It's time to go camping. What will happen when everyone gets comfortable with their costumes?
     

     
--- another week goes by ---
     
      “Okay, I’m here. I want to get into my wings before it gets dark and I can’t fly. Hey! Wait a minute, where’s my feathers? I want to fly!”

      “The same place all the costumes are at Amy, out at the cabin. I had them taken out ahead of us so they’d be there for everyone to put on first thing in the morning.”

      “But Brian, then I can’t fly out there tonight before it gets dark,” Amy pouts.

      “I know, and I can’t gallop. And Susan can’t swim. But that also means that first thing in the morning when we put the costumes on our twenty-three hour time limit starts then instead of tonight and we don’t have to mess around with getting out of our skins in the middle of the day when we want to be out doing things.”

      “Well, if you put it that way I suppose it makes some sense. Some. We could have just taken them off again for the night ya know.”

      “Maybe. Would you have gotten out of your beloved feathers after only a couple hours with them on?”

      “Okay, probably not,” Amy admits. “At least I still have my headpiece I can wear.”

      “And you’ve managed to not lose it and even kept it looking clean and well groomed through all of the packing and moving,” Brian says as their other friends walk in.

      “Nice apartment by the way,” Jun tells Amy.

      “Thanks. And thanks to everyone for the help with getting everything moved. I’ll have to do something to thank you all later.”

      “Did I hear right? You sent our costumes off without us?” Peter inquires.

      “Yep, sure did.”

      “Well darn. I was kinda looking forwards to seeing how well my scales would hold up to the trek getting out there.”

     Susan gives Peter a questioning look that he notices.

      “What? My tail has grown on me and I like having it on. Maybe not to the point that Amy or even you do, but yea, I like it.”

      “Okay,” Susan says with a grin. “I admit I was looking forwards to being able to swim the long way around to the private lagoon myself. But oh well, no scales for us.”

      “Your hair is still that wonderful blend of purple though,” Amy notes.

      “I know, and it’s holding up really well too. I haven’t noticed any fading yet.”

      “So how did our piles of fur, feathers, carapace, and scales get out there?” Jun asks as she prods Brian in the back.

      “George and Rebecca took them along with all the supplies they packed out for the cabin this morning. The two of them are going to stay at the cabin while we are out camping. They’ll be there to cook and take care of things when we spend time at the cabin itself. And they can be an emergency backup to at least make the call to emergency services in case something happens.”

      “Oh good, I love Rebecca’s cooking. Better than anything the rest of us can do that’s for sure. And how are we going to get out there?”

      “A couple of the Land Rovers. We’ll leave them at the cabin for George or Rebecca to use. Again as an emergency transport or if they need to come back to the main ranch for something that we decide we just can’t live without.

      “Anyone need to load up a suitcase?” Brian asks.

      “Seriously?” Amy laughs out loud.

      “I don’t think there’s going to be much worry about doing laundry after this camping trip,” Pete comments with his own laugh. “I know I didn’t bring any more clothes than what I’m wearing right now and a long bath robe for decency when I don’t have my tail on. Otherwise I don’t particularly see any need for clothes myself.

      “Anyone else bring clothes?” he asks looking around the room.

      “Nope, not a stitch. I’ve got a few extras to take care of my furry butt like brushes and combs, but clothes are right out,” Jun states.

      “Try and get me out of the water,” Susan announces firmly.

      “Your power chair and the patient hoist are down there if you want them. And we are going to invite you up to the campsite each night and morning for the campfire. It’s up to you if you want to be anti-social or not,” Brian smirks.

      “As for me, I do have a few small bits of clothing so I’ll have a little bit of laundry afterwards. I’ll want and need to have something to hold up the girls for two weeks after all.”

      “Give me my feathers and I’ll be happy and content. I know I brought along my other usual camping gear, and from the sounds of it so did the rest of you if I’m guessing correctly from the noises of things being dropped outside that I heard. But yea, clothes were so not on my packing list for this,” Amy says with a grin.

      “Then let’s get it all loaded up and start rolling on out to the cabin. We should get there just in time for a late dinner. Knowing Rebecca she’ll have a solid meal waiting on us.”
     
     
--- three days later ---
     
     
     The low beeping of an alarm wakes Amy from her sleep. She stretches her wings out as she lets a yawn escape then she hops down from the log she is using as her perch.

      “Mmmm, time to get up. Didn’t think I’d be able to get used to sleeping standing up like that but it’s really comfortable when I’ve got talons.”

     She taps the button on her battery powered clock to stop the alarm using the small claw on her wing that is connected to her thumb joint.

      “I’m glad they included this claw in the design. It lets me handle at least a few things on my own, and without it I’d never be able to get my wings off so I can get out of my feathers every day.

      “Time to get out of the suit for an hour I suppose. It’s so comfortable though, but they were really specific to drill into our heads that we absolutely can’t go past twenty-four hours in them. I wish they’d have been a bit more specific about why. Just telling us it would be bad is kinda stupid. I mean, tell us what could happen to scare us or something. ‘It’s bad’ could be something as bland as the power cells dying and having to be totally replaced.”

     Bringing one wing in close while partially extending the other she awkwardly reaches up into her armpit. It takes her a couple of tries to hook the claw into the right spot to begin releasing the seal between the wing and her body. Once that wing begins to come loose she reverses the process and with a few more tries gets her other claw up into the right spot under the other wing as well. With both wings loosened she carefully works her arms out and drapes her wings over the log like two long, feathered capes. The body suit is loosened up to get to the top edge of her raptor talons just below her knees and one at a time her human feet appear where she still remains standing on her toes. Pulling the headpiece off Amy reaches down between her legs and works something loose with a quiet pop then slides the body up over her head and reveals a nearly naked body. The only part of her skin that isn’t exposed is a waist to mid thigh section.

      “I’m still surprised at how the body sleeve got integrated into the costume itself. I get the feeling they were just as surprised. It’s made getting dressed and undressed easier and quicker at least. All I have left is this skin tight bike shorts thing that holds the internal tubing and that other thing in place.”

     She opens a small bag and pulls out the device to help her remove the vaginal insert. Placing the end of it at her private opening she pauses.

      “This is the worst part of the whole dressing and undressing and the biggest hassle. It’s so uncomfortable pulling and pushing that thing through my vagina, and it’s not at all uncomfortable once it’s in. And it’s not like I have to plug it into a power outlet to recharge the battery either. You know what, forget it. I’m not messing with it, the thing can stay in. The contacts came out last night as usual before I went to sleep.”

     Amy tosses the tool back into her bag and pulls out her bathrobe which she wraps tightly around herself and ties it shut.

      “I’ll just keep it covered and if anyone asks I'll just tell them I’ve taken the whole costume off for the required duration. What they don’t know won’t hurt me.”

     A few minutes later, Amy is walking back from where they’ve setup a toilet area.

      “Okay, that was different. I didn’t think about how the internal tubing combines my front and back end into one waste disposal route. No going potty with someone else around when I’m out of my feathers, I can’t hide how that still works.”

     Amy goes and joins the rest of her friends for their morning ‘human breakfast’ as they call it.
     
     
--- a few more days pass ---
     
     
     Amy is hopping around in a small clearing on her talons. Launching up into the air she flies only a short distance to a dead tree and gathers several more branches off of it. Carrying them back she drops them onto the growing pile she’s gathered and lands beside the loose stack. Taking a few she rearranges them until she is satisfied then flies off in a different direction.
     
--- ---
     
     The next morning at their regular breakfast Susan is sitting in her power chair with a towel over her lap. She notices that Amy seems a bit preoccupied.

      “Is everything alright Ames?”

      “Huh? Oh, yea. Fine. I’m fine,” Amy responds while absently rubbing her abdomen with one hand.

      “You’ve been busy yesterday,” Peter states. “Are you building a nest out there?”

      “Um, yea, I am.”

      “What for?” Jun asks.

      “I just wanted to. It feels right,” is Amy’s answer as she once again rubs her lower belly.

      “You keep rubbing your tummy. Are you okay?” Brianna comments.

      “Um, yea, I think so. Just feeling a little full. I think I need to go to the bathroom,” Amy says while looking at a watch. “Look, the hour’s up. I’m getting my feathers back on again.”

     Standing up she quickly leaves the camp circle and heads back to her personal area.

      “Well I for one am getting worried,” Brianna says. “I haven’t seen Alexandra for two days. Has anyone else?”

     The others indicate that no one has seen their young friend.

      “I know she knows how to handle herself, and she’ll go off on her own for a few days at a time occasionally when we’ve gone camping in the past and she’s been fine. But she’s got that costume now. I’m concerned.”

      “Bree, Gwen covered everything she did with the costume to your satisfaction. Alexa will be fine,” Susan admonishes her.

      “I’m not so sure. She was wearing the fangs all the time along with the rest of it, except for the one hour down time, so I couldn’t really talk with her. She’s still having a hard time working out how to talk with those things in. Plus, she left her books behind so she’s shirking her studies.”

      “Brianna, let her have her fun. She’s a smart girl and mostly well behaved. She’s still a teenager and all teens have to rebel at least a little bit. It’ll be fine,” Peter states. “She’s been getting out of her costume like clockwork without having to be told, too. Don’t worry.”

     Brianna grunts noncommittally, but lets the subject drop.
     
--- ---
     
     Later the next day Jun is surprised when Amy swoops in and lands nearby. She had been having fun stalking a rabbit and was about to pounce it, but the sudden appearance of a Harpy scared the critter away.

      “Jun. Can, can you come over. To my nest. Please?”

      “Sure Amy, What’s up?”

      “Just, come over. Now. Please,” Amy tells her quickly then launches into the air again.

     Jun gets a concerned look on her face and her three tails lower for a moment. She quickly runs through the woods to arrive a few minutes later at the site where Amy has been working on making a nest. Amy is there and pacing back and forth, her wings fluttering agitatedly.

      “Not bad Amy, looks like the nest is almost done. Have you been doing anything other than nest building the past two days?”

      “No. Jun, I need you to feel something.”

      “Alright. What is it?”

      “Feel my belly. Low down.”

     Jun has to hold Amy by the shoulders and keep one hand on a shoulder to get her friend to stop pacing. Running her other hand down over the feathers on Amy’s chest she rubs over her belly and abdomen.

      “Press in a little bit harder,” Amy instructs which Jun does and gets an odd look on her vulpine face.

      “Amy, what is that?”

      “There’s something solid in there, right? You can feel it too?”

      “I’m not sure. There’s something there, but isn’t it just your, ahem, insert?”

      “It’s too hard. Compare it to yours. You have a uterus insert too don’t you?”

      “I do. Okay, give me a moment.”

     Jun switches her hand to her own body and presses down gently on her own abdomen. Tilting her head a bit she reaches back out to Amy and with both hands presses against the girl’s lower belly then her own again. She presses even harder against her own body until she nods.

      “Amy, I can’t even feel my own insert unless I really push. On you, I can feel something hard inside you with only a little pressure. What is that?”

      “I don’t know Jun,” she replies as she starts to pace again.

      “Amy, I’m going to ask you something, and you have to tell me the truth. Promise?”

     Amy stops pacing and looks Jun in the eye.

      “You’re going to ask if I’ve kept my costume on too long, aren’t you?”

     Jun nods.

      “Not exactly. You’ve seen me every day at breakfast without my feathers. But, um, I haven’t removed my micro processor and tubing inserts for like four days.”

      “Amy! This is bad. There’s something going on inside you! Aren’t you scared?”

      “No, I’m not scared. I’m just concerned that I’m not going to be safe enough on the ground here. My nest is too exposed.”

     Jun gives Amy a concerned look at that statement.

      “Amy, I want you to go up to the cabin right now and wait for me. I’ll be there as fast as I can run.”

     Jun pushes Amy gently and with a nod Amy takes off. Watching for a moment to make sure her friend is flying in the right direction Jun drops down on all fours and takes off running.
     
--- ---
     
      “Okay, I was able to get her out of most of the costume,” Jun announces as she walks out of the room with a pile of feathers and talons in her arms. “But she absolutely refuses to take off the headpiece or remove the contacts. And I’m not going to push her any further on it right now.”

     Rebecca takes the costume from Jun and carefully sorts it out into a much neater bundle.

      “And the pants? What about that?”

      “Not possible. I couldn’t even find the edge on her waist or thighs. It’s like it’s bonded itself to her skin. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s transforming itself into Amy’s flesh. It doesn’t feel like my shorts do. She still has a vaginal opening, but her urethra is gone and her anus is not right either. She doesn’t have separate butt cheeks anymore. There’s just an anus down behind her vagina. I couldn’t find any evidence of the tubes. I’m pretty sure they’ve fully merged with her body and been absorbed or something as they rerouted her urinary tract and rectum.”

      “I got through to the company and talked to Sara,” George tells the Fox woman. “She’s going to be coming with Jenny, the bird doctor, and some equipment but they can’t get here for a couple more days.”

      “Of course,” Jun sighs. “Have either of you seen the others recently? I see Susan and Pete each morning at our breakfast gathering, but Brianna wasn’t there this morning. She didn’t say where she was going or doing last time I saw her tail.”

      “We haven’t seen Brianna here.”

      “Great. Well then I guess I’m going to go out and find everyone. Make the rooms ready for all of us; we all should be staying here for the next few days I think. Keep Amy away from the rest of her feathers and keep her as calm and comfortable as you can. I’ll be back.”

     Jun gives Rebecca a hug and runs out the door on her hind paws. Pausing out front of the building she thinks out loud to herself.

      “Okay, Susan is possibly the easiest to find I hope. Come to think about it, she’s been acting a little strange too. She hasn’t gotten out of that wheelchair in a couple of days now when she’s out of the water with or without her tail.”

     With a shrug Jun heads off towards the lagoon.
     
--- ---
     
     A ringing series of pounding resonates through the water and awakens the mermaid that is curled up in a coral lined alcove underwater. She looks around her little bed for a moment as her hair drifts loosely about her face. Uncurling herself she slowly swims in the direction from which the rhythmic tones are coming. Getting closer she rises to just below the surface and peers up at the structure to see a figure above. The view is distorted by the motion of the water, but she recalls that the orange-red and white colored individual is a Kitsune. The Fox is beating on a metal pole that goes down into the waters with a large branch. It takes her another minute to remember that the person up on the dock is her friend Jun. Letting the waters flow through her gills she closes them off instinctually as she breaches the surface and her head is exposed to the air.

      “What’s the big deal, fluffy butt? I was enjoying a good dream and you interrupted it by beating on that pole.”

      “I hoped that would get your attention,” Jun replies as she stops swinging the axe handle. “I’ve been looking for you and the others for over a day now. We need to get up to the cabin ay-sap. Amy’s in trouble.”

      “What happened? Is she okay?” Susan asks with concern.

      “She has done something stupid and didn’t take out her micro processor every day like she’s supposed to.”

      “How long has she had it in place?”

      “She told me yesterday it had been four days, so that would make it five today. When I last saw her she was actually building a nest out in the woods and acting strangely. She was more concerned that her nest wasn’t safe than she was with the solid lump in her abdomen.”

      “Lump? What do you mean?” Susan inquires as she swims around to where her hoist is at.

      “She made me feel her belly and there is a definite lump inside her. At a guess I think the rubber insert has solidified in her uterus.”

      “That’s strange, I don’t feel a solid lump from mine,” Susan states as she lowers herself down into her power chair.

      “You what?” Jun questions her sharply.

      “Uh, did I say that out loud?” Susan says sheepishly.

      “Susan! Not you too?”

      “Well, that damn insert is such a pain to take in and out all the time.”

      “How long?” Jun demands.

      “Probably as long as Amy from what you’ve said. Five days now.”

      “Dammit Susan! Have you noticed anything else that’s changed? Any problems?”

     Susan’s tail fin starts to twitch agitatedly.

      “Um, I haven’t been able to walk for three days. My legs are too weak when I’m out of my tail.”

      “Oh Susan. When is the last time you took off your tail?”

      “Yesterday morning. You saw me at breakfast.”

      “And you had a towel over your lap. You were hiding it, weren’t you, and I bet the towel was wet,” Jun says accusingly to which Susan nods with her eyes downcast.

      “There’s, um, one other thing.”

      “What? Susan, what else did you do?”

      “It’s what I haven’t done.”

     Jun frowns in confusion for a second then the light goes on.

      “Oh no, Susan tell me you didn’t?”

      “I haven’t removed my trachea insert in about two days now.”

     Jun looks closely at Susan and where her hair is not covering her neck Jun can see faint lines on the side.

      “I’ve also got some really itchy spots on both sides of my chest too,” she informs Jun.

      “Come on,” Jun sighs, “let’s get up to the cabin. We need to get you checked out too. And I still have to find Peter and Brianna.”

     Jun follows along behind Susan as the mermaid turns her chair around and rolls up the trail. She quietly looks down at herself and rubs her belly with a slight frown and shakes her head as her hand rubs through the fur.
     
     
--- later the next day ---
     
     
     Amy gets back up from the temporary exam table that has been setup in her room. Walking up on her toes she immediately goes back over and gets back into the small nest she has created in the corner with blankets pillows and bed sheets.

      “So what’s going on with me Sara?” Amy asks as she squats down.

      “I’m not entirely sure. I want to compile the results of this last exam first before I say more. Can you manage to come out to the dining room for a short bit?”

      “I ... Ugh ... S-Sara ... Uh ... Jenny ... Someth- ahh” Amy starts to pant and grunt.

     She remains in a squatting position but reaches down between her legs with one hand while reaching out to brace herself with the other as she spreads her legs out wider. Sara and Jenny both jump into the nest with Amy. A moment later Sara gasps in shock as Amy’s nether lips begin to open and something white is exposed for a second then withdraws back inside as Amy relaxes and takes a few breaths.

      “Push Amy,” Jenny says. “It’s time for it to come out.”

     Taking a deep breath that she holds Amy tenses up and grunts as she bends forwards even further. Pushing hard something glistening and white begins to emerge from between her legs and a moment later and egg is deposited into the nest from her vagina. The egg is slick with fluids and larger than both of Amy’s hands clasped together into one large fist.

     Amy semi collapses and covers the egg with her body, not allowing the other two women near it for a moment.

      “Oh my god, I just laid an egg,” Amy exclaims once she catches her breath.
     
--- ---
     
      “Hey, Jun! Is that you?” Peter calls out as he sees a flash of white fur dash past below him.

     A moment later and the furry face of his Foxy friend is looking up at him from the bottom of the small cliff.

      “Peter? Where are you?”

      “Right here,” he announces as he lifts his torso up higher.

      “Ah, there you are,” Jun says when his head comes into view. “Can you come down from there? It’s important.”

      “Of course. Give me a minute.”

     It takes a couple of minutes for Jun to hear the scales of her friend slithering around the side of the rocks then she sees him come into view to her right. Jun blinks in surprise at the sight of the individual before her.

      “Um, Pete, are you feeling alright?”

      “I feel great. I found a great spot to sun myself up there. It’s so damn relaxing,” He tells her with a smile.

      “That’s good,” Jun says hesitantly. “Peter, have you maybe noticed something … different, about yourself,” she asks while gesturing at her own chest.

      “Oh, you mean my breasts?” he asks to which Jun winces and nods.

      “Yea, those. Don’t they seem a bit odd on you seeing as how you’re, like, a guy?”

      “They are?” Peter asks in wonder.

     Taking a good look down at his chest he tilts his head as he inspects the large mammary glands that adorn his body. Hefting them with both hands his expression goes from innocent wonder to confusion and into shock.

      “Oh my god, I have breasts! What the hell?” he exclaims.

      “Pete. Peter!” Jun raises her voice to get his attention. “You were acting as if it was normal that you have them just a minute ago. Why is it a shock now all of a sudden? When did you first notice them?”

     Peter looks up at Jun with wide eyes for a moment.

      “Uh, like two days ago I guess?”

     He looks down at his breasts again.

      “They’ve gotten bigger since then.”

      “Pete, how long have you been wearing your tail?”

      “Every day.”

      “Uh huh. And when was the last time you took it off?”

      “Oh, probably three days ago. It’s just so comfortable,” he answers as he coils himself up to rest.

     Jun quietly watches as the mass of serpentine scales gather up into a pile so he can rest his human torso on them. She takes note of how his snake body bends and curves naturally all the way up to his ribs, showing no indication of having to adjust for the more rigid bones of his legs that should be within.

      “Peter, there’s been an accident,” she tells him.

      “Oh no! What happened? Who’s been hurt? Did Amy crash into something?”

      “Well, it does involve Amy, and Susan too I think. Neither one of them has been injured, not exactly. But we need to go back to the cabin and see to them. It’s important.”

      “Absolutely. Let me just gather up my meal and I’ll head that way immediately.”

      “Um, what meal?”

      “Oh, I’ve done a little hunting,” Peter says as he disappears around the rocks.

     A minute later he slithers back out with a dead fawn in his arms.

      “What the hell Peter?!” Jun yells.

      “It was hurt. It fell in the rocks and broke its leg earlier this morning. It wouldn’t have survived so I caught it and killed it in my coils. I did it as gently as I could.”

      “You, crushed, a baby deer, in your coils. Suffocated it. And you say you did it gently?”

      “Well, yea. Look, I squeezed as fast as I could and as soon as I couldn’t feel a heartbeat I released it. I don’t think I broke too many more bones. Anyways, now I have the corpse I have to take care of.”

      “Um, yea, I suppose. Just how are you planning on doing that?”

“Well, I was thinking about eating it once the sun went down. But now I have to head up to the cabin. That’s going to be really inconvenient to drag it around. I guess I should eat it before I go.”

      “Peter, what are you doing?!?” Jun says in shock as Pete shifts the body around.

     She stares with a mixture of horror and fascination as he begins to push the nose of the animal into his mouth. With a visible jerk his jaw fully dislocates and his skin stretches out to allow more of the head to be taken in.

      “That’s ... You ... Never mind,” Jun says turning away from the sight with a shudder. “Pete, just get up to the cabin as soon as you can,” she tells him just before running off.

      “We’re all so screwed,” she mutters to herself as she passes through the trees.
     
--- ---
     
     A noise that does not seem to belong gets Jun’s attention as she stands in the yard. Turning to look in the direction the sound appears to have come from she stares into the darkness inside the small barn behind the cabin. Another small noise echoes out of the open doors. Jun pads over to the entrance and peers inside. The afternoon sun is behind the barn so long shadows stretch out from the front of the building and the interior seems darker. Taking a step inside Jun looks around trying to let her eyes adjust to the dimmer light.

      “Alexa? Are you in here? Or Brianna? I’ve been trying to find either of you for a couple of days now,” she calls out.

     There is no response and the Fox cautiously moves deeper inside. She steps on something she can’t see and feels it snap. Whatever just broke releases another invisible item that whips across her chest with a stinging blow that throws Jun up into the air and across the barn. She sails to the far back end of the barn where she hits something that catches her over ten feet up off the floor and she is suspended in place. Taking a moment to catch her breath Jun tries to rub her chest with her hand but she can’t pull her arm free of whatever is keeping her from falling. Looking around as her eyes adjust better Jun realizes she is caught in a large spiral spider web.

      “Alexandra, I know it’s you. There’s no one else who could possibly have built this web. Come on out and get me down, please.”

     For a moment there is nothing, and then she hears a soft giggle from above. Trying to look up Jun can’t raise her head very far because the back of it is also caught on the web. It doesn’t matter as a moment later the large arachnid form she is looking for lowers itself on a line of silk to hang in front of her. Alexa smiles as she looks at Jun.

      “Oh my, look as this juicy fly I’ve captured. Doesn’t it look just delicious?”

      “Very funny Alexa,” Jun says as she struggles against her restraints. “Get me out of this web now. We need to get back over to the house. It’s important.”

      “Oh, I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere. You’re going to stay here with me up in the rafters. Well, for a little bit anyways. Just until I get hungry.”

      “Alexa, that’s not funny. You need to stop this and get me down, right now.”

     Taking a closer look at the girl suspended from a single thread, Jun notices some differences. Her hair is white and long, just like the wig that Alexa has been wearing with her costume, but she can’t find the front edge of the wig liner. The hairs appear to be protruding from her scalp just like real hair. Alexa blinks her eyes and Jun gets a shock when she realizes that there are six eyes in the face in front of her that just blinked. The two large black ones where they should be, and four more slightly smaller ones in Alexa’s forehead area which also look to be a bit larger than normal.

      “Alexa, you need to get me down, please. I’m your sister’s friend and a doctor. I’m your friend. You are suffering some adverse effects from wearing that costume for too long. We need to-”

     Jun is cut off as Alexa’s hand suddenly darts forwards and holds her mouth shut with surprisingly strong fingers. Jun get’s a very close look at digits that fade from a dark au-latte skin to a solid black at the tips which end in very sharp looking claws. With a wink Alexa grasps both of Jun’s shoulders with her hands then sinks her fangs into Jun’s neck. She can feel something forced into her veins and it burns slightly as it begins to circulate through her body.

      “GAHHHH!”

     Jun tries to cough as Alexa pulls back and watches. Blood trickles down into her fur a little bit while the fuzzy Fox woman writhes in pain for a moment. Her movements start to become uncoordinated and her limbs begin to jerk spasmodically while her breaths get caught in her throat and she foams at the mouth. A minute goes by and Jun’s movements slow then cease all together. All she can do is stare at her captor, unable to move a single muscle on her own.

      “Don’t worry little fly, you’re not dying – yet. I like my food to still be alive and warm when I begin the digestion process. I’ve only injected my paralyzing poison into you to make you easy to deal with.”

     Taking hold of one arm Alexa bites the silken threads that hold it in place and crosses the arm over Jun’s chest. A leg comes up from below and winds a band of silk around her chest to hold the arm still once again. A moment later and the other arm is similarly pinned in place.

      “Alexa,” Jun manages to get out weakly, “don’t do this,” she gasps. “I don’t want to be eaten.”

      “Shhhh, it’s no longer up to you. You’re just helpless prey now.”

     The leg appears again and winds a couple of loops of silk around Jun’s muzzle tying it shut. Jun feels her legs pulled together as something wet and warm begins to encircle her ankles and feet.

      “I did this to you once before, but that was just a quickie job to keep you still. I bet you could have gotten out of it if you had really tried. This time though, you’re food. I’m going to wrap you up nice and tight in enough silk to keep you from getting away.”

     The feeling of her legs being bound together rises up over her knees to her hips. Jun’s three tails are carefully gathered together and secured against her back as the silk is wrapped around her abdomen then belly and chest.

      “The first part is almost done, then the fun part can begin,” Alexa teases.

     Two legs appear in Jun’s line of sight as a few more wraps of silk are placed around her neck and head. Alexa takes care to leave her eyes free.

     Jun tried to say something, but all that comes out through the silk is “Mmmhmmm.”

     With a quick pull and twist Jun’s limp body is held securely by multiple hard chitinous legs horizontally beneath the back end of Alexa’s abdomen. The last pair of legs brush over her spinnerets and draw out a wide sheet of silk that gets placed firmly against Jun’s lower legs. With a turn Jun begins to spin and the continuous sheet of silk begins to cocoon her unresisting legs. As she spins the silk slowly rises higher up her body.

      “You know, I had a hard time figuring out how to make my silk,” Alexa tells Jun as her silk shroud grows. “Then I had to learn how to produce it in different thicknesses and modes. Like my drag line that I’m hanging around on here, or the sticky capture silk that I used in my web to snare you. And the much stronger silk I’m using now for your cocoon, not to mention how to make it into a sheet like this. But with practice over the last week I figured it out.

      “Same thing with my venom. I have two. The one I paralyzed you with, then the digestive one that I use to start breaking down my food so I can suck up the semi liquefied insides of my prey. I can’t eat solid food anymore by the way. Haven’t been able to for a couple of days now.”

     The cocoon extends from Jun’s shoulders to her toes and is close to covering her completely. As the silk cools and dries it goes from clear to an opaque white, but is still thin enough the red and brown of Jun’s fur can be seen through it.

      “Interesting thing I’ve found out. I can sit and drink the corpse of a deer dry without needing to lift up my mouth to breathe. Seems that I don’t use my mouth to actually breathe anymore. I have to actually shunt air from my lungs up to my vocal cords to talk.”

     Jun continues to spin around as a second layer of her cocoon is added going back down her entrapped body. Alexa stops talking as she works on securing Jun in her new silk dress. Reaching the toes she reverses direction and adds another layer. Five layers of silk eventually bind Jun from head to toes in an inescapable shroud. By the time the cocoon is done only the white of the silk can be seen, anything inside is hidden from view, and only the outline of the Fox can be seen. Alexa tears the silk open over Jun’s eyes, exposing the terrified pale green orbs.

      “Well that’s a good day’s work if I do say so. Time to take a nap for the night. I’ll see you in the morning, and then you’ll probably never see anything but white for the rest of your short life.”

     Attaching a thick dragline to the top of Jun’s head Alexa leaves her hanging on the web as she climbs up out of sight. A few minutes later and the cocoon is quietly pulled up into the darkness above.
     
--- ---
     
     Jun quietly watches the pre dawn light as it filters through the barn doors far below. Alexa has hung her up between the rafters just below the roof in a corner and secured her cocoon with multiple threads so that she hangs in the air not directly attached to any beam. She left Jun hanging primarily face down simply because that was how the bundle of her silken prison wound up. Looking straight out in front of herself Jun was actually looking into a corner of the hayloft, but by turning her eyes sideways she could still see the barn doors further down.

     After being hidden from a casual look up from below Jun had been left alone. She has no idea where Alexa has gone, if she was still resting up in the rafters with her or has gone elsewhere. The Drider could move exceptionally quietly when she wants to.

     Exhausted from both her terror and the effects of Alexa’s venom on her body Jun had fallen asleep shortly after being secured. She’d woken up late in the night to find that the paralysis from being bitten was wearing off and she had regained some control over her body once again. As movement returned Jun had tried to struggle in the hope that she might be able to tear her encasement and break free. Her efforts were long and vigorous but ultimately useless.

     Jun could not get her legs or arms to separate from where they’d been bound in the slightest. Even her muzzle was quite impossible to open. After tiring herself out she rested for a bit then began again. Through the rest of the night and the following day Jun managed to do no more than achieve a worm like wiggling, slightly bending at her knees and hips as she attempted to get free. At one point during the day Alexa had come back and poked at Jun through the silk from behind which terrified her. Jun’s struggles following that felt like a herculean effort to her and made Alexa laugh with cruel mirth.

     During her quieter times through the day Jun experienced sensations in her body that she wasn’t sure were real or if she was imagining them. She knew that because she’d been trapped in her cocoon she was forced to remain in her costume past the twenty-four hour time limit for the first time. She thought that she could feel a slight prickling sensation that began inside her in the area of her abdomen. It was subtle, almost as if it was a distant tickle in the back of her mind, but still there to distract her. Unsure if it was truly there or not, Jun still believed it was the beginning of her costume doing whatever it was that occurred when the deadline was surpassed and it was bonding and merging with her body.

     Having been held captive for many hours Jun had also started to experience discomfort from her bladder and bowels as they filled and demanded relief. Unable to move there was nothing Jun could do about emptying her stressed organs and tried to hold it in the best she could. Eventually though, her bladder won out and she let it relax enough to void at least some of the fluid held within. Jun was disgusted with herself but disappointed when she realized that the silk of her cocoon had absorbed it all and none fell to the floor below. The drop in pressure from her bladder was enough to reduce discomfort from the other end significantly and she managed to retain at least that much of her remaining dignity.

     Late in the afternoon George had entered the barn for some task and Jun tried to get him to look up at her. She had wiggled as much as she could and made as much noise in the back of her throat as she could manage, but neither the movements nor the sounds were enough to attract any attention. By the time the sun began to set that evening Jun has lost hope of being able to free herself and remained still and quiet in her form fitting bed. Once the night came she closed her eyes and slept, her dreams disjointed and unsettling. Waking in the early hours of the morning a short test of her bonds only reinforced her helplessness and she remained quiet and resigned, simply watching as the growing light slowly announces the new day.

      “Well now,” the sound of Alexandra’s voice startles Jun shortly after sunrise. “It seems that you’ve had an entire day longer than I promised you’d get.”

     Crawling along a wooden beam upside down the partially human spider enters Jun’s line of sight.

      “I must admit that I have a certain reluctance to the thought of dissolving your internal organs,” Alexa states as she gets comfortable.

     The words give Jun a small glimmer of hope that she might still survive her tenuous predicament. Unable to talk in an effort to convince the girl all Jun can do it let out a muffled “Hmmm.”

      “However, on the other hand I haven’t eaten in over a day and I am quite hungry. I’m not ready to have a meal this instant though, I’ve never really been one to eat a heavy breakfast first thing in the morning.”

     Alexa puts a clawed finger up to her bottom lip with a thoughtful look.

      “I’ll tell you what; let’s let the universe decide your fate. If something shows up by the time I am ready to eat then I won’t kill you. Sound fair to you?” Alexa teases Jun.

      “You know, I am really enjoying my new body. It’s so strong and much more efficient than a simple human body. And the things I can do now are amazing. Think about it,” Alexa tells Jun.

      “I can climb practically any surface and even hang upside down without getting dizzy,” she says with a gesture to her current position. “I produce venoms that can either completely paralyze the voluntary motor functions of my prey, or start to dissolve flesh and soft tissues, and even some of the smaller bones, into a slurry that I can then ingest for nutrition. And the new tastes I’ve experienced from my meals are a smorgasbord of wonderful flavors.

      “Everything I’ve tried has had its own unique flavor so far. I wonder what you’ll taste like?” she asks Jun which elicits a stronger “Mmmhmmm” from the cocooned figure.

      “I know you’re probably upset with me for not taking off my costume, and Bree is probably going to read me the riot act when she finds out. But I did this knowing what could possibly happen.

      “Oh yes, I knew,” Alexa admits to the surprised sounds from Jun.

      “I worked with Gwen pretty closely as we got my new body ready for the reveal party. I learned a lot about what went into the making of these outfits. It’s pretty amazing. But I should stop telling you about it, being a big secret and everything.”

     Alexa’s expression goes from thoughtful wonder to depressed and she looks down at her clawed fingers that are constantly clenching and grasping each other then releasing repeatedly, displaying an agitated uncertainty being felt on the inside.

      “The bullying at school was a lot worse than I ever let on. I only had one real friend, and the social pressure got too much even for her. She abandoned me. None of the teachers seemed to care and they turned a blind eye to how the other kids were treating me. Not that they blatantly abused me in front of them, they were smart enough to keep the worst of it out of the sight of school staff.

      “I couldn’t take it anymore though,” Alexa looks up at Jun as a tear escapes one eye.

      “This company came along and got Bree involved with their plans for these absolutely amazing costumes. I snuck around and listened in to quite a few of their meetings, and I began to hope for one of my own. It would be something special and unique that none of the other kids could say they’d tried or had. I might be able to win a few of them back, or at least make the bullying less for a while.”

     Jun tries to comfort the distraught child with a gentle sound, which is all she can do, as a tear of her own slips into the silk on her face and is absorbed.

      “But then when Big Sister reveals her totally awesome Centaur costume to everyone I find out that I won’t be getting one too. I’m going to be left out and alone,” she sobs.

      “I was devastated. I went back to school for a few days, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. The home schooling was taking longer to get approved than we thought. I skipped school the last two days of the week. I’m pretty sure Brianna doesn’t know yet, but she’ll be mad at me when she finds out. One more thing for her to be disappointed in me about.

      “I decided that I just can’t go back, or even stay around here. I had to do something to protect myself and get away from everything. After a few days of taking my costume on and off like everyone else I chose to leave it on. I knew it would do something to change me, and that it would be permanent.”

     Alexa looks back up at Jun with a sad smile and spreads her arms out.

      “So here I am, a Drider. A freak of unnatural mutation. And now you’re stuck in your costume too. I know. I kept you cocooned past your own deadline and now you’re a freak too.

      “I won’t make you suffer like me though. I’m hungry and ready to eat now. I’m sorry that this is probably going to hurt, a lot, but it’ll be over for you soon.”

     Jun cries and whines quietly as Alexa starts to wind fresh silk over her face to cover her eyes. Her vision quickly fades to white as the shroud is completed. She waits fearfully for the final moment when Alexandra’s fangs pierce her flesh and ends her life. Jun still tries to struggle when she feels something prodding her belly, but can do nothing as the sharp points penetrate her flesh and she lets out a muffled scream of terror that tears at her throat.

     The dreaded injection of enzymes does not come. It takes a moment for Jun to realize that while the pain of having her belly punctured twice is there, the fangs that created the wounds are no longer within. She can feel her blood oozing from her body, but the tight silk cocoon seems to be restricting the loss a good bit. Wondering what made Alexa stop Jun tries to listen for any sounds that might give her an idea of what is happening.

     In the silence that surrounds her she hears the clip clop of hooves on the wooden floorboards below. At first she thinks it is Brianna having finally returned to the cabin, but she notices the steps are lighter and more delicate. They are not the heavy hoof falls of a large Shire bred animal. They sound smaller, and there is a quality that somehow makes Jun think the hooves might even be cloven.

     The white field obscuring her vision grows brighter as it is carefully removed then she is once again able to see. Below is a large deer that has wandered into the barn.

      “It looks like fate decided you get to live,” Alexa whispers. “Don’t go anywhere and be quiet.”

     The drider swiftly disappears from Jun’s side. For a minute the deer is able to nose around and moves further into the barn where it is almost out of Jun’s line of sight again. Suddenly a large multi-colored shape drops onto the animal as the Drider attacks. The deer tries to rear up and turn to run away with a frightened cry but it is already too late.

     Alexa delivers a fatal bite even as she starts to throw silk bands around the hapless victim with her rear legs. Her weight is enough to slam the deer to the ground and spider silk quickly binds the hind legs up against the belly of the animal. The forelegs are folded up underneath and secured just as quickly and the deer’s struggles are largely eliminated even as the venom that was injected starts to take effect. The paralyzing effect stops the remaining efforts as Alexa bends the neck around to wind more silk across the head tying it against the side of the deer’s ribs.

     Jun can only watch as the deer begins to disappear under a cocoon of white silk, and can see how it must have looked when she herself was captured and similarly immobilized. In minutes the cocoon is finished and Alexa wastes no time with selecting a more secluded place to drag her prey. Plunging her fangs deep into the enshrouded body underneath her she injects the venom that will start the initial breakdown of tissues. She pulls out and bites the deer twice more, injecting and spreading her venom through the dying body faster with multiple locations.

     The animal cries out in pain as its organs begin to dissolve, but the enwrapping silk and paralyzing effects reduce the noise so that it barely carries up to Jun’s sensitive ears. In a matter of moments the sounds and movements from the corpse cease. Alexa climbs back up into the rafters and pulls the cocoon up after her. She sits where Jun can still see her and after waiting several more minutes plunges her fangs back into the cocoon and feeds.