You are further engulfed into a sense of oncoming dread as the darkness completely blinds you, suddenly struck by realization.
The clothes you wore were from another human, not just spare clothes...
Which meant…
This storage room was a place to keep clothing when people were transformed into latex animals.
To hide evidence...?
You begin to feel nauseous, struggling to stand still. You bring a clawed hand to the silver hoodie you had been given and gently caress it. Yet your hand clenches around the fabric, claws threatening to tear the delicate cloth apart.
Could you stay sane knowing that these clothes had belonged to a previous victim?
Who had this belonged too?
What were they now?
Within the darkness you could make out the silhouettes of your companions. In your stupor you had forgotten they were there.
“Alex…” Jessie shakily calls, squeaks resound as Alex pulls her closer to himself to reassure her. He experimentally smells another shirt and recoils from it's thick scent.
“These clothes… They smell because their owners were running from something.”
“But why the differing fashion choices? There's no way this could go on for five years unnoticed!” Denial crossed her face as she examined the piles of clothes.
The room fell silent again.
“I need to tell you all something.” Sam states unusually stern. Your eyes dart to her slender form, barely outlined within the dark shadows.
There is no playfulness in her expression.
“Remember when I said that I had only been here for a ‘few hours?' That was a lie." Her voice trails off and her eyes close. She sighs again.
“I've been here for two years.”
“What?!” Alex roars, quickly covering his mouth. "Explain yourself!"
Sam gives a serene smile.
“Hard to believe, isn't it? That something like this could be happening for so long, unnoticed too.” Her eyes drop down to her breasts. A hiss from you makes her eyes lock with your own.
You gaze at her calmly. “Go on.”
She appears to hesitate, but nods.
“The night my ex-boyfriend got transformed wasn't just the night of our breakup. It was night of our anniversary as well. We had been together for three years.”
“That night, we had a fight. A violent one. Found out the bastard had been cheating on me. It was in the middle of a dark empty street. A perfect opportunity for a latex animal to strike.”
“Before we got physical, a green lizardman attacked us.”
Your eyes glint.
A green lizard?
Nostalgia clouds your thoughts. Why did it seem familiar?
“It melted all over him. I couldn't do anything. If anything, I believed it was a good thing it happened to him.”
“What did he turn into?” Alex asked, a hint of fear in his voice. Sam looked at the tiger, her eyes piercing through him.
“It's quite obvious really. It's the one who ate and transformed your friend. The one who captured Martin. The one who cornered you.”
Alex's jaw dropped. “The… purple wolf?”
She nodded. “After his transformation, he and the lizard left, as if not noticing I was there. But…”
“I couldn't let something like that go unchecked, even if I wanted to beat his sorry ass to a pulp. What kind of person could walk away after somebody is attacked and changed into a rubber animal?”
“So I followed the pair to this very mansion, not knowing what hell I'd fall into. The mad dragon caught me and had the wolf, my ex, turn me into a sex crazed mess.” She brought a hand to her stomach, massaging it. A hint of sadness lay within her eyes.
“Wait… You both are the same color though.” Alex's head tilted as he noted the obvious similarity in color.
“Tch, I suppose we are. Probably did it to taunt me. Probably marking me as his 'property’ or other rubbish.” Sam's eyes drift down her to arms, face twisting in discontent.
Alex merely shakes his head. “No, I think it's more than that. He probably still had some love for you… Maybe he made you the same color as himself as a sort of… umm… love...?” Sam scoffs and glares into the tiger's eyes.
“Hah! Don't make me laugh. Like that purple bastard could ever grasp what love is.”
“We've been here for two years. His coherent thoughts are probably long gone, swallowed up by the latex. For all I know, the drones that crave sex could simply have been people transformed and broken long before us.”
“Why are you just now telling us this?” Jessie questions, her arms crossed. The lizardwoman grew quite.
“Because I didn't know two years passed by so quickly.”
“Do you understand how many times I've been forced to have sex here? How many transformations I've witnessed? How much torture I've seen?”
“I probably lost my sanity long ago, losing my sense of time in the process. It was only thanks to you I regained it.” She points to you, an unsure hiss escaping your lips.
“I think I'm about to lose mine…” Alex grumbles as he fidgets with the tight shirt against his chest. “I think being naked would be better than wearing somebody else's clothes… Especially since--”
“The sweat probably will bring us unwanted attention. It most likely would be better for us to go naked…” Sam ponders, cutting Alex off and grinning mischievously as he glares back.
“But… perhaps we can use this to our advantage.” She exclaims, bringing a finger to her jaw.
You and the two teens shoot her a curious look, causing her to chuckle.
“Oh please Martin, it's quite obvious. I'm surprised you of all people aren't able to grasp it!” A playful grin crosses her maw as she points a claw to your groin, causing you to pull the hood over your face in mortification.
“The sweaty human scent from these clothes will attract attention to us, allowing you to give your essence to the drones and restore their sanity. If we're lucky we may even get that friend of yours.” She looks to Alex, nodding.
“There's zero chance these clothes will ever be worn by their original owners again, so we may as well put them to use. I'm sure they won't mind.”