[clovis]

Chapter 9.7

It was an idea once so utterly inconceivable that Dawn dared not even think it. Something so impossible that it defied her understanding. Even with all that had transpired that night, even with the arcane assistance she’d received from the dark arts, such a notion still remained beyond the reaches of even Dawn’s wildest imagination. But there it was- that which had been preposterous for as far back as she could remember, had at last become undeniable fact.

Dawn Astrea Morrigan, had finally found a love of sports.

What’s more, the gamboling girl considered herself a bona fide athlete now.

Years ago, the first in a long line of well-meaning gym teachers thought all the spindly class runt needed was some exercise and sun. It was a theory quickly called into question after a simple game of stickball had Dawn run down to the school nurse, and her first dodgeball match knocked the poor child straight into the ER. Finally, after some outdoor play on a fine sunny day resulted in an outbreak of solar urticaria so severe that it made the medical journals, it was concluded that much like her fine-china complexion, the girl needed to be treated as equally delicate. Henceforth, Dawn was granted a permanent pass out of the gym and into the library. It was a decision every subsequent coach followed in kind.

Dawn had actually managed to letter in high school, though the one adorning her adorable XS school jacket was earned in numbers. While no less a feat, Dawn knew her accomplishments in Mathletics were never held in equal esteem. Regardless, there was no need for clever puns to justify her accolades now. The whole of the dining room was rattling with affirmations of Dawn’s new athletic prowess.

At long last, Dawn’s great mind had been paired with a body that could handle its incredible processing power. And from that union was born the strangest of sports. Dawn took what should have been the least agile of all physiques and nimbly launched it in a maddeningly frantic dash- perpetually twirling, dipping, dashing, bounding and rebounding all to catch (but not release) randomized targets.

In this game, Dawn was a natural. She didn’t miss, didn’t tire, didn’t even break a sweat. In the span of an hour, the former farm-team reject came to see herself as a big-league pro, an all-star- nay… an Olympian.

Forget some silly letter made of felt, Dawn knew her increasing size and phenomenal feats were no doubt medal worthy. Possibly silver, certainly bronze- though Dawn guessed it mattered little since Etna’s gold-sized rear would surely engulf all three tiers of a winners podium. That hilarious image nearly got a guffaw out of Dawn, but GULP! GULP! GULP! her mouth remained wholly preoccupied.

While fiercely competitive, it wasn't really about winning for Dawn. Having been looked down on all her life, Dawn felt the need to constantly prove herself. In her many academic victories, she was ever magnanimous and conciliatory. It pained Dawn that to win meant there must also be a loser. Those defeated by her always discovered a sweet and thoughtful gift waiting for them the next day. But was she really big enough of a person to extend such good sportsmanship to Etna when the time came? Having progressed from weakling waif to world-class wonder in a single night, Dawn knew it wouldn’t be much longer until she got her answer, and could at least be certain of being “big enough,” in every other sense.

Dawn was aware that glorious moment could be brought about even faster- that she could eat more rapidly on her own- but she loved the camaraderie and fun this new method provided. It wasn’t just magic and gumption that was getting her big, her former naysayers were now giving their all to help her grow and to win. Though she looked more like a bizarro mascot than athlete, Dawn felt she’d finally found joy in being part of a team. Here, there was none of the ritualized hazing, public embarrassment, or simple pain and suffering she’d come to associate with the idea. Even amongst her fellow nerds, Dawn was mocked and made an outcast. But no more. If Dawn could spare a moment to speak, she’d reciprocate by shouting back a thousand thank you’s and proudly proclaim there was no team, like the best team, which was her team, right here!

GULP! GULP! GULP!

Even with three pitchers serving Dawn’s needs it still wasn’t enough. What’s more, she longed for a few belly-itchers as well. While not a literal itch, Dawn had a need that could only be solved by some hands on that swelling body of hers.

Few had ever gotten handsy with Dawn in the past, and she’d offered precious little room to roam to those who tried. Now there was so much surface area to traverse and explore- all soft, inviting, and oh-so sensitive. A tactile feast for a frisky pair, but Dawn realized she could accommodate more- many, many more hands now and she dreamed of them all over her glorious new immensity. But unfortunately for Dawn, every available hand had been put to the more noble task of making her even larger.

It was then Dawn remembered one pair of hands that weren’t doing much of anything- her own. Distant and forgotten out off to either side, Dawn’s fidgeting fingers made contact with something. Not some thing actually, but some one- and that someone was herself. Dawn’s arms were completely gone- she went right from wrist to belly. Dawn had finally expanded out enough that her body filled her entire span. There were so many wonderful implications behind this fact, but first and foremost was Dawn’s calculation of an additional two feet of growth! But in what way exactly?

She was already full. She was already round.

What’s beyond full? What comes after round?

Dawn was certain of the answer. Surely she had achieved a bigger kind of round- a magnificent magnification. After having maxed-out her tiny little frame, the only direction left to grow was up. Sure she’d already gotten big, but wasn’t being short still another type of small? Dawn had become a sort of diminutive behemoth. There had never been someone so vertically challenged yet horizontally blessed. But no more, her palms smacking gleefully away at her burgeoning sides made resoundingly clear how things had changed for the bigger.

I must be huge, Dawn thought as she dashed her thunderous bulk about in pursuit of more treats and more bulk. How many hands would it take to caress it all? Then again, even Etna’s fat paws wouldn’t feel like much rubbing against all that she was now. So why stop at hands? With a shiver and a twinge of arousal, Dawn thought, why not whole bodies? Yes, Dawn wanted whole bodies rubbing against her welcoming expanse. After all, how could she properly gauge the success of her grand experiment without a control group to compare?

Huge… huge… HOW HUGE? How tall? Just how MUCH of her was there? She sure felt like a lot, but Dawn had been feeling positively enormous since putting on her first inch. Was she already as tall as Lydia? As Amber? As HOLLY? Dawn so desperately wanted to know.

With endless volleys still incoming, Dawn sadly found zero time to stop and assess this exciting new phase. She couldn’t spare so much as a glance for her eyes needed to be just as attentive as her mouth. Dawn knew patience would make the reveal all the more sweet, and so she was content to just eat and eat, and grow and grow.

In the interim, the floor told Dawn much that she wanted to know. When she’d bottomed out, Dawn felt like she had planted her flag. As she spread further and further out over its surface she wasn’t just taking up more space, Dawn was claiming it as her own. Pushing ever outward she abandoned her natural boundary and expanded out into new frontiers to fulfill a sort of manifest destiny all her own.

New cracks were forming in the woodwork below her and Dawn felt herself covering them all in due time. It was yet another confirmation of her increasing square footage, which set Dawn to wondering if “round footage” was a thing. Dawn decided if it wasn’t yet, she’d certainly make it a thing. The intricately laid floor flexed and buckled as her increasing weight caused the structure to ache just to support her increasing load. So much stress and distress, but it caused quite the opposite reaction in Dawn who couldn’t be more pleased with it all.

Though she may have wished it so, Dawn wasn’t the only source of audible disquiet in the room. While muffled by her astounding ass, far more alarming creaks and groans were emanating regularly from beneath Etna. Some less ominous sounds echoed elsewhere, but only Amber's ears were so finely attuned. While her arms were wholly committed to feeding Dawn, Amber’s ears, and more often than not, her eyes were drawn to Holly, or more specifically, what Holly’s blooming bust was doing to her poor sweater. With every lob and toss from the softball slugger, there came a faint but distinct sound of threads becoming threadbare and stitches becoming breaches.

Watching a body overtake an outfit was a new experience for Amber, but had instantly become one of her favorite things. She was determined to not miss the moment when the phenomenon undoubtably three-peated, and with Holly no less. Amber did her best to split her attention between the buxom blonde and Dawn, who Amber anticipated would introduce her to even more favorite things that were heretofore inconceivable.

Lydia was tossing out fish sticks with one hand, mozzarella sticks with the other. They were harder to throw, harder to catch, but Dawn still managed to catch every one. She was so good in fact that Amber learned she needn’t aim at all, and was prone to simply tossing her tots in Dawn’s general direction while admiring the effects of Holly’s constant nibbling from afar.

Lydia had to give the distracted Amber a nudge when she failed to notice that her supply had at last run out and she’d just been miming the tosses.

“Wha- oh, OH! DAWN!” Amber looked down and saw nothing but crumbs. Holding up the depleted tray she shouted, “I lost count, but that had to be enough tater tots for an entire school!”

“A whole school district!” Lydia added as she held up her own barren pan of former fish sticks.

Dawn couldn’t help but think of all those poor lunch ladies over the years who’d struggled to accommodate her daunting list of allergies and other dietary requirements. For other students, such added effort would have been seen as a nuisance, but young Dawn so endeared herself to each staff that they’d made it their mission to put some pounds on the wee child. But all was for naught, and they collectively admitted defeat when wishing well the little valedictorian on her final day- for if anything, Dawn’s insane scholastic schedule, part time job, and volunteer work had her leaving High School with even less mass than she’d arrived with.

Dawn grinned however much a mouth opened wide to receive a barrage of salmon croquettes from Holly could grin as she imagined how her hair-netted matriarchs would weep with joy if they could see the class runt as she gobbled up all that starchy greasy goodness with such unwavering aplomb. Dawn felt she’d done them proud with every pound and inch she added to her paltry frame. Their little pet project was finally making up for lost time and then some.

Further inspired, the girls wanted to try bigger things and test the limits of what Dawn might consider “bite” sized. While Dawn’s mouth still hadn’t grown, anything that could fit was taken in one bite. Amber went with some nice fat falafel balls. Lydia tossed out some well-stuffed pierogis interspersed with some Rocky Mountain oysters to see if her persnickety sister would notice, but…

Chomp! Chomp! GULP! Dawn did not.

As she gobbled up these offerings, Dawn visualized something of a bellows deep within her core. Every swallow set that bellows off, and each pump blew her up a little bit bigger. Even if only imperceptibly so, Dawn knew that bellow had been pumping away thousands of times. She could feel herself emanating further out over the floor, taking up more space and claiming it as her own. I’m growing, expanding, getting bigger, bigger, bigger! YES!

Dawn was radiating pure glee. Finally, after all these years, she was going to be properly big- bigger than big- the kind no one can look down upon. More! Dawn wanted to shout, but her mouth was too busy. More! Dawn hardly had time to even think the word, but think it she did. MORE! More food, more belly, MORE ME!

Until…

“Ow… OW!”

Dawn was abruptly snapped from her reverie. She'd finally missed her first target. Dawn didn’t think much of it, other than it was a nice thick zucchini fritter from Amber. No harm, no foul, but Dawn then took a sausage roll to the forehead, followed immediately by a fritter that got her right in the eye.



*Finally, we reach the end of chapter 9. Sorry about the lag, but I am writing quite a lot right now. I've added a ko-fi link in my signature below which is a tip jar of sorts. I'd like to keep things free, but anything would help. If you can't make a donation, comments (even criticism) would be much appreciated as well. If you do leave a tip, let me know which story you are following as it may help me focus on what to put out and when. I'll continue my ongoing stories, but have some entirely new short stories as well. These may be held until a price goal is hit- I haven't decided yet. Also, what are some ideas for rewards? Is there such a thing as a writing sketch? Maybe a paragraph or two using my own characters or yours with a suggested scenario. Let me know your thoughts, and thanks for reading.