eos2 wrote:Any updates? Not complaining, just miss the stories.
Well, this one isn't complete yet, but I want to share it if only to fill the temporary void. It's a sequel to Dan Standing's great story "Steel Toed". Let me know what you guys think!
Steel Trap (Part One)
Joan???s mind began to drift, devoid of stimuli. Already, her brief but joyous rampage had been silenced with a literal whimper, her metallic digit locked just that close to bliss with no release. The shifting column of light through the window proved still several feet away from her newly minted companion, leaving that wondrous moment of reflection still hours in the future. If she focused on her left foot, she could feel the slightest tug of gravity from Rena???s perched hand. ???Still propping up someone else,??? thought Joan woefully as she lamented on her past existence as a corporate doormat.
Every so often, the chilly silence would be broken by the whir of a fan on the nearby personal computer or the distant fridge conking on which would shock the life out of her until she remembered she wasn???t truly alive anymore anyway, just a prop possessing dangerous properties.
For reasons unknown to Joan, she couldn???t help but chuckle when imagining the confusion at work when a third of her department refused to show today. She tried to imagine the various conspiracies her co-workers would create without any evidence.
Little did she know questions were arising already upon the discovery of Cassandra???s sultry form still perched in the bathroom down the hallway. Yet, nobody was sure just what the statue was supposed to represent. Guys from throughout the building found themselves compelled to visit the ladies room to appreciate the surprising sculpture, each pondering why she appeared so familiar. After much scrutiny, fingerprints were discovered to exist on the statue, which would begin a process unstoppable involving every agency in the county.
Of course, Joan had no fear of retribution now from any law of man. Such concerns never even crossed her mind at this point. How could she be punished worse than this?
Such thoughts rolled around until jolted by the sound of a calling voice, first distant but rising in volume until clear. ???Rena!??? called an unseen, husky female voice. ???You better not be skipping out on the laundry! Re-na!??? The inevitability of it all made Joan feel like sinking.
???She???s gonna come in here!???
Sure enough, she could hear the front door pushed open, the chain clacking on the wall behind the door. ???There you are, Rena! Get over here!??? Joan???s heart would be pounding if only her blood still pumped. A few clomping footsteps later revealed a familiar face, one Joan had seen in passing most days in her travels, ignored like most neighborly collisions. Joan always pictured her in dusted clothes, looking like a dockworker. This encounter proved no exception.
Now that familiar face contorted, proclaiming, ???Jesus, Rena, what happened to you???? The newcomer surveyed the scene, trying to make sense of obvious insanity. At one point Joan could see the girl (was her name Crystal?) rifling through Joan???s things, even picking up a pair of her steeled pantyhose slumped on the floor near the bed. Then Joan observed her crouching down in those dirty work boots to examine the steel surface of the floor, pausing every so often to marvel at Rena???s condition.
One sassy hand gripped the unyielding curve of Rena???s ass cheek, and Joan could swear she saw this visitor lick the statue???s bottom lip. After such revelry, she darted off once again to return with a secured dolly.
After clunking that down in the corner, she turned her attention to Joan, which made her nervous. Her prone form, while durable, left her feeling more than a little vulnerable. ???What did you do to her, huh???? she asked in a whisper into the folds of Joan???s frozen ear. Reaching around behind Joan???s head, she grabbed Joan???s clock radio, yanking the power cord with a flourish. Ever so carefully, she neared the foot holding Rena up.
Joan could feel the tap and see the power once more as her digital clock joined her in stainless steel glory. A gasp emitted from the roommate???s lips as her eyes lit up with delight. Like a kid with a box of firecrackers, she grabbed a few things from around the room, Joan???s cell, a shoe, a book, a feather duster, gilding each in turn with a wild giggle.
After sated with the power granted to Joan???s appendage, she grew serious again, wrapping her now prone roommate with a non-steeled bed sheet pilfered from Joan???s linen closet. With care and disturbing strength, she pivoted Rena???s statue, still balanced in those flip-flops, until secured in the cradle of the dolly. After tipping her back, she waved at Joan, as if signifying she???d invariably return. That look of lust scared Joan beyond what she thought possible considering her already disturbing predicament.
At that very moment, IT investigators made a shocking discovery. The email introducing the new statue in the bathroom was quickly tracked by IP address to Joan???s computer, pointing every accusing finger towards her apartment looking for answers. Even more confounding: analysis of the statue???s prints confirmed the statue was, in fact, Cassandra, the office hellcat.
Steel Trap (Part Two)
The hand truck squealed sporadically as it rolled, undoubtedly due to the sheer mass the Rena statue now possessed. More than once, a corner of the bed sheet nearly found its way under one of the rubber wheels, almost revealing to prying eyes the nature of the cargo stowed beneath. The door to the garage was only a few hundred yards away when a voice called out, ???New sculpture for your exhibit, Crystal????
She wanted to scream. With great care, she continued onward, but spun her head around to regard the person submitting such a query. Sure enough, Crystal could see the building busybody, Carmen, spying her from her door across the hall. ???Yup,??? she responded, attempting nonchalance.
???Can I sneak a peak???? continued the nosy neighbor, staying true to her tendencies.
???Sure, with everybody else at the premiere showing, Carmen.??? Crystal raised one alluring eyebrow, adding, ???Wouldn???t want to ruin the surprise now, would I????
Carmen sighed. ???Oh, fiddlesticks!???
With a grunt, Crystal cleared the threshold while backing her way through the door. One sly wave and she was in the clear. After pausing to deploy the ramp on her truck, a former delivery van, she finished Rena???s slow journey into the cargo hold. The rear axle grunted under the weight.
After one quick glance around, Crystal closed the door to be alone at last with her frozen roommate. She tore the sheet away from the rigid damsel, basking in the brilliant glow. Truly, Rena possessed a striking figure, one made more permanent due to her metamorphosis. Yet, what really made Crystal pant with desire was the carefree pose her former friend now exhibited. Paused in mid step, the shimmering ball of Rena???s right foot barely made contact with the ground, leaving the left to carry the burden of weight, even though that heel was barely off the ground as well, stilled in mid-pivot. A slight twist of the hip added a dramatic flair to her countenance, accented by the vibrant flair of her left arm reaching out, fingers splayed casually as they had been when captured. That smug expression hanging in silver perfection completed the composition with a certain aloof appeal, framed by that darling hairstyle, no longer bleached and trashy in its current monochromatic state. Truly, Crystal had to admit, Rena made a striking sculpture, one she???d be proud to claim as her own creation.
Wasting no time, Crystal proceeded to strip the tramp shorts, panty and top, reveling in each new gilded texture. Nothing could be left behind that would reveal the fact that this statue was once a vibrant girl. No bra meant no lines, allowing those pert nipples to pop with lively ambition. Once rendered completely and gloriously nude, Crystal utilized great care to pad the statue where it made contact with the side wall, finishing the process by strapping the confounded statue to the rails, testing the connection until satisfied all was secure.
As Crystal departed the vessel, locking the door as a final step, Rena???s mind screamed inside as she was plunged into utter darkness. The musty smell of the truck permeated somehow, making her regret ever getting tricked by Joan???s lure of free alcohol.
Just outside the apartment sat a lonely police car with a police officer clacking away at a console. She was double-checking the address given in the APB when another call came in telling her to hold off on the search of Joan???s apartment. Another mysterious statue had been found in the ladies locker room at a trendy uptown gym, and all involved were required to investigate the city???s first case of serial petrifaction. With a frustrated grunt, the lithe female officer tossed a clipboard holding the search warrant into the passenger seat before flipping on the sirens and peeling out. In the back of her mind, she couldn???t help but wonder if she???d return to this place to get some answers.
On her way back to the apartment they once shared, Crystal was struck by a taxing moral dilemma. Up to this point, she hadn???t really done anything horrific to anyone. Sure, her friend was captured in metal somehow, and thus far she was willing to profit from such misfortune, but she hadn???t yet crossed the ruby line that leads to damnation. Those schemes, that chrysalis forming almost instinctually once discovering Joan???s magical feet, proved undoubtedly sinister. Her heart raced as she rounded the stairs, doubting for the first time the wisdom of her intentions.
She thought about the power, too, and a sly grin swept across her face. ???I???d possess godly ability!??? she concluded to herself, envisioning the potential for unlimited artistic enlightenment, with instantaneous results. All her life she???d had this very dream pervading, a fantasy that could never become real. Somehow it was all possible! Now, it clicked in her mind, was time to seize this opportunity to become legendary, but only if she could dupe the rest of the world. With surprising clarity, she resolved to secure it all once and for all. By tonight, it would all play out, and she???d either be free to dominate the planet or she???d be locked away a pariah. Regardless, she begrudgingly considered, she???d now follow a path of isolation secured entirely by lies and trickery.
She slipped the key in the lock to find it unlatched. As she opened the door, her nose was greeted by a cloud of smoke fit for a hash house. On the couch was sprawled her final roommate, Hannah, torching a cheap, metal bowl and reading a glossy magazine. Crystal remained unseen by Hannah in her reclined pose, feet propped in the air with knowing coyness, so Crystal took an opportunity to survey the scene and her companion with a critical eye. Gears clacked to go, compelling Crystal to action, first chiding her roommate, saying, ???You should lock the door when you???re toking, Hannah.???
The rebel tossed a sassy pout towards the door, replying, ???You gotta live a little, Mom. Besides, I thought Rena???d be back with a load or two any minute. Or did she ditch again???? Crystal smiled and nodded in response while secretly admiring Hannah???s petite form, the pleasing contour of that delicate face. Admittedly, Crystal often felt left out of the younger girls??? games in the apartment, being several years older and just finished with graduate studies at a rival university, but she never showed it outwardly.
???She took off with Mitch again. Move over,??? commanded Crystal, ???I???ve got something I want to make you.???
That got Hannah???s attention. ???Oh yeah? Do tell!???
???It???s a surprise, but I promise, you???ll love it. It???ll be one of a kind, and you???ll use it daily, I???m sure.???
The riddles made Hannah suspicious. ???Come on, Crys, Nobody does something for nothing! What do you want from me????
This was an expected response. ???You???ll be doing me a favor, since I got a project coming up anyway, and I gotta brush up on my technique. It???s called lifecasting. You ever heard of alginate????
???Al-gin-WHAT????
???Alginate. It???s made from sea kelp. I use it to make a reverse-relief of living matter.??? Crystal could see the light dimming immediately in her ignorant friend???s eye so she got to the point. ???I want to make a mold of your foot for an item I???d like to make you.???
It finally seemed to click for Hannah, and now it seemed she was trying to figure out what she???d be getting. Although dubious about that mischievous look on Crystal???s face, she relented to her wishes.
???Ok, let???s do this. You???d better not be messing with me. Does it take long???? Her eyes lingered on her fashion mag.
???Just sit back and read your rag while I mix up a batch.??? Several long puffs of smoke later, and Crystal was all ready. She???d managed get a block of sculpting wax melting in a double burner in the corner and was just finished hand mixing the alginate, pouring it into a suitably-sized matrix. Without asking, she grabbed Hannah???s left foot, gently spraying it down with an aerosol lubricant before shaping her foot into a suitable pose, pointing the ankle while flipping the toes up naturally, creating a familiar archetype. ???Just keep it posed like this, okay? Then push into the liquid all the way to the bottom before pulling up just a bit.???
It felt squishy and cold, but the sensation was not unpleasant as Hannah complied with surprising clarity until buried well past the ankle. Crystal helped guide the process slightly, making sure her younger rival was well positioned within the casting matrix. Hannah gave her a look that begged, ???Now what????
???Hold it right there, just like that. You???ll feel it hardening up into a thick gelatin-like texture.??? Crystal noticed a grin creeping across her subject???s face.
???What???s the straw for???? She motioned to the red-and-white-striped drinking straw on the table.
???You???ll see in a few minutes.??? Sure enough, the alarm dinged on Crystal???s phone, and she used the straw to blow air into the mold, breaking the grip on Hannah???s foot. Twenty seconds of coaxing and wiggling, and Hannah was free.
???That was cool!??? She watched as Crystal poured the molten wax into the newly crafted mold, rocking and tapping the container to ensure no voids were left inside. Once filled to the top, she set it aside to cool before tearing everything down and cleaning the area entirely. Before long, she was pulling the stiffened goo apart in chunks to reveal a stunningly well articulated wax foot. Hannah was so delighted with this part, she posed her real left foot next to the ersatz one, giggling at the cuteness of it all and basking in the attention somehow.
???Look at that!??? proclaimed Crystal. ???It turned out perfect.??? She turned it around in her hand a bit to study it. Something in the composition pleased her immensely, and she found she was unable to contain her glee.
???What now???? asked the perplexed blonde pixie.
Hannah missed Crystal???s smug expression as she replied, ???Now I get to work my magic.???
Across town, the officer studied the stunning sculpture gracing the ladies locker room. Deep in focus, she can scarcely believe this is the second instance of metallic conversion into a statue in a day. Same durable stainless steel material and the pose was an odd one, with one arm reaching out fully extended. Just inches from the calm gilded face, a voiced jolted her, breaking her concentration. ???Strange shit, ain???t it, Lola????
She nodded apprehensively, barely acknowledging the question. After studying the ground, she traced the trail of broken tiles to where they ended near a closed locker. ???Can I get this one open????
Crystal returned to Joan???s apartment prepared. She was certain of that. Yet her nervousness kept creeping in, forcing her out of autopilot. This would prove tricky if she didn???t want to get caught. Upon closing the door with a click, she stormed up the hall to the bedroom, to her impending fate.
Joan almost drifted off to sleep when interrupted by the clang of a geared-up duffel connecting with those steel floorboards. Again, she recognized the tough artist from upstairs, and watched helplessly as she pulled out a can of orange spray paint. One quick burst revealed the demarcation line between mere steel and transforming steel, just below the ankle.
When Joan saw Crystal putting on a welder???s mask, she prayed for the first time, begging for release. She heard that gritty voice say, ???Good thing you???re just a statue or this would hurt like hell!??? Panic rolled through Joan???s entire form, every flexed pore, before the searing agony of thousands of degrees sliced through her leg, the thermite torch severing completely through all that durable bone, muscle and skin until blessedly falling away, leaving behind a total sense of loss.
The limb fell into the nearby wicker basket Crystal employed for the job. Naturally, brilliant silvery metal snaked through the wooden strands upon contact. With expert speed, Crystal grabbed the wax foot created with Hannah moments before and affixed it to the molten stump, leaving an effective facsimile behind. Likewise, Crystal used a steel gripper to lift the cursed foot out of the basket, affixing that to a one-inch thick disk of wax, bonding instantly.
Once cooled, she carefully brushed molten wax on the minute seam where the two divergent elements met until satisfied they appeared as one. With utmost care, she lifted the pilfered foot by the base, gilding the new wax foot until all appeared uniform. Taking a step back, even Crystal had to admit the effect would prove exceptional. Another tap: this time the wax base to the remaining right foot. Then, just to be safe, she tapped Joan with that severed cursed foot, revealing no visible change to the eye, but sending a chill through Joan???s body regardless and returning any molecule altered by the welder back to glorious stainless steel once more.
Joan cursed this usurper with vigor, but only silence emitted from her lips. She hoped she wouldn???t have to endure that anguish again with the other foot. She watched through fixed eyes as Crystal raised the object of desire, Joan???s cursed left foot, over her head in triumph.
Suddenly, a knock at the front door vanquished the reverent silence. Crystal approached the peephole sheepishly, still holding the silvery foot in her gloved hand. So far, the orange line proved where safety met calamity.
Sure enough, Carmen was at the door demanding to know what was making all that racket.
Crystal couldn???t resist, pulling the attractive older woman into the apartment like a frog snaring a curious fly. Coaxing the potential witness into the bedroom, she said in a harried tone, ???I???m torn, Carmen, and I need your opinion. This is my newest masterpiece, and I can???t decide which foot to use on the final piece. Let me put them next to each other and you can tell me which you like better!???
Considering how clandestine Crystal was earlier, Carmen relished this opportunity to contribute. In fact, she couldn???t remember the last time somebody actually asked her what she wanted. The masturbating pose of the sculpture before her was disturbing and shocking, but the level of detail was positively inspired. Despite that pit of worry in the back of her throat, she nodded agreement and moved to stand a few feet in front of Crystal???s location next to the statue. She scrutinized each limb side by side, but really couldn???t tell the difference between the two. They were the same size, same material, and were even posed exactly the same. To be supportive, she offered, ???I think I like the one you???ve got on her.???
At this point Crystal???s face lit up, the passion contagious. ???What about the toes? Go ahead and touch them and give me your decision. I???ll hold this one up for you.???
Sure enough, Carmen politely felt the toes already attached, giving it some effort to appear thorough. ???Uh, okay, these ones feel alright, and these??????
The words cut abruptly the moment her fingers made contact with the cursed toes. She found herself rooted to the spot, completely unable to move. A wave of wintriness rushed through her veins as she felt her muscles stiffening. Within her field of vision and beyond her belief, she could see her hand and arm solidifying, surrendering to silvery doom.
Crystal watched the process as it rolled up from Carmen???s hand to wash over her entire body, rendering every eyelash, lip wrinkle, dimple and pore into luminous steel. Crystal marveled at how bemused Carmen appeared at the moment of transformation and almost clamored to get the hand truck to haul her into the truck with Rena, but decided instead to trust her instinct and leave her to be discovered here in the liar of the obvious perpetrator. She gave the befuddled former woman a peck on the cheek, while toying, ???See what I mean about surprises? Aren???t you glad you got involved???? She licked the fold of Carmen???s ossified ear lobe, still warm but cooling to room temperature fast.
???Hope you enjoyed your personal premiere of my work, Carmen!??? Tapping a hand across that silvery mouth still locked in mid-word, she added, ???Now don???t breathe a word or you???ll ruin the surprise for everyone else.??? A hoarse cackle permeated the room, vibrating within the steel items throughout.
With a grunt she lifted the pristine statue, pivoting her ever so slightly so her gilded hand rested on Joan???s left foot, just like Rena???s had earlier. Only, this wasn???t Rena, and that wasn???t Joan???s cursed foot after all. The effect of the deception filled Crystal with relief as she imagined herself nearly in the clear. Only one thing remained before she could leave this place for good.
Already, Officer Lola Raines had deduced a lot about her latest victim, Helena Vandenhoff, just from the items in her locker. The mirror meant her looks mattered to her. The clothes proved she had money and style. There were plenty of products and a few pictures of a guy or two. What really caught her attention, though, was the lack of something. Gym clothes, gym shoes, street clothes, yet no street shoes anywhere in her things. The officer took one more look at the stunning bombshell, all that hair coiffed expertly, those flawless teeth and donning those professionally manicured nails and she quickly decided someone had not only frozen this poor lady into a silent slab of lifeless metal but had also stolen her shoes.
To Be Continued...