Mushrooms

Maisy nodded and went for her clothes at last, and I watched her butt as she walked away. How she could dislike her body was beyond me, but then I found something beautiful in most women I met, no matter what shape her body was. If only they felt the same about me... Shaking off the sobering thought, I got up and went looking for my pants and phone. The former I found nearby, thankfully not torn, but my phone was another matter; it had landed in a puddle and was now probably done for. I stuffed it in my pocket with a grimace; replacing it was going to be costly, and my online marketing business didn't make a lot of money.

"Brian!" Maisy called me from further into the cave. I followed her voice to find her standing by a wide pool ringed by the strange mushrooms. A small rivulet trickled into the pool from a crack in the back wall of the cave, and the blue light played merrily across the rippling surface. More clusters of mushrooms hung from the ceiling above, too. It was rather beautiful, really, made more so by Maisy, who stood there smiling at me, her clothes hanging forgotten in her hand. "Isn't it amazing? Do you think anyone else ever comes here?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe." The smell was stronger still over here. Much more so. I felt my brain fogging up again, but this time instead of going weak, I felt stronger, more powerful, like I could jump over the whole pool without a run up. I was sure now that these mushrooms emitted a spore that was affecting my consciousness, but I was having trouble caring. With a delighted squeal, Maisy dropped her clothes and leaped high into the air, tucking herself into a ball before splashing into the pool. I felt a moment of tension until she surfaced, laughing.

"You scared me!" I told her, though my face was gripped by a wide grin fuelled by a rising sense of euphoria akin to a time I'd tried ecstasy a few years ago. I realised dimly that I was peeling my clothes off with the intention of joining Maisy. A quiet voice in the back of my mind told me I shouldn't, but I brushed it aside, wanting only to focus on how wonderful I felt. Confident, powerful, attractive, for the first time in my life. I hit the water with a splash markedly larger than Maisy's, and when I came up, she was on me again, wrapping her slim legs around my waist and kissing me.

"Thank you for not wanting to take advantage of me," she breathed against my lips. I felt her smooth, bare mound bumping against my cock, which was hard enough to cut diamonds. Not waiting for me to respond, she kissed me again and impaled herself on me. I lost all coherent thought for a long time...

*

It was well after dark when Maisy and I returned home to the four-bedroom house we shared in the suburbs. It was a really nice place, two stories all in red brick with a tiled roof and a sizable backyard with a pool and hot tub. Becca's father owned the house but let her live here free as long as she kept the other three rooms rented. We hadn't said much to each other on the walk back down the trail, but to my pleased surprise, Maisy had wanted to hold my hand most of the way. Probably more for safety than affection, walking at night as we were; a bad step or a fall on these trails could sprain an ankle or worse. Still, I enjoyed it.

As we pulled up, there were no other cars in the drive, which meant both Becca and April were out. Worried they might be home any time, we hurried inside and went to separate bathrooms to shower. I headed to the upstairs one when Maisy made for the lower. Both bathrooms were nearly identical, with an open, spacious design. The showers had no glass; you stood under a rain head near one corner and the water ran into a wide, square drain in the floor. The tiles were sandstone so as not to be slippery. The openness of it all meant you needed to be careful locking the door, for anyone that entered without knocking would get a full view of whoever was showering. It had happened to me before; Becca had walked in on me once and gotten a full-frontal of me, much to my embarrassment. She'd been nice about it, though.

I stood under the hot spray for some time, going over the events of the day in my mind. It was so crazy that anyone I told would surely call me a liar. What would things be like with Maisy now? Even more awkward, probably. I still really liked her, but I had resigned myself to the fact that we were destined to only be friends, and so I had tried really hard to do that despite my feelings. It had almost worked for a while, and the invitation to hike today had me feeling like she wanted my company at the very least. Now, I was very confused. We'd had sex, yes -- several times -- but that had surely been the effect of the mushrooms. But after, she'd held my hand almost all the way back. Was that the mushrooms, too? "I need to get some sleep," I murmured through the hot water cascading down over my head.

Finished, I shut off the water and made for the towel rack on the wall nearby, my wet feet slapping on the tiles. The door came open as I was drying off, and I hurriedly wrapped myself up, but it was only Maisy, standing there in a white towel that covered her from chest to knees. Her dark hair hung in wet locks around her bare shoulders. I found the look remarkably hot. She said nothing for a while as she eyed me thoughtfully.

"Some day, huh?" She smiled a little.

"You can say that again," I agreed, suddenly unsure what to do with my hands, I seemed torn between putting them on my hips and folding my arms over my chest. I settled for holding my towel in front to secure it. "I was thinking about what it would be like trying to explain it to someone else, and I decided it sounds too crazy to even try."

Maisy nodded, her cheeks reddening slightly. For a second, I thought she was going to come closer, but instead she leaned on the doorframe. "Is it okay if we don't talk about this for a while? I'm just really confused, and I'd like some time to process, if that's alright?"

My heart sank, but I put on an understanding smile. You knew this would happen, deep down. She would get home and regret the whole thing. At least you have the memories. "Don't worry about it," I said soothingly. "It was a freak thing that happened, brought on by whatever was in those mushrooms. Let's get some sleep and put it behind us." It was the last thing I wanted, but I made myself say it.

To my disdain, Maisy smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Brian. You're a good friend."

"Yeah," I replied, trying to suppress the familiar stab that came with being 'friend-zoned.' A bitter voice in my head chimed in. Where does she get off? She just threw herself at me for hours on end, and now she wants to be friends? But it wasn't her fault, I knew. It was the mushrooms. Fucking evil things, I ranted mentally. Giving me what I'd wanted so badly for so long, then taking it away from me. I should go back there tomorrow and burn the lot of them. "No worries," I said aloud.

Maisy left after that, and I retired to my room to try and forget that today ever happened. Well, all but the best bits, anyway. I spent half an hour at my computer trying to find out what species of mushrooms we'd encountered, but I found nothing on blue, glowing fungi that made people euphorically high and super horny. Once in bed, I fell asleep to visions of a naked Maisy mounting me, her slim legs straddling my hips, taking me into her hot depths...

***

Day One. Sunday.

I woke as the sun touched my eyelids, the light streaming in through the window above my bed. I grimaced as I sat up, for my sheets were soaked with sweat, as if I'd fallen asleep with the heater on as high as it would go. There were still beads of moisture on my skin, trickling down my face and chest as I moved. I felt hot all over, and thirsty, as if I hadn't had a drink in days. Throwing back the sheets, I got out of bed and stumbled awkwardly. It took me a minute to realise I was lighter on my feet than I remembered.

Hurrying to the full-length mirror across the room, I studied my reflection, and what I saw made my heart skip a beat. My same old, ordinary face stared back at me, untidy hair and all, but my body looked as if it had burned off five kilos overnight! My belly was smaller, my extra chin almost gone, my chest, thighs, and upper arms all slimmer. I thought my dick looked a bit bigger, too, but that could just be an optical illusion created by my suddenly thinner body. "What the hell?" I muttered as I turned in place, looking over my shoulder at my butt, which had also shrunk. Was this the mushrooms again?

My door flew open, then, and I jumped, covering my groin with my hands. "What the fuck, Maisy?!" I blurted angrily. "Can't you knock?" But Maisy appeared not to hear my outburst as she quickly entered and shut the door behind her, leaning against it, her eyes wide. She was wearing a towel again, though dark bra straps showed on her shoulders. Why would she wear a towel over underwear?

She eyed me up and down. "Are you... different, this morning?" She asked me in a hushed voice. It took me a moment to digest her question, for I was inspecting her, too. Either it was my imagination, or Maisy was an inch or two taller today.

I nodded carefully. "It looks that way," I confessed. She said nothing in response, but her hands went for the knot in the towel, and I gaped as it came loose to reveal what was beneath. Encased in a black sports bra that was now too small for them, Maisy's breasts bulged, slightly overflowing the material. Dragging my eyes away from her chest, I also noted that her hips and thighs had a bit more shape to them. Not much, but it appeared she had filled out a little. Her black panties looked a bit tight now, the band cutting into the skin of her hips a touch.

"I have tits!" She hissed, dropping the towel and cupping her new breasts to emphasise her point. I blinked a few times, my brain struggling to register the phenomenon occurring before my eyes. "I've gone up almost a full cup size overnight!" She looked scared, but there was something else in her face, too. Was it excitement?

"I, uh, I can see that," I managed awkwardly, trying not to stare too much.

"And you look as if you've lost weight," she observed, still holding her boobs. The towel lay forgotten on the floor, pooled around her feet.

"It would appear that way," I replied, still standing there with my hands over my junk. "Mind if I get dressed?" She was still frowning at my body, but then she shook herself and turned around to give me privacy without leaving the room. This gave me a clear view of her butt, which had seen its share of the growth, too. Her panties dipped between her pale cheeks, now, almost like a thong. A deep surge of lust rumbled in me, but I stuffed it down with an effort and busied myself with throwing on a pair of shorts and a shirt I'd left discarded on the carpet near my bed.

Maisy retrieved her towel while she waited, bending at the waist to do so, and my eyes were drawn like moths to a fluorescent light on a dark night. Was she doing that on purpose? Lust flared again, primal and animalistic, and for a moment, I wrestled with myself internally, part of me wanting to toss Maisy onto my bed and ravage her. Eventually, my rational side won out.

"You can turn around, now," I told her once I was clothed. My shirt felt a bit baggy, as did my shorts. I sat on the bed. Maisy helped herself to the chair in front of my computer desk, opposite the bed. "How do you feel?" I asked her. "I can only assume the mushrooms are doing this to us."

"I feel really good," she replied sincerely, bracing one toe on the floor to swivel the chair back and forth slightly. "I thought the same. I mean, what else could it be?" She was biting her lower lip while she looked at me. Did she have to do that? She was making it hard to concentrate. I shifted on the bed, the sudden tightness in my shorts making my position a little uncomfortable. Her cheeks coloured when she added, "I feel all... hot."

"Yeah," I replied. "Me too. I wonder if they boosted my metabolism somehow. I haven't weighed myself, but I must have lost five kilos." Maisy was toying with a damp lock of hair by her ear, now, twirling it around her fingers. Her gaze was smoky, and distinctly predatory. I tried to ignore it. "We should be careful," I suggested. "We don't know anything about these things, or what other side effects there might be."

Maisy nodded agreement, the heat in her gaze lessening slightly. "You're right. What do you suggest we do?"

"Well," I began. "What we should probably do is try and find out what the hell kind of mushrooms they are. I tried Googling it last night, but I found nothing, so either there's nothing about them on the internet, or they are undiscovered."

Maisy scoffed. "Someone, somewhere, has to know what they are." She spun around in my chair and tapped the spacebar on my keyboard, bringing the screen to life. I watched as she started to search Google, knowing that she wouldn't find anything. I took the opportunity to get a drink while Maisy was busy. Downstairs was deserted, and when I checked the drive, only my car and Maisy's were there; Becca and April were obviously out again, probably working. Well, Becca would be working. April would get a job the day hell froze over.

Myself, I didn't have a job; my online business made enough to pay the rent and expenses, if not much more than that, and Maisy worked nights at a restaurant when she wasn't at university studying law. It was semester break now, which is how she had time to go hiking yesterday, and why she didn't have to be studying today.

"Brian!" Maisy called from my room. "I found something!" Refilling my glass from the filtered tap in the big fridge -- I'd knocked back five glasses and wanted more -- I hurried upstairs. Back in my room, Maisy had a webpage up on the screen, headed by a large picture of the very same mushrooms we'd seen in the cave.

"Aphroditus psybecillum," I read aloud over her shoulder as I bent toward the screen. "Wait," I said, frowning. "That's not a photo. That's a rendering." I was right; I was in online marketing and I knew when a photo was real or doctored.

"It's never been confirmed to exist, according to this page," Maisy told me as she scrolled down. "But it looks like some ancient cultures apparently used Aphrodite's Gift in rituals, for both strength and fertility, as well as in celebrations." Pictures on the screen showed paintings of different tribes using the plant in ceremonies, from South American to African to Aboriginal. There were even some more recent depictions from Greece and Rome. I seriously doubted any of it was true, though. It was easy enough to Photoshop a blue mushroom into a picture.

We read the whole page, which consisted of a bunch of unconfirmed theories and speculations, but it was the only site we saw that even came close to describing what was in that cave on the mountain. At one point, I realised I was leaning over Maisy with one hand on the back of the chair, my fingers brushing her bare shoulder and lightly stroking her skin of their own volition. She sighed softly and leaned into my touch, looking up at me with her lips parted as if ready to be kissed. I wanted to do it. Oh, how I wanted to, but I stepped back, clearing my throat.

"I don't think we should... you know... until we know more," I told her regretfully. Every cell in my horny body was screaming at me in defiance, but I held myself in check. Barely.

"But Brian," Maisy purred in the same voice she'd used in the cave. "What about that?" She pointed playfully at my waistline, where a prominent bulge was showing. I frowned down at it, forgetting about Maisy for a second. My dick was bigger! It hadn't been as noticeable when flaccid, but now I was sure. I thought I might have an extra inch down there. I wanted to pull back the waistband and have a look, but with Maisy right there, I held off.

Faster than I could believe, Maisy was suddenly on her knees in front of me, tugging my shorts down. My cock sprang free, and I stared at it in wonder. It was still small, but small was better than the tiny it had been before. It had been about four inches and thin as my middle finger yesterday, but now it was at least five and thick as my thumb. Maisy giggled as she stared at it, her nose almost touching the tip. "I guess we know where some of that extra weight went, huh?"

I opened my mouth to say something, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but my words were strangled by a cry of pleasure as she took me into her mouth and began sucking me hungrily. "Oh, god," I moaned thickly as my hands came around to tangle in her hair. She made an approving noise when my fingers tightened. At some point I found myself sitting on the bed, Maisy kneeling between my thighs as I clutched her head hard. I couldn't recall moving from where I'd been standing, but I knew that Maisy's mouth had not let me go during the short journey. I grunted as my balls lifted and I began to shoot into her mouth. I'd heard some girls say they didn't like it when guys came in their mouth. I'd heard Maisy say it once, in fact, to Becca and April, but you wouldn't have known it to see her now. She moaned hotly as she greedily swallowed every drop I offered.

That's when I heard the front door open and close again. Maisy didn't appear to have heard it; she was still bobbing on my cock, which showed no signs of softening. "Maisy!" I hissed. "Someone's home!" It took three tries to gently pry her head away from my lap, and when I succeeded, she stared up at me through lidded eyes, smiling like a cat just given a bowl of cream.

"So? She replied lazily. "They can come and join us." I looked down at her incredulously. Was she serious? Her hand found my shaft and began to stroke it. My head spun with pleasurable feelings, but I found some effort of will.

"I don't think you want Becca or April to find us like this, do you?" I asked her hurriedly as I stood and pulled her up with me. That question seemed to cut through her lust-haze somewhat, and she blinked a few times before shaking her head.

"No, that would not be cool, I think," she answered as she went to pick up her towel and wrap it back around herself. I couldn't help but feel regret as she covered her body up. I pulled my shorts back on, too, awkwardly adjusting them around my prevailing erection. Maisy noticed and grinned while running the tip of a finger over her lips. "I don't normally do that for guys," she confessed, "but I wanted to for you. Pleasing you made me tingle all over."

I felt ambivalent about that statement; excited and proud that she had done something for me she didn't normally do, and sad that it had been because of the mushrooms that she'd done it at all. I muttered some sort of response and she left the room before whoever was home came upstairs. I fell back on the bed with a sigh as the door closed behind Maisy, and I lay there looking up at the ceiling for a long time. What am I going to do? The question directed at my own mind yielded only empty silence in response.

Eventually, I was driven downstairs by hunger and thirst. I trudged down the stairs and went right, through the archway to the kitchen; a large space boasting all modern, stainless-steel appliances and sleek, dark marble benchtops with an island bench in the middle of the room. At the other end from the entrance, above the sinks, was a tall, wide window that looked out onto the pool area. Sometimes on hot days I got nice views of Maisy or April in their bikinis. To the left of the archway was a sliding glass door that led out to the patio entertaining area. Like I said before: it was a really nice place.