The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Congratulations!” the assembled guests roared out as Sam Hartwell handed the gold watch to Roger, who was retiring from the company. In this day and age, someone voluntarily leaving a company, and enjoying a pension, was so rare it deserved a party. In fact, they’d had to look up some of the traditions from the Internet to even know what to do. But a party seemed in order, so the Web Artistry employees were sitting in the conference room, cake and drinks in hand.

Web Artistry was a web page creator, in an octagonal brick building, with the requisite ceiling panels, fluorescent lighting, hard-walled offices on the outside, cubes on the inside, and a few half-hearted attempts at artistry. In short, the same building one would see in any of half a million office parks. It was a friendly place, and had been built up by Roger himself, so much so that people really came in early just to be part of the action. Sam, one of the head designers, had been hired soon after they opened, and was one of the few left who hadn’t gone on to bigger and better things. So it only seemed natural that he should see his old boss out the door. He was getting into his forties, thin on top with sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and a physique which could be called, politely, ‘not bad for his age’.

“Speech!” Sam called, as Roger pocketed the watch, and turned to the crowd. Nodding slightly, he waved a hand for silence.

“I’m going to miss you guys.” he said, as he motioned someone to enter the room. “It’s been a fun few years, and I’ve loved every one of them. In fact...”

At that moment, the air conditioners loudly kicked in, as the mysterious stranger approached. “Ok, I won’t miss the vents in here” he said more loudly, as the others politely laughed. “But I wanted to introduce my replacement, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Raphael Tsinn.”

The applause was polite, and mostly coming from the men, as the women seemed strangely silent. Rafael was the typical ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ man, black-eyed, dark hair and well-built frame. Despite the eyes, the gaze was piercing and intimate, and several of the women looked him up and down, obviously pleased with what they saw.

“Thank you. I’m grateful to come to this place, and meet your people. I run a tight ship, but my door is always open. I like to solve problems before they happen, and I look forward to getting to know each and every one better, as we rise to new heights.”

Sam winced internally as he heard the speech start. Sheesh, if they still played ‘buzzword bingo’, everyone’s card would win on that bit alone. He brushed his hair back as he waited for the speech to be over. After all, this was his new boss.

Finally, the man wrapped it up, and they settled down to pick the refreshments, as one by one, they filed back to their cubicles. Sam cut the cake, and got an extra piece for his wife, and went back to his own office.

Sam’s office had a small peculiarity to it, or rather the whole room did. Due to the shape of the ceiling (probably the only place without the ubiquitous tiles), he could hear everything that was said on a cubicle on the far side of his section. He remembered that the floor of Congress had a place like that, in Washington. Maybe it was the huge monitors, or the hardwood furniture, but it funneled the sound over his desk as if they were sitting right there.

Tenita, the inhabitant of that far-off space, was an earthy, free-spirited black woman who was close friends with Tina, who sat across the aisle from her. If he wandered down the short gap between the rabbit warren, he could often see Tina’s blond head bobbing in sync to Tenita’s long, dark hair. The fact that neither of them was too hard on the eyes made the trip to the copier a little less lonely. Often their conversations were as good as having a radio going in the background, and after the initial shock on getting his office, he realized there were at least two lucky men out there, and more in the case of Tenita.

Tina was engaged to Ashe, one of the content creators for the web-page company. The two of them didn’t work in the same line of command, so there wasn’t much the company could do to prevent it, as long as they were discrete. And they were, except when Tina would stop by Tenita’s cube and give her (literally) blow by blow accounts of their love life. He’d even learned a thing or two on ‘W-PORN radio’, as he called it. He’d even tried out one or two of them with Karen, his wife. Reviews were favorable, so in a way, it spiced up their love life.

Tenita, always trying to match or exceed her friends’ exploits, had a tendency to engage in a friendly ‘competition’, matching each fuck session with one of her own. It had been a revelation, as his tender image of women romantically having ‘little deaths’ in Victorian encounters was shattered. Tina’s language would have done credit to some sailors on leave, and her amorous adventures were equally explicit.

He fired up the computer, started to work on proofing the page he was working on, and listened to the conversation. Besides, with the semi-dark room surrounding him, it helped him avoid going to sleep after all that cake. Only slightly distracted, he tweaked the code, and listened to them with half his attention.

“So did you see the new boss?” Tina asked

“Mmm, hmm” Tenita said. “Prime, girl, he is prime”

“Well, he seems cut pretty well to me. There’s something about the way he holds himself, did you notice?”

“I did. It’s to hide that big dick he has. You didn’t see that?”

“Well, I did notice a nice bulge...” she whispered.

“Nice bulge, my ass. I checked it out. He is gifted, that thing has gotta be...oh...I don’t know, about 10 inches or so”

“Wow, you have better eyes than I do” Tina giggled.

“And better hands...and I wouldn’t mind checking him out on a more personal basis.”

“You’d do him?”

“In a New York Minute. He even smells nice.” she said.

“Yeah, I noticed that too. It just sort of gets your attention, suddenly you just, you know, focus on him.”

“Half the women in there were noticing him, you saw that, right? We could have held a raffle and sold tickets.”

“I wonder what it is that’s so appealing about him. I usually only feel that way when I’m with Ashe.”

“It’s called horny, Tina. He just does something to you. I like him already.”

He heard Tina pause, and could imagine her blushing.

“I’d never cheat on Ashe, but I almost got to thinking...” she said, as he heard her move forward. “I was starting to have fantasies, you know, like just...fucking him.”

“You and the rest of us. I was having fantasies too. I think I need to check him out, and close that ‘open door’, and then take a better look at that bat he’s got between his legs. It makes me hot, just thinking about it.”

At that point, the air conditioning came on again, and he lost the rest of the conversation. He concentrated on the work in front of him, waiting for the air to die down. Soon he became engrossed in what he was doing, and when the vents grew silent, he realized they were talking about shoes, so nothing more on that front.

When he got home, Karen was already there, back from her own job. She was in her 40s, like him, and still had a pretty good bod for all that time. Their two kids were off at college, so they had the house to themselves, which had improved their sexual encounters a good deal. He took her in, the auburn hair still past her shoulder, her soft, rounded tits that threatened to burst out of her dress, and the flare of her belly as it swept down to her ample hips and squeezable ass. Even after all these decades of loving, she could still get him hard with a look, and she knew it.

“So, Sam, what’s new at work?” she asked, coming close for a kiss.

“Got a new boss today. Not sure about him”

“How so?”

“He’s a bit too....something. I don’t know, but the women seem to think he’s a hunk.”

“Oh really, your ‘secret echo chamber’?” Karen was aware of his office’s added benefit.

“Yeah, the girls were discussing him at great length. And great length seems to be what he has.”

“No kidding” she said, bringing his face up to hers to look in her eyes. “So, what’s he like?”

“Really tall, dark hair, kinda...I dunno...I shouldn’t say ‘pretty’, but something a little too ‘done up’ about him”

“You mean he’s good looking.” she said.

“I dunno, you’d have to tell me. There’s just something...odd about him.”

She smiled.“Sounds like a dreamboat. I trust you’ll keep me apprised of the latest on him?”

“When have I ever spared the gossip?”

“I just like to know what the competition is like.” she giggled. “Maybe we’ll see him at the company picnic. He can have the rest, while I have the best.”

“Karen, I already have the best. I don’t want anyone but you.”

They kissed softly and passionately, arms flowing around each other. It was rapidly turning into’sex before, or after dinner’, when she broke free.

“I suppose he’ll be on your company web site.”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I’ll probably have to add him in there. If he can be captured on camera.”

“What, he’s a vampire?” she looked at him clearly not believing it.

“Something like, I dunno. He looks like he stepped out of a bodice-ripper.”

“Really...” she mused.

“And I thought I was the one that was worried about you.”

“No need hon. Care for a late supper?” she slid her hand down to his crotch.

“I could be...persuaded.” He cupped a breast, squeezing gently.

“Mmmm...don’t worry hon. I’ve got you trained just like I want you.” she pulled him close. “Let’s fuck.”

“Language, missy!” He laughed, as she batted her eyes at him.

“Ok, dear sir, let’s make the beast with two backs, until I expire of le petit morte” she said in a mock-Southern drawl.

“Pardon your French?” he tickled her.

“I’m done talking, stud. Show me what you’ve got and make me a real woman!” they laughed as they headed for the bedroom

The next day, a memo was sent out to all the employees under Rafael’s responsibility. Each person would have a closed-door interview with the boss, with a schedule. Sam noticed sardonically that he was 2nd in line, behind Crystal, Rafael’s admin. He noted the time, and set an alarm to remind him, then plunged back into web design. He was concentrating, moving the usual gadgets and text around, and all too soon, the alarm went off. He saved his work, then went to the bosses’ office. The big guy was halfway around the building, so a head start was in order.

The door was still closed, so he looked over at Crystal’s cube. No one there, so she must still be in with him. He sat down on a nearby chair, waiting for his turn. He heard some bumps in there, and then what sounded like moaning. He started to get up to listen more closely, but someone came by, so he waited.

The bumps still sounded, softly, speeding up slightly. Then they stopped, and everything behind the door quieted. What sort of interview was he doing in there, anyway? Sounded almost like he’s boning her. He was about to get up, when the door opened. Crystal came out, looked at him, and blushed beet red, before hobbling off to her cube. She was walking funny, almost like...at that moment, his new boss motioned him in.

The door shut, and then began the worst 5 minutes of Sam’s life. The term ‘ball buster’, and ‘double productivity’ were thrown around, not in jest, but with pride. There wasn’t anything friendly about it, the man seemed to hate him on sight. No loud threats or desk pounding, but he got the distinct impression that he was close to being fired.

As he left, he saw his lunch buddy Gail, who looked at him with concern. She was one of his friends at work, but that was all. Karen occasionally teased him about having the hots for his friend, but she was one of the few people his age that worked there. She was blond, green eyed, and kept her figure pretty well, sometimes wearing loose tops that flattered her full breasts. Always on the edge of discretion, she flirted sometimes, and he noticed it, and she noticed he noticed it. That was about it, except for trips out for lunch.

“What happened to you?” she asked. “You look like someone shot your dog.”

“Hmm...can’t talk now, but be careful with the new boss. Looks like party time is over around here; he’s got plans.”

“Oh, ok. I don’t talk with him until tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.” He went back to his cube, and already found a schedule in his email. Shit! His workload just doubled. Looks like some late nights, it’s like being demoted, he thought. Frowning, he picked up the first assignment and got to work.

He was too busy to pay much attention to anything until lunch. Gail came by, knocking on the casing around his door.

“You want to pop out for lunch?” she asked.

“I can’t, I’m going to have to order in.”

“Ok, want me to call something in?”

“I’d love to Gail, but....you wouldn’t believe the workload I just got handed.”

“Oh, from the new boss?”

“I’m going to have to work through lunch, and I’m almost certain I’ll have to work late.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were backlogged so bad.”

“I’m not! He’s moved up the delivery dates to next month on everything, and...hey, I’m sorry Gail, I’m just gonna have to take a rain check.”

“Well, you can do it. Tell Karen ‘hi’ for me.”

“Will do.”

He worked for a while longer, stress levels building, and Joe from HR came by. “Hi Sam, I’ve got the updates for the Company web site. Can you have it by tomorrow night?”

“Sure, why not...” he let the rest hang; it wasn’t good to complain to HR. He sort of let the conversation die, until he noticed Joe looking at him.

“Did you do the interview with Rafael?” the man asked him.

“Yeah”

“That was the worst five minutes of my life. Sam, you wouldn’t believe the workload he’s got for me. I’ve got to practically redesign the entire HR department.”

“Actually, Joe, I might. My workload just doubled as well.”

“That’s happening a lot. He’s got some intense focus on HR, but, we’ll soldier through.”

“I know you guys will. " he turned back to his work, and when he looked up again, Joe was gone.

The afternoon flew by, since there wasn’t an idle moment left in his day. He heard Tenita and Tina start up, and for once, he only listened with half an ear...right up to the point when he heard...

“And I tapped him, Tina, tapped him good!”

Tina gasped, and he heard “You fucked the boss? You are sooo bad!” That brought Sam to a screeching halt. She did what?

“It was everything I wanted, I mean, it was magical. And those pants don’t do him justice; once you hike ‘em down, he’s even bigger”

“You fucked him right in his office! I can’t get over that!”

“I kinda thought it was my idea, but he came real close to start the interview, and he just smells soooo good.”

“Nice aftershave?”

“No, all him. You know how a man smells when he’s really turned on? He smelled like that, but better. I don’t know what came over me, but I was sniffing at him, and closed my eyes, and my legs musta just popped opened or something, because next thing I know, I’m being split down the middle.”

“Is he too big?” Tina asked excitedly.

“At first, yeah. But once I got used to him, that was the best fuck of my life. I was just bent over the desk, feeling that thick slab of goodness fill me up, more than I ever had before. I mean, he was like a machine, but he knew how to use that thing. It was the strangest thing, but I came four times in five minutes, but I still couldn’t make any noise.”

“That’s a good thing, considering the whole office would probably hear you.”

“At that point, I didn’t care. I get loud sometimes, you know, really turns guys on, but I just shook and shimmied and came and came and came.”

“I’m jealous. I mean Ashe is big enough, but...”

“Well, if I wasn’t interested in a repeat engagement, I’d say try some yourself. But you’ve already landed one...” and again with the air conditioner, drowning out the rest

Sam wasn’t even listening any more. The guy was fucking his employees? Hell, he felt he’d been fucked too, but not in a nice way.

That might be useful info, down the road. Sighing, he started changing the company web site, including the picture of the head fucker himself. There was something about it that just bothered him. Thank heavens Karen didn’t work here.

He shambled out of the building at 9, 3 hours late for dinner. Karen had got his note, and was sympathetic, and listened as he told her about him, then about Tenita. He mentioned the web site, and Karen got up to look at the man himself.

“He is good looking, Sam. Gorgeous, in fact. But evidently it’s only skin deep. Let’s go to bed, and Mama will make it all better.” She did make it all better, he couldn’t get over how hot she was that night. He fucked her once, then she let him take her in the ass, something she only did when she was really turned on. He was so surprised that he came soon after shoving his swollen muscle deep in her ass, unloading his seed deep inside. She shuddered to a loud, ecstatic orgasm, and they both drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, he noticed that even more work had been deposited on his desk, and he grabbed a stack and started working. It never let up, it never slowed down, and the tension was starting to give him a headache. Sheesh, it was the 21st century, and he still had a stack of paper on his desk. Didn’t the new guy understand collaborative documents? Gail popped by what seemed like 5 minutes later, and he noticed to his surprise that it was already lunch time. He started to beg off, but she cut his protestations short.

“No, Sam, we need to go to lunch. I need to talk to you.”

“Ok, I’ll get the car. But I’ve got even more work than I did yesterday. Maybe a quick bite.”

They got their things, and went to a burger joint, and sat in the booth. Something was bothering Gail, he could tell, and she seemed to be on the brink of saying something, when she finally inhaled deeply, and looked at Sam.

“Sam, you know I consider you my friend. And what I’m about to say doesn’t leave this place.”

“Ok, Gail, what is it?”

“I had the interview with Rafael today.”

“My favorite person.”

“I don’t know..well...shit!” she hissed.

“What happened in your interview, Gail?”

“He came on to me.”

“What? he made a pass at you?”

“No, Sam, he fucked my brains out.”

“Language!” he teased. “You didn’t really, I mean you didn’t actually...did you?” he left her an opening.

“No, it’s the right word, there’s no other way to describe it. He got me so horny I couldn’t take it. I mean, he smelled so good!”

“And you just let him have his way with you.”

“Sam, no, I didn’t let him have his way with me. I just threw off my clothes and he banged me like a cheap whore.”

“Gail, this isn’t like you, I’ve never heard you talk like this. Did he force you?”

“No, it wasn’t anything like that. It was just wham! and then I knew the only thing that mattered was to get that big, thick schlong shoved inside me. I didn’t care about my job, my husband, anything, I just had to have him, and make him fuck me until he came. And I just kept coming, over and over, it was unlike any man I’ve ever been with. And when he came...”

“Er, Gail, I don’t really want those details.”

“No, it’s important. No guy has ever filled me up like that. He’s got balls like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Yeah, after my interview, I can believe that. He seems really attached to them.”

“Most men are. I don’t know what came over me. And tonight, I have to go home to my husband, and pretend that it was just another day. I had to tell someone, someone I could trust. Oh, Sam, I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

“It’s like he’s not human. I don’t think you’re the only one he’s done that to.”

“Sam, he’s been there two days! How could he have enough stamina after what he did to me?”

“I don’t know. But Crystal, she was in before me, and she came out of the door, and turned beet red when she saw me.”

“You don’t think...”

“Gail, she was walking like she’d just come off a horse.”

“She had. This guy is hung like the Mona Lisa.”

“I can’t believe it. Shit, I can’t believe I keep saying I can’t believe it. That’s three in two days. What is this place, his private harem?”

“Three? who’s the third?”

“I’m not sure, but maybe Tenita.”

“You’re kidding. I know she has a reputation, but I’ve seen her guys. He’s not really her type.”

“Let’s just say her voice carries. Hey, it’s almost been an hour, I gotta get back.”

“Sounds like he’s working you to death.”

“Not human, that’s what I think sometimes.”

He got back to work, and after a long, sweaty session of alphabet soup coding, he got the required (required!) work done for the day. He looked up, and saw it was 10pm. Shit, Karen was going to be pissed. Hell, he was pissed himself, he hadn’t eaten since lunch, and he was ready to salt and eat his shoes, he was so hungry.

He got home, and Karen was waiting. “Sam, you remember your wife, nice lady that loves you and fucks your brains out? Why are you staying there so late?” He sat down at the kitchen table, and tipped back his chair slightly, until he saw Karens’ face give him a long look. He quickly became upright.

He groaned, as he started to unwind. He told her what he’d found out about the boss; Gails’ confession, as well as Tenita’s.

Karen sat there with her mouth open. “Three women? In two days? How does he keep them straight?”

“I don’t know. I’m getting a little tired of him. I came in this morning, and there was even more work waiting for me. I’m barely hanging on as it is. And after that interview, I know I won’t get any sympathy from Captain Bligh.”

“Well, come to bed, after you’ve finished dinner. I left some in the microwave.”

She made it worth his while, after he came upstairs. Still, even while they were making love, she had a distracted look about her. That even pissed him off more, if she was fantasizing about his boss. The sex was good, but there seemed to be something between them. He started fucking her harder, as she closed her eyes, and responded to him. His whole body was calling out “Hey, I’m here, you’re fucking me!”

“Sam, oh Sam” she moaned. “Fuck me, yes, get wild, honey!” He felt her muscles clamp around him, as she shuddered and came. “Ohh yeah!” she shouted, loud and out of control. He started ramming into her, as she bucked back at him, eagerly taking every inch of him as she felt him start to burst inside of her. “Yes! yes, yes!” she wailed, as her juices flowed around his cock.

“Come in me, fill me up...oh fuck yeah” she gasped, as she locked her legs behind him and held him in her. He felt like he’d cum gallons, and she lay back, under him, a shit-eating grin on her face.

“That was fantastic, hon.” she murmured. “Now see what you’ve got waiting for you? Don’t you want to come home to that every night?”

“You’re such a spirited lass. Avast wench, you’ve quenched me.”

She looked down at him. “Damn you were rough, but it was so right, my heart is still pounding. Fuck, I love your dick.” she said, as she held him. “No, don’t move, I feel like a second helping.”

He wondered then, as he saw her eyes close. She actually dropped off shortly after, and he started to wonder. What got her so wild tonight? Was she trying to prove something to me, or was she fantasizing about him? It hurt, and he drifted off to sleep, worried about what the future held.

The next day, and found an even larger stack waiting for him. Growling softly, he grabbed the top of the stack, and got started. He worked quietly, intent on getting things done, when he heard Tina and Tenita start up again. Fuck, where do they find the time to gossip?

“Tenita, I have to tell you something, and I don’t want you to get mad.”

“Tina, are you like, what, six?”

“I’ve done something terrible. I’ve cheated on Ashe.”

“Ok. So who was the lucky guy?”

“Rafael”

“Wait, you fucked Rafael? Ashe’s office is what, 15 feet from there? Are you crazy?” he heard someone’s hand strike a forehead. “You tapped the boss, after I tapped the boss? What is this, a competition? Why’d you want to go and do that? You’ve got a man!”

“I didn’t mean to, it’s just he leaned forward, and he smelled sooo good, just like you said, and before I knew it, he was just in me!”

“You couldn’t keep your hands off...Tina, why do you do this to me? I thought we were friends!”

“We are, Tenita, it’s just, I don’t know what came over me. You made him sound so good. And I just, it just seemed so natural, and I couldn’t stop coming! Ashe is good, but Rafael is....better.”

“Well, I am a little hurt, girlfriend. We’ve got to have a decision, who of us two is gonna get married to Ashe, and who’s going to keep the boy toy.”

“Six, Tenita”

“Six what?”

“Six women have fucked him so far.”

“Run that by me again?”

“I was in the ladies room, and we got to comparing notes. You, me, Gail, Sandra, Ellen, Rhonda...”

“Rhonda’s a lesbian. She doesn’t even like men!”

“I know. And Annette.”

“Annette? she’s not even interested in sex! She’s gonna retire next year.”

“Well, so far, he’s interviewed six women, and he’s had sex with all of them.”

“I can’t believe it.” Tenita moaned, and Sam winced; that seemed to be a popular phrase lately.

“Crystal was the first. She was late this morning, got sick over night. Now she just sits at her desk, staring daggers at that door, and I could swear she’s playing with herself.”

“That’s gross.” Tenita muttered.

“What about the guys?” Tenita continued.

“Well, it’s really different. He’s like being mean to all the men, giving them lots of extra work, he really seems to hate them.”

“How does he have time, since he’s too busy screwing all the ladies?” Tenita still had an angry tone to her voice.

“I don’t know, but everybody from the Janitor on up seems to be afraid of him.”

“Hey, with this economy? I don’t blame them. So who’s the next girl up?”

At that moment, the air conditioner kicked in, but Sam was already feeling wheels turning. Six? He’s fucking every woman who goes in there! And they let him! What the fuck was he up to? Sam groaned to himself as he looked at the pile in front of him. Yeah, he’d better get busy.

That night, he left on time, briefcase stuffed with work to take home. Wait ‘till Karen got a load of this! If she could believe the gossip, that is.

That night, Karen was even more of an animal. First she went down on him, taking almost all of him in her mouth, until he came. She didn’t usually do that unless she was really horny. Then a long second session, fucking her slow and easy, until she couldn’t stand it anymore, and she turned around with a judo flip or something, and was on top of him, riding him like a prize stallion. She even woke him up early, lubed him, and let him have her ass again. He didn’t get much sleep, but he felt much better as a person.

Finally, Friday. He groaned, took the pile out of the briefcase, and grabbed another. He hung his head in his hands, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work for the day, then closed his eyes, and started on the next pile. What would the girl toys reveal today? It seemed like a soap opera. The morning gave way to lunch time, and Gail came over, even more distraught than the day before.

“You wanna do lunch?”

“Is it going to be as salacious as yesterday?”

She hung her head. “Afraid not. But something is strange.” He came over, and reached out a hand to her shoulder, but she drew away.

“Oh gawd, not you too.”

“What?”

“No, I was worried about you, it’s fine. Can I close the door?” He nodded, and she sat down.

“You remember yesterday? When I told you about talking to my husband?”

“I think it was more about his ass...his assholiness. How did that go, with your husband?”

“I couldn’t tell him. But that bastard boss of ours did something. to me.”

“We already know that. Something, as in, what?”

“My husband sickens me.”

“I’m sure it’s just guilt, Gail, its...”

“No, He literally sickens me. I came home, and I was going to do, well, you know.”

“I have an idea.”

“And he puts his arms around me, and I just turned green. I had to back away from him. And then I settled down.”

“That’s weird.”

“Well, I did some experimenting, and if I got close enough to touch him, I started racing for the bathroom. And just now, when you tried to comfort me.”

“I hope I wasn’t inappropriate. Lately, around here, you could get canned for that.”

“I know, but I did some more tests at work. I can’t get close to any man now. They all make me sick!”

“Anyone else having this problem?” he asked

“Just the women that have interviewed Rafael. Sam, I think he’s doing something to us.”

“Besides the obvious?”

“No, it’s like we can only be around him now.” she blushed. “Sorry, but how would you like to be married to someone you couldn’t touch?”

“You’re not going to do it again with him, are you?”

“I...don’t know. I feel so confused, and so lonely. Arthur, my husband, is shattered, he feels like it’s his fault. I don’t know what to do.”

“You could tell the women who haven’t interviewed yet.”

“You think they don’t know?”

“And they’re willing to still go in there and be drilled by him?”

“Actually, a lot of them aren’t. Joyce in Accounting tendered her resignation, and skipped out of her exit interview.”

“Good for her...I think”

“So Rafael piled all her work on Jerry, who’s already knee deep.”

“I’ve noticed that trend.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see this pile here? The one in Jerry’s office. I’m beginning to have an idea. Go by all the men’s’ office; don’t go in, just look at their desks. I think he’s deliberately setting us up to fail.”

“What, to get rid of all the men?”

“Or at least keep them so busy that they can’t do anything else.”

“How many women have been interviewed?”

“Sixteen, so far”

“Any one come out without their panties in a twist?”

“Not so far.”

“So instead of leading us like he should, he’s fucked, er screwed...ah hell, fucked sixteen women in four days! Don’t you think that’s a little hard on a guy? Our batteries need recharging, you know.”

“There’s just something about him. I don’t know what he does, but he can just go on and on...”

“Spare me. I’m sorry Gail, but I’m really starting to dislike him. I swear he’s not human”

“I’m tending to agree”

“You are?” that really floored him. He leaned forward, then watched her lean back. “Ok, sorry. Go on.”

“Sam, he did 5 interviews in 8 hours. Most of the ladies have remarked on how much he puts out.”

“You mean...”

“Yeah, I think you know what I mean. Now I don’t know of any man who can do that, outside of porn stars or something.” She smoothed her hair, a bit flushed. “And the fact that I had a Richter 10 orgasm and didn’t make a peep? I should have been loosening ceiling tiles after what he was doing. And right as I came, I got this hot flash, all over. I was looking down at my skin, and I turned red...all over, for a second.”

“Hmm, sounds like an allergic reaction, almost. So his assholiness put an alien love child in you?”

She turned pale for a second, and Sam knew he’d gone over the line. “You don’t think...”

She nodded, and in a tiny voice, said “Positive The test was positive.”

“Holy shit, does Arthur know?”

She started to tear up. “No, but it’s not going to stay hidden, is it? How could I do something so stupid?”

“What if he gets someone else pregnant?”

She stood up, a flash of anger in her eyes, and leaned forward herself, sickness and anger battling over her expression.

“Sam, he already has. I haven’t talked to all the women, but all the ones I have, we’re all pregnant.”

“That’s a bit far-fetched, don’t you think?”

She shook her head. “No,” she sniffed “Sam, I’m on the pill, I’m regular as clockwork. I even had problems getting pregnant the first time. Most of the other women are protected as well; pills, sheaths, injections, everything. This guy....he just...I couldn’t tell, but there was something going on with his cock, er, penis...it was like grabbing at me, but I was coming so hard I couldn’t really concentrate.”

“Still, everyone’s birth control failed at the same time? How likely is that? This guy is a baby machine or something?”

“Sam, the only one who didn’t get pregnant had a hysterectomy. Don’t ask who.”

“I, er wouldn’t dream of it. What happened to her?”

“She’s been fired.”

“Shit! So the one job qualification around here is your ability to get knocked up?” he whispered.

“Sure looks like it.”

“Well, do we have proof? I think the next step would be to talk to Ms. Aikens, his boss. The fact that he’s getting his ashes hauled on company time should be reason enough. Think about it, in 9 months we’ll have to go out of business, or move the computers into the delivery room. ”

“Are you sure you want to do that, Sam?” she asked, a secretive look on her face.

“You mean... I’m too late.”

She nodded slowly. “Who do you think interviewed him? And yes, at the grand old age of 58, she’s expecting.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Very unlikely, but it’s been known to happen. It seems like if you have an egg, in whatever shape, he can get past chemicals, rubber, copper and whatever else to plant one in you.”

“Fuck! I’m sorry about the language, but....fuck!”

She giggled. “Sounds like me when I looked at the test strip. Thanks for listening. I’ve got to get back to my office, and get some lunch. I’d still like to be your friend, but I can’t get near you, or any man, for what he did to me.”

“That sucks.”

She started to cry. “Sam, I can’t even get close to my son!” and then she broke down, as he sat there, helpless, only able to scoot some paper towels across the desk. Finally she cleaned herself up, smiled bravely, and mouthed ‘thank you’, then left the office.

He went to lunch, alone, and noticed that most of the women shrank back from him as if he had leprosy. He left a wake of slightly queasy females behind him, which only depressed him further. He noticed most of the men in the break room sitting by themselves, while the women were furtively whispering among each other at the far side of the room, no doubt about their condition. It was like middle school all over again. He grabbed his bag lunch (who has time for a restaurant?) and shambled back to his desk.

All through the afternoon, he coded and formatted with half a mind, wondering how to get rid of his assholiness. Each scheme led to the same result; he’d be fired, and no one would dare back him up. Maybe an anonymous tip? That would have to wait until he got home, he was sure they’d be pulling the histories of everyone’s computer. There now had been three guys fired in two days...was he next? Every day he got more work, every day he got off later and later. Karen was complaining, she wanted to at least see her husband, at least once a day. He looked up in surprise and realized it was already dark. The clock said 9:14, and he got up to stretch, and decided to walk around the office floor for a while, stretch his legs as well. Even at this hour, he noticed several people still in their office, concentrating on work, piles as big as his, and even larger. He also noticed it was all men, no women remained at this hour. He walked past Rafael’s office, and saw that the light was off. Open door, insert dick. Probably gone home to eat his Oaties and prepare to knock up a few more women. Hell, at least they weren’t there on Saturday. Aw, shit!

The company picnic. The annual event was a chance to unwind and be casual, family and friends encouraged, events that were good for you, food that was bad for you. Karen always came, which made him a little more comfortable, but then he wondered. It would be like a target-rich environment for studly muffins there. He wouldn’t get Karen, though, he’d see to that.

It brought back to mind the memo he got about the picnic, with the cryptic comment “attendance will be beneficial to your career.”

It didn’t sound like incentive...more like a threat. Well, he’d got all he could do done for the day. He got his stuff, then called Karen on the way to the car. She was distant, a little hurt, but he told her he’d some things to tell her, which got her curiosity.

When he got home, she handed him a microwave dinner and told him to feed himself. He reached out to her, but she stood there, stolid and unmoving. He knew she was upset about his hours, more upset than he was.

“Karen, I don’t think you should go to the picnic tomorrow.” That seemed to be almost the worst thing he could have said.

“And why not?”

“I don’t know if you’re going to believe me.”

“That’s a distinct possibility. Who is she, Sam?”

“What?”

“You’re getting something on the side, aren’t you? The late hours, the piles of work, always exhausted when you get home. Don’t you think I’d notice?”

He surprised himself next by his reaction; he fell out of his chair, laughing so hard, uncontrollably, as he fought to regain control of himself. She looked even more hurt than ever, then, against her will, started smiling, and giggling.”

“You’re not?”

He gasped, and got back up on his chair. “Oh Karen. You have no idea how impossible that is!”

“There’s a lot of women there, some of them very pretty.”

“And every one of them gets sick if I get near them.”

“Oh, you’re just depressed honey, I’m sure not all of them get sick. I don’t”

Soon he found himself holding her. “No, Karen, you don’t understand. It’s that stupid boss; he’s done something to the women at work.”

“Not all of them...” she looked up at him. He nodded.

“All of them?”

“Every blessed mother of them.” he said, softly, as laughed. “Every blessed mother...Karen, I don’t know if he’s knocked them all up, but comparing notes, Gail and I...”

“So it is Gail then” she chilled instantly.

He shook his head. “No, I make Gail sick too. It’s not me, it’s any man. All of the women are pregnant, and they all get sick if any man gets close to them.”

“You’re making this up.”

“I wish I was. I’m not. Can you imagine all your office workers, your friends, suddenly acting like you have halitosis? Gail has a son, and now she can’t even get near him without heaving.”

She looked up at him. “Sam, you’re frightening me.” He smiled crookedly. “That’s good, because I don’t want to be scared alone.”

“But you still have to go to the picnic?”

“They sent out a memo basically saying you’d be in trouble if you didn’t show.”

“That’s so rude!”

“So is unemployment. And nowadays...” they looked at each other.

“Hold me, Sam, hold me...and let’s go to bed.” she whispered as they clutched each other and ascended the staircase.

The next day was hot and sunny, as it usually was; praying for rain didn’t help them at all. Sam and Karen arrived at the park grounds, seeing the long green fields of grass framed by woodlands and trails. They pulled into the parking lot, noticing a lot more cars than usual. The picnic area was aflame with barbecue grills, hibachis, and more food than could be imagined. Despite all the festivities, the men were largely grouped together, while the women were apart and talking animatedly. Only the occasional longing look from a wife to a husband seemed to destroy the festive atmosphere.

Karen surveyed the scene, and remarked. “I haven’t seen this kind of crowd since middle school dances. Why aren’t there any couples?”

Sam noticed that as well. “Well, look closely, and you’ll see the only real couples are the wives of the men. All the female employees, and their daughters, are in that pack there. All the sons are over with the men.”

She gasped. “Shit, you’re right!” she looked at her spouse again. “Where is this Rafael?” she asked.

“Over there.” he pointed to a particularly thick cluster of women, and him standing a head taller than any of them.

“I think I’ll have a word with him.” She said, with a dangerous timbre in her voice.

“No, please don’t, Karen.”

She looked at him. “Sam, you are my husband, and I love you very much. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to change that. I’m not going to get threatening with him, but I will be heard.”

“Karen....”

“Sam, my mind is made up. Pax Vobiscum.” that was what she said whenever the subject was closed. He wondered sometimes if she even knew what the latin meant.

He watched as she dodged and weaved through the crowd, and then his boss’s head lowered, and looked momentarily angry. Shit, she’s going to cost me my job, he thought ruefully.

He got out of the car, locked it, then went over to the edge of the crowd. Some of the women cast disgusted and confused looks at him, and he backed off. The edge of the crowd parted slightly, as each woman grew nauseous. He saw Karen’s head, talking to him, with a sort of glazed look in her eye, staring up with adoration to his boss’s face. Then he noticed the look he was giving back.

It was beyond interest, or lust, it was predatory. He leaned close to her, and he watched his wife smile, and zone out. “Oh no, please no” he whispered, as he saw her turn and head up towards the trails, while the women politely asked Sam if he’d join the men. He saw Gail, anguished but weary, look at him.

He mouthed “My Wife!” at her, and she nodded, and pointed towards the trails. “Good luck” she mouthed back.

Sam never played football, but he would have done the NFL proud for the end run around the men, trying to catch up with his wife. He saw them disappear onto the trail, and he walked up slowly behind them, obviously being ignored. His wife was laughing at whatever he had said, and he noticed all the special gestures she used to indicate that tonight was ‘lucky night.’ He should, he’d seen them all in the years they’d been together.

They were walking at a brisk clip, and he noticed her look down at his pants in shock, then up at his face. Oh hell, he’s already hard. He started to close the distance. They wove in and out of view, the second-growth saplings growing next to the old pines and oaks. He stepped around dry leaves, eager not to give himself away.

Someone rollerbladed by, swerved in front of him and almost hit him. “Hey, kid, pay attention!” he muttered, as he disentangled himself from the near-collision. When his field of view was clear, they were gone.

He looked frantically around. He was at a crossroads, and he knew that they hadn’t come back his way. Three paths, which one did they take? He stopped, breathing heavily, as he listened, ears attuned to crackling branches...left!

He turned down the trail, picking up the pace, until he heard a soft moan in the bushes. He turned, and there they were.

Sam stood there, mouth open, as he saw his wife, bent over, shorts pulled down off her trim ass, and his...bajayzus! that was a huge cock! He was hard, pounding into her with savage fury. If it wasn’t for the look on her face, any jury in the world would have accused him of rape. It was easy to tell she was willing, she was bouncing her firm ass back at him, panting hard as the woods were filled with the smack, smack, smack of two bodies in erotic motion.

Paralyzed, he was torn between overwhelming rage, betrayal, and a desire for revenge. He couldn’t understand why he had a raging hardon...maybe to beat the other guy to death with it. He knew the guy topped him by a head; he’d need an equalizer. Looking around for a branch, a rock, something to brain this reject with and get his wife back before it was too late.

As he found a bat-sized branch, he looked up, as they were still going at it. She was silently screaming, and he noticed her body turn bright red, causing him to almost falter.

“Hey, asshole!” he shouted as he charged at the couple. “Get your fucking dick out of my...”

He stopped as Rafael looked up. The man’s...no, no man has fangs like that. Vampire? hey, it was broad daylight...is that even possible? But they eyes...the eyes seemed to go compound for a second, as the man arched up and plunged his meaty staff all the way into the defenseless woman. She shook, hard, as more silent screams showed on her face, spasming in a titanic orgasm, before she dropped to the ground. He could swear he could see the cock pulsing blast after blast of semen into his wife. He could see a thick wash of cum flowing out of her distended pussy, as he gathered his wits.

“You bastard, I’m going to kill you!” he shouted, as he swung, and then the lights went out.

As he started to come to, he heard voices, muffled voices, as he felt his hands jerked behind him. He felt bracelets, then a hard clicking sound as he was pulled upward.

“Mr. Hartwell, you’re under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, attempted homicide, and abuse.”

Abuse? he thought, fuzzily.

“You have the right to remain silent...” that one’s easy, I can barely concentrate.

He heard the rest of the Miranda tango, then was jerked to his feet. He saw Karen, clutching his boss, a glazed look still in her eye, as they started to lead him off.

“A minute officers?” he heard his boss say.

“Yes sir?”

“Sam, you’re fired.” No shit, scuzzbag. The crowd of employees parted, men more slowly than the women, who trailed off after the boss.

The two cops jerked him forward, as some of the men looked at him, either afraid to speak, or nodding slightly.

“You did us proud Sam” one said, before the cops waved them aside.

“Show’s over folks, move along” one said. They stuffed him in the back seat, strapping him in, as he shook his head. What did he hit me with? I’ve never seen someone move that fast! He groaned as he remembered the look on his wife’s face; ‘Sam? Sam who?” If only he’d connected...

He sat in the car, buckled and belted, brooding, as he started to feel his balls itch. He shifted slightly, finding no relief. “Two minutes thirty, right on schedule.”

“What?”

“Balls itch, and you can’t scratch ‘em. Typical”

“Thanks. What happened?”

“You don’t remember?”

“I felt like a front lineman hit me...”

“Your boss hit you for trying to molest his wife. Can’t says I blame ya, she is hot.”

“His wife? She’s my wife!”

“Sure didn’t look that way to me. She was holdin’ on to him like she wanted to get back to the honeymoon.”

“Oh fuck. I told her...”

“What did you tell her?” He noticed the man flip a switch, and decided his Miranda rights were trying to tell him something.

“You’d never believe me.”

“Oh, I’ve heard them all.”

“Ok, he’s not her husband. I am, and that’s pretty easy to prove. He’s a notorious swinging dick, and he’s knocked up half the office. He hates men, and I’m the fourth to be fired in the last five days.”

“Sounds like a ball-buster. So that’s why you decided to kill him?”

“I didn’t...wait...no, I just wanted him away from my wife.”

“So you go up to this couple, they’re playing ‘hide the salami’, and you take a whack at him?” he chuckled.“Sounds like you’re going for the insanity defense. Good luck, we’ve heard that angle too.”

“I’m not insane, only my office is insane.”

“Yeah right. We’ll take you downtown, and you can tell the whole thing to the district attorney. Then you can cool down in lockup.”

He hung his head, all hope gone. Maybe Karen would bail him out. Though after what she’d just done, he wondered.

Karen didn’t bail him out, she refused charges on his one call, and later, he heard there was a restraining order against him. He couldn’t even go home. This bastard, he’d stolen his wife, his home, what was next?

After a grueling 2 hours, the charges got knocked down to aggravated assault, though the restraining order remained in place. He got taken by his home, where Karen had ‘thoughtfully’ provided two suitcases on the front porch, not even bothering to open the door, and then they took him back to his car.

How had she got home? Probably him. They must still be in there, I’m sure he’s fucking her right now...

He found a note—

Sam; Please don’t attempt to contact me or the kids. After what Rafael has told me about you and Gail, I can’t believe you had the balls to lie to me like that. Rafael is a perfect gentleman, and he’s helped me to see how wrong I ever was about you. I thought I knew what loving was, until I met him. We’re going to be happy now, so stay away. I hope your realize what you lost when you left me for that woman.

Karen

Oh, that sadistic bastard. I should have killed him, he thought. He needs killing. There’s knife work needs doing! he thought. He kept his head low, every effort of will trying to look calm and unthreatening. He watched the miles peel away until the cops stopped in the parking lot.

The park was silent, his car was the only one there. The fading twilight was broken by the sodium lamps, illuminating the cracked asphalt. Around the lot, the trees seemed to lean over them, dark, and menacing.

They dropped him at his car, then drove off, peeling rubber. “Thanks guys, you’ve been peachy” he spat at the retreating taillights.

He got in the car, put his head down on the steering wheel, and broke down. A big part of him wanted to kill the guy, slowly, while another part just wailed against losing the love of his life. Karen! I still love her, he moaned. How dare he? How fucking dare he? That asshole had a lot to answer for. He wasn’t subtle, just vindictive. Pretty soon he was going to go too far, and Sam, and a lot of his brothers at the office would relish the day that Tsinn was out.

Rage and anguish filled him, and instantly he was rock hard, wanting to fuck her, fuck her pussy until she came back to him. The brutal savage thoughts frightened him slightly, while he felt his anger almost turn him into the monster he’d tried to kill. Visions of paranoia tugged at him; had Karen been fucking him already? He sure wasn’t in the office while ‘boys night in’ was going on. But she wasn’t sickened by him, at least until he’d caught her ‘playing hide the salami’.

No.

He wasn’t that monster, he was a man. His emotions didn’t control him, he was better than that. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out his phone. He dialed Karen, only to be informed that ‘this number was blocked from calling’. He snarled, and shut the phone as he glared out the windshield. How had the dickwad done it? He’d destroyed decades of what he now came to realize was a pretty damn good marriage. He remembered fondly all the times they’d fucked, and he grew horny again, bitter that those times were gone. If I ever get her back, I’ll never take her for granted again.

He closed his eyes, then sighed. Get a grip. What can he do next? It was too late to call Gail, but he’d get her in the morning. Maybe she could tell what had happened, it was time for an anonymous tip...no, it wasn’t. This guy fought dirty; they’d just dismiss him as a ‘disgruntled employee’. No one else dared to oppose the mighty Rafe...rank hath it’s privileges.

He heard a tap on the drivers’ window, and glared out...to be staring right as his former boss.

Patience, young Jedi, he thought. He rolled the window down. “What the fuck do you want?” he growled, as he started to open the door.

His opponent blocked the door.

“I’d prefer you stay where you are for now, Hartwell.” he hissed, a very strange expression on his face.

“Well, what the fuck do you want?”

“Hardly your best behavior. You challenged me today, over your woman.”

“That’s not a woman, that’s my wife.” he hissed..

“Admirable, Hartwell, I feel you might understand. You, the one man of all those whose women I have seeded, have responded with challenge, rather than appeasement.”

“If I’d been two seconds faster, you’d be in a hospital. Now let go of my car.”

“Not until you hear the tserie.”

“The what?”

“The answer to challenge. You are slow, and unskilled, but your liver is fierce”

“Sounds like you’ve been to to many Trek cons or something.”

“So close, so close, Hartwell.”

“I don’t even think you’re human.”

“Very astute, and quite correct. I’m not.”

“You’re a little green man?”

“No, I’m a very large flesh-colored Tsinn, and you have something I want.”

“Oh, is that what they call assholes like you now?”

“Please, Hartwell, name-calling is so ineffective, so weak. Blood is the answer”

“I wish I’d killed you. By heaven, I’ve never felt that way about anyone else, but I want you dead, you cuckolding son of a bitch”

He brightened, and laughed. “Finally, the truth. I accept your challenge. You may try to kill me.”

“Yeah, right, I just got out of jail, I don’t want to get back in.”

“The police know nothing of this. Nor will they. Should you kill me, you will be held blameless.” He backed up, gliding, into some sort of combat stance.

“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” He got out of the car, watching the enemy closely, opening the trunk, and pulling out the jack...no, too heavy...ah, the tire iron. He grabbed it, swung, and missed.

He glared at his opponent. “Stand still for just a second, I’m going to cave in that smug expression of yours.” he swung again, and missed.

“Strike two, Hartwell, if I have your baseball correct.” He danced slightly, on his toes, controlled, limber, and deadly.

“You asshole, you’ve ruined the lives of dozens of men, boys, and women. You think they’re happy with what you’ve done? Do you know how much you’ve hurt them? What are you going to do when all those women all come due at the same time? Close the doors? I can just laugh at the child support payments they’re going to slam on you...you’ve driven out about all the men there, excepting Ashe.:”

Rafael grinned, showing the fangs. “Oh that was earlier tonight. Tragic ‘accident’, but I can’t have him interfering with Tina.”

“So now you’re killing us?” he swung again, then tripped over an outstretched foot. He wobbled, rolled, and was up again, a bit unsteady.

“It’s what we normally do on any world. Seed the females, kill the males. We find it just as exciting.” He dodged again past a thrown tire iron, then said in a flat voice “Go on, pick it up. You can do better than that.” The clanging of the iron rousted a few birds, who flew off into the gloom.

“You’re playing with me.”

“I am responding to your challenge. The moment you’re a real threat, I’ll fight back.” he dodged quickly. Slipping into full monologing mode, the alien continued.

“You don’t understand, human. You guard your skies, your lands, and your seas. But you don’t guard your women.”

Sam saw red, and swung, feinted, and swung again. Rafael danced out of the way, and continued.“That was almost threatening” he laughed.

“Well, Mr. Rafael Tsinn, maybe our women have something to say about that.”

“Hardly. Our advance force has been engineered to out-compete, out-breed, and particularly out-fight” Sam felt a blow to his left arm “any human male. That’s probably broken..” he observed.

“Hnnn...” Sam growled. “And why are you telling me all this?”

“Anskasi ta kantash, the rules of the conquest. Taking your females is too easy, we come from a race of...what was it...cuckolds?” he laughed again. “Our true form resembles your Earthly wasps, and we are descended from a similar species.” warming up to it, he continued.

“A defeat in ignorance is only a partial victory. Only when your opponent truly realizes how thoroughly he’s been beaten, can the kill be allowed.”

“So you’re just going to take over, kill the men and rape the women. Over my dead body” he shouted, as he lunged one last time.

Rafael stood calmly, twisted slightly, and suddenly a hard, chitinous sting appeared above his wrist. He slammed it home into Sam’s neck, watching as the man fell to the parking lot. “That’s the general idea, Hartwell.”

“You’ve taken everything from me; my job, my wife, but not my kids " Sam burbled, fighting the effects of the venom. He felt faint, and his body was starting to draw up in knots.

“Not the son, of course...but your daughter, well, soon enough” He skipped back as Sam tried one last time to hit him.

“Good heavens, are you still trying to win?” He watched the light slowly leave Sam’s face, then slump as the poison finished it’s work.

“I think you even have a phrase for it, ‘winner takes all?’ The only thing I haven’t taken was your life. And now it’s complete, I’ve taken everything you have, and everything you are.. Thank you, Sam, you’ve completed the ritual. I am content, with my first real conquest. So many men to kill, so many women to breed.” He reached down to check Sam’s apparently dead body, when suddenly Sam came up with the tire iron, and a sickening crunch filled the air.

“I’m not dead yet.” he whispered. He watched with dull interest as the creature spasmed, shaking, as it started its death throes. An eldritch scream filled the air, as the face rippled, changed, and took on a greenish cast as finally it died. It rolled on its back, it’s legs pointing towards the sky, like the mother of all cockroaches. A sort of tension snapped around him, as if he’d been tied up. It seemed to radiate outward, an invisible breeze flowing away from the corpse next to him. He smiled to himself, then the toxin took his last thoughts into blackness.

A while later, it seemed like his consciousness was returning, as he looked up to see the roof of an ambulance. A young woman was leaning over him, turning to someone out of his field of view.

“He’s coming around. Sir, can you tell me what happened?”

He weakly laughed. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

She held her hand to the back of his neck. “And this wound here, do you know where you got it?”

“Ow! watch it...Fighting”

The EMT looked to her companion. “We’ll probably need the police back.”

“We’ll probably need Sculler and Muldry for what’s in the other ambulance.” he stated. “It’s not human, whatever it is.”

“We’ve finally seen a real, live...”

“Dead...alien. I’m sure this guy’s going to have some really important visitors.” The EMT looked down at Sam.

“Yeah. Your wallet says you’re Sam Hartwell. We’ve stabilized you, you’ve got the worst wasp sting we’ve ever seen. You’re going to need some bed rest and anti-venom. You’re tired, but you should be fine in a couple of days. You’re lucky the police reported it, they thought you were a suicide risk, so they doubled back.”

“No, never that. I...” he heard his cell phone ring. Amazing it had lasted through the fight. “Could you...”

The EMT opened it up. “Here you go.”

“Hello?”

“Sam, Baby, oh baby, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me. There’s about 40 women from your office in the house, and we’re confused as hell. Something just snapped, and suddenly we were all back to normal. Where are you?”

“In an ambulance, Karen. Listen...”

“An ambulance? where are they going?”

He looked up at the EMT. “Mercy Central” she replied.

“Mercy Central. Karen, I’ve never told you how much I love you. I forgive you. And I want you back.”

On the other end, he heard his wife burst into tears. “Oh Sam, I don’t deserve you. I’m leaving right now, I’ll meet you there.”

“Karen, what I did, I had to do, he was going to go for Ashley next, and kill Sam Jr.”

“Oh my fucking gawd. Sam, you are a hero. I’ll see you there.”

The EMT looked at him, puzzled, as he hung up. “Kill?”

“You guys saw it?”

They nodded at him. He weakly turned to them. “They’re not like us, they were evolved from something like wasps....” he began, as they listened to the story, and cast furtive glances back at the following ambulance...“it’s a species that takes over by impregnating the females, and killing the males...he has some sort of effect on women...it all started...”