Your House

[pmturnerjr]

This is a really promising story! I hope you will be able to continue with it!  Keep up the good work!

[GLKnight]

Okay, I should have the next installment written up in a few days. And on top of that, I've written a LOT of worldbuilding for as the story progresses. So by the end of it, I might have a series of further explanations for how and why things went down, if you want to read that, as well.

Just gonna say, like a LOT of my other stuff, this turned out a lot bigger than I originally planned.

[ArkhamAsylum]

No problem. I'm a big fan of stories that are fleshed out, so more worldbuilding is always welcome. I'm looking forward to the next developments.

[Sounder9-]

Nice! I was wondering if there would be answers to the why's of this world. Thanks!

[GLKnight]

Time for the actual worldbuilding I've been working on to come into play...
______________________________________________________________

The one thing they never talk about in anything related to torture is how the mind copes to deal with the stress and trauma. By my best guess, it was around nightfall that my mind just... stopped. I don't really know how to describe it. One moment, I was looking out the window, silently screaming at nothing. The next, it was afternoon and I was staring directly into Desiree's eyes when I came to. I croaked as I fell into her arms, exhausted and thirsty. As she held me up, I looked down and saw that I hadn't soiled myself, thank God. She saw just how tired I was, so she dragged me upstairs. On the way to my room, I had her stop in the bathroom because I really, REALLY needed to go. Cleaning up was strange, though. My legs didn't want to work right, having stood for twenty four hours straight. So I did a half kneeling, half leaning move that was severely uncomfortable but the only way I could clean up.

Even washing my hands was more difficult, having to hold on for dear life with one hand as I switched between them. Eventually, my hand slipped from the counter and I fell to the floor. Desi ran in, picking me up and holding me steady as I finished up. I had to admit, I didn't realize she was so strong until then. I guess the distance between us while I was fighting for custody of her and living my own life was finally setting in.

"Let's get you to bed," she told me, reaching for the door.

"Desi," I said, barely louder than a whisper. "I'm sorry."

She just shot a smile at me, squeezing me a little as she turned the handle. As I looked at her, I noticed a deep bruise from where mom struck her. I couldn't help myself as I started to tremble.

"It's not your fault," she said, opening the door just in time for us to come face to face with mom. The look in her eyes told me that she was displeased, but also hiding something.

"You have two days to rest," she said, her eyes slowly moving between me and Desiree. "After that, you've got an appointment."

"Another one?" Desi asked.

Mom smirked at us, a tell tale sign she had something up her sleeve.

"Yes," she replied before flicking the bottom of my jaw with her finger. "But Desmond, as well."

"Leave him alone," Desiree said, putting herself between mom and me. In all honesty, this was a completely new side to Desiree I had never seen before. She would always shy away, too scared to act as mom and I fought about her safety. But here she was, now acting defiant and protecting me instead of the other way around. It was almost like she was a completely different person.

"Whatever you say," mom said, her eyes sliding my direction. "But we really have to have a private talk about your attitude soon, Destiny."

"My name is DESIREE," my sister shouted as mom walked down the hall, not even caring about her words as she quickly moved down the stairs. "Damn her."

"Desi," I groaned as she shouldered me again. "Help me out here, okay? What the fuck is going on?"

"I can't tell you," she huffed as we walked out of the bathroom. "All I can say is things are changing, Desmond. You're just going to have to trust me, okay?"

"This isn't right," I told her. "Something's very off about all this, and I know you and mom are purposefully not telling me what."

As Desi quickly threw open my bedroom door, I let go of her, letting my body weight pull me forward as I waddled towards the bed before collapsing on it with a groan. Slowly climbing on it, I felt her Desiree grabbing my legs and helping me get comfortable.

"I want you to just get some sleep," she said. "I'll be up in a couple hours with something to eat, okay?"

I just nodded my head as she brushed back my hair and gave me a smile. I could tell she really was worried about me, probably because of the look on my face. But it wasn't because of mom. Because while she was stroking my head, I saw it. Right there in the center of her palm was a blue dot, the same size as was on mom's hand. The same unnatural looking texture as hers, as well.

------

Over the next two days, I regained the feeling in my legs pretty quickly. Desi doted on me almost constantly, even staying in my room to keep me company. We talked about this and that, not really staying on one subject for very long. My sister doing her best to keep my spirits up, but there was a palpable distance there. Every time we talked, I got this sense of... unease, I guess? It kind of felt like she was gauging me, or maybe even trying to learn about me? It was weird, to put it bluntly. Only way I can describe it is she was treating me like a sentient animal under her care, observing me as I ate and talked.
Ever since I saw that spot on her palm, I think I was getting paranoid. I could tell it was my sister, the way she talked, the way she did her hair, the way she sat, all of it. But always, like, in an unsettling or uncanny way to her. Every day, I would look at her. See the way she looked at me. And each time she left, I couldn't shake this tightness in my chest, pulling at me in my chest and throat.

Mom, thankfully, kept her distance. She didn't come see me, she never darkened my door to check on me. It was like I was less than nothing to her. An inconsequential pest that did no harm, so she did none in kind. But Desiree kept to her demands for my diet. Liquids, soft foods and nothing with animal products. Kind of like a vegan diet, but with a lot more liquid elements. No matter what I was smelling, like bacon or burgers, or something savory, I had no meat, no dairy, nothing at all that could be construed as animal in origin. I could feel my body screaming at me to eat something normal, to go downstairs and get food that I knew and loved. But the memory of that damn talking fridge, and the painful screeching, and the feeling of fire in my bones kept me from doing anything.

It was the third day, I limped to the bathroom and did my business. My legs still felt somewhat tight, like I was still dealing with the burn from a cramp I had eased out of an hour before. It made getting on my feet a little challenging, but nothing I couldn't manage. Walking downstairs was weird, though. Because of how slow I had to take them, it was almost like I was tiptoing down to the front of the house. Which was how mom had caught me when I was mid-way.

"Are you trying to sneak around my house, like a little Muridae?"

"Like a little what?", I replied, not really sure what she meant. So she just rolled her eyes and scoffed like I was a nuisance.

"Mus musculus," she said, annoyed. "Of the Muridae family? Of the Rodentia order?"

My eyes narrowed at what she meant. She was calling me a mouse.

"You do not have to insult me," I fired back. "I'm still having to walk tenderly from whatever you did to me. And for the record, I don't give a fuck what you say. I bought this house. You barged in here and told whoever the fuck is keeping us here it's yours, like a fucking thief!"

Mom gave me that same self-satisfactory smile, putting her hands to her chest.

"WhatEVER do you mean?", she said sweetly.

"Do you know where the deed to this house is?"

As I watched her smile drop, I smiled in kind. A small victory, to be sure. But one that I knew would be difficult for her to take away from me.

"That doesn't matter," she said as she grabbed her gym bag. "Today's the day. We're all going for a reward. And yes, that includes you, Desmond."

"Really?" I asked, wary of what she was about to pull until I heard my sister walking downstairs behind me.

"It's true," Desi said, walking by me to join mom in front of the door. "We need you to put your shoes on, okay?"

My eyes moved between Desiree and mom, not knowing whether to trust either of them. I'm pretty sure I looked incredibly tense, almost ready for fight or flight. But as Desi looked at me reassuringly, I put on a brave face as I slowly walked the last few steps on my toes, gingerly grabbed my shoes with my eyes locked on the women in my family in case of anything and slipped them on. As I got near them, I could smell their perfumes. Amber and vanilla around mom, and that sweet floral bouquet around Desi. I don't know why they choose to put them both on so strongly today, but I've found I've gotten more and more used to it.

"Good," mom said, confidently. "Now let's go. Desmond, your sister gets the front seat."

As I followed them outside, I noticed the car mom had bought after selling mine. It was definitely a luxury brand car, but one I had never seen before. Sleek and powerful, it was a car that screamed "I'm better than you, so you had best recognize it". Everything about it was high end, from a morphic style paint job with metallic flecktones, to the almost industrial quality tired. It was the epitome of a purchase from someone with way too much money to blow. I only noticed I had stopped in place to stare at it when mom opened her door and looked at me.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked in a derisive manner.

"How much did this car cost?" I said, gawking at the whole thing in disbelief.

"Perks of being an A Rank," she replied, suddenly looking proud. "You're lucky an F Rank like you is being allowed to ride in it at all, Desmond. Now get in."

As mom climbed in the driver's seat, a feeling of shame washed over me. Yet another thing being rubbed in my face, trying to make me feel so inferior. I was hungry, still hurting, and now a reminder of what I was being left out of due to my mother's manipulations. It's like she was trying to crush my spirit beneath her heel. Why was she doing this? She was cruel before, but now it seemed she was becoming worse. She wouldn't actively flaunt things off to us, but now she seemed ramped up to eleven. Almost like since punching Desiree in front of me, she took my downtime to rework how to approach making my life seem more insignificant.

"You don't have to keep calling me an F Rank," I told her as I climbed in. "I'm still your son."

Mom just gave me a satisfied smile as she looked at me in the rearview mirror.

"Just reminding you of your place, Desmond. You know how it is. Destiny-"

"Desiree," my sister chastised her, giving mom the side eye.

"...Your sister and I are A Ranks, and we were told to remind you of the system as much as possible, so it would give you the drive to do better."

"Better?" I asked in disbelief. "After you lied to them about me?"

"You could always do better," she said smugly. "I mean, you are my sweet, darling little boy, after all!"

Desi quickly looked back at me, clearly weirded out by the way mom was acting. As much as I felt things were off with her, we were both starting to get perplexed by the way she responded to everything.

"She's gotta be getting ready to pull something," I thought to myself. "This sweet and nice schtick means she's aiming to pull one over on somebody. Gotta talk to Desi when we stop at wherever we're headed."

For the next twenty minutes, we drove in silence to the outskirts of town. Then, another ten as we drove further out, up into the nearby hill where we approached a giant underground tunnel.

"This is really out of the way," I said. "How much farther until we arrive?"

Desi turned in her seat, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"Actually..."

The sound of massive motors whirring to life cause me to flinch, looking up at the roof and out the window. I saw the light being cut off by a partition, and turning in my seat, I watched as giant doors sealed off the tunnel entirely. I was in full panic mode, by that point. My breath was ragged as a dim orange light came on inside the facility as we continued driving.

"Wh-What's going on?" I asked, scared for my life.

"She was in the middle of telling you," my mom said, her eyes on me like a hawk in the mirror. "This is where we're going."

I looked out the front window, just in time to see some soldiers in front of a booth. Five in total, one working the booth itself, the other four standing guard with their guns at the ready. As we got closer, I noticed that every one of them was a woman. Desi must have noticed that I was starting to hyperventilate, as I felt her hand suddenly grasping mine. I felt left hand gently squeezing my right in a reassuring manner as her thumb lightly stroked the back of it. But as I looked at it, I noticed two things.

The first was that her grip was strong. Really strong. It was almost as if she was holding back on my sake, as the pensive look in her eyes returned as she looked between me, our mother and the soldiers.

And the second was the weird way her arm looked. I never knew Desi was able to move her arm and hand that way. If my limb looked like that, I'd guess it was broken or dislocated. But the way her arm was twisted, her wrist positioned to naturally overlap mine like it was my own left hand. And how she looked like it was just a completely natural thing for her to do. Was she triple jointed? I just... I couldn't remember, for some reason.

As mom came to a stop, the booth operator walked forward. Before they even got there, mom's hand was out the window, handing the soldier some files. Quickly checking them with her flashlight, the soldier gave them back and told the armed guards to let us through. Driving onward, she gave me the same satisfied smirk from earlier.

"Welcome to the Department Of Equivalency," she said, her voice unable to hide the thrill she got as she saw the look of worry on my face.

[Sounder9-]

A lot to unpack in this update but Thanks! It definitely looks like what is effecting them due to their ranks is also effecting their mental state as well as their physical state (Mom in particular her mental state seems more like has ramped up considerably for the worse along with her intelligence). It also begs the question as to what this "reward" could be for Desmond, a "new" rank, some kind of similar attributes, a cookie, who knows but in any case here's hoping it something to keep him on a possible level with his Mom and Desi. Also we finally get a glimpse of the Dept and its inner workings!

[GLKnight]

A lot to unpack in this update but Thanks! It definitely looks like what is effecting them due to their ranks is also effecting their mental state as well as their physical state (Mom in particular her mental state seems more like has ramped up considerably for the worse along with her intelligence). It also begs the question as to what this "reward" could be for Desmond, a "new" rank, some kind of similar attributes, a cookie, who knows but in any case here's hoping it something to keep him on a possible level with his Mom and Desi. Also we finally get a glimpse of the Dept and its inner workings!

In the next installment, expect a few of those questions answered. Although I left some very telltale signs of what's to come in previous chapters, they won't be too obvious until reveals are made. I'm messing with genres on this one.

As for the whole "ranking" thing, I've written out specifically how it works and why. And let's just say it's tied into other secrets, which are wrapped in other secrets, that are then tied into MORE secrets.

And the glimpse into the Department and its inner workings... I guess you could call it that. But are you sure you're going to be seeing what you think you are? You guys will understand what I mean when I write that part.

[Biceps108]

Glad to see this is getting updated!

[GLKnight]

We pulled up to an underground parking lot, deep within the mountain. Though there weren't that many cars, the ones that were around us were all obscenely high end of varying makes and models. A Lamborghini, a Porsche, even some concept cars much like the model my mom drove that did not have a company name on it yet. It was overwhelming to think of the sheer total value that was sitting around us at that moment. Something told me all of the people who owned these vehicles were somehow involved with whatever insanity our mother had pulled us into.

"Desmond?"

I turned to see Desiree looking at me, concerned. I must have been distracted, because I hadn't noticed that mom had already left the car and was walking towards a set of doors.

"Sorry," I said, unable to fathom the situation. "We should catch up to mom, I guess."

Scrambling out of the car, I picked up the pace to follow mom, only to feel Desi place her hand on my shoulder.

"Listen, there's something you should know."

"About what?" I asked, putting in my best effort to catch up to mom. But as I looked at her, I noticed that her pace was really fast. Almost as if she was purposefully power walking.

"About when we get in there," Desi continued. "It's your first time, and you might get really discombobulated by the flow of the place. So when we get inside, I want you to listen to what I say."

I stopped mid-step and sighed, hanging my head at Desi's suggestion.

"I don't know. I really don't. You and mom have been hiding things from me. No offense to you, but if there's a chance for me to learn something directly from the people who are doing this to us, then I'm going to listen to them."

As I pulled away from her, I could only hear the sounds of my own footsteps as I ran towards where mom was waiting for us. But I'm pretty sure that, if I looked back at my sister, she'd probably look hurt. I know she meant well, but I had questions that she wasn't answering. And I knew mom would probably do something to me, like when she made me stand in place. If there was one source I could learn the truth from, it might be the people in charge. Maybe get this whole "F Rank" bullshit taken care of, too.

"Are you done talking like a schoolkid hiding secrets?" mom said, giving me a disapproving look. I looked back at her, tired of the games to wear down my self-esteem.

"You're really going to keep insulting me like that?" I fired back, not giving her an inch of what she wanted as she pressed what looked like a call button for an elevator.

"It's for your own good," she said, looking proud and unfazed. "Your betters are such for a reason. And I should know, as both your mother and an A Rank."

"Yeah, and I'm an F Rank because of the lies you told whoever runs this whole fucking thing."

As I heard Desiree walking up to us, mom turned to me and smirked in that stupid, holier than thou way she gets when she's hiding something.

"Is that what you think? That I lied to the Department and the people running the experiment, Desmond? It's because you don't deserve a thing, you worthless h-"

"STOP!"

Mom's words fell short as our attention was turned towards Desiree. The looking of intense worry on her face as we heard the doors opening next to us.

"Not here," she said, moving between us to enter the elevator. "Not now."

I felt her hand grab mine, pulling me into the elevator alongside her before placing me on her left. Ensuring that when mom got in, she would be on her right. Her face shifted to one of anger as mom joined us, sticking her nose in the air as her glare shifted between my sister and I.

"Have it your way," mom said, pressing a button. A second later, the doors to the industrial elevator closed and we began ascending. As we waited, I looked at the buttons on the console, noting there weren't that many. But every one looked a little off. Normally, there'd be numbers to make it easier to see what level you were going to. But I couldn't figure out what any of the six were. Was this experiment so clandestine that they had to use code to confuse anyone who wasn't a part of it? Maybe I'd learn how to read it so I wouldn't be so lost.

Then I remembered what mom said, about the lockdown. Could this experiment be connected to it? Was there a virus being spread out there in the world? Or maybe some other reason, like an attack or-

I felt the elevator jitter and slow, pulling me out of my thoughts as we reached wherever we were going. Desi's hand gripped mine, tight but firm like she was treating me like a parent as the doors opened. The light was brilliant, as well as the sounds of phones and people talking. As I was pulled forward, my eyes adjusted quickly enough for me to see an entire waiting area not only filled with people in military uniforms, meidcal scrubs and professional attire of many types, but scientists walking this way and that, on top of an entire litany of women of all ages. In fact, most of the people I saw in the waiting area were just women. I looked around, thinking I'd someone of the other gender. But as I searched, it was all ladies.

"Desi? Are you sure I should be here?"

"You are," she told me as a nurse with brown hair walked up to us bearing three clipboards. As she approached us, I noticed she wore orange latex gloves, and her scrubs looked almost painted on her. Seeming closer to form fitting than anything I'd normally see someone in the medical field wear.

"Laura," the nurse called out, handing each of us a clipboard. "Desiree! Glad to see you back with us! And this must be Desmond, the F Rank under your care!"

"You don't have to call me by my ranking," I told her, grabbing the board and reaching for the pen attached to it. "Just Desmond is fine."

I saw the nurse give me a pout, but in a way that looked unfazed by my comment.

"I'm sorry, but no can do! The policy of the experiment dictates that only those of Rank D or higher may request personal preferences of association. This should have been covered in the printout that your head of household should have given you."

"Don't mind Desmond," mom said, causing me to glare at her. "He chose not to read it! This is why he's an F Rank, after all."

With that, the nurse said her goodbyes and left us to find seating. But I was getting livid.

"Printout?" I asked, knowing full well that was one of many things I knew she was hiding from me. But mom just shrugged her shoulders as she filled out her forms.

"I mean, you WERE unable to move. And I might have... accidentally thrown them away in that time. But in a way, if you had listened to me, you would have been able to read them! You could even say your actions helped you choose not to!"

Desiree could see that I was boiling over, about to start another screaming match. So she quickly placed her hand on my chest.

"Don't," she said, trying to calm me down. "It's what she wants. You do it, she humiliates you in front of everyone here, she shows she has power over you. Don't. Give her. The chance, Desmond."

The way she looked, a determination in her eyes. The way her hand pressed into my chest. The tone of her voice, mature and protective. This was all new for Desi. She was focused but not backing down. A look I had given her when mom did the same thing to her growing up, trying to goad her into tantrums and more. I had only seen flares of this recently, but now she looked as if she knew she had to be that same presence in my life. In that moment, I realized something in our relationships had flipped. I was seriously beginning to believe that something was going on when I wasn't around the two of them that was forcing Desi to protect me.

But I couldn't ask her now. Not with mom around. So I listened to her advice and chose to fill out my forms. A small bit of the ordinary. Gotta say, it was a relief to do something so mundane. Just name, age, height, weight, medical history and so on. When I was done, Desi was waiting to take it in. So I handed it off to her, as both she and mom submitted the forms. I decided to scan the room again, see if I could find any other men in the area. But I couldn't see anyone. Just a bustling waiting area full of women, running here and there, chatting with each other. So I tried to listen in to some of them.

One woman talking about their kids, two sons and a daughter, and how the experiment gave them such a good opportunity to care for them. Another, frailer looking woman talking about how she's been feeling so much better since signing up, how it's really helped step her game up in the gym. A third woman in her 60's talking about her sex life with her husband and all the new things they were now trying out which made me shudder a bit at the thought.

As I was about to just zone out, something caught my attention. As the older woman was speaking, I noticed she moved her hands a lot. And there, in the center of her hands, was a blue dot. Looking back at the mother talking about her kids, she did an exchanging motion which highlighted another blue dot. Turning towards the frailer woman, I saw her waving her hands, as if she was denying something. And in both hands, it was the same blue dot. Every one of them the same shade, the same placement, the same size. And every one had the same sort of texture look to it. It's amazing what you might miss when you're so used to seeing something day in and day out. I even looked at my own hands, wondering if I'd have them, too. But I didn't. All around the room, every single woman, of every single age and body type, had the same large blue dots in the middle of their hands.

I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Everyone in the waiting area was part of this experiment. As I looked around, I noticed the speakers in the corners of the room. The same ones we had at home. The same ones that made my bones catch on fire. The ones that I knew were monitoring me. I started to shake at the notion that this was a trap. That I was being brought here for some sinister reason. God, mom must have set this up! I couldn't stay if that was the case. I had to get out. I needed to go. I needed to run. To get out. Gotta get out. Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go, gotta go gotta go gottagogottagogottagogotta-

"Desmond!"

Desi had put her hands on me, gently shaking me to get my attention. I didn't realize how badly I was trembling, or that I curled up on my seat, hyperventilating. Or that I had started to quietly cry.

"Gotta go," I whispered, unable to stay calm. "Can't stay. Bones on fire, speakers. Voice from the speakers. Can't do anything."

My stomach gurgled loudly, twisting as some part of me was gripped by the sudden terror of this whole place. Desiree motioned towards a nurse passing us by, urgently waving at her.

"Can we get my brother something to calm him down?" she said, motioning towards me. The nurse must have noticed the state I was in, gesturing with her orange gloved hands to stay right here as she ran off. Orange gloves. Why are the nurses wearing Orange gloves? Aren't medical gloves supposed to be blue or white or something? Orange is such a strange color.

"Strange," I muttered. "Everything strange. Blue dots. Orange gloves. Speakers that catch your bones on fire. Good boys get frozen in place. Everything taken away from me. Losing hours in a day. Hard to remember. My home. My house. My house. Not right. Not right."

"Oh God," Desi muttered as she embraced me. "Desmond! Please, calm down! You're having a breakdown!"

"Can't," I cried, loudly. "Something's not right! Not right, Desi! This place! Everyone here! The order! Mom! You! I wanna go home, Desi! They're gonna do something bad to me, I know it! I WANNA GO HOME!"

A sting on my arm, followed by the feeling of something flowing behind it caused me to look at the nurse who had injected something in me. But the second I saw her orange gloves again, I panicked. I tried to flee, struggling to get away. But as much as I scrambled in my terror, Desi's arms held me tight. As much as I kicked and screamed, begging them to let me go, Desi's hold on me was stronger. And slowly, slowly, exhaustion caught up to me. As I slumped against Desi's shoulder, I watched a team of women soldiers and medical crew rush into the waiting room. The soldiers quickly extricated me from my sister's arms as they placed me on the gurney. And as they dragged me away, I saw the nurse taking off her gloves, revealing the same blue dots in her palms before falling into unconsciousness.

[Sounder9-]

Wow! Quite the update, Thanks! There are a lot of questions answered but new ones added.

[GLKnight]

Okay, you guys are gonna get spoiled.

Due to all the worldbuilding I worked on, next part will be in a couple days.

As for questions, none have been answered. They've only been deepened, as you're about to soon see.

[GLKnight]

"...readings don't match the ranking whatsoever."

As I came to, the halogen lights above me seared into the back of my head like a series of white hot needles through my eyes. As I raise my hand to block the pain, I felt someone grabbing my hand.

"Desmond! Thank goodness!"

Slowly opening my eyes, I looked into Desi's concerned face. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. That's when I remembered where I was, quickly looking around to find myself surrounded by doctors, soldiers and, sitting off in the corner without a single ounce of care, my mother flipping through some pages. The terror I felt was immediate, screaming as I threw myself onto the floor and scuttled into a corner. Toppling medical equipment and launching nearby items into the air in my wake.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Jumping over the bed, my sister put herself between the encroaching staff and myself as I curled into a tremoring ball.

"We have to ensure he isn't a danger to anyone," one of the soldiers, a solid looking Hispanic woman, demanded. "Especially to himself! So you're going to have to move, Ms. Nowell!"

But Desi stood her ground. As I looked up towards her from behind, she looked so tall, so strong. It wasn't like earlier before. I felt like she truly cared for me, instead of the intense doubt I had come to believe in.


"I won't let you! Can't you see how SCARED he is? Charging at him will only make him worse!"

The sound of something hitting the floor caused me to jump and make a pitiful sound, immediately curling back up to avoid the wrath I knew was coming.

"Get away from your fucking worthless brother," mom shouted. "And let them do their damn jobs!"

"We are NOT in the household," Desiree fired back. "So pulling this rank and file bullshit is NOT going to fly here, Laura!"

Mom immediately got in Desiree's face, her lips in a snarl as her eyes seemed to go red.

"WATCH YOUR DAMN LANGUAGE, DESTINY!"

But my siste stared her directly in the eyes, not giving her an inch.

"MY NAME IS DESIREE, YOU FUCKING MALCONTENTED ABUSER!"

Mom's hands went for Desiree, but the staff immediately interceded. Falling upon the pair and pulling them apart.

"Code Violet," one of the doctors called out. "Transplants are fighting! We need heavies in here!"

The sound of an alarm followed by the flash of a light purple light added to the chaos of the room as everyone struggled to contain the madness that was unleashed over my safety. More people poured into the room, women who were unmistakably not small by any margins. Their powerful bodies seeming to glide through the horde, making an easy path towards my family as four women grabbed my mother by her limbs with green gloves. Dragging her out of the room writhing and screaming at my sister's insolance while another four grabbed Desiree, who chose to remain calm as they carried her out of the room, as well. I don't know if it was fear or something else that made me follow her, but I bolted out the door in pursuit.

"DESIREE!"

As I rounded into the long hallway, I got a good look at the women who had Desiree in their clutches in the distance. Every single woman was TALL. Clearly at the six foot mark and bulky. All looking like long time powerlifters with incredibly solid physiques, coupled with figures that stood completely opposite of a life spent in the gym. Their green scrubs straining to not only contain their muscles, but also their mindbogglingly huge assets. An extreme countenance of the duality of what a woman's body can be. Part hulk, part porn parody as they calmly moved with a grace and speed towards an open elevator that defied both aspects of their looks.

"PLEASE STOP!"

As I ran down the hallway, I noticed a woman in blue scrubs and orange gloves waiting for them in the elevator as they walked in. She quickly pressed a button as soon as she saw me coming. I ran as fast as I could, tears streaming down my face as the doors began to close.

"STOP!"

But I was just a second too late, slamming into the industrial elevator doors with my shoulder at full speed. I crumpled to the floor, bawling my eyes out at not just my sister being dragged away, but the burning in my legs and the feeling of something being not right in my shoulder after the collision with what had to be military grade metal plating. As I went fetal, staff soon descended upon me. I could feel myself being turned this way and that, could hear them asking me a litany of questions. But I just... couldn't. I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't speak. I could only cry from the sheer amount of confusion that I was in.

------

By the time they were finished with scans and tests, it was almost five o'clock. There were so many things they wanted to test for, bloodwork, urine, bone marrow, nervous system, you name it. I didn't care, by that point. They said I couldn't eat until everything was done, but I was so completely numb, I just went with whatever they wanted despite how scared I truly was. What the hell was I gonna do, escape the place? We were under a fucking MOUNTAIN and surrounded by armed guards.

So I let them do their tests. Even some I had no clue were a thing like genome testing and whatnot. When I asked why they wanted to test my genomes, I was told it was to update my family's medical history "in case of any abnormalities in the future". I thought it was really odd, but I kept my mouth closed. There was no use fighting. I didn't know what they were going to do to me, or if they had done something to Desiree. Mom can go to Hell, in my opinion. After everything she's done to me, she deserves to be dragged off. I only cared about Desi. My sister doesn't deserve this shit.

When the last bit of work was done, I was forced to wait in one of the rooms. By this time, I had painkillers in me, dealing with the last dregs of anesthetics and utter exhaustion. But soon enough, a doctor and nurse both walked into the room. Like everything else, they were women. But surprisingly, the nurse came in with some food and some tea. Looking at it, I noticed that like at home, it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They must have seen me just looking at it, which piqued their curiosity.

"Is something the matter?" the nurse, a pretty black woman, asked me.

"This is one of the only things I've been able to eat for a while," I said, croaking with fatigue. "I'm just... thank you, but I wish I could eat something else."

"Your chart says you have issues with anything with animal products," the doctor, an older woman wearing blue gloves, said. "That you apparently have some noted allergies you developed recently?"

"Is that what it says?" I asked, choosing to sip on my tea instead of eating. Tasting it, I found it was just good old black tea. No sugar, but I could make do without that. My throat ached like my fractured shoulder as the warm drink went down, but it was a soothing ache, like the pain you feel when something relaxes after being unconsciously tense for a long time. The doctor looked at state I was in, and I could tell her heart felt for me. The first bit of normalcy I felt in weeks.

"When you were signed up for this experiment, your forms noted the dietary restrictions. Are you saying you're able to handle meats, dairy and other products?"

I just nodded my head, almost passing out when I closed my eyes for a second.

"I can show you, if you'd let me, Doctor... uh, Doctor...?"

"Oh," she said, holding out her hand. "Forgive me. I'm Dr. Lawler. I'm the one overseeing your family during the year."

Holding out her hand, I took a look at it, a bit wary. But knowing it was best to just go with things, I shook it out of courtesy. I have to admit, despite her size, she had a really strong grip. As she pulled it away afterward, I could have sworn it looked like her gloves might be defective. Because it kind of looked like the color leeched onto her writst a bit. All that money and the government still gets faulty equipment. Probably just an unlucky draw on her part.

"Anyway," I said, gesturing towards the nurse. "I can show you I'm not allergic, if you want? I haven't eaten in, like, a day and a half."

"If that's what you wish," she said, reaching for her pocket. "I can have Emma run down and-"

"Save your money," I said, slipping my wallet from my pocket and handing the nurse a five dollar bill. "If you want, please get something for yourself, too. I probably haven't made things easy for you."

The nurse gave me an appreciative smile while taking the money with her orange gloved hand and quickly walking out the door.

"I have to say," Dr. Lawler said, flipping through my chart. "Compared to the emotional outbursts earlier, you seem in a much better state of mind."

I sighed deeply before taking another sip of my tea.

"I didn't come here in the best state," I said, my voice cracking. "Things have been... not good since the lockdown order."

I watched the older doc pull out a pen and grab a slip of paper from nearby.

"How so?" she asked. The look in her eyes, showing actual concern, just triggered something in me. And the floodgates opened. So I told her everything I could remember. The pain, the starvation, the abuse, mom hitting Desiree. I even brought up how my memory's been so fuzzy lately, including actual moments of days I completely lost. I laid everything out, my entire history with my mom growing up and everything I did to protect Desiree. And the entire time, Dr. Lawler nodded her head and took notes, grabbing pieces of paper as needed. By the time I was done, there was a veritable stack in her gloved hands.

"I have to say," she said, looking amazed at everything I told to her. "This is something we didn't take into account. Thank you for being honest with us, Mr. Nowell. I think we have plenty to work with in terms of your evaluation."

My eyes were drawn to the door as the pretty nurse walked back in, and in her hands was some jerky. I don't know if it was the fact I was finally able to eat, or the fact that someone other than Desiree seemed to be on my side, or even a smile from a pretty lady that made me cry with happiness, but that's what I did. I gladly took the stick from her, tearing into it with a zeal only those who are starving know. It was so salty and greasy, but I didn't care how bad it was for me. All I knew was I was allowed to enjoy something again.

"Do you have an update on the others in the Nowell household?" Doctor Lawler asked the nurse.

"Treatments have finished for the head of the household," Nurse Emma told her. "And they're doing the last of the reward treatments for the other A rank."

The doctor nodded her head as she handed her notes to the pretty black nurse as she stood from her seat.

"Excellent news," she said, smiling. "Do you know which treatments they went with?"

"The head of household chose to go with an enhancement, while the younger one went with a progression treatment."

Doctor Lawler chuckled, before looking me over.

"You'll be able to leave soon," she told me. "Unfortunately, both Laura and Destiny-"

"Desiree," I told her. "Her name's Desiree, not Destiny."

Lawler gave Emma a weird look, almost like there was something about my insistence that was not going to fly.

"...Right, Desiree. Unfortunately, because of the rewards they chose, they will have to stay within the facility for observation. So for the next couple of days, you will be on your own. But I have requested transit for you, as well as submitted revisions so that you may be able to access proper nutritional supplies from this point on."

"Does this mean I won't have to worry about my bones being on fire?" I asked, pensive. But I soon realized how insane I might have sounded from how both women laughed.

"You mean the security system? No, no more "bones being on fire". I've put your history as an abuse victim into your file, so that shouldn't be used against you unless absolutely warranted. You don't have to worry."

I stood up, clearly looking relieved at this news as I walked towards the door. I can actually eat again! I don't have to worry about that screeching noise lighting me up and-

"Though there is one more thing we need from you before you go."

I stopped in my tracks, hand hovering over the door handle.

"I... already went through so much today," I said. "Are you sure you need something else from me?"

"We do," Doctor Lawler said as she pulled out a large sample cup. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"I already gave you a urine sample," I told her.

"This isn't for urine," Nurse Emma replied, her words seemingly hovering in the air for a minute before it clicked.

"Oh... OH."

That wasn't for a urine sample. They wanted a sperm sample. But WHY? What purpose would a sperm sample serve that they couldn't get from all the other tests they did today?

"You don't really NEED a sperm sample, do you?"

Doctor Lawler put her hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eye. I never realized how tall she was, being at perfect eye level with me. And she had a surprisingly strong grip, too. I could feel her fingers digging into my right shoulder.

"We need a full record," she said. "It'll only take you a few minutes, okay?"

As I looked into her eyes, I could sense that she wanted to take care of me, to have a complete record so I'd get the best care possible. I'll admit, I was weirded out by it. But if it meant I could get home and feel safe for the first time in weeks, then I'd do it to make her happy.

"Okay," I said, grabbing the cup. Doctor Lawler gave me a smile and a gentle pat.

"Excellent," she said, cheerfully. "After your done, Emma will take your sample and another nurse will lead you to your transport."

Without another word, the doctor quickly left the room, leaving the door open for us.

"If you'll follow me," Emma told me, sauntering out of the room. As I trailed behind her, I couldn't help but look her over. The way she walked, the electric smile she had. Everything about her screamed "thick", but a SOLID thick. It was clear she worked out regularly, from the way her legs and ass looked in her scrub pants. And the way her arms were toned, but not to the point of thinness. She took really good care of herself, and it showed. I couldn't help but start getting hard as I watched her. Her back seemed especially cared for, a nice taper that I swore made her curves seem that much nicer. But before I knew it, she stopped in front of one of the bathrooms, pulling me out of my stupor.

"Please put the sample inside this little cabinet when you're finished," she said. And with one more electric smile, she quickly walked away before I could say anything. As I looked at the cup, I started to wonder how the hell I was going to use this. My shoulder was messed up, I was exhausted, worn down from stress and just wanted to go home after a long battery of painful and somewhat humiliating tests. Now I had to jack off until I could put a load in this thing? I took a look around, noticing some of the nursing staff watching me, making me feel even more awkward and nervous than before. So hitting the handle with the arm that wasn't in a sling, I scurried inside the bathroom before I got more of an audience and locked the door.

As I turned on the lights, the buzzing of the halogens was really strong. I could practically feel it in the back of my head, wincing at the pitch. It was the right frequency to make my head go a little fuzzy after everything that happened today. But soon, another sensation overtook me. One familiar and overwhelming, that had me in its grip since I was a teenager like it does to most men. I don't know why, but I suddenly wanted, no, NEEDED relief. The thought of the rush of endorphins you get after getting off came to mind. So, twisting the cap and putting the cup on the counter, I pulled down my pants, sat down on the john and closed my eyes.

It had been over a week since I had gotten myself off, and now that I had some privacy, I was finally able to just enjoy some "me time".

But there was one problem: nothing was coming to mind. Like, AT ALL. All I saw was darkness, and all I heard was that damn humming. But my dick was screaming for my attention. So, without prompt, I started stroking as I tried to bring something to mind. Nurse Emma, Doctor Lawler, some of my favorite porn stars. Nothing was working. All I was doing was lazily stroking myself as I failed to bring up a fantasy, ANY fantasy so that would normally work. And in my frustration, I swore I could hear the whine of the lights overhead getting louder and brighter. Energy crackling through the air as forms manifested from the light.

Bright and vibrant, they seemed to fight for space as they approached. Oranges and blues, greens and reds and purples. Slowly taking shape as they floated in the crackling ether, looming as they hovered in the maelstrom. Every figure, every heavenly form making me feel smaller, weaker, frailer. In shame, I looked away. But my downturned eyes grew wide as I saw my cock, larger and more intimidating than I thought it ever was, attached to a body that was slighter, slimmer than I had every been. Not less manly than I was used to, but definitely not as strong as I once was. It was then I felt a burst of static energy as a massive red form, roiling and angry before my eyes, pushed me backwards. Leaving me floating in the crackling field as it drifted above me.

I could feel its eyes on me, full of disgust and pity as it slowly drifted downward. Its legs spread open as it came closer and closer, ready to mount me, take me for its own and use me. My dick aimed upward, yearning to be embraced as if it had its own whims and wishes. To link with this being and give into its commands. But a blur of white collided with the red figure, sending it into the distance as a white one wrapped itself around me. I could feel myself being pulled into it as it embraced me, sinking my full length between its legs as it began to ride me. I could feel its love for me growing as its form shuddered and grew, surging with each thrust I gave it. The tingles across my body felt like a thousand sparks, suffusing my body to its core as the white figure seemed to grow larger and more powerful.

The field flashed brighter and brighter, forcing away each other figure in concussive waves. Each blast getting stronger and more violent as the white figure rolled its body as we fucked. Passions growing as my need to cum became more urgent. My eyes stared into its featureless face as each flash of light that it gave off seemed to be change color, as its form began to change color. Growing deeper and vibrant as it grew larger, suffusing its body with a pastel, then deeper hues of purple as it reared its head back and released a resonant roar in a powerful series of tones. And as it reached a deep and almost royal color, the sheer awe and might and majesty the now purple figure exuded pushed me beyond my limits, causing me to cascade into my own orgasm as an explosion of light overwhelmed my senses. Plunging me into darkness once more.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself holding the sample cup, having overflowed with my semen. I was breathing harder than I had in years though whether from exhaustion or the fact that was the hardest I had ever came, I don't know. I honestly can't tell you how much is average, but I was definitely backed up. So I gently put the cap back on, gingerly washed my hands, put the sample in the cabinet and walked out of the bathroom where a military transport was waiting to take me home. And without another thought, left the facility I knew I'd be having to come back to in the near future. My worries for my sister eating away at me with every inch I moved away from here.

[GLKnight]

Damn it, quite a few typos...

[Biceps108]

This was one of the best chapters up to date. The sheer amount of stuff that Desmond has to go through, the contrasting personalities between mother and sister. Also a relief to finally see the truth come to light, which doesn't just feel like that for Desmond, but for the reader as well. Dominant women can be fun for sure, but the mother is clearly getting worse as time goes on, and now we hear that she chose for an "enhancement" procedure. Just fills you with dread!

That's probably what I like the most about this story. It's written in a way that elicits emotion from me. Also like how this chapter seemed to contain more female muscle than earlier chapters, which were partially more about the mental domination, the world changing and so on. The culmination of all of these emphasize how good this story is.

[GLKnight]

This was one of the best chapters up to date. The sheer amount of stuff that Desmond has to go through, the contrasting personalities between mother and sister. Also a relief to finally see the truth come to light, which doesn't just feel like that for Desmond, but for the reader as well. Dominant women can be fun for sure, but the mother is clearly getting worse as time goes on, and now we hear that she chose for an "enhancement" procedure. Just fills you with dread!

That's probably what I like the most about this story. It's written in a way that elicits emotion from me. Also like how this chapter seemed to contain more female muscle than earlier chapters, which were partially more about the mental domination, the world changing and so on. The culmination of all of these emphasize how good this story is.

1. What you think the truth might be, might actually be something else entirely.

2. There's something else at play involving Desiree and Laura that you might not expect. "Enhancement" is an extremely vague idea, after all. Just want to put that out there.

3. There have actually been a LOT more elements of female muscles at play beyond just the visual as shown in the latest installments. Think about what happened prior and you'll get what I mean.

That said, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I got a dark fantasy story to finish, so I'm gonna take a little break on this. But I should have a new installment after Christmas.