The ascent of Kyle .. part 2

[gideon]

Did I truly possess the key to Kyle?s prison? And if I did, would I ever dare use it? Sitting there in the wet, sticky aftermath of my sexual fantasy, mulling over the prospect, I had quite forgotten about Kyle, who was waiting expectantly for me to rescue him from bathwater that was fast becoming uncomfortably cool. His shrill enquiry broke the spell.

?Be with ya in a minute?, I yelled back as I bolted for the bedroom. Quickly discarding my soiled pants and other day clothes I pulled on a pair of shorts, pausing on my way back to the bathroom to put a match to the log fire. Then I went to rescue Kyle. Wrapping him up warmly in a huge cotton bath towel, I carried him like a child into the living room, and sat down in the very chair that had just hosted my sexual fantasy. Setting Kyle?s tiny body onto my beefy thighs, I began to gently towel him dry.

This was a task normally done by his carer, so he was totally unfazed by another adult seeing his nudity. Still, there might have been expected to have been a degree of embarrassment on his part or mine, but oddly there was none. Instead, he smiled up at me, amused by my efforts at being gentle with the towel so as not to damage his frail little body.

?You can rub harder, you know. I may look fragile, but my bones won?t break ? not unless you?re planning on taking a hammer to me.?

He laughed at his little joke, his high pitched piping laughter filling the room, his face grinning like a mischievous leprechaun. I chuckled and set about drying him with rather more vigor. The task didn?t take long (after all, there wasn?t a great deal of him to dry!) whereupon I untangled his blonde curls with a comb, helped him into a voluminous white bathrobe that was several sizes too big for him, and propped him up in one of my huge chairs. Staring at him, I absent mindedly wondered if he would enjoy a Pepsi while I treated myself to my favorite 18 year old Scotch single malt.

I flinched in embarrassment. What was I thinking? Kyle might look like a child, but he was a 22 year old adult. It turned out that, not only was he happy to join me, he actually shared my taste for fine whiskies - another coincidence that intrigued me as we settled down to some conversation before bed. With my tongue now loosening nicely, thanks to a master distiller in some remote Scottish glen, it wasn?t long before I began to open Kyle?s eyes to a potentially life changing opportunity?..

My career since college has been with a pharmaceutical research facility. That much Kyle already knew. I was flattered to discover he had assumed I was a research scientist, though in fact I was nothing quite so grand. I was merely one of the lesser minions who attend to the long and painstaking business of testing the potential and safety of new chemical agents. In the course of such research, very little actually passes muster and gains approval for human use. Most of it is either totally discarded or carefully filed away for further assessment at a later date.

In this latter category was a formula thought to hold some promise in the field of muscle wasting. By the time the potential new wonder drug reached me, it was already at an advanced stage of development and exciting much interest amongst the scientists. It was my job to do carefully controlled tests on laboratory animals, to assess the results and record any unforeseen side effects. This particular job placement was to be one of the most dramatic of my career, with consequences that would be etched indelibly on my memory and on my darkest fantasies.

My working world was a laboratory lined with cages which housed an extensive menagerie of animals. But this was no zoo that was ever visited by happy families with excited children. The sole purpose of every animal in my care was to establish the consequence and any side effects of new pharmaceutical formulas under development. That didn?t prevent me relating to and becoming attached to every creature in my care, giving them pet names, and inevitably grieving when the administration of any chemical agent happened to go badly wrong.

I had been instructed to shelve all other work projects and prioritize my time on a particular formula that seemed to be exciting the researchers. Clearly it was thought to have considerable commercial potential. The usual procedure was to begin small and work up, and so my first experience of the new chemical agent was administering a course of daily injections to one of my favorite white mice, ?Mickey? (yes I know, I was never particularly imaginative with names!).

To say that Mickey showed an amazing reaction to the formula would be an understatement. In fact his response was nothing short of dramatic. When I arrived for work the day following his first dose, it was to find Mickey staring forlornly at his empty food tray. I already knew he possessed a healthy appetite, but I had never known his food tray to be totally empty between scheduled feeds. I yanked out the tray and rewarded him with a refill. As soon as I returned the tray, Mickey set about the food as though he hadn?t eaten in days. I didn?t give much thought to the situation at the time, but as the day wore on I kept returning to Mickey?s cage with more food and noted an obvious increase in liveliness and activity. By the time I fished him out of his cage for his second scheduled injection, his huge food intake was already having a noticeable effect.

?You?re gonna have to cut down on all that eating, little feller?, I laughed, ?or you?ll soon be one very fat little mouse.?

As the injections continued over the next few days, there was no let up in Mickey?s burgeoning appetite. But it was soon evident that I had been totally wrong about him putting on fat. What was happening to Mickey was far more dramatic. Daily measurements confirmed that I had a growing mouse on my hands, and while his weight was steadily increasing it was clearly not due to fat ? it was all muscle. By the end of the first week my favorite little white mouse had grown into a very large and powerful rat who was now a squirming handful every time I grabbed him for his next injection. I moved him to a bigger cage, and although there didn?t appear to be any alteration to his normally placid temperament, I decided that trapping him against the bars for injections was preferable to any further handling.

A few days later and the rat cage was utterly inadequate to contain his astonishing growth and frenetic activity. The exercise wheel lay trashed on the floor, destroyed by Mickey?s fast expanding size and strength. I watched in some alarm as my one-time little white mouse, frustrated by his containment in a woefully inadequate cage, began to apply his sharp incisors to the metal bars. I wasn?t so much concerned that he might actually succeed in chewing his way to freedom, but more for his comfort and his growing frustration. I quickly prepared a primate cage and transferred him.

That?s where he was housed when the scientists came to check up on things. To say that they were astounded by what they saw is putting it mildly. They were ecstatic, thrilled beyond measure by the dramatic effects of their formula. I overheard excited chatter about ?amazing breakthrough?, ?awesome potential? and ?military application?. I was instructed to end Mickey?s course of injections and move immediately to assess the effect of the formula upon a primate. This was cutting corners with a will and not the usual approved practice. However, I guessed that more careful assessments would follow later. And anyway, I was just as eager as the researchers to find out what would happen.

For this new phase I selected ?George?, a taciturn chimpanzee who spent most of his time moping sadly at the back of his cage. If anyone deserved a break it was George. Armed with the knowledge gained from injecting Mickey, I surprised George by immediately moving him into the laboratory?s biggest and strongest cage, bristling with strong wooden spars and all manner of toys that he merely stared at dismissively before sitting down in the corner for his usual sulk. I grinned and gave him a cheery wave.

?Oh come on, George. Don?t you know you?re the new star act in this circus??

That night in bed I dozed more than slept, unable to suppress my curiosity at how George was reacting to his initial injection. The next morning I arrived at the facility earlier than usual and unlocked the lab in some anticipation. What a let-down to discover that George did not appear to have grown a single inch, nor to be any more active and playful than usual. But at least he had stopped sulking in his corner and was ambling around his bigger cage examining his new toys. The food dish was empty. This appeared to be the only effect he shared with Mickey. Perhaps I had miscalculated the dose in relation to his greater size? I quickly ran a check - but no, my figures tallied up. Perhaps the formula would prove to be ineffective on primates, and hence also humans. Disappointed, I settled down to a day of further boring observations, administering a second injection before locking up for the night.

The next morning as I entered the lab my ears were assailed by an ape in playful mood. George was no longer sitting morosely or ambling around slowly. To my delight he was jumping about animatedly and swinging exuberantly from spar to spar. When he spotted me he threw himself at the cage door, thrusting out a hand pleadingly. Of course I knew what he wanted from me - food, and plenty of it. So I fed him, and I continued to feed him and inject him over the course of the next few days, witnessing an incredible transformation of lengthening limbs and thickening muscles. When the scientists returned during week two, their jaws dropped open at the sight of the huge and highly animated, massively muscled ape that had once been a lethargic chimpanzee. Further testing of the formula was authorized, but events were about to take an unexpected turn.

Midway thru week three I discovered Mickey lying lifeless on the floor of his cage. It was an outcome guaranteed to bring any research program to a shuddering halt pending a thorough investigation. I guessed at a couple of possibilities. Perhaps the rapid stimulation of muscle growth had overburdened his heart, or maybe the problem lay with the sudden withdrawal of injections. But, with George currently in the best physical condition of any chimpanzee I had ever seen and showing no signs of physical or emotional stress, I reckoned that Mickey?s loss might just as easily have been due to natural causes. Reaching into Mickey?s cage, I gently lifted his sturdy body into my hands, feeling a genuine sense of loss. As I lifted him clear of the cage, I could sense a pair of eyes studying my every move. Sitting in the largest, strongest cage in the lab, was a powerfully muscled ape who was now more than twice the size he had been when the experiment began. I returned George?s gaze and smiled at him sadly.

?Poor George?, I muttered to myself. ?I guess they?ll stop your injections now. You?ll never climb to the top of the Empire States Building and you?ll never get the pretty girl.?

George had experienced an awesome transformation in as many days, but I was certain that developing an ability to understand English was not one of them. Yet he reacted to my words like he knew the game was up .. and boy was he severely pissed! I jumped back in surprise as George suddenly let out a roar and launched himself at the bars of his cage. I stumbled to the floor, letting Mickey?s lifeless body slip from my grasp. As I reached to retrieve the dead supermouse, George wrapped his fat fingers around the bars and began yanking at them violently. His powerful exertions made the huge cage rock and rattle alarmingly, sending shock waves through all the other cages in the lab. George?s angry roars were joined by a cacophony of calls and screeches as all the other panicked lab animals joined in with the commotion.

Then George shifted his attention to the door of his cage and my shocked eyes witnessed the impossible. His shoulders appeared to widen and his entire upper body ripple with muscle as the solid steel bars of the door began to bend and fracture to his powerful exertions. As I reached up an arm to the lab bench above me, my fingers desperately searching for the panic button that would summons security, the cage door buckled and disintegrated. An angry simian behemoth stepped into the lab, rose to his full height and contemptuously surveyed his new domain. I crouched on the floor with Mickey?s body in my lap, unwilling to challenge the new authority that had just assumed command of my lab. Just at that, the lab door burst open and two security guards charged in, startling George into giving them a gaping roar that showed his huge canine teeth. One of the guards raised his gun and took aim at George. I jumped to my feet and started towards the guards, arms flung out in protest.

?Nooooooooo!? I yelled, ?Use the sedative darts, not the guns!?

Too late, I heard the gun?s report and twisted round in time to see George collapse to the floor, dead from a bullet thru his temple. With both of my prize specimens gone I was right back where I started with the assessment program of the muscle building formula and I?d have to begin the task all over again. But in fact I never did. It seems the George incident had rattled confidence very badly somewhere in the higher reaches of management. The bodies of Mickey and George were ordered to be incinerated without examination. Existing supplies of the formula, together with all the chemical details and research notes, were to be locked away for revisiting at some future date.

.... Having reached the end of my tale, I gazed into the dying embers of the log fire and took another sip of my single malt. Then I turned to look at Kyle, who had listened intently and without uttering a word as I recounted my story. His piercing blue eyes were fixed on me, looking particularly wide and incredulous in his shrunken face. Then he put a voice to his thoughts.

?Tell me you can get me some of that formula, John.?

?I ? uh ? Kyle, the risks ??

What was I saying? I was trying to act like I was shocked that Kyle would even consider risking his life, when I had just deliberately dangled before his eyes the prospect of freeing him from his weak, stunted body. Yet I knew I had no right to play God with unproven chemicals on another human being, especially a formula that had directly led to the death of the only two animal subjects on whom it had been tested. I shook my head.

?I don?t know, Kyle. I can get you the formula, but is that wise? It?s not been properly tested. We don?t even know yet if there are side effects that outweigh the benefits.?

?I don?t care, John?, he answered, his blue eyes now glistening with tears. ?Believe me, I?ve got precious little quality of life imprisoned in this wasted body. Can you imagine what it?s like being totally dependant on other people for my basic needs? What?s the worse that can happen? I might die, like Mickey did?? He laughed sardonically. ?That might just be an improvement.?

?You don?t mean that, Kyle?, I protested.

Slowly and painfully he peeled open the big cotton dressing gown he was wrapped in, reminding me graphically of the emaciated little body it had been concealing. I got to my feet and gently gathered him up in my arms, my heart melting at the closeness of his beautiful face and those pleading eyes still moist with tears. Abandoning all propriety I planted a kiss on his forehead. Almost immediately I spluttered an apology.

?Uh, I?m sorry Kyle ? I don?t know what came over me.?

He smiled.

?Yeah you do, John. And I really appreciate how much you seem to like me and I like you too. It?s been kind of instinctive for both of us. You can kiss me again if you want.?

My face turned red in embarrassment.

?Well actually, I picked you up to take you to bed.?

He began to giggle at my words. My embarrassment turned to confusion as I tried to think what it was I had just said that could possibly be so amusing. He slapped my forearm with his tiny hand.

?You?re taking me to bed? Wow John, you sure are a fast operator!?

At last the penny dropped. I smiled and qualified my intentions.

?Kyle, I?m putting you in the guest room and then I?m going to bed. I think maybe you should sleep on this formula thing before you make any rash decisions. Tomorrow I?ll phone in sick so I can take a look at the damage to your wheelchair and get you mobile again. Then we?ll talk some more.?

With that I carried him to the guest room and got him comfortably settled for the night. As I turned out the lights and headed to my own bed, sleep was an unlikely prospect while Kyle continued to monopolize my thoughts. My mind was filled with visions of his rapid development into the muscle god of my dreams. Any sense of guilt at how I had groomed him into taking the formula was easily crushed by my all-pervading fantasy. While the real Kyle slept in the guest room, his tiny body hardly creasing the sheets, I shared my bed with a fantasy Kyle who was a magnificently muscled colossus with an insatiable sex drive. In my imagination I ravished every inch of his magnificent body until I brought myself to a delirious, shuddering climax.

I didn?t sleep much that night. How could I with the delicious prospect of realizing my dearest fantasy now so tantalizingly close?

(more to follow)

[stiffreed]

Tantalizingly written Gideon. Let's see how far Kyle can go!

[ieny24]

Very well written. I am eagerly waiting for more!

Tho I have to say, Gideon, that I've noticed that most of your stories begin with a very exciting, strong premise - a dominant little brother, a young 'master' coming to take over someone's life, etc. - but at the end the stories never really live up to their promise. I enjoy your stories nevertheless, but I have a hunch that you're not letting yourself go all the way with your fantasies.

I may be wrong, but I think your stories will be much more exciting if you really fully incorporate the ideas and themes that seem to be the "seed" of your stories.

In any case, thanks for putting the time and effort to write this very enjoyable read.

[bribear1042]

on the second installment of Kenny's tale. As you know already, I love your writing and stories however, I will agree with ieny24. We both may be wrong but at least I enjoy your creations and will enjoy whatever road Kyle ends up taking.

[arpeejay]

More, please, and soon!

xoxo

Richard

[philat99]

As always, Gideon, a most absorbing story. I particularly enjoy the possibilities that scientific research offers, particularly in muscle growth.
Mike