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This story takes place in the same universe as my stories Bit by Bit and The Neighbors Curse. Since this is the third time that I have used it and I do plan to use it again, I have decided to refer to this as my Curses universe. Fempire By Morpheus I closed my eyes and leaned back against the bench, smiling faintly as I soaked up the warmth of the sun as it beat down on me. At the same time, I listened to the sounds that surrounded me, the cries of birds, the yells of children and the general bustle of people as they passed through the park. A moment later, I opened my eyes and looked around at the park, still smiling as I watched the people who'd all apparently had the same idea as me. To stop and smell the roses on such a nice day. There were even several kids out playing in the large fountain, obviously enjoying themselves immensely. My name was Charlie Sanders, a 25 year old working in the field of graphics design. It was a job that I enjoyed, at least when deadlines and ridiculous last minute requests didn't get in the way, but I also enjoyed my time off. As I was at the moment. After remaining where I was for a minute more, I finally stood up and stretched, deciding to take a little walk around the park before heading home. I stepped away from the more populated center of the park and followed one of the paths to just out of sight of the main square, suddenly stopping when I nearly tripped over someone that was laying back against a tree. "Sorry..." I started, and then winced as the smell hit me. With a single glance, I saw that he was an old man with long greasy hair. His clothes were all filthy and tattered, barely more than rags. An empty bottle of cheap whisky was just out of reach from his hand, though the foul odor that emanated him clearly reached to my nose. "Oh God," I gagged, stepping back instinctively as the man sat up, looking around groggily. For a moment, the man looked around with a completely blank look before he turned his head to face me. His eyes seemed somewhat... glassy, making me wonder what else he was on besides the whisky. "Wasn't always like this," the man slurred badly, looking away and making me wonder if it was me or himself that he was talking to. "Was..." he looked confused for a moment before adding, "Sorcerer," sounding somewhat uncertain. "Okay," I whispered, wondering if I should help the man. He certainly looked like he could use it, though he also made me more than just a little nervous. "Sorcery," the man exclaimed, an odd tone to his voice. "Source of me." He cackled slightly as he slowly stood up, his eyes no longer glassy and dazed, but completely wild instead, burning with a raw intensity as they darted everywhere. "Source of curses, source of pride," the strange old man exclaimed in an almost sing song voice, "In the dark, the goddess lied." Then he started to stagger where he stood. I gulped and hesitantly asked, "Are you all right mister?" Suddenly the man demanded, "Gimme a quarter." The man's rudeness shocked me, but the very sight of him filled me with pity. So, in spite of my better judgment, I started reaching into my pocket to see if I had anything to give him. Just then I noticed a woman coming down the path, dressed in a jogging suit that hinted at enough of her figure to made me definitely want to see more. I had to admit that I couldn't help staring at her for a moment as she jogged on past. Then without warning the strange man started to jump up and down, glaring at me furiously with his intense eyes. "In the woman's form he lusts," the man began in an off key sing song voice, "his body hungry with desire. An in this time he be cursed, with the fate of the fempire." "What the hell?" I demanded, jumping back as the old man went completely insane before my eyes, as if he hadn't been already. All I'd done was try to help the old guy but he'd gone completely bonkers, making me more than a little apprehensive about him. Who knew that guy was on, and I sure as hell had no intention of sticking around to find out. With that I turned and quickly hurried away, barely noticing that the strange man had already vanished in the other direction. --- Later that night, I was leaning back in my recliner and watching a movie that I'd rented for my DVD player. However I couldn't quite pay as much attention to the movie as I normally would have, in spite of the fact that it was one that I'd really been looking forward to. As I sat there, I couldn't help but thinking back to the crazy man that I'd run into some hours earlier. The guy had really spooked me. I didn't know what it was about him, besides the fact that he was obviously some mentally disturbed homeless person, but he sent shivers down my spine. And at the same time, there was something else. Something nibbling at the edge of my thoughts, nearly driving me crazy, though I couldn't place what it was. But whatever it was, it was beginning to make me somewhat antsy. Finally, I groaned and went to my fridge for something to drink, groaning even more when I realized that it was empty. With a grumbled, "Shit," I put my movie on pause and left my apartment, heading towards the Coke machine in the laundry room. A minute later, I was on my way back towards my apartment with a Coke in hand, frowning slightly and wondering what it was that was bothering me. It was like one of those stupid trivia questions that you just can't stop thinking about until you finally figure out the answer. All of a sudden it dawned on me. I had a craving for something, though what that something was and why, I still had no idea. I was a little closer to an answer, but not nearly close enough. Just then I noticed Becka Thompson slowly walking down the hall as well, coming straight towards me. Or more precisely, towards her apartment which I was just passing. Becka was a 23 year old college girl who lived just a couple doors down from me. She was rather pretty, though unfortunately taken. "Hello," Becka greeted me, grunting slightly as she shifted a grocery bag from one hand to another. "Hi," I nodded, pausing for a moment and staring at her, suddenly sensing something inside of her. Something that seemed to radiate around her. And to my surprise, it was the same something that I was craving. I didn't know how I knew this, only that I did. Shaking my head, I held out my arms, "Here, I'll hold that." Becka handed me her grocery bag, then fumbled for her keys, while I just stood there in stunned silence, feeling confused about what it was that I was feeling. It wasn't normal. Then, just as I handed the bag of groceries back, our hands touched. Suddenly it was like a bolt of lightning hit me, burning through my entire body. Filling my entire being with... something. However instead of pain, it was almost the opposite, almost... orgasmic. "Oh God," I gasped, staggering backwards, away from Becka. Becka dropped the bag of groceries and then leaned back against her door with a somewhat dazed look on her face. Then she blinked several times before looking around, muttering, "What was that?" I just stood there, holding the wall for balance and trying to regain my senses. My entire body tingled, all the way from the top of my head to the tip of my toes, even feeling somewhat good at that. Blinking, I took a quick glance at Becka, vaguely noticing that something was wrong. Something was different. However I didn't know what, nor did I even think about it. Instead I excused myself with a weak, "I've got to go," then hurried down the hall to my own apartment, staggering a little as I went. As soon as I was back inside, I closed the door and leaned back against it, my eyes closed as I tried to make some sense of what had just happened. My body still tingled, still felt good from whatever it was. "Static shock," I muttered, realizing that was what it had to be. Shaking my head, I started back towards my chair, deciding to just turn the movie back on and forget about what had happened. But even as I sat down, I realized that I didn't even feel that tugging at the edge of my consciousness anymore. At least not quite. The craving was gone. A moment later, I reached for my remote and then froze as I saw my arm, my eyes going wide in surprise... and confusion. For a moment I just remained in that position, staring at my arm before I slowly pulled it closer and scratched at it with my other hand, noticing that the other arm was like that as well. Almost hairless. Almost hairless when normally they had quite a bit more hair. Now however, it was all sparse and barely there at all. I was startled to say the least, but also burning up with curiosity. Quickly climbing out of my chair, I lifted my shirt and then pulled down my pants, just to check the rest of my body hair. A minute later, I pulled my pants back up with a frown, having verified that it wasn't just my arms that were effected. In fact almost all of my body hair was a LOT thinner, barely even being there enough to really qualify as such. "Shit," I muttered, heading towards the bathroom, shaking my head in disbelief. "I need a drink." Unfortunately the strongest thing that I had in the whole apartment was the coke that I'd left in the living room. After emptying my bladder, I turned on the faucet to wash my hands, then glanced up into the mirror, frowning and then staring. Did my eyebrows look a little thinner too? I stared at my reflection for nearly a minute, knowing that something looked wrong with it but not quite what. My hair seemed a little shaggier than normal and my face seemed a little... softer somehow. I even ran a hand across my cheek, noticing how smooth it felt compared to normal. There was no trace of my normal 5 o-clock shadow. "You're just imagining things," I snorted finally, turning away from the mirror and chuckling to myself. My mind was obviously playing tricks on me, though I knew that didn't explain my body hair. But maybe the static shock had caused my hairs to fall out. That didn't make much more sense, but it made me feel a little more comfortable. "Now to get back to the movie." It was with a smile that I slipped back into my chair, reaching for the Coke with one hand and the remote with the other. I purposely made an effort not to think about anything other than the movie, but still, I couldn't help but smile faintly at how incredible I'd felt while getting shocked. --- The next morning, I found that my body hair was back to normal, though perhaps just a tiny bit thinner than usual. However that was easy to ignore, even chuckle off as nothing more than a strange dream. An extremely realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless. Unfortunately though, my denial of the previous days events was short lived. After I'd finished eating my breakfast, I leaned back, still feeling hungry. Then I suddenly realized that it wasn't quite hunger, it was that strange craving from the day before. "Shit," I grimaced, trying to convince myself that it was still my imagination, to little success. With a snarl I got up from my chair and threw my dishes in the sink before throwing myself in front of the computer to check my e-mail. Still there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind, that little voice that kept demanding whatever it was that it demanded. Several hours later, I left my apartment to take care of my errands, feeling a little annoyed since the craving hadn't gotten any better. In fact, it had slowly gotten even stronger, almost becoming too strong to just keep ignoring it like I had been. "This is just great," I muttered, climbing into my car then freezing as I noticed a man and a woman a short distance away, climbing into their own car. "Oh shit..." I whispered, my eyes going wide, locked on the woman. I blinked several times but still wasn't sure of what I was feeling. Only that I could feel... whatever it was, coming from her. The thing that I hungered for. That I craved. Shaking my head I muttered, "What's wrong with you?" I suspected that I needed to see a shrink or something. Then after taking several deep breaths, I pushed the couple out of my mind and got started on my errands About an hour later, I had finished some of my errands and was slowly walking around the supermarket, glancing around nervously. Everywhere I looked, there were women, each of them pulling at me. Each of them filled with whatever it was that I was drawn to. "Shit," I grimaced, quickly averting my eyes from one woman whom I'd just realized that I'd been staring at. Not just at her figure, but at the fact that I could feel her. This was definitely beginning to get annoying, not to mention embarrassing. Taking a deep breath, I quickly started back down the aisle, making a point to avoid looking up, at the people that were there with me. At least not the women since they were the ones that I could feel like that. And while I was at it, I decided that it might be about time to go see a doctor about whatever the hell was bothering me. When I got to the checkout line, I nearly groaned at the fact that it was an extremely attractive woman standing behind the register. It was hard enough keeping my eyes off of her without the fact that she was a well build blonde as well. "Your change sir..." she commented as she handed it to me. Just as I reached for my change, our hands touched for a moment... but it was enough. Suddenly it hit me again, a shock like the night before, blasting through me like an incredible orgasm, filling me with intense pleasure. With whatever it was that was inside of her. It soaked into my body, nearly making me moan in pleasure though instead I just gasped from the shock. After what seemed like nearly forever, though was only a few seconds, I snatched my hand back, still completely stunned by what had just happened. At the same time, I was aware that my body was bursting with the energy that I'd taken from her, beginning to feel rather odd as well. For a moment I just stood there, staring at the blonde and realizing that she'd changed in just the few seconds that we'd been touching. Her face didn't look as pretty somehow and her shirt... her shirt which had been rather tight across the chest was now noticeably looser. "Oh God," I whispered, blinking several times and regaining my senses, vaguely aware that she looked a bit dazed and confused as well. However I didn't bother sticking around to watch her shake out of it, grabbing my bag of groceries and rushing out of the store instead. As soon as I was sitting inside the safety of my car, I leaned back into the seat, breathing hard, fully aware of how fast my heart was racing. I was scared and confused by what had happened, almost sure that I was going insane now. And it seemed to be catching from how that cashier had reacted. Then I leaned forward and put my hands on the wheel, deciding that it would probably be a good idea to get back home. However it only took a second to notice my hands and gasp aloud. My arm hair was gone again but this time, they looked just a little thinner as well, just as my hands did. "What's happening to me?" I squeaked. However there were no answers forthcoming. With that I gulped, started my car and then tore off, not paying attention to any of the speed limits as I rushed home. I managed to make it there within mere minutes, being extremely fortunate that no cops saw me. I ran into my apartment and slammed the door behind me, quickly locking it out of some half formed paranoia. For a moment I just stood there by the door, closing my eyes and trying to control my breathing, then I held my arms out and stared at them again in disbelief. They looked like they belonged on a stranger. "Shit," I growled weakly, tearing off my shirt to get a better look at what had happened to me this time. My eyes widened as I saw my hairless chest and I muttered another, "Shit." My chest was not only hairless now, and the skin a lot smoother, but my chest sort of... pushed out. And my nipples looked a little larger. The total effect was to make it almost look like I had a real small pair of breasts. Just like a woman... or more accurately, a pubescent girl. I didn't bother wasting my breath on more profanities or exclamations, instead I started tearing off the rest of my clothes with an almost single-minded focus. As soon as the rest of my body was revealed, it showed the same signs as what I'd seen already, though what those signs meant I had no idea. My body hair was all gone again, at least except for around my crotch, and my skin was all a lot softer and smoother. Then there was the fact that my whole body looked thinner as well. Then, in spite of myself I gasped again, "No..." My penis was... smaller, much to my horror. Not much, but enough so that I could notice it. With a gulp, I rushed towards the bathroom to get a better overall look at myself, to try gaining some idea of what was happening to me. My reflection was a bit of a surprise to me, though not as much as it would have been after examining myself. The face in the mirror was much like the body, a little thinner and softer. The overall effect on my body was very noticeable, making me look quite a bit different. Less like a man and more like a teenage boy in some ways. Or more specifically, I realized after a moment, it made me look... well, sort of... effeminate. After staring at myself for a minute, I spat out, "No way." With a grunt, I snapped away from the mirror and stormed back to the living room, putting my clothes back on before nearly throwing myself into my recliner. I grimaced and stared at the wall, trying to keep my mind focused, trying to figure out what was happening to me and why. Suddenly the words from the strange old man in the park came back to me. Or at least some of the words since I hadn't been paying too much attention. However I did remember him saying something about a curse, as well as about a fempire, whatever that really meant. "That fucking bastard," I growled, bolting upright in the chair and clenching my fists together. He did it to me, whatever 'it' was. And after I'd tried being nice to him... "But there's no such thing as curses," I muttered, feeling uncertain. There was no such thing as magic. Whatever was happening to me had to be something medical. Something for a doctor to take care of. However I strongly suspected that doctors wouldn't be able to do much with whatever was happening to me since I'd never even heard of anything like it. I remained where I was for nearly an hour before I finally decided that it wouldn't hurt to check the old man out. Just in case. With that I got up, growling as I left my apartment, knowing that if I wanted any answers, I was going to have to find that smelly old man. Maybe he really was the cause. If I could catch him sober that was. Then again, I strongly suspected that whatever it was that was really wrong with him, alcohol wasn't the real cause. Either way, I still had to find him. "Bastard," I mumbled as I walked through the apartment building hall, frowning as I tried to ignore the craving that was still present. Just as I was getting near the main door, I saw a couple of the other tenants crouched down. Specifically a thirty something woman that lived on a different floor than me, and her 7 year old daughter. I'd seen both around numerous times though had never talked to them. I smiled faintly as I saw that the woman was tying her little girl's shoes. "...and like that" the mother finished up, obviously showing the girl how to tie her shoes. "See?" "Uh huh," the girl responded, standing up and nodding. I smiled at that glancing from the girl to her mother, noticing the mother had a... glow to her, while the little girls was barely there at all. I could feel the pull towards the mother, but not the girl. Obviously I was being pulled towards adult woman only, which only made me wonder again... WHY? "I'm sure that you'll pick it up just fine," I told the little girl with a smile, then smiling at the woman. She gave me an appreciative smile and held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Carolyn Jones." Hesitating for a moment, I knew that I couldn't refuse to shake her hand and be rude. So bracing myself for the shock, I sort of pushed away in my head, refusing to let that... glow, into me. And almost to my surprise, as I took Carolyn's hand, there was no shock... no flow of the energy into me. I could feel it, just out of reach, knowing that I could let it in, pull it in at any moment with ease. However I pushed back against the temptation to do that. "Charlie Sanders," I introduced myself. "And this," Carolyn said, gesturing towards her daughter, "is Laurie." I smiled at Laurie, saying, "It's nice to meet you." She just pulled herself close to her mother and sort of glanced at me from behind her moms leg. "Just a little shy," Carolyn explained with an amused smile. With a nod I looked back at Laurie, who once again ducked behind her mom's leg. "Well," I looked at my watch, "I've got to get going." I said a quick "See you later," to Carolyn and then hurried out of the building. A minute later, I was on the street and making my way towards the park where I'd met the freaky old man. My eyes darted all over the place as I walked down the sidewalk, especially when I saw that 'glow' coming from every woman I passed. It was absolutely driving me nuts, though I was determined not to lose control. When I got to the park, I quickly hurried to the spot where I'd last seen that crazy homeless guy, but there was no sign of him near the tree. However I didn't let that discourage me at all and went about looking around the rest of the park, ignoring the noisy people around me, or at least trying to while I continued my search. I spent nearly two hours looking, first around the park and then around the streets nearby. But there was no sign of the strange man. Even the few homeless people that I'd questioned while looking said that they didn't recognize the man I described. I wasn't sure whether I believed them or not, but I didn't think that they had any reason to lie so took them at their word. Eventually I returned to my apartment building, feeling tired and frustrated. Not only from the lack of success, but from the constant craving and the fact that I could feel what I craved in just about every woman that I passed. Glancing down the hallway, I grumbled, "Damn it." Then again, I reminded myself, the old freak probably wasn't responsible. After all, how could he possibly have done something to me just by mumbling? Just as I was making the last run towards my own apartment, I started to hear someone muttering from behind a closed door, though I couldn't quite make it out. However the voice suddenly got louder. "That fucking bastard," a woman's voice growled, sounding extremely familiar. "How the hell could he sleep with her... with that... that SLUT?" It took me a moment, and then I realized that it was coming from behind Becka's door... and in her voice. My ears perked up even more at that. Suddenly the door was flung open, with Becka's voice screaming, "How could he do that to me?" Her voice was filled with pain, and when she stepped into view a mere moment later, her eyes echoed it. "Oh..." I started, immediately feeling guilty for having listened in on her rant and unsure of what to say. Becka just looked at me for a moment through her tear filled eyes, then to my surprise, she smiled. "Hi Charlie," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes before gazing at me again, a look of determination beginning to fill them. "How are you doing?" I was a little caught by surprise at her question but quickly responded, "All right, I guess." It wasn't really the truth, but I certainly wasn't about to tell her that I might or might not be under some sort of curse. For a moment, Becka just stared at me, then she nearly purred, "That's good to hear... handsome." I nearly choked at that especially when one of her hands reached down to my crotch and started massaging. "Oooh, so nice." "Um...Becka," I started weakly, definitely getting turned on by the way she was coming on to me. "About your boyfriend..." She frowned slightly, "Forget him," she told me firmly, "I'm certainly trying to." And with that she threw her arms around me and gave me a kiss. I barely managed to brace myself to keep from absorbing her energy in time. It was a lot easier than the other time, but even more enjoyable as she kissed me. Even as Becka pulled me into her apartment, her intentions more than just a little obvious, I knew that she was just trying to get back at her boyfriend. That she probably had no real interest in me, other than as a means of revenge. Still I was turned on and ready to go so made no protests at all. In almost no time at all, we were in her bedroom and both undressed. Becka paused for a moment and stared at me in surprise, obviously noticing my slender and changed body, even though she probably had no idea that it was changed from normal. I became self conscious at that moment, but it only lasted a few seconds before Becka nearly threw me onto the bed and the fun really began. What we were doing wasn't making love, it was fucking pure and simple. There was no foreplay, merely wild, passionate sex. Becka screamed and made almost animal noises as I pounded into her, enjoying every moment of her revenge affair. "Oh God," I moaned out, feeling my orgasm beginning to build. Just then, Becka screamed out even louder as she came, setting me off into my own orgasm. And as I came, it seemed to go on and on, getting even stronger with every moment. I was barely aware of Becka beneath me and intense waves of pleasure burned through every fiber of my being. "Oh God," I screamed out, suddenly realizing that I wasn't just cumming anymore... I'd lost control. I was absorbing... sucking the energy straight out of Becka as we both came, and it felt unimaginable wonderful. I could barely even think straight enough to realize what was going on and was certainly in no condition to stop what I was doing... nor did I have any desire to do so. Raw pleasure from the energy continued to burn through me, a hundred times more powerful than the orgasm itself had been. After I don't know how long, the energy stopped coming, though my whole body was filled with what could only be described as the greatest afterglow in existence, as well as complete exhaustion. A moment later, I collapsed on top of Becka, both energized and completely drained at the same time, and then slipped into darkness. It was the bright rays of the morning sun in my eyes that woke me. For several minutes, I just lay in bed, squinting against the light, both enjoying and hating it at the same time. Then as memories from the night before filtered into my mind, I suddenly bolted upright and looked around Becka's bedroom in surprise. "No way," I gasped weakly, blinking several times as I tried to convince myself that it had just been a dream. However the surprise of waking up at Becka's place was quickly forgotten as I suddenly realized that I felt strange. Extremely strange. It wasn't just the energy that still warmed me inside, but it was something else. It was the fact that my body felt... wrong. With a horrible sinking feeling, I looked down at myself and suddenly froze, my eyes going wide at the sight of my chest. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind as to what the two large mounds on there were. Breasts. Just like a woman's. I jumped off the bed with a loud gasp, staring first at my chest and then the rest of my body, unable to believe what I saw. It seemed impossible, but I knew that it was just a continuation of what had happened the day before. Not only did I have breasts, but my whole body shape had changed, becoming much more feminine. In fact my whole body looked just like a woman's... with the exception of my crotch. I still had a penis... barely. It was about the size of an infants, but it was still there... sort of. "Shit," I gasped, gulping for breath, remembering the intense waves of pleasure from the night before. Then I suddenly remembered exactly what I'd been doing at the time and remembered Becka. With that I slowly turned my attention to the figure that was lying in bed, my eyes going wider in disbelief at the sight. I had to blink and then move closer, just to make sure that I wasn't imagining what I saw. Unfortunately though, I wasn't. Becka's body had changed just as drastically as my own had, leaving me to just stare at her in complete amazement. Her breasts were gone, leaving her as flat chested as a little boy. The rest of her feminine curves had vanished as well. Even her face had changed, no longer looking sexy at all, though still recognizable as her... barely. It was as if every trace of puberty had been completely erased from Becka's body, leaving her to look almost like an adult sized child in some ways. She resembled an 11 year old girl much more than the 23 year old woman that she was. Becka now looked androgynous or neuter, no longer sexually attractive at all. Gulping I whispered, "Becka..." scarcely believing what I saw. It was almost as if the changes in Becka's body were the exact opposite of mine. As if I'd somehow taken... Suddenly I froze, my eyes going even wider. Then one word suddenly slammed into my brain. "Fempire." The memory of that wild-eyed man's words came back to me, making me shudder in sudden realization. All that energy that I felt in women... that I craved... that I'd taken from Becka, I knew what it was. It was their femininity. The fact that I could feel only traces of the that energy inside of her only seemed to confirm my guess. I bent over Becka, horrified at what I'd done to her. Feelings of shame and guilt as well as fear and confusion ran through me, each vying for dominance. Then I stepped back, realizing that I couldn't face her. At least not yet. After all, what could I possibly say? Sorry? Somehow I didn't think that 'sorry' would cover it. After glancing down at myself and grimacing, I slowly moved to the window and shut the curtains, deciding to at least keep the sunlight from waking her up yet. That would delay my having to deal with her. Then with that I took one more look at Becka before snatching up my clothes and rushing out of her apartment. A minute later, I was back in the relative safety of my own apartment, immediately heading towards the bathroom to see myself in the mirror. I just had to see what had happened to me, what all had been done by the stuff that I'd absorbed. I stared at my reflection for some minutes in stunned silence, carefully going over every feature of my face before looking over the rest of my body. The results were about what I'd expected, much to my increased discomfort. "I... I... I look like a girl," I finally whispered, still staring at the reflection. My face was still recognizable as mine, though it was much softer and more feminine. Definitely the face of a woman, and a fairly attractive one at that though certainly no model by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it was much closer to just being average. Even my hair had changed, growing into a shoulder length mane of light brown. Turning my attention to the rest of my body, I winced, seeing all of the curves that were normal on a woman. However I did notice that my breasts weren't quite as big as I'd first thought, in fact, they couldn't be much more than a large A cup or small B cup. But for not having any breasts at all before, they certainly seemed large to me. With a grimace I snapped away from the mirror, fighting the temptation to break the whole damn thing. Then I went to the living room and plopped down on my couch, staring at my body and slowly running my nervous fingers over my softer skin. It was creepy. I closed my eyes, feeling the pleasant warmth that still filled me. I was startled to realize that it still wasn't enough. It was like there was a reservoir that was only a little filled... if it could be at all. The cravings were still there, only dimmed somewhat from what I'd absorbed from Becka. Then I thought about when I'd taken the energy... her femininity from her. It had felt... incredible. Unbelievably so. I even started to get turned on, just from the memory of it. "Oh shit," I muttered, opening my eyes and trying not to think about the fact that my nipples were hard. As I glanced around, wondering what I could possibly do, I saw the clock and let out a stream of profanities, suddenly realizing that I was late for work. Hell, I knew that I couldn't show up to work looking like THIS. For a moment I just stood there, totally confused and having no idea of what to do. Finally I went to the phone and picked it up, gulping nervously before calling in to work. I covered the mouthpiece with one of my socks and made a few coughs as I explained that I was sick with a bad case of food poisoning. "It's coming out both ends," I told my manager on the other end. I nodded, knowing how stupid that was even as I did it since no one could see me doing that. Still, it was a habit. "What about the..." my manager started. "I'll finish it here and bring it in to work when I come back," I explained. A few seconds later, my manager was wishing me well, even saying, "Take care. You really sound like shit," before hanging up. It was with a sense of relief that I hung up the phone, though I remained where I was for some time, still unsure of where to proceed next. For one thing, I knew that I couldn't go to the doctor now. Somehow, I didn't think that curses were taught at medical school. And for another, there was no longer any doubt that the homeless man was responsible, not to mention that I had to find him. Still I waited for another hour, examining my body more closely with mixed feelings of shame and curiosity. Eventually though, I found one of my jogging suits in the closet and some shoes that fit decently before heading out of my apartment. "Charlie," I muttered, "what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" I stopped for a moment, just outside of Becka's door, staring at it sadly and feeling incredibly guilty. I should be there when she woke up, to explain... or at least try to. However I couldn't quite bring myself to do that. So instead, I snuck away, wallowing in my own guilt for ruining her life and not even having the courage to face her about it. --- It was late afternoon and I was back at the park where I'd encountered the strange man. I'd spent nearly all day looking for him and asking around, not only in the park but all over the place. However I didn't have any more success than I had the day before and was beginning to lose hope. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, fighting back on the hunger that was gnawing away at the back of my mind. The craving had only gotten worse during the day, now being a constant annoyance, especially since I could feel what I wanted all around me. Then I turned my attention back to the hotdog vendor that I was currently buying dinner from. Hopefully something in my belly would help fight back the other hunger as well. "Here you go ma'am," the man said as he handed me the hot dog. I grimaced at being ma'amed, reminding myself that I still had my Richard, even if no one else could tell at the moment. Then again, at the moment I might as well just call it Little Richard. It certainly hadn't gotten much bigger during the day, though it seemed to have just a little. Still, after my recent visit to the ladies bathroom, I was sure that I was looking less feminine than I had that morning, much to my relief. Without saying a word to the vendor, I just grunted and took my hot dog, hurrying to a semi private bench where I could eat in peace. "Ma'am indeed," I snorted before taking a bite. Just a minute later, I was about halfway finished with my dinner when a woman in her mid thirties sat down next to me, then started rubbing at her ankle with one hand. However what I noticed most about her was the glow that emanated from her, oh so close. So... tempting. I was barely aware of what I was doing until my hand was on top of the one she had resting on the bench. Then it suddenly dawned on me. At the same time though, I wondered if I could take just a little. Just enough to curb my cravings. If only I could keep her from noticing... Then, for the first time, I actually started to feed on purpose, sort of 'willing' that she not really notice it at the same time and not knowing if it would work. I was scared at first, ashamed of myself and about to yank my hand away... until the energy hit. I nearly gasped aloud as it started to flood into me, filling needs that shouldn't have been there. "Oh God," I gasped, nearly shuddering in ecstasy. It took nearly every ounce of my willpower to yank my hand away, to stop feeding off of that... that glorious energy. I was all hot from it, my whole body glowing with an incredible warmth. It had been even better than sex. For a moment, I just sat there in a slight daze, and then noticed the woman. Her face was dazed, but not frightened. She'd obviously felt something, but apparently the effect left anyone I fed off of dazed while I did so. It was certainly like that with the others I'd done it with. Without saying a word, I quickly got up and left, noticing that she was still full of energy... femininity. Still inviting, with the effects of my draining barely even noticeable at all. Perhaps she wouldn't notice, or just put it down to aging. Either way, I wanted to get away from there before she came out of her daze. After leaving the park, I looked around the streets for a little longer before slowly returning to the apartment building, hoping that I would have better luck later. That I could get back to normal. Every step I took was a reminder that I was no longer quite myself, that my body had changed. When finally stepped through the doors of my apartment building, I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that I was almost there. It was just several floors up and I was home free, away from the prying eyes of the people around me. The thought of everyone seeing me as a woman felt... strange. It made me uncomfortable. I was just starting up the stairs when I noticed someone else coming down towards me. A moment later, I got a better view, realizing that it was Carolyn, this time without her daughter. "Hello," I said as I neared Carolyn, "how are you doing?" Carolyn stopped for a moment and gave me an odd look of confusion. "I'm sorry," she started, "but I don't remember you." "That's all right," I responded, holding out my hand to shake. I only meant it to be what it seemed, a simple handshake. However the moment her skin touched mine, I could feel the warmth inside of her, clearly remembering the intense pleasure absorbing it gave me. With almost no hesitation, I started to feed off of her. To drain her of her very femininity. Then I snatched my hand back a moment later with a gasp. "I'm... I'm sorry," I stammered, quickly hurrying up the stairs and away from the dazed woman. I was all warm and tingly from taking the small amount of energy from her that I had. "Oh God," I muttered fearfully, glancing around me as if someone would jump out at me any moment. "What am I doing?" I shuddered, fumbling for my keys then quickly letting myself into my apartment. Once I was finally inside, I leaned back against the door and stared at the ceiling, breathing hard and feeling the weight on my chest. I gulped at that suddenly realizing what the extra energy must have done to my body. The very thought made me wince, but I knew that it was my own fault. I was the one that had absorbed their femininity. "But it was SO good," I mused quietly, beginning to smile almost dreamily. Then shaking my head, I looked down at myself and gulped again, knowing that I had to find out just how much damage I'd done. Just how much more my body had become like a woman's. And after taking several deep breaths and bracing myself, I started to take off my clothes. A minute later, I stood there naked, staring down at myself with a grim feeling. "Damn," I muttered, not taking my eyes from my body. As I had expected, my body had indeed become more feminine due to the energy that I'd taken from Carolyn and that other woman. My breasts were a little larger, my waist seemed a little thinner and my whole body looked just a little curvier and firmer. However the what I couldn't stop staring at was my crotch. "My balls," I whispered, staring at the smooth area where my cock and balls had been. It looked like there was the beginning of a vagina, though it wasn't completely formed. At least not yet, though I knew with an absolute certainly that if I gave into my urges...my cravings again... "Damn." I slowly ran my hands over my body, grimacing as I did so. It was definitely strange, knowing that I looked like a woman... all except for my crotch. Even there, it took a close look to see that I wasn't all female. After staring at myself for a short while, I sighed and flopped down on the couch, staring at the blank TV, my mind filled with guilt, shame and questions that seemed to have no answers. Actually turning the TV on never actually entered into my thoughts. At least not for some time. I was still laying on the couch when sleep eventually overcame me. --- The bathroom was all filled with the steam from my shower, the same as I took every morning. However this time it was different. This time my own body wasn't my own. Of course it hadn't quite been the day before either, but it wasn't quite as extreme as now. I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off, trying as hard as I could to ignore the strange shape of my body. Instead I tried thinking about what I could do about my situation. If I couldn't find that homeless guy that was, which I was beginning to fear was a real possibility. "There's hormones," I muttered to myself. "And surgery." I nearly chuckled at that never once having ever imagined that I would be considering a sex change surgery... and into a guy at that. Several minutes later, I had finished drying myself off, except for my hair which was still damp, then got dressed once again in a jogging suit. I patted at my hair and frowned, wondering how women could stand having hair that long when it didn't want to dry. "Surgery and a haircut," I muttered, looking inside my fridge and adding, "but first... breakfast." To my annoyance, there wasn't any milk left. Nor if I remembered right, much cereal. I just groaned and left my kitchen, deciding that it would have to be a quick trip to the vending machine down the hall. "Another healthy breakfast," I told myself sarcastically as I made my way to the machines. When I got to the machines, I was startled to see that there was already someone there. A young woman, barely more than a teenager. I made an effort to ignore her, to move around her to get to the machine. However her glow was crying out to me, nearly making me drool from its strength. The girl quickly turned and glared at me, snarling, "Back off bitch." Her voice was slurred and her eyes were red. I instinctively took a step back, startled by her comment... and her vehemence. A single look into her face revealed that she was either drunk, stoned or on something else. I didn't particularly care. "I just want some breakfast," I grumbled, reaching towards the machine again. Then without warning, the girl shoved me violently aside, growling, "I was here first." For a moment I just glared at her, beginning to get angry. Then I took one more try at the machine, this time being ready for her. It didn't surprise me when she lunged at me again, though this time I was ready. I quickly grabbed hold of her arm... and started draining. "Oh God..." I moaned in pleasure as the energy...her femininity flowed into me, filling every cell in my body with the intense sensations. After a few seconds, I broke off, barely pulling myself away from her and staggering slightly, having to catch myself against the machine for a moment while I regained my balance. The energy tingled all through me and I smiled at the incredible afterglow, loving every moment of the sensations. Then I turned my attention to her, noticing that I'd taken less than a quarter of what she had available. There was still quite a bit of the glow inside of her, pulling at me. And there were the changes in her body, not too drastic but definitely noticeable. She didn't look as pretty as she did just a few minutes ago and her breasts looked a bit smaller. However she was nowhere near as bad as Carolyn. Not in the least. "Take that," I snarled at her, "bitch." And with that I turned away from her dazed expression and started back towards my apartment, not even bothering with the food from the machine. I slammed my door behind me and collapsed to my knees, shocked at what I'd just done. At the fact that I'd just absorbed even more femininity, knowing what it would do to me. That I hadn't hesitated to do so and had enjoyed it immensely. For several minutes I just remained on the floor, my eyes closed and my fingers digging into the carpet. Then I finally stood up, taking several deep breaths as I forced myself to calm down. Once I was sure that I'd regained some self control, I slowly started removing my clothes, already suspecting what I was going to see but needing to see it anyway. Several seconds later, I was standing there naked, bending over and looking at my crotch with a grim expression. Just as I expected, I now had what looked exactly like a woman's vagina. There was nothing about it that looked in the least odd... for a woman. "Damn," I muttered, slowly reaching between my legs and feeling it. I gasped at how sensitive it was, and then slowly ran my fingers over the folds before slowly letting one of them sink inside my moist slit. That just made me gasp again, especially at how strange it felt to have something inside of me like that. It even felt sort of... nice. With a sigh, I ceased my self exploration and sat on the couch, still naked but absently thinking that I was definitely going to need some new clothes. I sure as hell couldn't keep going out with just the jogging suit. Closing my eyes again, I just 'felt' myself, soaking up the sensations from my transformed body. It wasn't quite as noticeable as I'd expect, but things still felt different. Not bad or even too uncomfortable, but definitely different. "What have I become?" I whispered to myself, thinking about the way I'd absorbed the energy from all those women. Their femininity. It truly seemed that I had become a vampire of some sort. "A fempire," I corrected with a sigh. A moment later, I turned on the TV, deciding to drown out my problems with the mindless psychobabble of some talk show or another. I wasn't really sure which one it was since they all seemed to blend together into a senseless mash. I wasn't really sure how long I watched TV, though my mind quickly started to drift back to what had been happening to me. Specifically, to the faint craving at the back of my mind and what I had to do to satisfy it. Memories of the absorbing... the feeding started to tickle at the back of thoughts, especially at how good it felt. Without consciously realizing it, at least at first, I started thinking more and more about the absorptions. About how every time I fed, every cell in my body tingled with energy and pleasure. It was like sex, magnified by a factor of a hundred. Eventually I noticed that my thoughts were having an effect on my body. My nipples were hard, feeling like tiny erections. And my crotch... my vagina was tense as hell and dripping all over the place. I was definitely getting all hot and bothered, just thinking about the absorptions. "Hmmm," I moaned slightly, rubbing at my nipples and wondering if I should go any further. However with as good as it felt, there was no real way that I was just going to stop. So with a moaned, "Why not," I started to put more conscious will into my masturbation. I fingered myself almost frantically, playing with my nipples at the same time. It felt great, much better than masturbating did as a man. And it only got better when I finally orgasmed, cumming harder than ever before. However that wasn't the only one as I brought myself to several more orgasms before finally stopping. Still on the couch, savoring the afterglow and breathing hard, I had to admit that it was definitely better than as a guy. At least the masturbating part, though I had no idea as to what real sex was like. Still, as great as that felt, it seemed weak in comparison to my feedings. Eventually I groaned and forced myself to get up, glancing at the wet spot on my couch with a faint smile. "Not bad," I mused, "not bad at all." Then I looked down at myself and noted that I would definitely need to clean up again. My thighs were both covered with my own cum, not to mention most of my legs, my breasts and hands. It was time for another shower. My second shower of the day was a lot more pleasant than the first, largely because I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd been doing with my transformed body such a short while earlier. Of course it didn't help that I was getting turned on again just by looking at myself, but I managed to keep from taking that any further again. A short while later, I had just finished getting dressed in another jogging suit and was trying to decide what to do next. My choices seemed to be between looking for that crazy bastard or getting some clothes that fit me. I tugged absently at my jogging suit, deciding that maybe the clothes should come first since I hadn't had any luck with the other yet. "Bastard," I muttered, wishing that I'd never bothered trying to help that old guy. Just then I was startled by a knocking coming from my door. It was hesitant at first, then quickly became louder, almost insistent. For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the door and then glancing down at myself with a grimace. "I know you're in there!" a voice called through the door. "I heard your TV on." "Damn," I growled, wondering who the hell it could be. I didn't quite recognize the voice. Then of course there was the question of what could I tell whoever was at the door since they'd be expecting the usual Charlie, not the girl that I now looked like. "Damn," I swore again, slowly moving towards my door. "Open up Charlie," the voice cried out, this time sounding tense... nearly in a panic. Throwing open the door, I was about to tell whoever it was that Charlie wasn't there at the moment and that I was a 'friend', suspecting that it would certainly be more believable than anything else. However as soon as I saw the person standing there, my tongue froze while my eyes went wide. "Becka..." I gasped, immediately recognizing her face, in spite of the fact that it looked... neuter, almost childlike in a way. She stared at me for a moment, apologetically going, "Sorry... I thought..." Then she froze and her eyes went wide. "Ch... Charlie?" she gasped. I gulped and slowly nodded, glancing around nervously before gesturing for her to come inside. "It's happened to you too," she gasped, "sort of..." Looking down at myself, I blushed horribly, more embarrassed than I think I'd ever been. However I looked at her and saw that she was similarly embarrassed, realizing just how hard it had to be fore her. A strong wave of guilt washed through me, reminding me that it was my fault. "Not mine," I muttered quietly, "HIS." "What?" Becka asked, looking at me curiously, not to mention staring. "I woke up like this," she gestured down at herself, at her flat chest with a look of disgust, "and you were gone." She shuddered, taking a deep breath. "I went to the doctor yesterday and he... he couldn't do anything. He said that it was just like my puberty was completely undone..." Her voice shook at that. I closed my eyes, trying to fight back the guilt, which had only gone stronger as she started to cry. Then I opened them again, grimacing as I gestured for her to have a seat. As soon as she'd done so, I sat down across from her. Becka looked up at me, her eyes teary. "Then I realized that maybe... maybe you caught it too, whatever this is." She paused, looking down at the floor before whispering, "My God, what's happening to us?" A moment later, she quickly spat out, "Is God punishing us for..." "No," I told her quietly, my voice cracking. Looking up at her, I knew that my own eyes were filled with tears. Tears of guilt for ruining her life in a moment of passion. "It... It was me." My voice shook badly at that last. With a look of confusion, Becka responded, "I... I don't understand." Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my emotions under some kind of control, though it wasn't easy. Not easy at all. With what I'd done to her... she deserved to know the truth. "I didn't mean to," I burst out, "It was an accident." At Becka's confused look, I went on, "It started the other day when I was at the park..." Becka remained silent, with an almost unreadable expression on her face as I slowly told her what had happened to me... and to her. And when I finally finished a few minutes later, she just stared at me intensely. Finally Becka gasped, "No fucking way." She grimaced. "I'd say that was impossible except..." She gestured down at herself, beginning to get angry. "I'm sorry," I gasped out. "YOU BASTARD!" Becka screamed, charging straight at me and slapping me across the cheek. The force nearly knocked me back and the whole side of my face stung. "You... you..." I just cringed. "You think I want to be like this?" However Becka wasn't in the mood for any of that. She just stood there and screamed at me, her voice getting louder and louder while the tears started to flow more freely. All I could do was remain where I was, hunched over and consumed with guilt, shame and humiliation. Becka continued for several minutes before she finally wore down and just stood there, staring at me with tears running down her cheeks. Even her anger seemed to have been burned out with her outburst. "I... I'm sorry," Becka finally said, surprising me with her apology. She looked down and quietly said, "I was the one that came on to you like some slut." She forced a chuckle and looked up. "You must really think I'm easy." For a moment I just sat there silently, then shook my head. "No. Just hurting." She sat back down, watching me this time with worry in her eyes. "I... I guess it's not really your fault and I'm sorry I went off like that." "Perfectly understandable," I responded quietly. "I think I deserved it." "I can't believe it," Becka spat out, "a fucking curse. There ain't supposed to be such things." I just shrugged, knowing exactly how she felt. Then, Becka looked at me for a minute before continuing, "If you find this guy, do you think that he can fix me too?" There was desperation in her eyes. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "I hope so." To my surprise, Becka jumped up and threw her arms around me in a hug. "Then I guess we're in this together." I nodded at that feeling guilty again, this time for the relief that I felt for no longer being alone. It felt nice to have someone else who knew about my problem... someone who had just as much motivation to get me cured as I did. I guess it was true, misery loves company. After this, Becka and I talked about what we were going to do for awhile. At first, she wanted to rush out and look for that homeless man, just at I had done, but after I'd explained that all of my searching so far had proven useless, she agreed that my next step should be to get some new clothes, her own as well. "At least the doctors says I can take hormones and probably get close to normal again," Becka told me slowly once we had been talking for awhile. "But you..." She paused. "I mean, how much..." "All the way I'm afraid," I told her with a sigh, gesturing down at myself and trying not to think about it. It didn't do much good though. "At least as far as everything is on the outside. And I have a feeling that a gynecologist would probably agree." I surprised myself by managing to get that out without stammering. She gave a visible wince. "I can imagine..." Then she sighed. "But it sure as hell ain't easy being near sexless." "I can imagine," I responded, repeating her own words. Then Becka stopped and stared at me for a minute in near silence, looking rather thoughtful. "Didn't you say that it was like, starting to wear off?" I thought back to how I'd started to become just a tiny bit more masculine previously, how my nub of a penis had started to grow back. At least if it wasn't my imagination, of which I wasn't too sure. Then I nodded slowly. "Then all you have to do is not absorb anything more," she told me with a grin. For a moment I just stared at her, shaking my head. "You make it sound so easy..." I winced, remembering the cravings... and how good it felt to feed. "Why not?" Becka shrugged. "I mean, if you don't do it anymore, it'll wear off and you'll at least become a guy again. I think." Then she smiled faintly, adding, "And maybe once you're back to normal, your curse will break." With a sigh, I knew that I couldn't really ignore her logic. She did make sense, making me even start to hope that I could get back to normal without that freak. Of course that wouldn't do anything for her... "I can do that," I muttered, silently adding, "I hope," to the end. Then, gathering my willpower, I formed it into solid determination, deciding that it might be my best chance to get back to normal. I wouldn't... couldn't feed anymore. "Then," Becka stood up, putting her hands to her flat hips, "let's get going." With that I took a deep breath, pushing my cravings away and grimacing with raw determination. Then I started towards the door with Becka close behind as we both left on our mission, to get new clothes and then find the homeless guy who'd cursed me. The neon light of the restaurant glowed brightly above the window, proudly proclaiming a name that I was familiar with, though I had never eaten there. It was considered one of the best restaurants in the city, and one of the priciest. I didn't know how I'd let Becka talk me into going, except perhaps because she was the one who offered to pay for it. It had been just the day before that I had let Becka in on what had happened to me, and what was responsible for her change. And in that short time, we had become very close, both being in a similar situation, our fates tied together. Then of course, there was the fact that Becka was 'safe'. Or at least she didn't tempt me with her glow like all the other women did, though it was only because she no longer had any to offer me. The hunger was burning in the back of my mind, though I pushed it back as I had for the last day and a half. It was nearly unbearable, though I managed with Becka's constant support. I'd even begun noticing some changes in my body again, this time back towards normal, though it wasn't too much yet. I was still a woman... in body at least. I still had no real idea why we were even going out to dinner in a fancy restaurant anyway. It certainly wasn't like we had anything to celebrate since with all of our searching, we'd still found no signs of that bastard. All we'd done is get more clothes and a lot of exercise while looking. However after brief consideration, I suspected that it was just Becka's way of coping. Trying to pretend that there was nothing wrong, even that something was right, all in the vain hopes that she would convince herself. Or at least get herself into a more positive mood. For a moment I just stood there, glancing around, staring at Becka for a moment in her loose dress. She was wearing a stuffed bra and some padding, enough to give her shape a few curves, though there was no comparison to how she used to look before. Not in the least. "How did you talk me into this?" I muttered, glancing down at myself with a frown, hating the fact that I was wearing a dress as well. To my surprise, Becka had a real knack of convincing me, especially once she insisted that I learn to see what it was really like to go out in public as a woman. "Damn," I muttered, shifting uncomfortably. Becka snorted. "Just relax why don't you. Try to take your mind off of everything." She sighed, letting me know that she was attempting just that herself. A moment later, she quietly announced, "I always liked eating here, though I can't do it often. It makes me feel more... elegant." I just nodded, seeing how the surroundings might be able to do that. However I felt a little less than elegant myself, being more used to eating at McDonalds whenever I went out. Maybe Denny's when I was in the mood to splurge. A minute later, we were both inside and waiting to be seated. After waiting several more minutes, another couple came into the lobby, a man and a woman. The woman was an absolutely gorgeous brunette, wearing a silvery dress and with a body that could easily have graced the cover of Playboy. I nearly drooled at the sight of her... and the glow that emanated from her. "Oh God," I whispered, fighting back against the cravings, suddenly aware of Becka's hand on my arm while she gave me a steady glare. The man stepped past while the woman had to follow behind slightly to get around the people. However as the woman started past Becka, she gave my new friend a disgusted look, snapping, "Move out of the way girl." Her voice, as sexy as it was, was filled with arrogance. Becka just glared after the woman as she went inside, immediately being taken to a seat. Obviously she and her companion had some influence, not having to wait a moment like we did. That just filled me with envy, which added on nicely to the annoyance I already felt from her snobbish attitude. "That bitch," Becka snorted. I just had to agree, though I couldn't stop thinking about how totally hot she was. Fortunately it didn't take much longer at all before we were seated as well. The table was well set and the atmosphere was enough to soothe my nerves, and as Becka promised, threatened even to make me forget what had happened. Or at least put it out of my mind for awhile. While we were waiting for our food too arrive, I looked around, looking first at the brunette halfway across the room, then at the other people. Women at first, though I found myself watching a waiter as he walked past, finding him oddly... fascinating. "Oh my God," Becka gasped, bringing me back to my senses, "you were checking out his ass." I nearly choked at that. "No way..." I protested. "The hell you weren't," she told me firmly. "I saw the way you were looking at him." "I..." I paused, realizing to my embarrassment that she was right. I had been staring at his ass. "Oh no..." I whispered, shocked at the discovery that my body wasn't the only thing that was changing. "Must be the hormones," Becka said quietly, sounding rather sad herself. "I mean, you've got a girl's body now." "But I still like girls," I protested, knowing how weak that argument was. For a minute we both just sat there in silence, then Becka finally spoke, her voice so quiet that I almost had to strain to hear it. "I don't feel that anymore," she whispered, sounding rather sad. At my blank look, she looked at me a little more directly, raising her voice just a little. "I don't feel that way about guys anymore." She took a deep breath. "I mean, I still think guys are cute... or at least in my head, but it doesn't have that... spark behind it. Nothing." I blinked, realizing what she meant. "What..." "I tried playing with myself and using my favorite fantasies," Becka admitted. "Nothing." After this, we were both quiet. Neither of us knew what to say, the discomfort of the moment was too strong. When we started