!”
Growing incensed, Jake thundered, “These people aren’t sick. They’re just like you and me, but they’re more adventurous than you by far!”
Lorie jumped up. “I hate you! This is so disgusting! I can’t believe…”
He put his hand on her. “Calm down, Lorie. I’m trying to be completely honest with you. You know I’ve done this all. I know it disgusts you, but I feel you’re entitled to be aware of my past. If you don’t want to know, I won’t tell you any more.”
This calmed her somewhat. “I just want to…hit you,” she uttered mournfully.
With a sudden thought, Jake jumped up. “I know just the thing for that. Come.”
She rose and followed him to the machine. “What?”
“This is a great one, and you definitely need it. Now I’ve done this before, and there is some voice recognition on this thing,” they stepped into the machine. “Say 'history',” Jake instructed.
Lorie obeyed, watching the controls changing in front of her.
“The machine remembers your preferences, so it already has an idea of what I want. Touch the one that looks like a trampoline, and then change me.”
When Lorie walked out of the Venn Machine to view her husband on the other side, she gasped.
“What the hell?” she exclaimed, and she entered to see what was obviously no ordinary trampoline. It was a contorted version of Jake, his limbs now metal legs, and the rest of him a grossly-enlarged, flattened surface to jump on.
“Take me out of here and use me,” came Jake’s voice.
Lorie, feeling odd, dragged him out onto the grass. “How are you talking?” she asked in wonder.
“Well, I still have my face over here.”
Lorie glanced between two legs to see a small metal face looking back at her. “Oh, my…that’s just too…freaky…” she stuttered. “In fact, that’s grotesque! I can’t even stand looking at you like that!” She turned away.
Jake smiled to himself. “People do human hybrids, so why not human/object hybrids? I’m ninety-four percent trampoline, six percent human. It worked pretty well, huh?”
Lorie turned back, but did not look at his face. “But, what does that feel like? Are you in pain from being stretched?”
“Lorie, I’m an object. I’m not ‘stretched.’ This is my form. Now jump on me, and get out all your anger so we can continue on.”
“A human trampoline. I really don’t want to know who you did this with,” Lorie muttered. Gingerly, she climbed onto her husband, and took a small step.
“Mm,” he murmured.
“’Mm’? Why ‘mm’? Does that feel good or something?” she demanded crossly, making an experimental jump.
“Yes!” he huffed.
His reaction irritated Lorie to no end. She began to jump, over and over, higher and higher. This seemed to make things only more pleasurable for her husband, who was making garbled moans over the sounds of his squeaking form.
“Shut up! Shut up!” Lorie cried, jumping as hard as she could. “Stop the damn sounds! I don’t want to know if you’re enjoying this, you freak! I’m so angry, I could kill you, damn it!” She gave a final tortured jump, then, breathlessly, she dismounted her trampoline-husband and made her way back to the bench.
Seething, she glowered at the hideous object that was Jake. I’ll show him, she thought with ire. “I’m ready to change now, you bastard.”
“So I guess jumping on me helped?” Lorie did not respond, so Jake continued. “Next up, let’s make you a nice animal that’s very close to your size, maybe a cute pony, or…”
“Who wants to be a stupid pony, damn it?” She yanked Jake back into the Venn Machine and changed him back to himself. Then she began to play with the controls. “Ah! Here’s a good one! An elephant! Make me an elephant, Jake!” she demanded.
“An elephant?” Jake breathed in genuine surprise.
The sudden change to such an enormous creature left Lorie breathless. Gulping some air, she attempted to utter a string of curses, but all she could do is make an odd trumpeting sound. Holy crap, I’m really an animal. Really. She stared down at herself. Holy freaking…damn. Four huge legs, a trunk, floppy-huge Dumbo-ears, she experimentally flipped them back and forth, and…I have a tail! She twitched her little elephant tail, exited the machine, and clumsily walked around in a circle on the grass.
Jake was watching her, and she could see the joy in his eyes. He’s happy for me! He’s really happy for me!
“Are you enjoying it, Lorie? You’re beautiful like that.”
Jake’s compliment irked her. A beautiful elephant, huh? She looked down at his puny human figure, and she suddenly realized: she liked being so big and strong. She towered over him, and she was not a wispy, weak human female anymore. She was an elephant, and if she wished it, she could crush Jake with a good stamp of her thick, wrinkly leg.
Maybe this transformation thing was not so bad.
“You like it?” Jake asked.
Lorie shook her large head slowly, flopping her trunk back and forth.
Jake literally bounced up and down. “You do? Oh, Lorie, I’m so glad. Want to be something else?” Lorie shook her head ‘no’, to which he responded, “Then I’d like to change too.”
With a little help from Claire, who had returned from the hotel tunnel at that moment, Jake became a fitting mate for Lorie.
The night was a wild one for the two elephants.
***
Immediately after re-joining humanity, Lorie and Jake returned to the Venn Machine. “What next?” Lorie asked, her fear of changing creeping back.
“You’re still scared,” said Jake.
Lorie sighed. “Yes. Once I was transformed, it was pretty cool. I loved being so large, and, last night with you was…fun.” She reddened as her husband winked at her. “I’m just scared something will go wrong when the machine changes me.”
“I understand. But you did fine before. Now how about we become something small and furry next? Being small is fun too. Maybe…how about two raccoons?”
Lorie’s eyes glimmered. She loved raccoons. It might be fun to be one…if she could just get over her fear of transforming. Shivering, she stood in front of the machine, eyeing it with distrust.
“Lorie, you’ll be fine. I promise.”
“These things have to fail sometimes. I could die. Do they hurt our health? Like maybe they give you cancer or something?”
“Well, the Surgeon General doesn’t recommend them,” Jake pointed to the notice on the machine, “but they’re pretty safe.”
“Oh, God,” Lorie whispered, but she entered, and the sudden change to a small, furry creature was actually quite a rush. And her husband was quite alluring this way as well.
***
“That was fun too, huh?” said the back-to-human Jake.
“Yes,” Lorie grudgingly agreed, although the incredible urge to search through her neighbor’s garbage can still hung over her.
“Any other animals you want to be? Maybe you want try a bug or something?”
“A bug?” For some reason, this intrigued her. “Okay. Make me a cool one.”
They changed each other into crane flies. When Lorie emerged, it took some work to balance on her six very long, slender legs. Jake flew over and pushed against her, encouraging her to walk and fly. Soon she was quite adept at both, and then they made their way into the treetops. Another memorable time was had – although they had some trouble untangling themselves from each other on several occasions.
***
“I think you’re ready to be something inanimate, Lorie. ”
Lorie hugged her arms to her chest. So far, she had to admit that she was enjoying herself, but the idea of becoming solid, unmoving, and unable to communicate scared her. What if something happened and she was left that way forever? Being alive, but unable to move or speak… the idea was quite frightening.
Jake saw the terror in her eyes, and he put his arm around her protectively. “You’re doing fine so far. You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”
And, after all that had happened in their marriage, she still trusted him. He would protect her.
“What…what do you suggest?” she gulped, trying to look brave.
He sighed. “I’ve always dreamed of seeing you as a statue. You would be the perfect, most beautiful work of art…” He studied her body, and she turned slightly away. “It’s the best object to start with because you’re in your own form, but you could be made of the most valuable material…Diamond, gold, ruby…Or you could become a beautiful marble or granite…Crystal…”
“But I wouldn’t be able to move. Or speak,” she whispered, her eyes wide.
“I know it sounds awful, but when you change, you’ll feel different. When you’re a statue, it’s so calming, and you like the way it feels. Especially if someone touches you.”
This sounded somewhat intriguing, but the idea that she could not speak… “What if I don’t like it?”
“Listen, let’s leave you that way for ten minutes, then I’ll bring you into the Venn Machine and we’ll change you back.”
“Five minutes, and make me… crystal. And I don’t want to be nude, either.”
Jake’s face fell somewhat, but a clothed statue of his wife was better than none at all. “Done.”
***
Lorie was shocked at how she felt as a statue. Knowing she was graceful and beautiful, she felt wonderfully solid and strangely at peace. She did not have to speak, move, or do anything, and it was kind of a nice break from life in general.
Jake whipped out his phone and took a picture of her. “Lorie, I can’t wait for you to see the picture I took of you. You’re just…perfect.” He ran his hand down her crystalline hair. “I’ve always wanted this for you. I hope you’ll do it again, and I hope you’re really enjoying it.” He massaged her solid shoulders. “Maybe we’ll become a statue together at some point…”
Jake’s running his hands up and down her smooth surface sent tingles all through Lorie. He had been right. Now that she was a statue, she almost wanted to stay like this. It felt so perfect, so pleasant…
“That your wife?” asked a man’s voice.
It was the gastro couple, back for another Venn experience.
“Yes, I guess I should move her out of the way of the machine here.”
“Crystal, huh? She came out nice.”
“Thanks!” Jake turned to the woman. “Did you have fun being an ice cream cake?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “It was great. Not only was I ice cream, but a cake too. So first I’m a solid rectangle, then I’m melting away…Very cool feeling.” She regarded her husband with adoration. “Especially when Rob ate me.”
“And I ate all of her,” her husband raised his eyebrows.
“What’s next up for you two?”
“Rob’s gonna be a pizza.”
When the lady walked out of the Venn Machine with a tasty-looking pie, she offered Jake a piece. “I can’t eat every slice of him, and he really wants to be eaten all up,” she explained.
Rob’s tantalizing aroma made Jake’s stomach growl. But when he glanced at his sparkling wife, he could almost imagine her brows wrinkling in disapproval. And he was well aware that she could still hear their every word.
“Thanks, but I promised to change my wife back in five minutes, and,” he glanced at his watch, “it’s time.”
“Okay! I’ll see if my neighbors want some of him! Pizza party time! See ya!”
The lady walked off, and Jake hauled his wife back into the machine. “You put on some weight, Lorie,” he jibed as he set the controls.
When human Lorie walked out, her eyes were bright and she was almost smiling.
“Well?”
“I think I liked that, Jake. I think I did.” She walked over to the bench and sat down.
“Wasn’t scary?”
“No. When I was a statue, it was okay. Like that’s the way I was supposed to be. And it felt so nice when you rubbed my surface. Was I pretty?”
Jake showed her the picture.
Her mouth dropped open. “I was gorgeous! My God, I was like…I should have been in a museum!”
“People do that, you know,” Jake pointed out.
“Yes, with these crazy machines, I can’t even begin to imagine what some people do. But I had some…ideas in my few minutes as an inanimate object. First of all, it’s going to be a cool night tonight, and we need a new blanket for our bed…”
***
“Damn, you’re soft,” commented Jake, throwing Lorie over himself. As a blanket, she was as warm and comfortable as they came. “Enjoy, Lorie. This is awesome, and you chose a great form.” He caressed her folds, kneading and rubbing her. He knew she was enjoying it, and he loved that he could make her feel this way.
Soon, happy and soothed by his wife all around him, he fell into a deep, contented sleep.
But Lorie the blanket did not. Even after the delightful attentions her husband had paid her, she was still much too involved in experiencing her new form. Just like being a statue, it was beyond imagination – she was flat and light, and she was everywhere! She was large enough to cover all of the bed; her edge just swept the floor. She surrounded her husband, warming him. She could feel his body heat radiating back into her fibers, and it felt wonderful. She was hugging him with her softness, forgiving him for his wrongs, for his world had finally opened up to her.
And she liked it.