Salem was only interesting if you were a tourist. The locals quickly grew bored of the stories and history of their home town. At least the youth of Salem were bored. The teenage population didn’t care about the witches and trials and killings that happened. Quite frankly, they couldn’t wait to get out.

The teens of Salem found only one way to keep entertained: practical jokes. This is exactly how Mike got himself into trouble.

Every year since the first grade, the students of Salem took a field trip to a museum of witchery. So now the sophomore class of Salem High found themselves in the preserved cottage of the witch, Rachel. Look-but-don’t-touch animal skins and parchments hung on the walls. A cauldron sat over a burned out fire pit. Jars of over-aged ingredients were set up on shelves and tables. Her spell book was on display on a dark wood podium. The crown jewel of the cottage was a diamond shaped vial filled with purple liquid on display inside a glass case.

Legend had it that when Rachel was burned at the stake, her essence melted into a supernatural residue. Once the town’s people had dispersed, Rachel’s apprentice snuck in and gathered the liquid essence into the diamond vial. She wore it as a necklace in order to harness her mistress’ power as her own.

“Dare you to drink it,” Reid said as he elbowed Mike in the side.

Mike scoffed. “I’m not drinking any nasty old grape Kool-Aide.” He tried brushing Reid off, but his friend took to taunting.

He folded his arms like wings, flapping them, and made clucking noises. “You chiiickeeeeeen?”

“No way!” Mike smirked. “Fine, you and the guys meet me here at 11:30. I’ll drink that old Kool-Aide in one gulp.”

Maybe the full moon should have been a sign, or even the dark storm clouds blowing in from the west, but the youth of Salem didn’t buy into that anyway.

Mike, Reid, Steve, and Joshua all showed up at the cottage around the same time. Breaking in was easy, seeing as how the windows were just shutters over open holes. There wasn’t even a security system to worry about. Mike moved the rope stands to the side so he could get to the glass case. It was just a box that he lifted up and away, setting it on the floor. He wasted no time in picking up the vial and taking off the cap. “Bottoms up,” he said and drank the stuff down.

“How is it?” asked Steve.

Mike grimaced and coughed. “Augh, that stuff is nasty!” he said.

His friends laughed. “Duh, man, it’s been there forever!”

“Gross… I shoulda made you guys give me five bucks each for this.”

Reid just laughed. “Whatever, it’s too late now. C’mon lets go. Maybe we can teepee the principal’s house or something.” They were all about to climb back out the window when the shattering of glass caught their attention. The trio turned around to see Mike doubled over, the vial in pieces at his feet.

“Guys, I feel really sick,” he groaned. “I think I’m gonna hurl…”

Joshua started to back up closer to the window. “Oh man… What do we do?”

“Relax,” Reid said. “He’s fine. Mike’s just trying to beef it up with hysterics. Very funny, man. Now let’s go. This place smells like my granddad’s tool shed.”

Mike didn’t move, though. Instead he made a retching noise and he vomited all over the floor.

“Shit!” exclaimed Joshua. “Oh man, I’m outta here! No way am I getting blamed for this!” He jumped out the window with Steve on his heels. Mike looked up at his best friend silently pleading for help, but Reid just gave a scared and apologetic shrug before bolting out the window as well.

“You guys are dicks!” Mike called out angrily. “Oh god… I’m gonna die,” he moaned. What the heck was in that stuff? Arsenic? His stomach burned like it was on fire and felt like he was starting to bloat. Wait… Mike unwrapped his arms from around his waist to find an already sizeable bump under green fabric. He scrabbled to un-tuck his shirt, just to be sure

Mike’s fear was confirmed. The formerly loose folds of his t-shirt began to smooth as his belly stretched outward. There was definitely something developing and growing inside him. Brown eyes went wide as he was barely able to bit back a frightened yelp as he felt his skin became taut and round. Whatever was inside him was growing at a terrifying rate, leaving him only to gape at his swelling belly.

“What the hell!” he cried.

Then there came the sound of quiet amused chuckles. Mike looked up to see a black cat slinking out from behind one of the shelves. “My, my, it looks like somebody finally drank Sister Rachel’s essence.”

The boy moaned; his hand on the slowly expanding bulge. “I must be hallucinating.”

Bright yellow-green eyes caught sight of the stomach peeking slightly out from under his shirt, which was becoming to short and exposing the growing paunch. “Dear boy, I assure you all of this is real. Very real indeed,” the cat purred.

The waistband of Mike’s pants sagged under the pressure of his swelling stomach. His flesh started to dimple as the denim cut into him and pinched cruelly. Mike wrestled with the belt, trying to get it off and to the button of his jeans before it was too late. Except he wasn’t quick enough. The copper fastener flew off and hit the wall, the zipper easily slipping down, allowing the belly more room to grow. Mike made a frightened noise while holding his increasingly pregnant belly with both hands. The thing inside him just kept growing, rounding him out and protruding off his young figure.

“What’s happening to me?” he whined. Mike groaned, his knees buckling under his rapidly increasing weight. By now his shirt was unable to fit him anymore, having rode up over his distended girth. The swelling was so surreal. Looking at himself, Mike was sure he was well past nine months. Unable to hold himself up, the boy moved onto his back. His great belly curved above him and a round, plump bellybutton adorned its peak.

The black cat sauntered over and jumped atop the increasing swell. He purred amusedly as he rose higher, looking down at the terrified human. “A spell was placed on the liquid in that vial, you see. Sister Rachel is going to be reborn, and it’s all thanks to you.” His tail moved back and forth over the pink glowing flesh. “By drinking her essence, you have become the vessel for her new body. Rachel is growing inside you right now, recovering her powers and becoming stronger. In just a few minutes, she will be restored to her former glory.”

Mike’s lower back started to ache along with his tight belly. His whole body was protesting. This was all happening too fast and he was just getting too big. He was starting to gasp for air. The swollen belly bulged out before him like a full warm melon; a melon that had young adult growing inside. His belly was massive to the point that Mike had no hope of seeing over or around it anymore. Mike’s hands came to fearfully rest on either side of his belly and rubbed slowly, feeling. “It’s not stopping,” he cried.

The cat trilled. “Of course not. Rachel was an adult when she died. She must grow into one. Silly boy, but don’t worry. There’s isn’t much more to go. Soon my mistress will return to this mortal plane and her work can resume.”

His belly was stretched painfully, so big, and his flesh had begun to quiver. He could feel the ripples beneath his fingertips. Was it time? “H-How is she supposed to get out?” Mike asked, nearly in tears.

The cat grinned, his tail swaying delightedly. “Well, that is the question, isn’t it?”