BY PAUL G. JUTRAS

FRIDAY NIGHT TERROR

Brenda's mother always yelled at her when she caught her playing with dolls at her age when she thought she should be going out on dates. That was when she decided to teach him a lesson. She said one night as Brenda went to bed that she should let her truly experience the world of dolls.

When Brenda woke up that night she found the horror of finding herself on her doll self. She could feel the weight of her plastic larger than normal breasts remaining erect. She swung her legs over the side of the self and placed her painted toes on the oak panel. Her night gown was replaced with a paint on evening gown. She even had shoulder length gloves that she could not remove any more than her clothes.

Feeling stiff in the joints, like some of her handsome tin soldiers, she got a paper clip and string out of a box. Securing the clip, she started to climb down off the doll case like a mountain climber. As she reached the self below the one she was on, she knocked over a pair of her Denise dolls.

"Where do you think you're going girl?" Malibu Denise asked as she helped Sailor Denise to her tip toe feet.

"Duh, so are you dollie." Malibu Denise said sarcastically.

After Brenda kicked off her plastic heels, she found her feet remained arched like she was still wearing them. She wished she had frilly doll clothes she could remove rather than a sprayed on clothing appearance. When Malibu Denise poured Brenda some tea, she sat down at a doll-sized table and chair.

"Enjoy the tea," Malibu said, pouring pretend tea into the tiny cup. Brenda always loved playing tea parties, but normally use root beer or punch instead of air to drink. She then went into the doll house on that self and into a tub. The water that was in the tub felt erotic against Brenda's plastic skin and sent waves of internal orgasms through her as she laid with her erect breasts floating on the surface like a pair of small islands.

After the bath, she put on some eye shadow and lipstick and nail polish. She was never much into make up but certainly watched her sisters and mother do it enough times to know how to do it right. Perhaps it was just something her mother put in the transformation spell that made her want to wear it.

Brenda then remembered her mother taking a basket of clothes to her room so she could start the machine up in the morning. He decided she found her way to the floor. She went to the edge of the self and landed in a soft pile of blouses, pantyhose and shorts. Often she use to make her dolls parachute from upstairs to down stairs. It was as much a trill as she dreamed it would be.

THUMP! Brenda dropped off the side of the basket to the floor in a heap.

She looked up her Jazz playing Teddy Bear who reached down and helped her to her feet. "You took quite tumble off the self, man." The Teddy Bear said as he blew a few notes from his sax. "You're lucky to make it to ground level in one piece."

"I...I guess." Brenda said as stood up on her tip toes and brushed herself off. She just hoped to find her mother before her younger sister found her. She shivered at the thought of what the little artist might do to her face and hair.

Brenda stared at her bedroom door at the far end of the room. To her size, she might as well be crossing one of the great deserts. Being made of plastic and rubber was way too weird. She just wanted to find her mother and get changed back.

"Mom! Mother!" Brenda shouted.

"Would you like something to drink?" the Teddy Bear asked. "Soda, bottled water, milk, orange juice?"

"Please don't bother. I don't think I'm the type that drinks," Brenda said. At least she hoped not since that would probably mean she was the type of doll that wet as well. That wasn't something she was looking forward to finding out.

"It's no bother at all," Teddy grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. "From dusk to dawn we all can eat and drink if we wish. Why don't you sit down and I'll be right back with something."

Teddy didn't come exactly right back as he fixed Brenda a sandwich to go with the orange juice in the tiny cup. "I'd better be going," she said. "Thanks for the wonderful lunch."

"That's okay, you come over and visit any time you want." Teddy smiled and blew a few notes. "I'm sure you and the Denises will get along fine."

Brenda leapt forward, running on her toes toward the front door. She notice it was cracked open, and slipped between the door and frame into the hall. She crept over to the stairs and looked down to see no movement going on.

"How are you? What a lovely outfit for going out to lunch in." Her mother smiled as she stepped from the bedroom, fully aware that her daughter couldn't remove the clothes she found herself in. With fear of being step on by accident, Brenda backed up into the bedroom and climbed into one of her knee-high stockings. To be completely covered in nylon was more erotic than she would of image.

"Just stay with your little toy friends." Brenda mother said as she reached down for the basket. Like being in an earthquake, she felt herself being raised into the air and carried down to the laundry room. Her mother grabbed the clothes in big handfuls and tossed in it with her inside. The machine started up and filled with water. Luckily, Brenda didn't need to breath in her current plastic state.

Even if she didn't need to breath, it didn't stop her from going into a panic. After crawling out of the nylon, she pounded on the glass front of the washing machine and shouted. "Get me out of here!"

"Sorry, Brenda." The mother smiled when the wash finished and she helped her tiny daughter out of the water. Taking a towel, she dried her off and Brenda couldn't believe the waves of pleasure that ran through her body as she began to be rubbed. "I hope you loved the erotic feelings you'd feel if you actually dated."

"I think it's about time you've grown up young lady." Brenda's mother said as she finished drying her plastic daughter off. She carried her into the bedroom and opened the nightstand draw. Inside was a book that was simply titled: BOOK OF SPELLS.

"That's how she did it." Brenda thought.

"Let's see now," her mother said more to herself and than her. "Reversal spells.

Brenda just sat upright and watched as her mother flipped through the book. Her eyes widen in horror as she reached the back and found the pages torn out. Her mom looked confused when they both heard a soft giggling.

Mrs. Knight turned and saw the youngest daughter tugging on her mom's nightgown. She reached down and picked her out. "What's wrong Crystal?"

"I don't want Brenda to change back." Crystal smiled. "I like being big sister."

"Did you tear our the pages to reverse the spell?" Mrs. Knight asked.

"Uh-uh." Crystal said with a smile. "Dropped them down the chute to the furnace. All gone."

"Nooooooooo!" Brenda screamed mentally as she realized that come morning she'll be just like all the other frozen toys. Though as the toys told her, she'd still be able to see, here and feel everything. Would be able to come to life at night.

That's just what happened. Come morning, Brenda could play dolls all she wanted with the help of her sister's imagination.

"You're one terrific lady." Crystal had Surf Watch Paul say. "How about dinner something?"

"You don't have much in the bridge." Crystal imitated her sisters former voice. "I can work on the salads while you go down to the deli on the corner."

"Good idea." Paul said, heading over to the car and driving down to the market. After dinner was near ready, Brenda worked on the finishing touching well Paul went and changed into something more comfortable with Crystal's help. With the way Brenda's feet were, she'd be as comfortable with heels as barefooted.

Wearily when Crystal went to bed, Brenda came back to life and took off his make up and changed back into her night gown. She was sick of the whole think and was hoping to have her mother could find a way to change her back when she awoke in the morning. She knew that it was only wishful thinking and wouldn't be happening.

FAMILY CURSE

It all started in a small New England town at the turn of the century. Tom Wincox was dragged in chains before Judge Harris T Justice. Accuse of the witchcraft spell of turning people in statues, he was placed in an iron mask; which he was force to wear for the rest of his life.

A hundred years have passed and Dirt Wincox wanted revenge on what had happened to his descendant, Tom. It took much of the family made fortune, but with modern technology, Dirt was able to discover that Judge Justice had a female descendant name Sarah. She was in her mid-twenties now and quite lovely.

Sarah was just getting the afternoon mail when her husband, Flint arrived home from work. She started sorting the mail as the two walked into the house when she came across a mysterious letter from a law firm. She quickly opened it and read it allowed.

"Sorry hon, but this is the busy time at the office." Flint said with a grin. "I'll make it up as soon as I finish with the client."

"Alright." Sarah said as she ran upstairs to pack.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Winson." Sarah said as she got out of the taxi in front of the manor house. The man simply tipped his hat and singled for the taxi to return to the office. Sarah went over and knocked on the door.

A large woman with broad shoulders answered. "Yes...may I help you, ma'am?"

"Sarah Blackjack, I just inherited this house." Sarah said as she showed the woman her deed. "Who are you?"

"The housekeeper ma'am." The woman answered. "I wouldn't spent the night if I were you. Many in town believe this place to be haunted by the ghost of Tom Wincox. He was accused of Witchcraft and had his home made his prison."

From the dock a middle-age sailor with a full beard walked from the dock to the town's tavern. "Greetings, he said with a smile. "I be looking for the manor house. Can anyone here direct me?"

"You can see it on the hill if the fog isn't hiding it." The barkeeper said as he finished cleaning a glass. The man stared out the window at the large estate that cut into the hill side. With the sun setting, it looked down right spooky.

"Don't you be causing trouble." One tavern guess stated. "We look after our own and don't cotton to strangers in these parts. Especially since it was on Halloween Night that old Tom was sentence to the iron mask."

A hollowing wind blew through the old manor as Sarah used a candle to make her way through the darkness. In only lace trimmed pink night gown that extended to her feet, she moved from the east section of the manor to the west. "Nice to see a familiar face." Sarah said as she notice a painting of a woman who was her spitting image. Among those she didn't recognize, she finally started to feel at home.

"Is someone in here?" She called out as the candle light flickered and she sense she wasn't alone. From out of the far stone wall came a ghostly figure. She waved her candle, but the flames passed harmless through it. As she backed into someone she shriek. "Eeeek!"

"I warn you the place isn't for the timid." The house keeper said as Sarah turned back toward the wall and saw no sign of the spirit. "Why don't you try to get a good night rest?"

"Did you see?" Sarah started to say, but stopped herself. She didn't want to sound foolish in front of a perfect stranger. "Never mind."

As Sarah returned to her room she started to write her feelings down in her dairy. Hearing the house start to moan and groan, she grabbed one of Flint's golf clubs and was glad that he insisted that she brought his things along to insure that he joined her.

With the club in one hand and the candle in the other, she stepped into the hall. There she saw a ghostly masked man floating down the hall and vanishing through the wall. Determined not to let someone try to scare her out of her new home, she started off back down the west chamber.

"It is only a trick. It is only a trick." She kept saying to herself as she crept down the wet stones of a spiral staircase. The pitter pat of her bare feet halted as she saw a roll of armored skeletons lining the wall. She jumped back with a start and bumped into another one. The bony arms dropped over her shoulders and caused her to scream again.

"G... Get off of me!" She cried as she struggle caused the skeleton to fall apart into a pile of bones.

Hearing voices coming from up ahead, she ran toward that direction. She reached a doorway and saw a group of hooded people surrounding a large well. What was inside the well as a liquid that was anything but water.

"We will revenge our ancestor." They all chanted together. "We re-new our pack and as for the power from the Well of Eternity."

As Sarah knelt silently, a shadow fell over her. She looked up to see a hooded man standing over her. A hand clamped over her mouth before she was able to scream. Instantly gagged, her muffled screams were heard as she kicked in his arms while being carried over to the others.

"Take her to the pit." The leader lowered his head to show the face of Dirt Wincox. With a chain wrapped around her, Sarah found her arms pinned to her sides and her legs pinned together. One of the hooded men turned a crank and lowered her into the pit.

"This can't be happening." Sarah panic as her feet past into the liquid. As she looked down she notice the liquid was causing her toes to fuse together. For some reason it was a turn on for that to happen. Her skin seemed to more and more sensitive the deeper she went.

As the liquid passed up her legs, she notice the glossy shine it took. She also notice a seam the appeared on her plastic skin like two halves of a mold had been pressed together. If this was a sign of what was to come, nobody would ever no by looking at her that she was a living woman.

"I hope you'll enjoy your new life." Dirt said with a grin as she was lowered pass her hips. She could feel the warm plastic fill up her virginal crotch from the inside out. With what seemed the most perfect dildo she ever felt inside of her, she now looked like she was as sexless as a Barbie doll. Not even pubic hair. She also notice that every freckle and blemish had vanished from her completely smooth body.

"Why are you doing this?" She shouted in panic.

"Your ancestor, Judge Justice falsely accused ours of witchcraft." Dirt Winox said as the hoods were removed to reveal the Winox family members. "We will have our revenge on him through you. He got a lifetime in an iron mask. You'll have more than a lifetime in plastic. You will not die, for we want you to suffer in silence as we have for all these years."

As the liquid past Sarah's breasts, she notice how her nipples instantly went erect. She could feel a hardness in both them and her butt. A hardness that passed through all of her body. She quickly shut her eyes as her head passed under and the liquid melted away the hair on her head.

Sarah soon felt herself being lifted out of the well and the chains removed. Even with them gone, she found she could not move. Dirt pride opened her eyes as she started in a blank stared straight ahead. Next to Dirt she saw a sailor with a full beard.

"I think you know my brother, dear Sarah." Dirt said as the man removed the fake whiskers to reveal her own husband Flint beneath. "The client he was meeting while you came here was me. We had to finish setting things up. Don't worry, your widower husband has found just the spot at the office for you. You'll be well dressed and admired as the image of a business career woman for a long time."

Sarah had never felt more betrayed in her life. As her husband dressed her in the lovely navy color business suit she own before being married, she looked as stunning as the day they met. The feel of the clothes on her plastic skin caused her to go off into a non-stop cycle of one orgasm after another. She thought that being a mannequin wouldn't be so bad after all.

BLEMISHES

A WEEK AGO:

"We did it!" Dr. Scott said to his team and the Bio-Chem lab. "The Medusa virus is unlike any that has been created before. It lives up to all lab expectations."

"We still need to know how it effect a human host." Dr. McDonald replied as the other doctors nodded into agreement. They each held up a piece of string. "Short one gets chosen?"

Dr. Scott drew the short string and thought if the virus worked on her like it did the monkey, she'd be perfect and beautiful forever.

"Okay then." Dr. Scott said as they each drew the strings and Dr. Scott drew the short one. "I guess my wife is the subject. She's expecting her period. Also since she just had her period any day now so I'll wait to give her a fake flu shot till after it's finish. We don't want her getting suspicious when her biological functions cease."

NOW

Jem Scott was sitting on the edge of her bed, with one leg folded under the other and brushing her hair when he husband came home. He put his briefcase to one side, removed his tie and hat. He went upstairs to where he found his wife.

"Hi honey, I'm home." Dr. Scott said as he gave her a kiss. He then check the vile with the virus in it and tried to hid his worried look from her. "As I promise, I brought the you your flu shot so you don't have to go down to the doctor. I'm just glad you're on vacation so we can spend time together."

"Thanks dear." Jem held out her arm and looked away as he injected the virus into her arm.

"There." Dr. Scott breathed a sigh of relief. "All done. This may make you weak for a couple of hours so why don't you lay down and get some rest."

Jem just smiled as she climbed under the covers. He pulled the sheet up to her neck and head down to the kitchen to fix himself a snack. He wanted to be alert to mark down the first states of the virus when it appeared as blemishes on her skin.

The next morning, Jem rolled out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. She dropped to her hands and knees before the toilet and threw up into it. Dr. Scott rolled over and rubbed the sleepy seeds from his eyes when he turned toward his wife. "You alright, hon?"

"If I hadn't just finished my period, I'd say it was morning sickness." Jem said between throwing up. She whipped the outside of her mouth, rinsed the inside and brushed her teeth. "I'm sure I'll be find after I get something in my stomach."

Dr. Scott just smiled as Jem eat her eggs. She was too woozy to notice that her finger nails were the same color as the rest of her skin. He took a mental notice of the first blemish to put in his files while having only a moment of regret about what he was doing.

It wasn't until she started on the breakfast dishes that she notice what her husband had already notice. Making sure that he wasn't around, she slipped into her room and covered the blemish up with bright pink polish.

"Something wrong honey?" Dr. Scott asked.

"N...no, nothing." Jem replied a bit nervous.

She remained nervous until she watched her husband drive off toward work. By this time the discoloration of her skin had covered both hands. She put on a pair of white gloves that slipped on almost effortlessly before taking her own car down to the doctor's office.

She sat nervously in the waiting room with an issue of Cosmo when she notice how stiff her fingers seemed to be. When she got in to see the doctor, she removed the gloves and showed him her hands. He had notice how much concentration it took how to move her fingers.

After a full exam, the doctor was more than a little stump. "I'm sorry Mrs. Scott, but outside of premature arthritis, nothing seems to be wrong."

At the same time in Bio-Chem Labs, Dr. McDonald lowered the lights as Dr. Scott and Dr. Checkers set up the equipment. Moments later, the scientists were watching Jem's brainwave paten and the blood sample taken during the night. "Things are going as expected. Like the monkey, she is going through the first signs of transformation. If things work out, the elderly and sick will be able to live on forever in the bodies they've always dreamed of."

"Forget about paying a fortune to have yourself frozen." Dr. Checkers joined in. "Not when you can have your body changed into the body of a fashion model or movie star when brought back. This will be the wave of the future. We'll own the rights to rake in the dough."

"Keep us inform of her process and we'll finish going over what we already have." Dr. McDonald said as he saw the look on his partners face. "Not having second thoughts are you? She could die if the process is interrupted."

"No. No second thought." Dr. Scott said realizing he had no choice if he wanted her to live.

When Dr. Scott returned home that evening, he found his wife in bed with her feet under the sheets and evening gloves stretching to just below the shoulders. She gave a fake smile trying to convince him that nothing was wrong.

"You cold honey? Didn't I get you that shot in time?" Dr. Scott gave fake concern as he made sure his arm pushed the blanket off her. He noticed that Jem's toes had fused together and her pale feet arched downward like she was wearing invisible heels. "What happened?"

"I...I don't know dear." Jem stuttered as she removed her gloves. "When this happened this morning, I went to the doctors and even he couldn't figure out what was happening."

"You went to a doctor?" Dr. Scott asked.

Jem just nodded solemnly. "I was scared."

"I just hope I didn't carry any germs here from the lab." Dr. Scott said with as much fake worry as he could muster. "I could be a carrier and you're infected."

"If work got out and the lab closed, we could loose the house." Jem answered.

"Better than loosing you." Mr. Scott said as he turned away with a smile. "I'll get my team studying your problem. Why don't I pack you a over night bag and we can have the boys look you over."

"Okay." Jem said weakly as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up on her tip toes. "I don't think I can walk."

"I've got an idea, but I don't think you'll like it." Dr. Scott said as he glanced over at his wife's dress maker's dummy. "It does have wheels to get you from here to the car and then from the car to my lab. That is if you don't mind."

"I can't just lay in bed while this gets worst." She said as he removed the limbless form off the pole and set it in a chair.

With permission, Dr. Scott lifted his wife up and made a mental note at how light she felt. She let out a slight moan as the rod slide up her night shirt and penetrated her ass. This was followed by a slight smile.

"Honey, you alright?" Dr. Scott asked with genuine concern.

"Uh-uh." Jem continued to smile. "This is actually an erotic turn on if you want to know."

"Okay." Dr. Scott said with a snicker as he wheeled her out to the car. Picking her up off the rod, he set up into the front seat. He found it hard to bend her knees into a sitting position. He took notice of blemishes on her lower legs and specks about her knee caps. He then put the rod in the car of the car and got in himself.

"Hello, Dr. McDonald." Dr. Scott said on the car phone. "It seems that my wife might of picked up some sort of bug that I brought home from work. Normal doctors couldn't find anything wrong and she insisted that I bring her in for a look over. Bring Dr. Checkers back to the lab and we can give her the once over. Right. Talk to you then."

"Don't worry dear." Dr. Scott smiled over at his wife. "Everything will be all right."

"I've always trusted you with my life." She smiled back.

When they arrived at Bio-Chem Labs, Jem found herself planted back on the pole. Dr. Scott had to really apply pressure to straighten her bent knees and lock them back into place. Both her legs seem to be entirely made of plastic now. He then pulled out a dildo and slid it effortlessly into her sex. "I brought this to keep you entertain why my assistants and I figure this all out."

As Dr. Scott and his assistants pretended to find a cure, Jem found a burning sensation where the dildo was humming its merry little tune. As she reached stiffly down to her vagina, she found it had seal into mound as smooth as any of her childhood dolls. The idea of the vibrating dildo trapped forever inside her instantly sent her into an orgasm.

When she first tired to tell her husband about what had just happened, the waves of pleasure kept her from speaking. After a while she realized it wasn't just the dildo. One of the blemishes had appeared on her throat and stolen her vocal cords from her.

As the hours went by, Jem just stood silently on her support rod. It hadn't even occurred to her how long it had been since she had the need to eat or go to the bathroom. It was like her biological functions had started to cease. Like being in a prison without walls, she turned her head stiffly toward a mirror. She notice her mouth were redder than normal and her breasts looked fuller. Even without external support, they remained erect.

After Dr. Scott and his assistant finished their research, they went up to her. Dr. Scott touched Jem's left breast with his finish and notice how unnaturally firm it was. Dr. McDonald noted the same thing had happened with her ass.

"The findings for the Medusa Virus is right as expected." Dr. Checkers said as he make his markings on his note pad. "The first of our suspended animated mannequin people."

"Good thing your wife got picked." Dr. McDonald added. "Since she works as a living mannequin, she can continue at her old job. You just have to explain that she asked you to drop her off and pick her up at work just before she lost her voice."

"Now we can get the government grant we need to become millionaires." Dr. Checkers added. "I want my nagging wife next. I've not only wanted to always be married to a model, but to see her silent for once. I could even rent her out to a local store and let her bring in side money for a change."

"As much as I love my wife, I'd better do the same." Dr. McDonald added. "Our wives are too close to one another. Until we get the paten rights secure, we can't let any of our blabber mouths learn what happened to Jem."

Dr. Scott nodded in agreement.

That evening, Dr. McDonald and Dr. Checkers made love to their wives for the very last time. After which they used a chloroform spray to knock them out. When the girls awoke, they found themselves side by side in a double bed. Each had a length of chain shackling an ankle to a bed leg and a pair of handcuffs holding their arms against the bed frame behind their heads.

"What are you doing to us, Richard?" Dr. McDonald's wife screeched.

"While you were out, we've injected each of you with our new virus." Her husband gently replied as he wheeled Mrs. Scott into view.. "Before anyone has time to miss you, you'll be as perfect as Mrs. Scott turned out."

"Th...That's a mannequin." Mrs. Checkers cried. "Donald, what kind of monster are you?"

"One who has found a way to give people the type of bodies they've always dream of."

"By murdering them in the process?" Mrs. McDonald cut in. "The type of dream by only the undertaker gets to enjoy seeing."

"They are far from dead." Mr. Scott explained. "Merely in a suspended animation. Unlike when you pay to have your body quick freeze, you're not even put to sleep with our process. You know how much you're admired for your new body."

"Speaking of freezing, honey." Dr. Checker looked toward his wife. "You two must be cold sitting in the bed in your birthday suits. "Dr. McDonald and I each packed you an over night bag so that you'll have plenty to be dressed in while here. For now a bra and pantyhose should do."

Chained up, the girls could do little to stop their husbands from dressing them. Before pulling the hose over their hips, each put a dildo into their sex. Once inside, the hose was pulled snuggly up and the husbands ran their hands over the cotton panels. "Just a little pleasure while you wait to be transformed."

As the girls hips started to rock, they moaned softly. Each were in too much pleasure to even notice the blemishes that appeared on their feet and legs under the hose. Not to mention those on their chest, hands and face.

The scientist all took notice of the time as the stages first appeared. They also made note of the time when their rocking hips became immobile. They knew each of the girls where coming along internally when they mouths continued to make movements, but no moan or any other sound came out.

Dr. Checkers ran his hand over the rigid butt of his wife, while Dr. McDonald removed the bra from his. Mrs. McDonald's breasts didn't drop in the slightest and Mrs. Checker's butt made a hollow sound when tapped.

"They seem to be coming along ever faster than Mrs. Scott." Dr. McDonald noted. "It would seem the chemicals that makes up the chloroform seems to speed up the transformation process. How interesting."

The following day, Apollo's Department Store had three naked mannequins rented out to them. The three plastic girls had waves of erotic pleasure surge through their forms as the store dresser choose outfits for each of them. Mrs. Scott was placed in a thin blue sun dress with a matching ribbon on her large brim hat and sandals. Mrs. McDonald was placed to her right in a red tank top and white shorts. Mrs. Checkers found herself standing in a high collar red sleeveless dress with slits up both sides and matching pumps.

"Are we ready to go down the paten office?" Dr. Scott asked his two partners at the lab. They made sure that their research material were in a brief case and headed out the door. As Dr. Checkers turned to leave; however, he elbowed a flask of the virus that got knocked over into the sink. The virus traveled down the lab's drain and into the city's drinking water.

THREE HUNDRED YEARS LATER:

"It seems to be a distress signal." A young man in a decorated military uniform said as the planet earth appeared on the ship's monitor. "Third planet in the solar system, directly ahead."

"Atmosphere capable of supporting our life." The first officer turned to the captain. "Shall we investigate?"

"I think we can risk a minion away team." The captain said as he and the first officer joined the ship's doctor and geologist in their shuttle craft. "Eagle one ready for take off. Launching now."

The shuttle landed in the middle of a small town. The old buildings falling apart from lack of use and the streets deserted. "This is horrible. What could of wiped out the town...the planet." The doctor said as he took a sensor reading for life.

"Get out!" A voice suddenly cried out as a man ran up in rags and knocked the doctor to the ground. As the doctor fought back, the captain and first officer had to work together to pull the man off. The man fought back, and forced the captain into a fight. With each punch thrown, the strangers movements became more sluggish.

"Get out!" Was all he'd say, as the man was knocked onto his back and didn't get up. The first officer bent over him and rapped on his check bone only to get an echoing sound from it.

"Hollow, captain." The first officer said as the doctor examined him. The life reading just seemed to get weaker and then stabilized at a point where it barely registered. "If he didn't attack us, I'd say he wasn't even alive."

"The blemishes he had seemed to fuse together and coat his skin over the this plastic substance." The doctor said. "He's in the type of suspended animation that our people use to use to travel between worlds. Before light speed came about that is."

Hearing the giggling of children echoing from the seemingly empty buildings, the group of space soldiers split up along the street. They started to take readings for airborne viruses and radiation fallout. "Is someone here?" The captain asked. "If you can hear me, we mean you no harm. You can come out."

As the captain opened the cellar door, he looked down and saw a young girl crouched in the basement. She was barefooted and dressed in rags for a dress. The captain notice that she had blemishes on her chest, hands and legs.

"Don't hurt me." She whimpered.

"It's okay." The captain said as he helped her to the top of the stairs. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are there anyone else around?"

"You're not going to hurt?" The girl asked.

"Course not." The captain replied. "Why would you be afraid of us."

"You're grown ups." The girl answered back. "Grown ups only hurt and die."

"You say the grown ups died." The doctor asked. "Is that why the streets are so empty."

"Of course." The girl turned away to hide her face. "First the blemishes appear. Then you die."

At the same time, the first officer used his tracer to follow a weak life signal. Going to a window, he rubbed the dust away with his shirt sleeve. Peaking inside, he saw it filled with finely dressed mannequins with the best looking bodies he'd ever seen. He was about to look inside when giggling from across town caught his attention. He headed in its direction with weapon drawn.

"Guards!" The first officer called as he heard more giggling coming from a buildings upper floor. As they arrived, he began climbing up a fire escape. "You cover me while I go in."

As he reached the window, the ones inside started to throw rocks at him. Force back down the ladder, he heard a scrambling across the room. When he looked again, it was empty. Shadows moved along a side street and out of view.

"Did you find anything?" The captain asked as his party returned to the building they made their headquarters.

"The buildings aren't as deserted as we thought." The first officer replied. "Whoever they aren't, they don't want anything to do with us."

"Because grown ups hurt." The girl said again. Her gentle voice trailed off as she looked at the captain's hand and saw a blemish. "But you're different, you don't..."

"You have the blemishes." She said with a tear in her eye. "Now you're going to die too."

"What is she talking about?" The first officer asked.

"Seems that these marks are the first stages of the virus that froze our greeter upon our arrival." The captain explained as he lead the group the shuttle. "Eagle one to Flagship. Don't send any more personal to the surface. If they come, they'll be infected with a virus."

"What are your orders sir?" The second commander asked.

"We'll keep in touch while using the shuttle's science lab to try to find a cure." The captain stated with a sigh. "If we don't find a cure in 48 hours, break orbit and return to base. That's an order."

"Aye sir."

Locating a place called Bio-Chem Labs, the ship's doctor took tissue samples of each and began to run blood tests on the disease while the others started to go through dusty research book to find out what it was and if there was a counter agent.

"At least we have our own equipment." The doctor said as he ran scan over himself and the others. "My fingers are becoming so stiff that I wouldn't be able to handle the antique equipment this place offers. I haven't a clue to its cause."

"The older you are, the quicker it spreads." The girl said as she touched his ridged hand and felt its plastic smoothness. "That's why there is so few of us left."

"I guess it is tough to meet someone you love and have kids with such short life spans." One of the guards said as he leaned against a desk. "I don't know if I could find miss right in such a place as we find here."

"Short life?" The girl said in a confused state.

"You're only 13 and you're already showing states of the virus." The doctor answered as politely as he could. "If you don't have kids soon, the population will die out."

"I'm 313 years and nobody has ever had kids." The girl said as everyone stared at her in a start. "What is here is all there is and have been. There are never been replacements."

"Practically immortality." The first officer declared. "Interesting."

"Not practically." The captain corrected. "Actual. The virus first slows their life span and then make them living plastic statues. True immortality, but not a fate that I'd wish on any of the crew. If there's a cure, we'll find it before what happened to the grown-ups happens to us."

"Grown ups." The doctor declared. "That's it. The hormone changes that happens have got to be the key to the virus and the cure."

"Eeeeek!" A woman covered in blemishes screeched as she lost her voice. She leapt on the Captain's back like a monkey, biting and scratching. The captain grabbed her arm and flipped her to the floor of the lab. The girls back slapped on the floor just before it completely hardened into plastic.

"Melcia!" The mysterious 13 year old screeched as she ran off to another room in tears. Before the captain could react, younger kids shot out from every direction. They scattered and confused the alien group so to escape with their frozen friend and place her on a display stand somewhere.

The guards went after them, but soon lost them. They returned just when they came across Dr. Scott's notice. "This is it. At least what hasn't been destroyed on purpose or by age." The doctor flipped through the notes. "Seems they've been working on a virus that would preserve the sick and elderly until a curse for whatever was wrong with them was found. Obviously it must of either mutated or escape to infect the entire population."

"The population and then the planet." The captain added.

A clattering sound on the ground drew their attention. The captain looked down to see one of the guard's guns on the ground. "Sorry, Captain." The guard apologized. "My fingers are so stiff that I can no longer hold on to the weapon. I'll keep it in the holster so the kids can't get hold of it."

The few hours later, the computers finished computing the data from Dr. Scott's notes. The antidote that was once lost, was rediscovered . The alien doctor used the formula to recreate it and injected it into himself. The captain watched as blemishes soon vanished from his body one by one. After which he passed the cure out to the Captain and the rest of the infected crew.

"Take this." The captain said he injected her with the cure. "When we leave here, we leave the cure with you in hopes that you can pass it on to the others."

"Thank you." The girl said with a smile as she watched the blemishes start to fade from her body one at a time. The stiffness gone and full movement returned to her. "I'll try my best to see that everyone else gets your magic."

"It isn't magic, but your welcome." The captain said with a pause. "I don't believe I ever did ask what your name was."

"It's Link." She smiled as he nodded and boarded the shuttle. She waved and was soon joined by those coming out of hiding as Eagle 1 took off and flew beyond the atmosphere to their flagship in orbit. With the captain's order, the ship soon left orbit to refuel at the nearest star base. "Take us out of here ensign."

"Aye sir."

THE END