Oakswood 8

[Demandred]

Here it is... I should probably think about typing up the loose ends. Input appreciated, and enjoy this little gap between Christmas and the New Year.

- Dem




Oakswood 8


“What was that?” Sophia asked.

“Uhh, nothing...” I began, and I didn't stop with the thrusting. I felt energised, and hopefully Sophia would be too happy with the situation to mind.

“It was something. I felt it.”

“You're killing the mood here. Just relax and-” I broke off as I felt the jolt again, and I came in Sophia. We stared at one another with wide eyes, but I wasn't really looking at her. It felt so good, unlike any other time, and I had trouble closing my mouth. I think I was there for half a minute blowing my load, and when I stopped I felt weak. I'd not felt so weak for a long time. Sophia pulled herself out, getting down and guiding me to sit down against the wall.

“Nathan, are you alright?”

“Fuck!” Was all I managed. Maybe it was Kane's influence. Sophia sat down next to me, clothed once more. I remained blissfully naked, but weak as a lamb. That was how Kane found us.

“Where's the food?” He asked.

“Nathan's feeling tired. He came too quick, but it wasn't his fault and now he's gone all weak.” There was nothing like the honest truth, was there...

“That's not good.” Kane sat next to me. I felt like I was just watching the scene, instead of taking part in it.

“No, I don't know why he's gone all wobbly on us.”

“I meant the coming too soon.”

Sophia sighed. “Maybe he just needs food. Come on Kane. I'll start the food, you get his trousers back on.”

I just leaned back and watched as Kane got my sweats and tried to get them on. I had enough trouble putting them on myself, so to see Kane struggling didn't surprise me. He couldn't even lift one of my thick legs to put them on. In the end, he got my blanket and put that over me. Then he and Sophia cooked, the pair of them looking at me with concern. I couldn't even shrug back to let them know I was alright, just... out of energy. I wanted to move, don't get me wrong, but even the effort to talk was too much.

“I think he just needs food. Here.” Kane kneeled next to me with a banana. Oh, of all the things... I ate it when he pressed it against my mouth, and felt a little better for it. “See? He's just hungry. There's lots of him to energise, isn't there.”

I don't really remember much after that. I fell asleep I think, because the next thing I remember is a blur of being stuffed with food and teleported to my bed for the night. Kane didn't seem to resent the dozing session he had after dropping me off in my bed, but he complained of a static shock before he left.

I had the strangest dream that night. I was stood in Andy's room, at least it was his before he died, and the floor was still covered in blood. When I turned around, Geoff was stood there and Kane was shrugging his shoulders in the background. I could hear Sophia shouting something...

... then I woke up, and Kane was asleep on my chest. Just a dream

Andy, I thought as I looked up at the ceiling. Wendy had killed him, before her powers were squashed in their murderous tracks anyway. I took a deep breath, watching Kane float away from me. When I exhaled, he came back down, still unaware of my little game. What if it had been Kane that had happened to? I didn't like to think of that. I was surprised at how immediately protective I felt, but then again it was Kane. We spent nearly all our free time together. He was my bitch. Sophia could look after herself, but Kane... his bark was worse than his bite. He could do nothing but teleport away when things got dangerous. How horrible it had to be, I mused as he dangled on my chest. All he could ever do was run away when his tongue didn't work.

Then there was that static shock I felt. What was all that about? Thinking of my Mum's little gift only reminded me of Geoff, which kept me up for the rest of the night.

***

January slid by, and I was surprised with how... normal.. things were in the corridor. Andy's room was emptied, and it remained empty for some time. I heard Harry trying the door the night it was cleared, pawing at the wood. Kane tried to pull me away from my door but he just looked so... pathetic. It was sad really, and it only hardened my resolve to ignore Wendy. Was losing her awesomely powerful power enough to redeem her?

“You worry about it too much,” Kane told me one night. “Just forget about it.”

“You sound like Kyle,” I replied. But I had no other choice, so I put the first term's events behind me as I worked on my coursework and tried not to squash anyone. When I tried to phone home nobody answered, and I had no intention of seeing Geoff any time soon.

I was heading upstairs after a trip to the shop when I met Wendy in the corridor.

“Nathan!” She looked surprised, in her long dress with her hair flowing. She pushed up her thick glasses – a recent acquirement it seemed – and dithered in the middle of the otherwise empty corridor. “Umm. How are you? You look good.”

“I'm alright, thanks.” I held up a bag of peanuts. I couldn't stand them, but Kane was doing an essay and I thought he would appreciate them. “Just got Kane's nuts.” I realised what I'd just said, but Wendy simply smiled.

“How is he?”

“He's ok as well.” I shifted my feet, feeling clumsy again. It was a feeling I was getting over, or so I thought. “Well, I should probably go.”

“Of course!” Wendy stepped aside to let me past. But as I set off she grabbed my hand; I turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“You can't stop me, remember? Super strength and all.” I pulled my arm towards me, the girl skipping a step closer. The hair on my arms was on end.

“Just listen to me Nathan, I can't keep quiet when I see you around school all the time."

“Eh? This is the first time I've seen you since...”

“You might not have seen me, but I'm under 6 feet tall and weigh about a third of what you do!” Wendy moved closer, peering up at me through her lenses. “I didn't kill Andy. You might not believe me, not after everything that's happened, but please... it wasn't me. It wasn't!”

“It's too late for this,” I said shortly. “If it wasn't you, who was it? Andy's dead anyway.”

“Think, Nathan! You're not an idiot!” Wendy was trying to shake my arm in frustration, but it didn't budge.

“I think I am, for listening to this!” I tugged myself away, but as I did I felt a sudden pain in my stomach. It was like a cat was clawing its way out, and every scratch was burning and infecting the rest of me. I fell back against the wall, clutching my chest and trying not to be sick. The feeling went away as suddenly as it came, but the feeling it left had me retching still. I realised I was covered in sweat, and that I'd thrown up. Wendy was rubbing my broad back, her lip trembling.

Kane suddenly appeared next to me. He looked like he'd been crying. Kane, crying? I might have just had a funny turn, but I noticed that.

“Oh Kane, what's wrong?” Wendy asked. The guy turned to look up at me, ignoring Wendy.

“It's Sophia. Oh, god, Sophia! Come on, quick...”

“Sophia?” Wendy and I chorused. Kane glared at her, but his eyes were watering. I headed for the corridor, taking the stairs two at a time. My nausea was forgotton as I threw the door open to the corridor, and recoiled at the stench of blood. Kane was already there, outside Sophia's door with the rest of the flat.

“What...?” Wendy asked from behind. I didn't realise she had followed me. Dropping the door which had been torn off its hinges in my haste, I waded through my friends to see what it was.

“There was this great static feeling, it had my hair on end,” Kane said quietly. “Then we heard screaming... and there she is.” I straightened up and went into Sophia's room as calmly as I could. She was sprawled out on her bed, and there was the acrid smell of... I sniffed, trying to filter the stench of blood... burning. Burning flesh, and something else. She was breathing, but Sophia's stomach was a bloody mess. A very bloody mess.

“Kane, get her down to the nurse! Why did you wait for me to see her?” The hair on my arms was downright shaking now, and when I grabbed Kane's arm I felt that static shock again. “Get her down there, now!”

“She's not gonna make it...” Kane began to blubber, and any other time I would have held him in my arms and told him it was going to be alright. Right then though, Sophia was counting on him.

“If she dies in her room it's your fault, Kane! You hear me? Your fucking fault. Get your ass in there right now and teleport her!” I shoved him into the room, following him and putting his hand on Sophia's arm. There was no blood there, which couldn't be said for most of her. I pulled back, and suddenly the pair were gone.

“We tried to tell him,” Kyle said from outside. I wasn't listening, though. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, rubbing them with my hands. “He only listens to you.”

“Shut up Kyle.” It came out as a mutter, but I knew he could hear it.

“What are we going to do, Nathan?” Jennifer asked.

“People are dying!” Harry added, as if I didn't know that already.

“Ivan. The person in the bonfire. I bet you didn't get his name though when you killed him, did you Wendy?” Colette asked.

“Colette...” that was also supposed to be a mutter, but I guess my dislike for her had me all irrational. I nearly knocked Corey over as I thundered my way to her, Sophia's doorframe falling foul to my shoulders. I pinned Colette up by her neck against the wall so she at my height, and it took more than just immense willpower to leave it at that.

“Nathan!” Wendy gasped.

“What's your power Colette?” I demanded in ragged breaths. “Tell me what your fucking power is!”

“Nathan man, calm down you'll hurt her!” Kyle was tugging at my arm, trying to pull me off. I pushed him away.

“Prove you didn't kill Andy and try it with Sophia. You'll prove it or i'll take your smart-assed head off!”

“I didn't do anything, you great freak!” Colette managed from her new prison. She clung to my arm, to support her throat. “You want to know my power? You want to know so badly?” I saw her eyes flash silver as she suddenly turned clear. I could see the wall through her. Then I realised my hold on her was cutting into my hand. I let go with a shout, and before she hit the floor Colette was human again. “I can turn into glass. Do you know how horrible it is, knowing that when I'm glass I'm frozen solid? And that if I break, it's so painful to make myself human again that it takes hours to do? No, you don't. Because you're the bull in the china shop aren't you!” She sneered up at me, and grinned at the blood pouring from my hand. “So there you go. If I tried to kill someone they'd just push me over and that would be the end of it.” She marched to her room and closed it with a bang.

I looked at her door blankly, trying to process everything that had happened. There was a killer out there – again – and it wasn't Wendy. It wasn't Colette. Who was it?

“Nathan?” Wendy asked timidly. “I.. umm...” She held up some bandages. I offered her my arm, aware of the pain from the cuts to my hand and wrist but uncaring as she wrapped them up tenderly. It was my writing hand, too. What a pain.

“You shouldn't have done that,” Kyle said. He sounded calm, but his fist was curling and uncurling wildly. “You deserve those cuts.”

“Hey, Kyle,” I said as he went to his room, “Do you still think we should mind our own business about these murders? This wasn't Wendy, and I'm willing to bet she didn't have Andy either.” Wendy gave my arm a pat.

Kyle turned as he opened his door. “Do what you want. Super Nathan to the rescue.” He shut his door, and everyone in the corridor was silent for an awkward moment. Harry slipped back to his room, and Corey and Jennifer went back to his. Wendy hugged my waist until Kane returned, his cheeks red and his eyes shining.

“She'll be ok.”

“I know,” I realised. “Kane. Don't call me weird, but... I felt it happening. I felt the static, and I felt her stomach being ripped out from the inside.”

“No.” Kane went to his room, slamming the door.

“What?” I followed him, pushing the door open. He'd locked it. Was he that jarred? “This is what happened with my Mum. That static shock... it happened to me and Sophia, and it connected us. And us two as well, Kane. How did you know where to find me in the whole fucking school?” I took the peanuts out my pocket and threw them at him. “Did you feel my hand as Colette cut it as well?” From the way Kane was rubbing it, I think he did.

“Me and Sophia aren't...”

“No, but I'm linked to you both now.” I shrugged and went to my room, leaving him to his own thoughts. People would be there to clear Sophia's bedding, and I didn't want to see that. Wendy, I left to go back to her own flat.

Sleep didn't happen that night. I just inconvenienced my bed by laying on it. My clock ticked from 5 to 6 to near midnight.

That was when I felt Sophia die.

There was no pain, this time. There was surprise, as Sophia was faced with her killer. However she was killed, it was painless.

“Kane... KANE!” I rolled out of bed, and lumbered to his room. Kane was asleep, but my shouting woke him. “Kane, check Sophia. She's been killed!” Kane looked confused, but he did as I said. I leaned against the door frame and shook uncontrollably. She was dead. The hair on my arms, my head, my legs, it was almost quivering. I felt her loss more keenly than any other person yet.

I had to do something. I went into the kitchen and raided my fridge, eating without paying attention to what it was in my mouth. Raw meat joined salad, milk met eggs, the mayonnaise coupled with the block of cheese. It didn't make me feel better, but at least I was doing something.

“Nathan...” Kane flicked the light on as he came in. “You were right.”

“I know.” I said it slowly, quietly, into the cheese spread tub I was eating from.

“We have to find who killed her. And Andy. We have a clue, though.”

“What?” I finally turned to look at him. “What is it Kane?”

“Come see.” Kane put the small clear bag on the table, and I found the energy to get up and look. Standing next to Kane, I eyed the bag. It contained a lock of black hair.

“That was on her body, just left there?” I looked down at Kane, and he was gaping at me.

“Oh shit, Nathan. You grew again didn't you?”

“What? No I didn't,” I began. I hadn't felt any growing. But then I looked down at myself in time for the bandages around my wrist to snap off. They'd been getting tighter without me realising.

“No,” Kane agreed. “You're still growing!”

“I can't be,” I told him, “I can't feel it!” But it was happening, as my tight shirt confirmed as it tore down the middle. I simply ripped the thing off, my mammoth pecs dying to be displayed. My already wide shoulders looked even wider when I checked them, and my fingers were parted as I rested my hand on my biceps.

“You're massive.” Kane breathed, tugging my shorts off. “Enormous.”

“I have to see.” I opened the door and stopped a moment as I saw how close to the top of the doorframe I was. My hair brushed it as I went through, and to get through I had to turn my arms. I had the same problem getting into my room, and when it came to looking in the mirror my body parts had to take turns. Kane stroked my legs as I checked myself out. My feet were huge, but they were the appropriate foundation for the rest of me. I didn't know what they were called, but the diamond shaped muscles on my legs were bulging like a normal guy's quads. As for my own, they were... I gripped at them with my hands, amazed at the size yet their definition. The way I stood had to accommodate for their sheer thickness. It did give room for my cock to hang though, and that was... another feel, and I confirmed that it had grown alongside the rest of me. Kane's hands on my ass told me I had the perfect bubble butt going on.

My waist wasn't small, pushing at 38 inches at least. But compared to my huge upper body, I still had the amazing V shape which I liked in other guys. My layer of brick-like abs stood beneath my huge pecs. Without the mirror I wouldn't see them at all, no matter how much I strained to look over my chest. My shoulders and traps gave me the seriously muscular look. You know, the one which screamed “massive”, as if my huge arms didn't. The heaving biceps got my attention first. My forearms and equally big hands had me grinning as I looked down at Kane.

“You get hotter every time,” Kane breathed. He had a hand down his boxers, and the other was rubbing my abs. I laughed and picked him up under the shoulders. He tried wrapping his legs around me, but when he tried it with his arms as well he didn't look comfortable. I kissed him and put him down, going to lie down on my bed. It was still on the floor from my last growth spurt, but it creaked good-naturedly as I got comfortable. My feet hung off, and my arm felt like it was going to hang off despite the other one touching the wall.

“You're not just a Big guy, you're a giant” Kane said as he got on top of me. He did it carefully, but I hardly felt it in a painful way. Instead, every brush against my skin had my erection going. Kane settled himself in his usual position, though of course that changed every time I grew. I let him find his new niche, though he had to lean over to kiss me. “You feel like you're made of concrete.”

“Doesn't stop you from lying on me,” I said. Kane seemed to vibrate from the rumble of my voice.

“That's because you're mine.” Kane wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me. He wriggled as my straining cock tickled against his thighs, but he didn't stop kissing me. I found that, as horny as I was, I still didn't want him to stop. To just be with him was enough.

Shit. I think I was falling in love.

***

The amazing sex aside, there was still much to consider. Kane was still dozing on my chest as I pulled the blanket over us and we talked about what to do.

“We have the black hair,” Kane murmured into my warm body. “That's something to go by. And we know how she was killed.”

“Yeah.” I tilted Kane's chin up so he was looking at me. “We'll get revenge for Sophia, I promise. And Andy, too.” Kane always said I had nice eyes, but right then as I looked into his I just wanted to make all his hurt go away. I only knew one way of doing that, though.

“We can't do this on our own. We need help from other people.”

“Like who?”

“Corey can open any door. That comes in handy when I can't go somewhere.” Kane wiped his eyes and sat up. “Then there's us. I can't teleport you but I can Corey, and you could stop a fucking tank if it tried to run over you.” Just the image was getting me hard – mostly because it was likely to be true.

“Anyone else?” I asked.

“Not that I can think of. Jennifer and Kyle and Harry are all pretty useless.” Kane sighed, and rubbed a hand across his eyes. “Sophia would have known what to do.”

Maybe she would. I didn't know what to say, so I just let the silence smother us.

“You know if I die...” Kane said after we were quiet for a while. “You'll grow again won't you?”

I thought about it. “That must be how my Mum's power changed,” I said eventually. “I get connected to you, and then my power grows stronger when you get killed. How twisted is that.”

“You're the one who broke the repressor,” Kane reminded me. “In a roundabout way, it's your fault you grew again.”

“I'll accept responsibility for that,” I said with a grin. That was the moment Kane began to nuzzle at my thick neck, and for the rest of the night I could forget about our new mission.

Technically, it was still nighttime at 6am when my door was thrown open. It was the Sec.

“The Headmaster wants to see you.” He didn't even mention the stench of sweat and sperm, or the fact that Kane was stuck to my side as naked as the day he was born. “He's in his office.”

Kane rolled onto the floor as I got up, but I put him back in bed. He was still sleeping, the lazy bastard. I tucked him in before looking around for something to wear. My usual problem. At least I didn't pay for these clothes, I supposed as I tugged them on. As I went out into the lit corridor I realised that getting dressed in the dark wasn't a good idea. The salmon pink shirt plastered on my chest clashed with the dark green trousers which had actually been baggy before. I wore sandals, as every good student should, but they were too small as well. I lost them on the way down to the Headmaster's office. I knocked over the typical suit of armour too, but I feigned to notice this. The Sec had gone off elsewhere, so I wasn't caught.

“Come in Nathan,” the Headmaster called as I approached the door.

“How did you...?” I began, shutting the door to the office behind me. The Headmaster was sat by the fire, smoking a pipe and wearing that dressing gown worthy of a porn star. Did he have psychic powers or something?

“I heard you crashing your way here from the fourth floor. Don't worry about the armour either. Just sit down.” The Head motioned to a chair, one of those which I fit in just fine when my power first manifested.

“I think I'll stand.”

“The chairs hold Geoff.”

“I'm not him.”

“Oh really?” The Head asked lightly, raising an eyebrow.

“Why am I here?” I asked, still not sitting down.

“I just wanted to talk, that's all.” The Head held up the slim booklet. It was on Sophia's page, judging by the picture. “Another person in Flat D, killed.” I didn't know what to say. The Head handed me the book, letting me read her page. In the picture Sophia was holding a sparkler on bonfire night. How did they get these pictures?

“She had quite the little gift, didn't she.” The Head said with a small smile. “Pretty, until someone attacked her.”

“Someone killed her,” I told the Head. “What are you going to do about it?”

The Head shrugged. He actually shrugged at me. “I know who killed her.”

“You... do?” I asked.

“I do.” The Head repeated. “But, as you can tell, we haven't caught him yet.”

“It wasn't Wendy though.”

“No. This guy's a tricky one. Slippier than Kane teleporting everywhere.”

“Why haven't you nabbed him?” I asked. If they had, then Sophia might not have been killed.

“Because until now, nobody's been strong enough. Not even your father.”

“Geoff.”

“Your father.” The Head grimaced and puffed on his pipe, watching the fire crackle. When he looked back at me he seemed neutral again. “It's a guy training to be a teacher. He specialises in History, and he's called Adam Rowland. He has the power to clot your blood, if he's touching it.”

“That is so fucked up. How did he get into Sophia's...”

“He stabbed her, then put his hand through. I'm surprised he didn't kill her right away, but she was a fighter.” The Head didn't seem to mind, but I didn't like the talk about blood. “You should know... you were connected to her, weren't you?”

“Eh? How do you know about that?”

“Think, Nathan! Honestly, you're as bad as him sometimes. You mother came to see Geoff the night she was here. She used her power on Geoff, and now he can't touch anyone else in case he shocks them. Imagine how awkward that would be with a student.”

“Ah. Uhh. Sorry.”

“It's hardly your fault. Well, it is, but we didn't know what was going to happen. This place has been getting more and more chaotic now that blasted thing's broken, people with strange new powers all over again. But that's digressing. I want you to detain this man, and kill him if you have to.”

This was easier than I thought it would be. Kane and I were going to go on a hunt, and the Headmaster had pointed the cave out and told us to go for it. Who was I to argue?

“Well, alright then. How do you know it's him though?”

“We learned, after Wendy's little spree, to invest in CCTV in the corridors and the offices. Just remember that next time you face a painting to adjust yourself.”

“Err. Alright. So how are we going to do this then?”

“We know he goes out walking around the lake every other night. You intercept and do your thing. Take Kane with you if you want to.”

“Ok. I'll... let you know when I've done that then, I guess.” I turned to leave, but the Head wasn't finished.

“Don't you want anything in return?” He asked. “Nothing? I'm not asking you to fetch me some milk from the shop. This guy is a killer.”

“He's probably half my weight. I'll deal” I told him over my shoulder.

“That's not the point. I've been talking to my friend in America, and he owes me a favour. If you can stop Adam by Thursday night, I can have him bring Sophia back to life.”

“What?” I turned around, gaping at the man. “You know someone who can revive the dead?”

“It's not Final Fantasy, Nathan. You have to be quick. This is something which my friend can't do very often, and I could have left that part out. Honestly. You shouldn't do anything for free.” The Headmaster tossed his pipe into the ash tray and leaned back in his chair. “Do you want to talk to Geoff?”

“No. I'm going back to bed. Which needs replacing, by the way. I kinda broke it.”

I returned to my room assured that I'd get a better bed, and wondering if the Head really could have Sophia revived. I guess it was a special power, if someone did actually have it, though I couldn't help but wonder what made Sophia more important than Andy or the other people who died. It had to be a pretty difficult thing to do.

Did I tell Kane? As I got back into bed, putting him on top of me, he gave a little grunt. His bristly chin tickled my chest, sending the usual signals to my penis. It was still dark. We can talk about it tomorrow, I decided as I drifted to sleep.

[MysteriousMist]

Ouch... One thing gets resolved, and another problem takes its place, huh? Still, time's going to be an issue now.

Still, I guess he was moving on from Sophia's death rather quickly. Hard to think of it, but I guess they'd be slightly desensitized to it all with most of the insanity that's been happening already.

Nice chapter on the whole. I wonder how the new problems that show up can be resolved now.

[philat99]

And the plot continues to thicken - blood red. What's with Nathan being so nonchalant about killing the killer. It's not as though he's done it before. But then, this fantasy gets more fantastic with each installment, and I'm enjoying every moment of it. You've got a great plot going there.
Mike

[Jaypat]

A lot of homicidal people with supernatural powers killing each other off. Cool.

No, seriously this is a great story and I am enjoying it much more than I enjoy most of the novels I read. The characters are great, especially Nathan and Kane.

I look forward to each new installment, and I hope there mare many, many more.

[ldaniel13]

I've always been a big fan of yours, and this story is especially good. I have not felt well enough to post for awhile, but I had chime in to say that you are doing a really great job here. Keep going.

[digger]

Originally Posted by Jaypat

A lot of homicidal people with supernatural powers killing each other off. Cool.

No, seriously this is a great story and I am enjoying it much more than I enjoy most of the novels I read. The characters are great, especially Nathan and Kane.

I look forward to each new installment, and I hope there mare many, many more.

Two thoughts here: First, this series is very character-driven. It has been very rewarding for that. Second, the premise leaves you wide-open to revisit this universe many times even after you have put the Oakswood series to bed. That prospect might not appeal to you as you might grow tired of writing about it, but I hope you find ways down the line to keep this world going.

Thanks, Dem.