The Transfigured

Adrian trudged down the street, mindless of the October wind cutting through his coat. He had enough money in his pocket for a bottle of bourbon, and he was hellbent on getting it.

Even as he ran his errand, he was struck by the sight of people milling around him, intent on taking care of their own tasks. All he and any of them had to do was look up and over toward the west, and they would see the spacecraft hovering motionless above the mountains.

The late afternoon sun made its silver surface gleam. The convex object, about two hundred feet across, had been there for almost a year. As if it were watching everyone in the small town below. But Adrian knew it was doing far more than watching.

Thousands of crafts just like that one had popped up all over the world, their locations seemingly chosen at random. The town where Adrian lived was geographically isolated, over an hour from an interstate. Its population had dwindled in recent decades, and no one could guess why visitors from outer space would be at all interested in the area.

Some of the other objects had settled over large cities. Their simultaneous appearance evoked different reactions among humanity. Multitudes of people panicked, of course, fearing the end of the world. Hysteria spread far and wide, and when one country attempted to launch a weapon toward one of the objects, some kind of force field surrounding the craft repelled it, leaving the object untouched.

Attempts to communicate with any occupants that might be aboard the spacecrafts were useless, as silence was the only reply.

Eventually, humans grew resigned to the presence of these mysterious invaders, knowing they couldn’t be driven away. The visitors’ refusal to convey a reason for their arrival was almost more maddening than a full-scale attack.

Yet humans were nothing if not ostrich-like, burying their heads in the sand as they adapted to a new reality. Now, in this little town nestled in the mountains, people barely gave the hovering object a second glance. The ones prone to panic had fled or even resorted to suicide. Those who remained did their best to pretend that everything would turn out okay, that these objects would one day vanish as quickly as they had appeared, and life would somehow return to normal.

Adrian knew he had no right to judge these people, even as they averted their eyes when they saw him approach. Some of them had been members of his congregation in what felt like another life. Now they only greeted him with silent pity, or worse, disgust. Still, he had to admire their unwavering faith, while he’d so quickly lost his own.

Reading and preaching the scriptures had done nothing to prepare him for the arrival of these… things. If humans were made in God’s image, then what could be said about the beings controlling the objects laying siege to the planet? Their capabilities were astonishing: when the spacecrafts first appeared, cutting through the sky at mind-boggling speeds, they were clearly able to defy gravity, along with every other natural law. Now they remained motionless, powered by some unfathomable energy source. No nuts and bolts were visible on those exteriors, not even a seam. Just smooth, indestructible material.

Far more advanced than humans, these things may as well have been God materialized.

When Adrian dared to voice these thoughts, the congregation had turned on him, calling him a backslider and a fraud. He hadn’t tried to convince them otherwise, for he no longer cared. His entire world had been upended, and even as his wife packed a suitcase, telling him through her tears that she was leaving with her family and heading deeper into the mountains, Adrian simply let her go, for he was certain there was no place on the planet that could provide safe shelter. The last he heard, his wife was part of some kind of commune, living off the grid.

Which was probably a good thing, considering the rolling blackouts that occurred with more and more frequency.

All this occurred before Adrian discovered that the operators of the thousands of spacecrafts above weren’t content merely to observe Earth’s inhabitants. No, he learned, quite painfully, that they had other motives for being here.

Of course by then, his credibility was shot. People who once respected him now called him a crazy drunk. No one would believe him if he revealed what he knew.

Adrian had almost reached the liquor store when he saw the young woman heading his way. Though she couldn’t have been more than twenty-five, her stooped shoulders and drawn face, along with her perpetual frown, made her look older. He had twenty years on her, and he was all too aware of how broken down he now appeared.

Years ago, her parents had been members of his congregation, though she’d never attended the church he led. Adrian knew from talk he heard around town that like his wife, her parents had fled from the craft, but they’d chosen to move to a larger city in the hopes that more resources, and some kind of safety in numbers, would be available to them.

For some reason, Gwen, their unmarried daughter, chose to stay here, in the town where she grew up. Jobs were almost nonexistent around this place, so Adrian had no idea how she was getting by.

Her brown hair whipped around her face as the wind picked up strength. Her jacket was lightweight, not nearly enough to ward off the cold, and her fair cheeks were red.

Their eyes met, and to her credit, Gwen didn’t recoil from Adrian in revulsion. Her expression didn’t change at all; it was as if he were a stranger.

He gave her a nod, a gesture of one wounded soul recognizing another, and then he was content to let her pass by. But as she did, he caught a whiff of that scent which had now become so familiar to him. It was sweet, almost cloyingly so, making him remember the time he’d visited a relative’s orchard many years before. He recalled the smell of apples that had fallen from the trees to litter the ground, beyond ripe but not yet rotten.

Without thinking, Adrian grabbed her arm, and he heard her gasp of surprise. Gwen looked up at him accusingly, her blue eyes flashing. “What the hell are you doing?” she said through her teeth, keeping her voice low.

Passersby slowed their steps but didn’t stop to help her. Gwen had always been something of an outcast, just as Adrian was now.

He leaned closer, bringing his lips just inches from her ear. “They’ve visited you,” he murmured.

Her eyes widened at his words, and she quickly yanked free of his grip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Yet she didn’t hurry away from him. No, she stayed at his side, looking up at him with growing alarm.

Adrian gave her a pained smile. “You do, Gwen. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She started to shake her head, as if she could convince herself as well as him. “It seems like a dream at first,” he went on, his gaze drifting to their surroundings. Still, he avoided looking up. “A very pleasant dream, one that leaves you shaking from a fierce orgasm…”

Gwen drew in a sharp breath, and he knew her shivering wasn’t caused by the cold.

“You tell yourself that’s all it is, an erotic dream,” Adrian said quietly, making sure no one nearby could hear him. “You actually find yourself craving it, and you go to sleep earlier and earlier, desperate for that bliss.”

Despite herself, Gwen closed her eyes. Adrian could have sworn he heard the faintest of moans escape her parted lips. Oh yes, she knew what he was talking about.

“And then, you begin to change. The transformation is slow at first, almost undetectable, before it becomes terrifying.” His deep voice was calm and even, though he was shaking now, too.

Gwen gaped at him. “How do you know this about me? How can you tell?” she demanded, not even trying to disguise her fear.

“I can smell it on you,” Adrian replied. “It’s the same scent that clings to me.” He tilted his head, regarding her. “Have they appeared to you yet?”

Gwen pulled her jacket tighter around her, setting her jaw in a grim line. “I can’t talk about this,” she said.

Adrian held up his hands. “I understand. But if you ever decide you do want to talk, I’m at the same place I’ve always been, so you know where to find me. I’m sure there must be many more of us, but you’re the only other person I’ve encountered who’s experienced this…”

Her expression grew distraught, and she actually cupped her hands over her ears as if to block out his words. “I have to go.” She bolted down the sidewalk, seemingly afraid that he would pursue her.

Adrian let out a heavy sigh. Maybe he could have handled that better, he told himself. But he was shocked to come across someone who shared his nightmare, who would believe him when he described it, because she was living it, too. His eagerness to connect with her had made him clumsy in choosing his words. Of course she had run.

He hated himself for finding a measure of relief in knowing he wasn’t the only one, for he was well aware of the torment that resulted from being chosen by these new visitors.

And why had he been chosen? Why had Gwen? Adrian had no idea. He figured he would never know if he couldn’t learn more about her experience with the otherworldly beings.

He could only hope she would seek him out. Until then, he had his own ways of coping.

After glancing over his shoulder and finding that Gwen was out of sight, Adrian stepped into the liquor store, desperate to buy a bottle that would grant him oblivion, if only temporarily.

* * *

Gwen was still shaking when she entered the small corner market. She wanted nothing more than to escape to the safety of Helen’s house, but she couldn’t return emptyhanded.

Her movements were slow, dreamlike, as she filled a shopping cart with shelf-stable goods. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Adrian had said, and every time she replayed his words in her mind, a jolt of horror surged through her.

She went through the motions of shopping for dry beans and rice, some instant coffee for Helen, and a loaf of bread. As Gwen moved through the store, she avoided the eyes of the people around her. If Adrian had been able to detect the change in her, maybe everyone else could as well.

After grabbing a half gallon of milk and a few other staples, she made a beeline for the cash register, keeping her head down. The cashier greeted her, and she mumbled a hello in return, desperate to get away.

Gwen noticed her hands were trembling when she counted out the money to pay for her groceries. As soon as she got her change and gathered up her bags, she rushed from the store.

Out on the sidewalk, she looked up and down the street, fearing she might see Adrian. She didn’t think she could bear being subjected to his knowing gaze, his look of pity.

As she headed back to Helen’s house, which was within easy walking distance, Gwen made the mistake of glancing upward. The sight of the silent, hovering craft made her flinch and pick up her pace until she was nearly running.

But of course she knew she couldn’t hide from that thing. No one could, though plenty had tried.

Only when Gwen felt she was a safe distance from the spot where she’d encountered Adrian did she allow herself to think about him once more. How different he’d looked from just a few years before, when her parents briefly attended his church. Gwen had never accompanied them, finding no solace in religion, and her parents soon lost interest in churchgoing as well.

Adrian now had a beard, which was full and dark but threaded with gray strands. His eyes were dark as well, and they had a haunted look about them. He was much thinner; she’d noticed how his coat seemed to swallow his frame.

When Adrian had grabbed hold of her as she tried to pass by him, she could smell the booze on his breath, and beneath that, a strange sweet scent. Was it the same smell that he claimed he could detect on her?

She tried to tell herself he was drunk, or completely out of his mind, with his talk of visitations and strange smells. Yet how did he know of the dreams she had? How could he possibly know how much she’d longed for those dreams, at the beginning?

Gwen had finally stopped trembling by the time she stepped inside Helen’s house, and when the elderly woman looked up at her from where she sat in a living room chair, Gwen forced a smile.

Helen’s expression grew concerned. “Gwen, are you all right? You’re terribly pale.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, then hurried to the kitchen to put away the groceries.

Helen had been a neighbor of her parents. A kindhearted widow, she’d offered Gwen a place to stay when she had nowhere else to go, and in return, Gwen took care of all the chores around the house, and the shopping as well, for Helen was terrified of the craft lurking over the mountains, and she refused to go outside. The mere sight of the object made her shudder.

While Helen got by on a small pension, there wasn’t a penny to spare, and Gwen was wracked with guilt every time the woman insisted they share a meal.

Gwen had only a few hundred dollars when she first came to live with Helen, and that money had quickly dwindled down to nothing, so she could no longer help pay for some of the groceries, or the electric and water bills. The world might be on the verge of apocalypse, Gwen thought with a bitter smile, but the bills kept coming.

Gwen’s parents had never had much money, and they also never had a house of their own; they’d rented the one next to Helen’s. Once her parents left town, Gwen couldn’t afford the rent, especially when the shop where she’d worked for years went out of business, the owner packing up and leaving along with so many others.

As Gwen busied herself in the kitchen, Helen appeared in the doorway. The woman’s silver hair was pulled back in a neat bun. “Oh, they had coffee in stock this time!” she said, clearly delighted.

“Yes, and fresh bread and milk, too,” Gwen said.

The smaller stores often had trouble keeping a reliable stock of perishable groceries. Meat of any kind was prohibitively expensive, and after the last lengthy power outage, when Gwen had been forced to toss out spoiled food from the fridge, she tried to buy as many shelf-stable groceries as possible.

“How about good old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches tonight?” she suggested to Helen. “May as well enjoy the bread while it’s fresh.”

“Perfect,” Helen responded, clapping her hands together as if they were planning a scrumptious feast.

The two of them had an early dinner, and while Gwen managed to keep her unease from resurfacing during their meal, she found that her appetite was almost nonexistent.

“Here, you have the rest of mine,” Gwen told Helen, handing over half her sandwich.

Helen frowned. “Dear, that’s not nearly enough for you to eat!”

“I’m not very hungry,” Gwen said, giving Helen a halfhearted shrug. “I think I might lie down for a while.”

“Of course,” Helen said. “If you get hungry later, I’ll be happy to fix you something, Gwen.”

Though Helen was a wonderful cook, Gwen couldn’t even think about eating at that moment. “I really appreciate that,” she said before climbing to her feet.

She knew Helen would spend the evening in the living room, watching old shows on television while avoiding any current news. Gwen slipped down the short hallway to what she still considered to be Helen’s guest bedroom, though Helen had told Gwen repeatedly that it was her room now.

Once she was alone with the door closed behind her, Gwen pressed a hand to her forehead. She felt like she was running a slight fever, but then again, she always felt that way lately. Day was fading fast outside the window, but Gwen didn’t bother closing the curtains. Instead, she stripped down to her bra and panties, then climbed into bed.

As she lay in silence with only her thoughts for company, Gwen realized Adrian was right when he described the effect those erotic dreams had on her. When they had first begun, Gwen had longed for the nights. She’d wanted nothing more than to escape the reality of this new world and be overtaken by an indescribable bliss. It became like a drug for her. The orgasms accompanying those strange dreams were more powerful than any she had experienced while awake. She felt them deep in her core, and the spasms made her quiver and moan, her own voice rousing her from sleep.

The dreams themselves were surprisingly vague. She could recall little of them upon awakening, only the sense of being surrounded by shadowy figures, their hands passing over her naked body, probing and exploring.

Though she felt no fear during the dreams, when she came fully awake afterward, she often didn’t know herself. It wasn’t mere disorientation from a deep sleep. No, it was something far more sinister, like a force had taken up residence inside her. She felt its cold, pitiless presence, and she sensed it viewing the world through her eyes.

It was that residual sensation of being invaded, and the terror accompanying it, that made her begin dreading the dreams which had once brought her such ecstasy. Now she put off sleep for as long as possible, and in her darkest, most hopeless moments, she feared she was losing her mind.

But Adrian gave her hope that she wasn’t. Though his words struck a deep chord of dread within her, she realized she also felt relief. Relief at not being utterly alone.

Without warning, Gwen was gripped by a sheer need as she thought of Adrian. Unable to stop herself, she moaned and slipped a hand between her legs. She felt her nipples harden beneath the fabric of her bra, and the crotch of her panties was already wet. Impatient, she worked at her swelling clit, her arousal making her tremble.

She thought of Adrian standing so close to her, breathing in her scent while she inhaled his. A rush of longing coursed through her, taking her by surprise, as she had never been attracted to the man in the past. She felt a wave of guilt at her excitement. Adrian was still married, after all, even if his wife had deserted him.

Gwen writhed in the bed, her skin hot. Keeping her voice low so Helen wouldn’t overhear, she murmured, “Fuck me, Adrian. Give me every inch of your cock…”

The filthy words only made her wetter. Rolling her tender clit beneath her fingertips, Gwen whimpered. Her entire body was shaking, right on the verge of orgasm.

When she imagined Adrian between her legs, pumping away, slamming his body against hers as he thrust deep, his image in her mind was so vivid, so real, that she couldn’t help but cry out. She could see his fierce stare, his jaw tightened as he pinned her wrists, determined to claim her, to come inside her.

So easily she orgasmed from the thought of him. As the spasms began seizing her, Gwen’s muscles contracted, and her thighs clenched around her hand rubbing furiously at her clit.

Even after her climax had subsided, Gwen tossed and turned in the bed, still feeling unsatisfied. Deep within, she throbbed, aching to be filled in a way that her fingers couldn’t manage.

Yet despite her restlessness, exhaustion creeped over her like a fog, and she couldn’t fight the pull of sleep.

She came awake to the sound of her own loud cry, an orgasmic wail that filled the room as she shuddered and spasmed with yet another climax.

When the bedroom light came on, Gwen didn’t open her eyes. She fought desperately to remain gripped by the bliss overtaking her. It was only when she felt a hand on her shoulder that she grew fully conscious.

Conscious, but not herself.

“Gwen, wake up! You’re having a nightmare,” the woman named Helen said. Gwen stared hard at her, unable to call forth any affection for this person who had been so kind to her.

Helen sat on the edge of the bed, smiling down at Gwen reassuringly. But when the woman reached to stroke her hair, Gwen bolted upright. Before she could stop herself, she shoved Helen away in a panic. “Don’t touch me! I’ll hurt you. Get away from me!” she shrieked.

Helen’s eyes grew wide with alarm, and she quickly stood, putting distance between herself and Gwen. “Gwen, I don’t understand! What’s wrong?”

Gwen jumped from the bed. Retrieving her jeans and long-sleeved shirt from the floor, she quickly dressed. “Helen, I’m sorry,” she said, fighting back tears. “I can’t stay here. It’s not safe for you.”

Gwen ignored the older woman’s protests as she pulled on her sneakers. She was too afraid to take anything other than her small purse. She would come back for the rest of her things when she was in her right mind, she told herself. When she was no longer a danger to Helen.

Helen called after her as she dashed down the hall and out the front door, letting the night swallow her up. She had no idea what time it was; most of the houses around her were dark, so she guessed it was late.

Gwen took off at a sprint, not even pausing to question where she was going. It was as if her body was newly programmed to seek out only one destination.

Her feet slammed against the pavement as she darted through the main section of town, passing dark shop windows. A man leaning against a lamppost shouted at her, but she kept running. Gwen realized she had no fear of the man; she was suddenly struck with the certainty that she would tear him limb from limb if he tried to harm her.

Though Adrian’s house was miles away, outside the town limits, Gwen didn’t feel at all fatigued as she made her way toward it. No, she felt like she could run forever without stopping. She’d never been much of an athlete, but now she moved through the night as though she’d trained for a marathon.

Adrian’s property wasn’t part of a neighborhood. Instead, the house was set back from the road, all by itself on a decent amount of land. Of course, land was so cheap around here now, a person couldn’t give it away. As Gwen came to a stop before the place, waiting for her breathing to slow, she realized she’d had only a vague recollection of where Adrian lived. Yet her feet had carried her here without hesitation.

Gwen headed down the gravel drive, noticing that the porch light had been left on. Was Adrian waiting for her to arrive?

His house was old and modest, starting to show signs of neglect. One of the front shutters hung askew, and paint was peeling off the wood siding.

She knocked hard on the front door, suddenly shivering in the cold night air as the sweat dried on her skin. Adrian answered the door quickly enough to let Gwen know he hadn’t been sleeping.

Their eyes met, but they didn’t speak. Instead, Adrian reached for her. As soon as he pulled her close, she trembled at the contact. It was as if every cell in her body called out to his in a kind of recognition. She knew he felt it, too, for he breathed faster when she slumped against him.

“I’m glad you came,” he finally whispered. “Are you okay?”

She swallowed hard and nodded, unable to find the words to describe what had happened at Helen’s house.

Slowly, reluctantly, they withdrew from each other, and he led her inside, turning on lights as he went from room to room. Looking around, Gwen noticed that the house had once been decorated with a woman’s touch but was now sliding into disarray. She glimpsed several empty liquor bottles around the living room, forgotten on the floor or on the coffee table while they collected dust.

In the kitchen, Adrian nodded toward the table and told her to have a seat. Like her, he was dressed light for an October evening, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. Gwen sank into a chair and rested her head in her hands.

“Let me get you a drink,” he said. “You must be hungry, too.” Gwen started to argue that she wasn’t, but Adrian seemed relieved to have something useful to do, and she didn’t want to deny him the task. Instead, she watched as he poured her a glass of ice water, then grabbed a can of soup from the cabinet. “Sorry that my kitchen is far from well stocked,” he went on. “I don’t have the need to eat much at all anymore. Have you noticed that about yourself, too?”

Gwen was silent as she considered his question. Then she realized he was right. For weeks now, she’d been telling herself that she ate smaller and smaller meals in order to leave more food for Helen. When her hunger diminished in spite of her limited food intake, she was convinced it was because her body was used to getting by on less.

But as Adrian’s words registered, she suddenly knew better.

“Now that you mention it, I guess I have been eating a lot less,” Gwen admitted. Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she hadn’t spoken in a long while, and she gulped down several swallows of water.

Once Adrian had placed a bowl of hot soup before her, along with a spoon, Gwen thanked him and tried to summon up the will to eat. He sat in the chair across from hers and watched her in silence, as if he wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity to study her.

“I couldn’t stay at Helen’s anymore,” Gwen finally confessed. “Earlier tonight, I had one of those dreams.” Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she forced herself to meet Adrian’s eyes. “You know the kind. You’ve had them, too.” He nodded. “And Helen thought I was having a nightmare, so she came into the bedroom to wake me, and I…” Gwen squeezed her eyes shut, hating the memory. “I felt so cold and distant as I looked at her. So… inhuman. I was afraid I might hurt her. I ended up shoving her away from me, trying to protect her, but I’m sure I scared her to death.” She blinked back tears, thinking of how horribly she had repaid all of Helen’s kindness.

“I’m so sorry,” Adrian said in a low, soothing voice. “I know how it is to wake up from one of those dreams and feel like you’re not yourself. It’s as if a stranger has taken over your body, your mind.”

Gwen brought a spoonful of soup to her lips so she wouldn’t have to answer him. The soup tasted fine, but she still had to hold back a grimace as she ate.

“Have you heard from your parents?” Adrian asked quietly, and she shook her head. “Why did you stay here all by yourself, Gwen?”

She pushed the bowl away from her, unable to eat any more. “I didn’t leave with my parents because I couldn’t see the use in it,” she said with a shrug. “Those things are everywhere; there’s no outrunning them or getting away from them. There have been times when I’ve hated this town, but it’s all I know. I didn’t want to run to some place where I’d be surrounded by strangers, helpless and scared. I begged my parents to stay here with me, but for some reason, they were convinced the city would be safer, and they were furious when I refused to go, too.” Her lips violently trembled, yet she managed not to cry. “My parents and I were never all that close, but I do miss them.”

When Adrian reached across the table to cover her hand with his, Gwen didn’t pull away. She found his touch comforting, and she was suddenly, vividly reminded of the way she had fantasized about him earlier. Even as her face burned with shame, she longed to be close to him.

“What about you? Have you heard from anyone?” she asked, careful not to mention his wife specifically.

Adrian smiled faintly at the careful phrasing of her question. “Not a soul,” he replied. “When I was your age, I was used to living in a larger city, but then I got married, and my wife wanted to move back here to be closer to her family. I would have done anything to make her happy, so I agreed. I must say she wasn’t thrilled about me buying this property, but I reminded her that neither of us was made of money. The house was already quite old when we moved in, and we got it for a song.” He shook his head, his smile growing cold. “Now my wife and her family are gone, and I’m still here, surrounded by people who loathe me.”

“They don’t loathe you,” Gwen protested weakly. Just like everyone else, she’d heard talk around town of how Adrian had lost his faith and abandoned his entire congregation, turning to booze instead of the Bible. “And what about your parents? Or any other family?” she went on, not wanting to give him time to dwell on how much his life had changed for the worse.

Adrian let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t have any siblings, and my parents weren’t happy when I chose to enter the ministry long ago. My father had hoped I would one day take over the family business, so my decision not to ended up causing a rift between us, one that never healed. The fact that they couldn’t stand my wife didn’t help matters. I haven’t spoken to them in some time, though I’ve tried to reach out.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been all alone for so long,” Gwen said softly. In this room with Adrian, she felt like she could tell him anything, and he wouldn’t judge her. It was so strange, the deep connection the two of them already had.

“Sometimes I think I should have gone with my parents,” she revealed. “When they left, I had no money, and then I lost my job. I couldn’t find any other work around town, so I couldn’t afford to pay rent.” Gwen couldn’t meet Adrian’s gaze as she continued. “Last year, before I moved in with Helen, a friend of my father’s gave me a place to stay. He’d been divorced for a long time, so he lived alone, and he told me he had plenty of room.” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. “And then one night he came to my bed. I have to take responsibility for my part in what happened next, because I didn’t tell him no. I felt I owed it to him. And he was gentle, grateful, even. But I knew I couldn’t keep staying there. It was clear he felt guilty about what he’d done, because he gave me a few hundred bucks before I left his place for the last time. I didn’t say no to that, either.”

Slowly Adrian stood and came to stand at her side. When he stroked her cheek, she closed her eyes, relaxing into his touch. “You did nothing wrong,” he whispered. “We do what we have to. And there’s no shame in what you did, baby.”

That term of endearment he bestowed upon her, that sweet display of affection, made Gwen climb to her feet and slip her arms around him.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, and now she did cry, pressing her face against his t-shirt as her shoulders shook. Adrian rubbed her back, and when Gwen inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent, that strange, sweet smell filled her nostrils.

“You must be tired,” Adrian said. “I can’t believe you came all the way out here on foot. The bed in the guest room is made up with clean sheets.”

Gwen pulled away so she could look up at him. “Can I stay with you tonight? Please? There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep by myself.”

Adrian studied her for a long moment, and she began to fear he would say no, but then he nodded. “Of course, Gwen. Of course you can stay with me.”

* * *

Adrian was surprised at how comfortable Gwen seemed around him, especially after their conversation earlier that day, when she appeared desperate to escape his presence.

And Adrian felt a strong pull toward her as well. He wanted to comfort her and protect her, to ease the pain he saw in her eyes. This sudden fierce bond between them made him suspect that they were being controlled by forces they couldn’t yet comprehend.

Once they were in his room and Adrian turned on the lamp on the bedside table, he couldn’t resist reaching for the bourbon he’d bought earlier that day. Throughout the evening, he’d allowed himself swigs from the bottle while waiting for Gwen, hoping she would show. Now as she began to undress, he turned his back to her and took several long swallows of the whiskey. It wasn’t enough to satisfy him, but he refrained from drinking more. Instead, he put the bottle in the bedside table drawer, out of sight.

As Adrian turned back the covers, he sneaked furtive glances at Gwen. She’d grown too thin, just as he had. Without hesitation, she pulled off her jeans and then tugged her shirt over her head. Apparently, like him, her temperature ran hot at night.

Seeing her half-naked, Adrian felt his cock stir, and he quickly climbed into the bed so she wouldn’t catch a glimpse of his growing erection.

Gwen stood beside the bed but didn’t join him. She appeared uneasy, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “What if I have one of those dreams?” she finally asked.

“It’s okay if you do,” Adrian told her gently. “I know all about those dreams, Gwen. I’ll keep watch over you. I only doze at night, and for short periods.”

His words seemed to settle her nervousness, for she climbed into bed beside him, and he reached to turn off the lamp. The nightlight out in the hall, which came in handy during the nights Adrian tried to get to his room while falling-down drunk, provided enough illumination for him to make out Gwen’s form.

As they lay next to each other, she took his hand under the covers. “Thanks for letting me stay here,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to thank me; I’m so glad you’re here,” he replied. “I don’t have a lot of savings, but there’s enough left to keep the lights on in this place, and I own the property outright. You’re safe here, Gwen, and you can stay as long as you want.”

Gwen turned over on her side, facing him. “When we were talking today, you asked me if they had appeared to me yet,” she said in a low voice. He could hear the edge of fear in her words. “Who did you mean by ‘they?’ I don’t understand. I mean, I feel like I’m losing my mind a lot of the time, but no one has visited me.”

“But they have,” Adrian said sadly, wishing more than anything that he didn’t have to reveal this to her. “You might not believe me, at least not yet, but those… beings in that craft above town have visited you, Gwen. They’re the reason you’re changing now.”

Adrian heard her sharp intake of breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she insisted. “Do you know how crazy you sound?”

“Yes,” he answered immediately. “At first, I refused to believe it. But Gwen, in your dreams, haven’t you noticed those shadowy figures? They’re touching you; it’s as if they’re examining you. And then you come so hard that your orgasm wakes you.” He heard her moan of longing. “But those figures… they aren’t dreams,” he hurried on. “Soon, you’ll see them when you’re awake, too. You’ll notice these strange, humanoid forms in your peripheral vision, and of course you’ll think you’re going crazy.”

“But how can you say you’re being visited by those things?” she demanded. “You and I both could be going mad, and it would have nothing to do with that spacecraft.”

Adrian ached to hold her, to press his lips to her hair and soothe her. But he refrained, afraid she would lash out at him in her desperate struggle not to believe his words.

“I know because one of them appeared to me,” he confessed. “While I was here in this house. I hadn’t even begun drinking that day; I was completely sober, Gwen.” Adrian fell silent for a moment as he recalled what had happened, the day his life forever changed. “It was like a holographic image,” he told her. “I knew it wasn’t real, but my God, it seemed to be. And it looked like my wife, at a time when she still loved me. When we were happy.” His voice grew wistful as the memories overtook him.

Though Gwen lay inches away from him, he heard her teeth chattering, and he knew she was shivering. “What did it say to you?” she asked in a voice just above a whisper. She sounded terrified of what his answer might be.

“Through that holographic image, the being said I was chosen because my DNA can be easily spliced and used to create a recombinant form,” Adrian replied.

“What does that even mean?” Gwen cried.

Adrian shook his head in bewilderment. “I have no idea, but I’m obviously some kind of guinea pig. And apparently, from the way the being described it, I’m a rare specimen.”

Gwen hurriedly sat up in the bed, and Adrian feared she might run again. “But why did it even bother to visit you?” she asked. “Why did it tell you these things?”

“That wasn’t made clear,” Adrian said. He sat up, too, but he still didn’t touch her. “I got the feeling that these beings have their pet projects here, namely humans that fit their testing criteria and that they happen to take a special interest in. I got this sense that the being wanted to ease my fear so I would more accepting of all this.” A bitter smile pulled at Adrian’s lips. “If that was its intention, it failed.”

Gwen turned to him. “I haven’t seen anything like that,” she said.

“I think I’m further along in this… transformation than you are,” he told her gently.

“But maybe this isn’t happening to me,” Gwen insisted, her voice tinged with desperation. “I mean, I’ve just had a few erotic dreams, and my appetite’s gone down, but that could be due to stress. Maybe you only imagined that smell on me, Adrian. I can’t smell it on myself!”

It would be cruel to take that hope from her, Adrian realized. It was painful enough for Gwen to believe she might be losing her mind. But to accept the fact that she was some kind of test subject for aliens? The prospect of it seemed unbearable, especially at first. Adrian knew all too well how terrifying it was.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said to her. “I’m a drunk, and my judgment isn’t exactly trustworthy at this point.” He dared to grab her hand. “Still, we can’t tell anyone about what we’ve been experiencing. I can promise you that plenty of powerful people already know tests are being conducted on some of us humans. If they were to find out what’s happening to you and me, we’ll be dragged away from here, possibly put in quarantine…”

Gwen fell back onto the bed. “There’s no way I’d tell anyone except you about this,” she said. There was no mistaking the sob in her voice. “Whether you and I are going insane, or we’re being experimented on by aliens, no one in this shitty town can help us!”

Adrian lay back down next to her. “But you and I have each other,” he whispered. “We can get through this, Gwen.”

She didn’t argue, and she didn’t agree. Instead, she silently curled up on her side, facing him once more. “Promise you’ll stay awake until I’m asleep,” she murmured.

“I promise,” he said, glad he could do something to calm her fears.

Adrian lay in the darkness, listening to the sound of her deep, even breaths while inhaling that cloyingly sweet scent that emanated from both of them. He wondered if he would taste it if he licked Gwen’s skin.

The thought made him tense, and once again, he struggled with his desire for her. As much as he tried to focus on something else, Adrian found himself gripped by the craving to slide his tongue over every inch of her. His mouth watered when he imagined lying between her thighs, with her legs over his shoulders so he could lap at her wetness.

His erection was throbbing now, and his pulse raced as he grew even hotter beneath the covers. He considered leaving the bed and slipping into the bathroom so he could quickly jerk off, but he’d promised Gwen he would stay with her.

It was then that she began to moan. The sound was low at first, from deep in her throat, before it grew louder.

Adrian’s eyes had long ago adjusted to the shadows of the room, and he could easily see Gwen turn over on her back. He heard her breathing quicken as she spread her legs wide. When her spine arched and she started shaking, Adrian had to hold back his own moan. He knew the pleasure of those dreams, the all-consuming bliss they delivered.

He hoped she would come soon, that she would cry out with her orgasm and then quickly settle back into sleep. It was all he could do not to stroke himself. He was so fucking hard for her.

Gwen turned her head to face him, her eyes still closed. “Touch me, Adrian,” she pleaded, her voice somewhere between a moan and a cry. Yet it sounded strange, almost mechanical. “Make me come! Oh God, I need to come so bad!”

He gasped at the words tumbling from her lips, and his whole body felt as if it throbbed with his need for her. “You’re dreaming,” he managed to say, though he knew it was a lie. “This isn’t you.”