Chapter 5; Jeremy Stanton vs. Ryan Hicks: Feral attraction in the midst of hatred… Unfairness!

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Professor Ryan Hicks moaned in pain as he slowly opened his eyes. “What the fuck!” he muttered as he got to his feet and looked around.

He realized he was in a huge cage in a very dark place. The only light was the moonlight that was streaming in through the small window. He didn’t have his glasses on so couldn’t see very well. The idiots who had taken him must have thrown his glasses away. But even without the glasses, Ryan could tell that he was alone. He felt a painful throb at the back of his neck and raised his hand to touch it. What was it with that man anyway…biting him so painfully, he thought, touching the still wet sore. One minute the man was stalking towards him with an angry look, and the next, he was biting him. Ryan had never felt such excruciating pain in his life. What the fuck was the man’s problem anyway? And they didn’t even clean the wound. What asshole actually treated people like that, he wondered.

“Oh my god,” Ryan groaned as a bolt of pain flashed through him, causing him to fall to his knees. “What is happening to me?” he moaned as he writhed in pain. It felt as if his insides was about to explode.

Ryan breathed deeply in and out till the pain subsided. What had he gotten himself into, he asked himself for the umpteenth time. Since his infancy, Ryan Hicks had learnt to stay out of trouble. He’d been an only child of a single mother. His mother said his father had disappeared on her before she’d even realized she was pregnant with him. She’d explained when he was old enough to understand that she hadn’t been married to his father. Since as far back as he could remember, his mother always sheltered him, not allowing him to play with other kids or even have any friends. It was only when he came of age that he understood why his mother treated him that way. Ryan Hicks was a freak and he got to know that the hard way.

When he was nine years old, the swimming coach had come to his classroom one day to encourage them to join the swimming club. Most of the kids in his class had registered so Ryan had too. He’d been so excited because he watched people swim in school and on TV and had always wanted to swim too. But of course, he knew his mother would object to it so had never suggested it to her. She always told him he was different and special. Why he had to stay away from people for that reason, Ryan had never understood. So when the coach asked everyone to come to the swimming area after school to try out, Ryan couldn’t wait.

After school, he followed his mates to the pool area. Coach Chris told everyone to change into any of the school costumes. When all the boys started stripping openly in the boys’ changing room, Ryan too quickly stripped, equally excited…till he heard the shrieks and the laughter. Everyone was pointing and staring at his penis…maybe he should simply call it, penises. Yes, Ryan had two whilst every other kid had just one. He hadn’t been around kids much so he didn’t know that very important fact. He’d always had two. One was slightly smaller than the other but he could pee with both just as penises were meant to be used. So he didn’t understand what the fuss was about till the laughter and shouts had gotten rather loud, attracting Coach Chris’ attention to the boys. The coach’s reaction, when he came in and saw Ryan, was something that scarred little Ryan for life. He’d called him a little freak and ordered him to dress up and go home.

Ryan had gone home in tears. He remembered all too clearly his mother hugging him to her and crying with him. She hadn’t allowed him to go back to that school again but had rather packed their stuff and moved them to another state by the end of the week. And Ryan had kept to himself ever since. He never did things that would make people see him naked…like attend a boarding school, use public bathrooms, or hook up with anyone. He’d never entered into any relationship for fear of hearing someone shout the word freak to him again, which was rather unfortunate as he got propositioned by a lot of ladies due to his looks. They claimed he was beautiful and that always amused Ryan. But for his abnormal nature, he would have really enjoyed the ladies as he was highly sexed. Ryan’s prostate got inflamed if he didn’t ejaculate enough. But with the help of his own hands and sex toys, he always saw to his needs. Though he always wished he could get someone he could share his life with, he knew that would never happen.

Ryan was hit with another bolt of pain so intense, he screamed. Although he instinctively started to breathe in and out just like before, the pain wouldn’t stop.

“Somebody help me please,” he screamed but no one came to help. “I need a doctor please,” he kept screaming for help till the pain subsided again.

The way he was panting harshly would have amused Ryan under any other circumstances. He’d watched a documentary once in which a woman in labour had been asked to breathe in and out just as he was doing. That woman would have envied Ryan’s skills. Ryan wished it was all a bad dream from which he was going to wake up hopefully soon. But if it was a dream, then it was a really long one…going as far back as his conversation with Timmy York, he thought. If only he could get his hands around the neck of that little rascal, Ryan fumed. He was in his current predicament because of Timmy. He would never forget that fateful day when Timmy, a freshman zoology student who was trailing his class had approached him after a lecture.

“Prof Hicks, can I have a moment of your time please?”

“Sure. What can I do for you?”

Ryan was a professor of zoology at UCLA. Since he was a kid, he’d spent most of his life friendless, and had therefore ended up spending lots of time just being around animals. He’d developed a liking for animals and an even greater interest in their behaviour. His mother, bless her soul, had not been surprised at all when he’d ended up becoming a zoology professor. She always told him that there was nothing better than your job being your hobby as well.

“At the beginning of your course you told us to let you know if we ever come across any animal that we’ve never seen or…”

“Read about before.” Ryan finished with a chuckle. “Found anything interesting?”

“You could say that.” Timmy had responded cockily. “And that part about getting extra marks if our discovery is really new was no joke I hope…”

“No, it wasn’t Mr. York.” Desperate times, Ryan thought with amusement. What new species could a student like Timmy York discover?

“I’m so glad you were serious about that because I’ve discovered something which will blow your mind.”

“Really?” Ryan closed his laptop and slipped it into his bag. “I’d love to see what you’ve discovered, Tim. Do you have a picture?” Ryan asked as he started towards the door.

“Oh we have to go check it out Prof.,” Timmy said, falling into step beside him.

“And where exactly do we have to go to see this new species?” Ryan asked, turning towards his office.

“A couple of friends and I are taking a drive to the Stanton Woods to check out the animals. Why don’t you come with us?”

“The Stanton Woods. Isn’t that area restricted property?” Ryan asked, opening his office door.

“Oh, the part we’ll be visiting is open to the general public so there’s nothing to worry about. We just have to stay together. You know the dangers that sometimes lark in the forest.”

“I know.” Ryan had chuckled. He always tried to encourage his students by listening to and checking out their stories whenever he could. It was no bother at all. After all, he wasn’t a busy person. “So when can we go and see this special species?” Ryan had asked.

“Is next week Saturday okay?” Timmy had asked eagerly.

“Sure. It’s not like I’m busy on Saturdays anyway.” Ryan chuckled.

“Cool. I’m so glad you’ve agreed to come, Prof.”

“Don’t be surprised. The last time I checked, I was a zoology professor. My work is all about researching different species of animals. And like I said, I don’t have anything better to do anyway.”

“Can I ask you a question Prof?”

“Feel free to.” Ryan gestured for Timmy to sit down.

“Thanks. What do you know about werewolves?” Timmy had asked, making Ryan burst into laughter.

“They don't exist, Tim. They are fictional and therefore can become whatever a person wants them to be. You want people to become werewolves by a scratch; say that's what happens.”

“What if I told you they were real?” Tim asked with all seriousness.

“I’d tell you, you watch too many movies. Hey… Don’t tell me that’s what you’re going to show…” Ryan tried very hard to keep the amusement and incredulity off his face.

“No, no.” The boy had quickly said.

“Thank God. So, next week then.”

And that was how he found himself riding into the Stanton Woods with Timmy and two other boys around five p.m. that day.