Doomed by Adam Moon Page B

saw his hands shake as he handed the phone back so she added, “It’s just to talk. We can go get some coffee or something.”
    He smiled, feeling like a dumbass for being so obvious.
    Bill walked over and said, “Don’t eat that rabbit food. Do you know more animals die in the cultivation of that crap than do to give us actual meat? For every pound of lettuce farmed, a hundred caterpillars and grass hoppers and roaches are chopped up by the harvesters.”
    Melanie rolled her eyes and walked away. Mike knew there was probably a tiny nugget of truth in what Bill said but he always made up the figures because his memory was notoriously bad.
    Bill waved a slice of pizza in front of Mike’s face and the scent made him gag. “What the hell is wrong with me? I love pizza.”
    “Maybe you’d like to eat a nice dead mouse? You’re starting to look like one of those hairless cats.”

More changes
     
    Over the course of the next couple of days, Mike just about forgot about Melanie. He was going through some changes that took up all of his attention. For one thing, his breathing became shorter, but not noticeably so to others. But he could tell he was inadvertently taking in shallower breaths as time went on. When he tried to take in a big gulp of air, his lungs burned and he coughed it up right away. But even stranger was the fact that his leg muscles were growing at an incredible rate. They were easily twice as big as before. The muscles ached but it was worth it to finally have some musculature.
    His hair remained absent but his skin no longer itched. He was also sleeping for longer spells but waking feeling physically ruined, like he’d been tossing and turning all night.
    The worst part was the new nightmares. They were vicious and brutal but what was peculiar about them was that he enjoyed the feeling they left with him. He’d dream about going into battle and blood splashing all over his face and the memory of it sent his adrenaline spinning skyward. Once he even woke up with a boner.
    When Melanie finally called, he was surprised. It took him a minute to even recall the name. He picked up and said, “This is Mike.”
    This is Melanie. Can we meet?”
    “Sure. Where?”
    “Anywhere. But let’s do it soon.”
    “I could come over if you want.” He hoped he didn’t sound creepy saying it but she must have thought it was pretty innocent because she said, “Sure. Do you know where I live?”
    “I think so. I walked you home once years ago. Do you still live in that little yellow house?”
    “Yep, the one on the corner. I’ll be waiting for you.”
    Mike took a hobo-bath at the sink just in case he got lucky. He washed his crotch and pits and then he brushed his teeth. He knew he was probably reading too much into it but he’d been caught by surprise in the past so anything was possible. This time he’d be clean if he got laid.
    He put some deodorant on but he stayed away from the cologne just in case nothing happened. If he showed up stinking of cologne, she’d know he was trying to get lucky. He didn’t want to come off looking like a jerk or a misogynist.
    In fact, he wasn’t even sure he was all that attracted to her, but he was eighteen so compatibility hardly mattered. She was pretty but she wasn’t in the top ten list he’d put together of fantasy fucks. Maybe it was unfair to overlook her. Maybe he was on her top ten list, that is, if she was crass enough to have one.
    Of course he wasn’t on her top ten list. He wasn’t on anyone’s. He took his hormones down a notch and then he left for her house.

Recording
     
    She had a crazed look when she answered the door. Now he was glad he hadn’t fantasized too much on the way over because sex was the last thing on her mind.
    She ushered him in and closed the door. Then she took the stairs two at a time up to her bedroom so he followed behind her. Her bedroom was messier than he imagined it would be but that just endeared her to him for some crazy