Encased Pt. 01

Author's Note: Hey everyone this is my first series here. I wrote a story on here a long while ago, and came up with this tale recently. But I only ever have time to work on it every now and then, so it may take some time in between chapters. However, here goes nothing and I hope you all enjoy.

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My mind is a tomb. My body feels like a coffin, and I don't know if anything can bring me out.

A sliver of light passed through the window and fell directly on my face waking me. My body ached everywhere, my head hurt and yet I knew I had to crawl out of my nest of blankets. The white sheets held me tight, their warmth called to me and promised safety. "Here you don't have to deal with anyone, no one can hurt you. Stay. Warm." I let these voices wash over me, as I laid there debating if getting out of the bed was really even worth it. I had class soon... I didn't really understand anything in there anyway. I would only get mad if I let my oasis of warmth.

I rolled over away from the light and into a nook of darkness. My alarm clock hadn't even gone off yet, why the hell was I awake? I stared into the sheets for a few more minutes before realizing that today sleep would not steal me away again. Groaning I rolled over and sat up in my bed. Rubbing my eyes I looked around the room, the same as yesterday. I slung my feet off the edge of my bunk and braced myself as I nimbly landed on the ground. My roommate lay snuggled in the bottom bunk surrounded by her stuffed animals. Today she held a 'courier', this little white pony thing from a video game. For some reason this made me chuckle and I turned to go ready for the day. I walked to the mirror.

A well-defined chin and feminine face looked back at me. My brown eyes glinted a bit with their honey color, looking a lot happier than I felt. Without looking down I scratched my nails against my arm to wake up. My eyes flared up at the pain and the sleep wore off. This was what I had to do now to wake myself up. I couldn't sleep and if I did it was barely enough. I wanted to sleep, but I just couldn't. So this was my last resort on the days I felt grogginess threatening to overcome me. After preening myself well enough to look acceptable, I wandered over to my drawers, grabbed a random shirt, and stripped. I looked down at my body. I wasn't unattractive, several guys liked me. Hell, I had even had two guys ask me out in the last month. It wasn't self-esteem that had me down, honestly I don't know what it was that had me down. I had asked my doctor and my school's physiatrist, no one knew. The only helpful advice I had been given was from my friends. Ignore your mom.

My mother's name is Marie, and for the past ... oh wait my entire life nothing has been good enough for her. Whether I was overweight (I've never weighed over 150 pounds, and I'm 5-9") or not being 'optimistic' enough, she knew how to degrade me in every way possible. I supposed this should have made me stronger, but it never did. It had only gotten worse too in these last few months. Rather than the sadness I had felt before I only felt apathetic, but not in the good way. I cared less and less about what people thought and just did what I wanted. Admittedly, I don't want to do bad things, but too much of anything is bad and now I struggled with too much apathy. Honestly apathy isn't bad either, unless you become an asshole.

I didn't care and I did care all at once.

Pushing thoughts away I grabbed my physics textbook, and headed to class. I stilled my thoughts and let them become a shield surrounding me. I stumbled down the stairs and headed of the school wing of the tiny campus, it was foggy outside. The kind of fog that sticks to you and coats your body leaving you cold and damp, but not completely unpleasant, almost crisp and refreshing. It was the kind of fog that makes you feel like a super hero, or some monster creeping on people and watching everyone with no one able to see you. It makes you feel invisible. Peeling my eyes away from the windows, I pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the bottom floor of the academic hall.

My ears stretched back as I entered the new space keeping aware. Walking into new spaces had made me increasingly nervous the last few months, even if had visited these places thousands of times, and quietly I watched as my fellow students went to their classes. I sighed trying to release some of the tension and I entered the class room.

White, blue walls with brown desks and a long white board, it was a small college class room speckled with other students. Sitting in the front row was a way to force myself to stay awake. So I sat down, pulled out my notes and book, and watched my classmates and the teacher file in. My ears pricked again this time without my warning and I twitched my head; I felt slightly uncomfortable. I glanced left and right for a second to see what I had reacted too, but without turning around I couldn't see what it was. I could feel it though, something felt stuck to my back. I shivered and turned to the board to stare at the teacher as he began his lecture. He was an old man, thick set and without a doubt had a complete witzelsucht complex. Class continued, yet I couldn't shake the feeling of whatever clung to my back. I wiggled in my seat, trying not to make my discomfort visible to the class. Unable to take it, I eventually stood up and scooted through the desks, quietly leaving the class room to head to the bathroom. As I passed through the door I glanced back. Sitting directly behind me was a stranger. He had a slight build, lean and willowy with mousy brown hair. His chin was sharp along with a well-defined nose and brow line. But that wasn't what struck me the most, it was his eyes, a deep earthy green, and they peered at me quizzically. Dumbfounded I shook my head, looked down and left the class before I looked like a complete idiot for staring at him too long. As I looked down though, I saw something near his foot, it was the same mousy brown as his hair and it curled around his feet. It twitched slightly and my ears flickered in response as I backpedaled from the classroom and scampered to the bathroom.

We didn't get new students randomly at this school. It was a small college, highly selective and students only came all at once in the fall. There was no option for starting in the spring. People didn't just show up. Why was that person here? Who was this new being in my environment, and why was he staring at me like that? Also what was that thing by his foot? My hands shook as I threw the bathroom door open. I sighed relieved to find no one else in there. I went over to the sink and threw water on my face. My breathing had picked up dramatically as I had walked down the hall, and now I tried to calm myself. I looked in the mirror and breathed slowly looking into my warm eyes. My pupils were tiny and my ears laid back against my head in an odd manor, almost inhuman. My expression changed from near panic to curiosity as I poked my ear and its strange new position. Slowly the tension left my body as I played with my ear, and as I did, it returned to its normal shape. I continued to stare at myself even though my breathing seemed regular again. It was nothing. I dried my face and decided to head back to class, I would simply address the stranger after class and everything would be fine.

I walked back to class and as I came through doorway I glanced at the chair behind mine. No one sat there. My eyes flew wide open and I stared in shock, where was the stranger? My mind went back to the spiraling questions and I sat down in my chair unsettled at this new discovery, it was probably just my tired mind. I really needed to get a grip on myself. Hallucinations, really? Yet another thing to talk to the school psychiatrist about. I tried to focus on the rest of class and relax. An hour passed and the Professor let us go.

I walked dazed with a few friends, and decided I should head upstairs to my room to calm myself more before going into a large crowd. I waved to them as they left for the cafe and I went up the stairs two at a time, the exercise flushing my face and had making my blood churn. At the fourth landing I stretched and growled, my body moving against my will as I bent down, my neck straining. My muscles quivered with the exercise and rippled under my skin, it was like something was trying to escape. My face went from smiling to serious as I pushed down these erratic movements. They had become more frequent over the last few months, and I didn't like them. Honestly, a lot of things had been changing, like the ear thing today in the bathroom, but like my over exaggerated emotions I had no answer to them. I hugged my books to my chest and shuffled down the hall to my room.

I slipped my key in the lock and as I opened the door a scent hit me like a wall. It was a musky, earthy tone almost like sandalwood but with a more bodily tone definitely belonging to that of a person. It was arousing and intoxicating. The strength of it made me jump back and I could feel my ears flattening again. The hair on the back of my neck rose and I eased into the room closing the door behind me. My mind groaned, all of the surprises today had made it tired. Ugh, it was only the first half of the day. Trying to grasp my mind, I yanked my thoughts out of my head and looked warily around my room using my ears and nose to find the source of the smell. Nothing, and no one, stood anywhere I could see. I checked the closet and bathroom and continued to search the room until I heard a soft grumble. Surely my roommate still wasn't in bed, I looked down at the lower bunk and saw nothing. The soft grumble began to get louder until it turned into a purr. Spinning on my heel I did a 360 utterly confused as the smell pummeled my senses and nose.

"HELLO?! Is someone here, and if so mind telling me who the fuck you are?" My voice had a slight venom trying to cover the slight fear I had, but I didn't care my nerves had just about had enough of this today. Couldn't it just be another boring day without phantom guys showing up in my physics class or my body acting up?

The purring abruptly stopped and what looked like a tail flopped out of the top bunk. I shrieked and yanked on it.

"AHHH leh go! Leh go, you little nut," said the voice belonging to the tail. The tail wiggled in my hand and screaming again I let go of it as it curled back onto my bed and out of sight. A head popped over the ledge and looked down at me. I screamed again in shock.

"Ye know it really is rude to wake someone up from a nap, and not to mention ouww. You didn't have to pull, it has feeling too ye know." I looked up at the face, and although the hair was tussled it was the same mousy brown of the phantom guy. His scent wafted around him, and as it clouded around me, my skin began to tingle. My ears twitched and I growled defensively stepping back.

"What are you doing in my bed? What the hell did I just touch, and who are you?" I didn't care I what I sounded like I had had enough shenanigans for a day. He chuckled at me, a mild sound. He truly sounded amused.

"Yes," He rubbed his cheeks against my sheets and groaned. His hand reached out as his eyes started to drift closed, and slowly he started to move his hands back and forth over the sheets. He looked so peaceful. It pissed me off.

"That doesn't answer anything," I put my hands on my hips. He stopped playing with the sheets and sat sat up on his elbows. As he looked down at me his eyes opened up and his grin widened. His smile was soft and warm like the color of his eyes. Overall he wasn't terribly unattractive, but his presence was not something I had expected today. Therefore I did not appreciate him being here in the slightest, especially since the door had been locked when I left. Wasn't this considered a break in, unless he was in fact a hallucination. Can you touch hallucinations?

As he pushed himself up I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt

"Calm down sweetheart, just taking a little cat nap and ye bed smells lovely. Yer kind of adorable with that poutin' look on yer face too. I like it. "He stretched and leaned half-way off of the bed looking down at me with an almost dreamy look.

"Well that answers one question, keep going," I continued to pummel him with my glare.

"I could tell ye the other two answers, but I think I'll wait till yer more ready. Although by yer ears it seems like ye 're rather close." He looked thoughtful for a moment and reached out to caress my face and push the hair away from my flattened ears. "Humm changelings are so beautiful."

His touch made my skin burst out with electricity and I tingled everywhere. Gasping, I slapped his hand away from my face and was about to demand he tell me what he meant, before I heard the door click open behind me. For all of her bad timing, this had to have been my roommate's worst. I turned back to the half-naked man on my bed. "Don't say a word and keep down, we will finish this conversation later." I scrambled to grab anything so I could look occupied as she walked in. I grabbed a book and leaned against the wall beside the desk. The mystery man lay watching me and chuckled.

"She can't see or hear me," he laid his head on his hands and bared his teeth looking smug. "No one other than ye can."

"Hey Zane," my roommate said as she set her books down and reloaded her backpack for her afternoon classes of which I had none today. My lab had been canceled.

"Hey Emily, going down to eat?" My voice wavered a bit, nervous she would see the mysterious man despite his 'reassurance'.

"Yer book is upside down darling." He cackled and I whipped my head to look at him. My roommate turned to look at me as I stared him. I tore my eyes away from the man, throwing darts at him mentally, and leaned back against the wall as I chatted with her. I glanced down at my book, it was definitely upside down.

"Yeah - probably, you coming?"

"Nah, I'm gonna eat some leftovers." She turned to me and raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything else as she left. It was times like these that I appreciated my quiet roommate. Sighing I turned back to the problem laying in my bed. Surely you couldn't touch hallucinations, surely you couldn't be excited by hallucination, but he looked so real. Did I want to call an emergency number? Isn't that what people do when strange men break into your home? I went and locked my door again.

"I don't know who you are, I don't know what you know, but either you tell me what you want or you leave. Got it? As it is I'm being way too nice to you. " I shoved my finger at him, but he simply moved to the side avoiding my jab.

"Huummm Zane? What a lovely name, short for anything? As for yer questions, I don't know how much I can answer, but I do know what I was sent here to tell ye. "He shrugged and smiled his warm smile again as he looked down at me. He didn't seem too bad, but my senses were still on end.

"It's short for Suzanne, and are you saying if I ask you to come down you will answer my questions?" I raised my eyebrow and my ears twitched along with my cheek.

"Somethin' like thaat. Will me being on the ground make ye feel better?"

"Yes."

He chuckled and nodded in response. "Fine, but ye'll ask meh nicely." I rolled my eyes and groaned Was this guy serious?

"You busted into my room and slept in my bed, and you are asking me to politely coax you down. Oh no no no, that is not how this works. Get down." My feet stood apart as I looked him furiously in the eye. He was in my area.

"But ye see I have information that ye desperately need. " He paused to chuckle, "So I suggest you ask me politely, or else I'll gladly stay in this warm bed." He rubbed his cheeks against my pillow a deep purr sounded in his throat, similar to the one I had heard when coming into the room. I was not about to be bossed around by this stranger.

"I said get out of my bed, or I will go get someone."

With this his soft purr turned into a growl and he sat up to look down at me. His eyes had turned from their sweet warm, green into cool vertical slits. "Look sweetheart, I don't think ye understand. I don't have to tell ye anything, I could leave ye to rot and let your body eat away slowly at your mind like it is now." His words had started to become more venomous as he hissed out the last few words." Or ye could shove yer pride down yer pretty little throat and ask me nicely. I'm very important to ye even If ye don't know it." He smiled at me even though his eyes threatened me. I didn't know if he was lying to me or if I should trust him, hell I didn't even know him. So I decided to go with my instincts.

"Get out."

The man growled at me and leaped swiftly down from the bed moving towards me.

"I will give yer one week, no more no less, to come to yer senses." He waved his hand in front of my face. His closeness made my muscles tense and my heart started to beat a little quicker. "I know ye feel it in ye, changeling, and ye need me whether ye know it or not. I will be watching over ye, when ye finally realize ye need help, call me. I'm sure ye can figure out how." As he finished his eyes locked with mine for a few seconds. I felt my stomach flip a little as the stranger looked at me eye-level. My body felt instinctually pulled towards him. His scent started to waft again and I closed my eyes to inhale it. The smell made my body alight, and I felt a tinge below my stomach as his nearness started to make me quiver in excitement. I felt his breath on my neck and I let out a soft moan against my will.

Exhaling, I opened my eyes. My mouth dropped and I looked around the room. No one was there, only the sweet musk remained. I spun on my heels to check everything.

"What ..? "

He was gone, however I could still feel the excitement he caused bubbling in me. I could still feel his warm breath on my neck. I shook my head trying to clear my head. I just didn't, people don't, I shouldn't be feeling so attracted to this stranger. Why weren't alarms going off? Why didn't I call someone? I could have told my roommate, but the truth is, I didn't want to. I reached over and grabbed a textbook from my shelf, Medieval History. Nothing could be more of a turn-off than reading Medieval History right?

Taking my book I jumped onto my desk and then into my bunk to read in my comfy zone. Yet as my head hit the pillows and I climbed under the blankets, the scent encased me. The sheets even still held some of his warmth. My muscles twitched again, and trying to ignore the growing arousal between my legs I flipped open the book to a random page to read about Eleanor of Aquitaine.

I fidgeted around for a while before I couldn't take it anymore. Slowly I felt my hand travel down across my breasts. I slide my textbook to the other side of the bed and began to tease myself. My hands traveled under my shirt and I slide it off. My skin felt warm as I reached around my back to unclip my bra.

With a sigh I felt the garment fall away and my breasts eased down. They felt swollen and the tips of them stood up begging for attention. I propped myself up on my pillows and looked at my body. My taunt skin stretched over the muscles on my stomach, and my left hand slowly massaged my breast. I moaned softly. The walls weren't terribly thick, and I didn't need my suitemates hearing anything.

I leaned my head back as I passed my hand of my perky nipples. I jumped as a tendril of shock went straight down. I started to gently role the tip of my breast in my fingers. My eyes fluttered shut and I moved my free hand to play with the other breast. My head dropped against the pillow as my hands messaged my chest with full handed grasps and pinches. The soft blankets had me back and his scent crawled across me like a mist filling my body with desire and my mind with the color green. It weaved across my soft skin, trailing kisses and leaving goosebumps across my stomach. I giggled and tossed my head back as my hand followed the mist in a playful chase. My hands went across my chest and under my arms before being lead to the wet spot between my legs.