The Witch’s Ichor

Ryker's aching body bolts upright as the sound of his alarm rouses him from a fleeting nightmare. His body is slick with cold sweat. He looks down at himself: his breasts have doubled in volume. Ryker swallows a mouthful of saliva whilst staring down at himself in disbelief.

He brings a hand up to gently prod at himself, and the strangely soft squish of his own breast makes him blush. Ryker half expected it to turn him on or something, but it feels just the same as having his arm poked.

It's not as stimulating as I thought?

Ryker's train of thought is derailed when his finger brushes a nipple, and the electric tinge of pleasure mixed with irritation stops him in his tracks. He gently pinches his own nipple between two fingers, and the sensation elicits a quiet gasp of surprise.

Oh, now I get it. Wow...

The oddly fascinating sensation grips Ryker's attention as he starts to poke, pinch, and play with his own boobs. Several minutes pass like this before the sound of knocking on his bedroom door brings Ryker's fun to a stop.

Without hesitation Ryker grasps the fringes of his comforter and pulls it over his torso protectively. The door swings open to reveal his mother wearing a mildly concerned expression.

"Huh. Have you been growing out your hair?" Ryker's mother asks.

There's a brief moment where Ryker's mother traces his body with her eyes as if looking for something. Ryker feels his face grow pale as she follows the width of his shoulders and the shape of his arms. Ryker clears his throat softly while poking at his own hair. It's past his ears now.

"Uh... not intentionally?" He replies, his voice sounding hoarse.

Ryker's mother keeps her eyes glued to her son's neck and face for a few moments. She frowns slightly, and steps back into the hall while slowly pulling the door closed.

"Breakfast is downstairs, I have to head to work a little early." She says, shutting the door.

Ryker listens to the sound of his mother's footsteps receding downstairs. He lets out a held breath whilst glancing down at his frame. The width of his shoulders look narrower, and the bulk of his biceps are almost nonexistent now.

Did I get shorter?

Standing, Ryker walks over to his closet. Inside he can see himself in the mirror. With the right haircut he could pass for a tomboy, especially considering he's been reduced to 5 feet and seven inches-three inches shorter than the day prior. Heat rises to Ryker's face as he stares at himself.

After gawking at himself for far longer than he intended, Ryker grabs a loose baggy hoodie and the same pair of jeans he wore the day before. With a pair of fresh socks and his shoes on, he's ready to start the day.

~

"Dude... look at Tracy..." Derek nudges Ryker.

The nudge takes Ryker by surprise. Derek lets out a quiet whistle while eyeing the aforementioned girl. Ryker follows his gaze to see Tracy Newman, a brunette girl who shares 4th period with Ryker. Judging by the way Derek is staring, he appreciates the amount of cleavage she's leaving exposed with her top.

"Come on, cut it out." Ryker scolds him.

"What? She wouldn't be wearing that if she didn't want me to stare." Derek replies in a sleazy manner.

Derek's comment gets cut short by Theo giving him a kick in the calf and a deadpan look. Derek looks ready to kick back when Theo cuts him off.

"She obviously wore it with someone specific in mind. Not you." Theo says coldly.

Derek looks a little bitter, but clearly sees the truth in Theo's words. Jamison puts a hand on both Derek and Theo's shoulders.

"I'm all for a little discourse, but the line is moving, boys." Jamison scolds.

Derek is such an ass...

Ryker isn't paying close attention to where he's walking and steps right onto a discarded napkin. He slips on it, losing his balance.

"Ah-!" Ryker cries out.

His normally masculine voice sounds almost effeminate, so he shuts his mouth faster than he opened it.

"Woah-" Derek exclaims.

Ryker expects to feel his face smack onto tile but instead he feels a rather large firm hand pressing against his chest. The sensation of someone squishing his breasts brings warmth to his face. Ryker quickly stands up on his own two feet and pushes Derek's muscular arm away from him. Ryker's eyes can't help but flit across the arm that was just supporting him. Toned muscle and a bicep as big as a cantaloupe leave Ryker a little breathless.

"You okay? You almost ate it." Derek asks with concern.

Ryker gives a quick nod while stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets. The thick fabric hides how badly his hands are shaking. Derek is looking at him with concern rather than suspicion.

"Y-Yeah, just a little shaken up." Ryker replies nervously.

"Gotcha. Shall we?" Derek offers.

Ryker stays still for a moment before walking ahead of Derek. The smell of cheaply made food and the din of kitchen staff at work eases his nerves further. Green beans, mashed potatoes, and a hunk of turkey wind up on Ryker's lunch tray. It's pretty good for school food.

Jamison leads the quartet to their usual spot in the cafeteria, and sets his tray down. Derek slides into the seat on Jamison's left while Theo sits to Jamison's right. Ryker takes his usual spot next to Derek. The bland yet palatable food distracts Ryker from a slurry of confusing emotions. He's halfway through his food when a plastic fork lands on his tray. Ryker looks up to see Theo shaking his head.

"I've been trying to get your attention for like, a minute straight." Theo chides him.

"Sorry, my bad. What's up?" Ryker replies, lowering his voice's pitch just slightly.

"You're still coming over to my place tonight to do the physic's project, right?" Theo asks.

Realization dawns on Ryker as he recalls the promise he made just yesterday. He nods quickly whilst glancing up at the clock. Lunchtime is almost over.

"Yeah of course." Ryker affirms.

"Good, good... I'll see you out front after school, then?" Theo asks.

"Yup, sounds good." Ryker replies, his pitch getting high again.

Theo gives Ryker a weird look as Ryker's face color a little red. He fakes a cough and comes up with an excuse on the fly.

"Sorry, voice crack." Ryker lies.

The look on Theo's face says he doesn't buy that excuse, but he doesn't call Ryker out. Theo's unconvinced nod closes the conversation. Ryker goes back to shoveling food in his face until the harsh ringing of the school bell forces him to stop.

The four friends dump their trays and go their separate ways. Derek and Ryker exchange eye contact for a fleeting moment before Ryker averts his eyes. Ryker feels embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he flees into the crowd.

God that was embarrassing!

~

Theo unlocks the door to his rather bland looking house. The neatly tended garden out front serves to brighten up the otherwise plain exterior, but it can only do so much. Theo steps inside with Ryker following him close behind. Theo's mother sets down the glass of water she was drinking when she sees the two boys enter. She's a strict yet caring mother, from what Ryker knows.

"Hey Mom. Me and Ryker are gonna finish up our physics project." Theo explains.

"Alright, just focus on studying, ok?" Theo's mom says with a smile.

This causes Theo to make a face and Ryker to blush ever so slightly. Her slight chuckling reveals it was meant to be a joke, but Theo doesn't seem amused.

"I'm not into guys, Mom... jeez." Theo sighs.

"What? I didn't mean anything like that..." She replies.

Theo shakes his head while ascending the stairs. Ryker sheepishly looks away from Theo's mother while following behind Theo. Pictures of Theo and his family adorn the walls along with a few academic awards bearing Theo's name.

"So, you wanna finish up the left panel while I do the right?" Theo asks.

"Sure, sounds good." Ryker nods along.

The physics project consists of a trifold board pasted with various information and a physical demonstration of their given subject. Theo is doing most of the work while Ryker does his best to decorate and help out with the easy parts.

The soft din of the television downstairs along with the sound of cutting and writing make for a relaxing environment. Ryker's busy at work when he nicks his hand on the scissors, wincing and bringing his finger to his mouth. Theo glances over, scooting closer to get a look.

"Ah, it's fine I just cut my hand-" Ryker explains.

"Let me see." Theo cuts in.

Ryker is a little confused as Theo grabs ahold of Ryker's hand. The bespectacled boy focuses on the small gash while gently rubbing an unaffected area in an almost intimate manner. Ryker snatches back his hand with a look of betrayal.

"What the hell was that for?" Ryker asks, sounding hurt.

Theo pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose before turning to look Ryker in the eyes.

"Your hands are a lot softer than they were previously. Callouses don't just vanish." Theo calmly states.

Ryker's expression shifts to one of surprise as Theo's gaze moves from Ryker's eyes to his hair. The boy's usually timid nature is nowhere to be seen as he points at Ryker.

"Your hair has also grown abnormally fast recently, and your body is much smaller than it was previously." Theo finishes listing his observations.

"S-So what? You think I magically shrunk or something?" Ryker replies sarcastically.

Theo lets out a low chuckle that's a little too sinister for Ryker's taste. The boy stands up with a glint in his eyes as he slaps his palm onto a cork board hanging on his wall. The poster tacked onto it falls away to reveal a series of scribbled notes and drawings connected by red yarn. Ryker's jaw drops at the spectacle.

He has a conspiracy board?!

"I've figured it out. Yesterday your hair grew at an unrealistic speed, now your body has shrunk. There's only one explanation for this: That potion is changing you." Theo explains.

Ryker stares up at Theo with wide eyes as the boy's scrutinizes his body. Theo clears his throat before sitting back down beside Ryker. He has a notepad in hand and a pen at the ready. His framed eyes trace Ryker's legs as he scribbles something into his notepad.

"So, if you don't mind, could you tell me what's been happening to you?" Theo asks.

Theo's earnest expression is met with an embarrassed and surprised one from Ryker. He shakes his head, sighing as he pulls his knees to his chest. The sensation of his legs squishing his breasts is a little odd, but also comfortable.

"I um... I don't know dude, it's kind of weird and personal..." Ryker replies.

"Don't be like that, It's for science!" Theo presses him.

"I-I just don't feel comfortable saying!" Ryker denies again.

Ryker leans back a bit as Theo leans forward. The butt end of Theo's pen points towards Ryker's chest while Theo moves to his knees in an attempt to scoot closer. The action is without malice, but he's physically pressuring Ryker.

"You can't just keep this knowledge all to yourself!" Theo raises his voice.

"I said no!" Ryker shrieks.

Theo loses his balance as Ryker slides roughly into Theo's closed bedroom door. The weight of Theo's body squishes directly onto Ryker's clothes breast; his hand dropping the pen in favor of grasping for support. The sound of footsteps thumping up the stairs drains the color from both of the boys' faces. Theo's mom opens the door before they have the chance to recover.

Oh fuck.