***

  I asked Gestalt to show me the memory? Dream? Whatever, when Penny was apparently rubbing circles on my belly.

  Because holy shit, how did I miss that.

  I almost instantly regretted asking.

  I'm in the girls locker room. I’m out and proud at this point. Well not proud, I don't think deciding what I like in my vagina is something to be all that proud about. Like being proud that you like eating chicken wings or something.

  But I digress. I’m out, very out, whole school knows I'm out, and nobody has given me any shit about it.

  So maybe I got a little too comfortable?

  I thought I was being subtle. I mean what’s a little peek gonna hurt?

  Watching myself in third person though, oh God I'm cringing so hard.

  I'm basically leering like a frustrated fourteen year old. Which, well I was at the time, but it doesn't stop it being creepy.

  After the eighth ogle Erica has finally had enough of my shit.

  ‘You know Gestalt. When this happened to me, I really felt like she started bullying me out of nowhere.’

  [Yes, we are afraid it does look somewhat deserved.]

  Erica’s mates have me held back while she has grabbed my hair and screamed “STOP STARING AT MY FUCKING TITS YOU DISGUSTING CREEP.” right into my face.

  She didn't even call me a dyke. It always kinda hurt that she would pretend I was secretly straight. Like I was literally checking you out! I mean I know she was doing it just to fuck with me. Is it homophobic to call a gay person straight?

  Yeah, I think it is.

  Fucking homophobic bitch.

  Penny is the girl that has me held from behind, and yep there it is, as Erica is yanking my hair and screaming in my face. Penny has her arm wrapped around my waist and is tracing circles on my belly with her finger tips.

  No wonder this whole event was so confusing, is Penny the reason I have a getting bullied kink?

  This was the first time that Erica fucked me up, and I somehow walked away thinking she was secretly into me.

  I do feel bad. I basically ignored Penny all through school. I think she's blushing as she's holding me back. I can't actually tell because this is a dream and nobody has faces, but I'm getting a big blush vibe from her.

  I wonder if she feels bad now that I’ve disappeared.

  [We find it doubtful. While you may have been terrible at communication. Penny was not. In later memories we see Penny holding hands with other girls. A number of girls in fact. Penny would be defined as ‘quite the player’.]

  No gonna lie, that stings a little. I always assumed I was the only gay girl in the school.

  [In twenty twenty five? In a major cosmopolitan city?]

  ‘Shut up.’

  [Time to wake up. You have a busy day today.]

  ‘Ugh don't remind me.’

  ***

  The whole morning my stomach was a knot of butterflies, and not the fun happy kind.

  The ‘you're about to get major surgery done to you by Seren the terrifying spider lady’ kind.

  Morning is a blur as I try not to stress puke, and before I know it I'm back in spider lady’s web.

  Well I'm on her operating table, same thing.

  “Welcome back Tangerine.” Said Seren with that very nice predatory smile.

  Maria is outside in the waiting room, she's never that far from me. On top of Owner, Mother, Drill Sargent and Guide, I think Maria might also be acting as my body guard.

  There is another woman here with Seren.

  “This is Rift Officer Amber Wilds.” Said Seren. “A medical specialist, she will be helping me with today's expansion procedure.”

  “Hey kid. You're gonna be fiiiiine. We’ve done like a billion of these.” Said Amber. I like her already, she's got a mask on so I can't see her face, but I bet she's hot too. Got skater girl energy.

  Skater woman?

  “Gestalt, if you wouldn't mind?” Said Seren straight into my face.

  [We request permission to paralyze you and remove any feeling of sensation during the time of the surgery.]

  ‘Wait, you're the anesthetic?’

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  [We are far less dangerous than any anesthetic.]

  ‘I thought you guys were going to knock me out for this?’

  [No, you need to be conscious for this procedure.]

  Oh God oh fuck. ‘Err yeah sure I guess.’

  And just like that I can't move or feel anything lower than my neck.

  [Please inform Mrs Seren that you are ready to begin the operation.]

  ‘The terrifying spider lady is Married?!’

  [Yes, for many years now.]

  ‘Don’t spider chicks bite their fella’s heads off or something?’

  [That is both racist and misogynistic. Only some spider women bite off the heads of their mates.]

  I would turn to Seren but I can't move my neck. “Gestalt says I’m good to go.”

  “Excellent, then we shall begin.”

  Got to say, it's pretty weird to have your belly cut open while you are awake but can't feel a thing. There's no pain, or sensation. But the vibrations of the tools run right through my bones.

  I have an itchy nose, and I can't move my… well anything. I scrunch up my nose and wiggle it a bit. Amber leans over my face. I think there is some of my blood on her mask. “Want me to scratch?” She asked.

  “Yes please.”

  She gives my nose a good old scratch all over. Honestly it was bliss, and made a great distraction from the fact that I was currently cut open and Seren is decanting my intestines into a big silver dish. With her Spider Legs!

  That can't be hygienic?

  First time I get a lady to rearrange my guts and she's a fucking spider.

  Wait, do these guys know about germ theory? Am I about to die from a horrible infection because Seren is currently doing surgery on me with her fucking feet?

  “Just a random question. How many people die from this procedure?” I ask in my best ‘I am not secretly shitting myself’ voice.

  “Die?” Seren asks, a confused look on her face. “Nobody dies in surgery?”

  What? “What do you mean nobody dies?”

  “Why would somebody die if you have a healing mage or rift walker on hand? I think Amber can even bring you back from the dead.” Seren said.

  “Depending how long they have been dead. It takes a boat load of mana too.” Amber piped in.

  Oh, well, that makes me feel a lot better. I guess healing magic means you just don't have to worry about germs at all. Nice.

  “Found it.” Said Seren from deep within my bowels.

  Amber leaned over? “Huh. Wow it really is huge. Perfect sphere too. Like it grew in a mana vacuum.” she said.

  “There's no magic where I'm from. Or at least none that I'm aware of.” I said.

  “That also explains the colour then. The environment affects the mana. As a person grows, the mana affects their core, making it more suited for that type. Most people's cores barely grow at all, crushed by the mana around them. Yours though, it's like what a core would end up as if it never cycled mana and grew unfettered by the environment around it.” Amber said.

  “The crack is clean too.” Seren said.

  “There's no fault in the core and the shape is a perfect sphere, nothing to throw off the crack.” Amber gushes.

  Gotta say, having two ladies check out my core and tell me how wonderful it looks, feels pretty good.

  Just saying.

  “You are looking rather smug over there.” Amber commented with a grin.

  I go beet red. “No I'm not!”

  “Sure sure. Shall we add the rift?” she asked Seren.

  Seren only nods.

  Amber's hands crack with energy as she constructs a complex pattern of mana in the air.

  It looks truly awe inspiring, someone doing magic! Real magic! Right in front of my eyes.

  For like the first five minutes.

  It takes Amber an hour and a half to finish the spell, and I'm just lying here staring at the ceiling, going out of my little ADHD mind. Magic, I have learnt, is not fast.

  Every so often Seren casts her own healing spell on me, to stop me from dying of blood loss while we wait. I bet my organs are getting cold. That can’t be good for them.

  Finally the spell is done and a tiny little laser light shoots from the complex spell pattern into my guts.

  And I feel something, on the edge of my perception, a space that I could just reach out and touch.

  “I wouldn't do that now if I were you.” Amber said to me, she's looking pretty sweaty. Hot. “Best let us fuse your core around the rift before you try cycling mana. It is still in two pieces.”

  She doesn't really seem all that worried, I guess the collar would have stopped me anyway.

  Seren uses a comically oversized tool to fuse my core back together. It was very loud and sent some rather uncomfortable vibrations through me.

  Once the whole thing is done - we have been here for hours - they stuff all of my organs and flesh back into my stomach and then stitch me back together. There is no care there either, just stuffed in and pinned together with the ugliest stitch work you have ever seen.

  Fuck, I guess I'm rocking that Frankenstein look from now on?

  I should say something, but like I'm that bitch that would see a waiter spit in her food and still say thank you. Just to not cause a fuss.

  Especially if she was hot.

  My fears are unfounded though. Once I'm all stitched up - and they checked around to make sure that they hadn't forgotten any of my organs - they casted a full body heal spell. And holy fuck you have never felt anything like it. It's like every cell in my body orgasmed at the same time. I'm glad I'm paralyzed else I would be squirming.

  Absolutely takes it out of you though. I feel completely drained.

  Gestalt gives me back control and sensation of my body. With some help I managed to sit up and walk back to Maria.

  There is no pain, hell I think I feel better than I have in weeks. But I just have no energy at all. Apparently that is a normal side effect of full body healing.

  “The procedure was a success.” Seren said to Maria. “Keep the collar on til tomorrow, try and get some fluids into her. All she needs is rest.”

  Maria thanks the terrifying spider doctor and helps me onto a private barge, to take us back home. I couldn't stand on my own so she held me the entire time.

  It felt good. Safe.

  I feel kind of bad that I was never really like this with my own mum. Not lately anyway.

  When we get home she makes me drink some cold sweet tea before I'm allowed into my bed.

  Where I promptly pass out.

  ***