College Brings About Change pt3
#3 of College Brings About Change
A strange dream, and campus wide party crashers give Bruce even more to wonder about as things just keep getting stranger.
As the evening rolled around, Bruce once again found himself starving, despite the massive lunch he'd eaten, and the constant snacking he'd been doing throughout the day. It was hard to believe that he had any space left in him to pack more food in, but he somehow managed.
Feeling sluggish and stuffed after his dinner, he slumped down on his sofa, which doubled as a bed, and got out of his clothes, which were feeling incredibly constricting about now. His belly had grown a bit, as to be expected. Letting out a grunt, he rubbed the swollen mound of fat, zoning out on television, and eventually drifting off to sleep.
The next thing he knew, he was huge. Not just fat, or muscular, but tall. Standing in a field of grass he didn't recognize, but somehow seemed welcoming. He scratched his stomach, surprised to find it had gotten much bigger than it was after he fell asleep. Not on that, it was fizzier too, and his skin had taken on a green-brown hue. His stomach wasn't all that was thicker. His fingers were bigger around as well, and his arms were just as bulky. A quick once-over showed that he'd bulked up considerably, but there was a good layer of fat over everything that softened out his features and gave him a brutish look.
Making his way to a river, he confirmed his suspicions. He was humanoid, but not human. With a thick, square jaw, wild hair, and a pair of harsh looking tusks jutting from his lower set of teeth, he instantly recognized his new look.
"Oh for fucks sake." He said angrily.
The bright light streamed into the dorm window, and directly on Bruce's face, causing him to attempt to roll over and avoid it, but only succeeding in falling off the couch and on to the floor. Awake, and slightly bruised, he pulled himself up and hastily made his way to the mirror on his dresser.
"no tusks, no green skin, hair..." he frowned at his tangled bedhead. "could be better." with a sigh of relief he sat back down on the couch and rubbed his temples.
"That nutcase Van Heim is getting to me." He mumbled to himself. "I've got orcs on the brain."
There was an urgent knock at the door. Slipping on some pants, he walked over and answered it, only to have someone nearly bowl him over getting in.
"Bruce man I'm glad I caught you you wouldn't believe the fucked up shit that happened last night!" the guy Bruce recognized as Axel, who lived in the next room over and was also in Van Heim's class rambled on without pause. Still somewhat tired and preoccupied with his own problems, it took him a while to process what was being said.
"Ax, calm down. Breathe, or something." He said, trying to get the other male to slow down and explain what his problem was. "What exactly happened?"
"It was crazy! These guys showed up at a party last night, and started just tearing shit up! They chowed all the food and beer, started a fight, and finally passed out on the lawn. Look!" He pulled Bruce to the window where two large figures were sprawled unceremoniously in front of the building. "The staff thinks that they're on drugs or something."
Bruce was getting a headache. The two on the lawn were also in the Psych class, and were in the classroom the previous day after lunch.
"Its not just them." Axel continued. "There are reports from the other buildings that the same thing happened to them as well. Whatever they're on, its pretty strong."
Bruce squinted at the unconscious figures on the lawn. For a split second, he swore they were just the slightest shade of green.
Bruce closed his eyes, trying to get a mental image of everyone in the classroom after lunch, but his mind kept drifting back to his dream. "How many reports?" He asked. "Specifically, how many people were acting like this?"
Axel looked confused. "I don't know the specifics, but at least six or eight last I heard."
Grabbing a shirt, Bruce headed toward the door of his dorm, ushering Axel out. "Thanks for letting me know, man. By the way, you should probably skip class today. You look a little green." he mentioned.
Determined to get answers, Bruce headed toward campus, and more specifically, toward Theodore Van Heim.
The building was mostly empty. There were a few stray students wandering about, but they were jumpy and on edge. No classes were in session, and from passing conversation, it appeared that most of the instructors were having a meeting about last nights incidents.
When Bruce got to Van Heim's classroom it was mostly dark, save for a glowing spot of light behind the Professor's desk. As quietly as possible Bruce peeked around the corner and into the doorway. The file cabinet behind his desk was pushed aside, revealing a small opening in the wall. As he approached the opening, he heard Van Heim's voice, and another person's who he couldn't recognize.
"Yes sir, it appears that I may have pushed a few of the students a bit faster than their minds could keep up with."
"How bad is the damage, Van Heim?"
"Not extensive." he said, worry in his voice. "The other faculty members are chalking it up to drugs. It will be easy enough to cover my tracks."
"Don't mess this up Van Heim. We need all the manpower we can get our hands on. Losing even one or two of them could be a disaster."
"I assure you, sir, its under control. There are only fifteen males in this class. It will be easy enough to get them all."
"And what of the rest of the school?"
"The others are doing their parts, but until this control group is completed, we can't initiate anything on a wide scale. Its simply too risky."
"See too it that this doesn't happen again."
"Yes sir."
The lights dimmed, and Van Heim exited the secret room.
"I assume you heard all of that?" He said, his back still to Bruce.
"H-how?" Bruce stammered, caught off guard.
Van Heim only chuckled. "What kind of person with a secret doesn't take extra measures to protect it from nosy young men like you?"
He turned around, and shrugged. "I'm actually surprised to see you here, truthfully. I had assumed that even though your exposure to my music wasn't as long as the others, it'd be enough to push you over the threshold." He grabbed the shorter man by his shoulders. "You do seem a little different, though."
"Let go!" Bruce said angrily, brushing off Van Heim's hands. "What the hell is going on?"
He chuckled again. "I'm here on request from a... friend." he said. "He needs a special delivery made, and it just so happens this campus is full of the material we need. Drunk, horny, and trouble making young college men like yourself."
"Material?"
"Oh, I suppose that isn't quite the right term. How do I put this..." He thought about it. "I'm here to make all the little human boys here into a troop of big orcish men, and then take them back to my friend so he can... well... you know?" Van Heim made a certain hand gesture that usually meant fornication.
"Ugh, that's twisted." Bruce said, disgusted. "I don't want to be some sex toy for a nutcase with an orc fetish."
Van Heim's eyes widened. "On nonono, you're mistaken. He isn't the one who wants to be fornicated with. His village is short on males, and he requested me to supply him with some. I assure you, the only fornicating will be done with the intent to bear offspring."
"This is fucked up."
Van Heim stood up straight, towering over Bruce. "I agree that the process itself has a few... flaws. But I can't let down a friend. Now can I risk you spilling my little secret."
"Nobody would believe me, so you don't have to worry!" Bruce said, making his way to the door. Van Heim flicked his arm out towards it, and it slammed shut in Bruce's face, magically locking.
"You'd be surprised what goes on in this world under your nose." he said. "There are plenty of people who are well informed of the mystical, and who would race to stop me, and I can't allow that." With another flick of his arm, Bruce felt something heavy strike him, and everything went black.