Incest/Taboo Bred by the Hive

Susan was sobbing in her bedroom when there was a tap at the door. She ignored it. The tapping was louder.

"Go away!" she cried.

Ryan slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He came over and gave her a hug. "You've been crying," said Ryan.

"Have I?" Susan asked, wiping away the tears. "I'm all alone now."

"No you're not, Sis! If you join the Hive, we can all be together!"

"Ryan, I don't want to join the Hive!" said Susan.

"I saw the way you were looking at me when I was training Rachel. When I was with Mom in the living room. You want it, don't you?"

"No," said Susan, shaking her head.

"Yes, you do," said Ryan. He reached out and kissed her.

Susan didn't even resist, not even a little. She melted in his arms. All the stress came pouring out of her. All the unrelieved stimulation had done their dirty work. Her worm had prevented Susan from masturbating herself to gain relief. It would only allow her to receive pleasure from others. Susan had been kept on the edge for days. She hugged and kissed Ryan tightly, half out of her mind with need.

"I can do it," said Ryan feverishly. "I can do it so you won't feel a thing."

"No!" Susan shook her head. "I don't want a rider. I just... I just want to fool around a bit. But no rider, all right?"

"All right," said Ryan reluctantly.

Susan and Ryan hugged and kissed some more.

"I feel so lonely, Ryan. I'm all alone," she whispered between kisses. She felt Ryan's warm chest pressed against her titties.

"No you're not," he said, kissing her fiercely. "We all still love you, me, Mom, Rachel and Dad."

"Dad just wants to fuck me," said Susan, as she kissed him back.

"He's not the only one," said Ryan, in a deep, manly voice that excited Susan terribly. He put his hands under her shirt, and started to squeeze her titties.

"Oh... Ryan... I don't know," said Susan. She felt terribly conflicted. She was extremely aroused, her worm saw to that, but this was her brother.

"Shhhh, it's going to be all right," he said. His voice was so reassuring, so manly, that Susan let him slip her shirt over her head. She even left him unsnap her bra.

"Oh, Ryan, I don't know about this," she said again as her breasts came free. She resisted the urge to cover them with her hands.

"I do," said Ryan firmly. He looked at his sister's firm melons. They were much larger than a typical 18 year old's, certainly much larger than her older sister's. They were almost as large as her mother's, but firmer, with barely a hint of sag.

And then he reached down and took one of her firm breasts in his hand and squeezed it, ever so gently. "They're so beautiful," he said with awe.

"They... they are?" Susan had seen the way men stared at her breasts. She knew she was attractive. But to hear her brother saying it while he was fondling one of her naked breasts moved things into a whole new territory.

"Uh huh," said Ryan, in a deep manly voice. And before Susan could decide whether she really wanted her brother, her dear brother, fondling her breasts, he put his lips over one of her teats and started to suck.

"Ahhhhh!" Susan was immediately rendered helpless. The worm in her clit saw to that. Each suck was amplified tenfold in her clitoris as the alien worm amplified her pleasure. Susan realized that Ryan was pleasuring her the exact same way she had seen him pleasuring their mother, and somehow the thought of it was all the more arousing.

"Ryan!" she gasped, her eyes closed, her hands gripping handfuls of bedding, as her dear, dear brother sucked her off. After all she had been through, after all she had seen, she needed physical release more than anything.

Ryan, seeing Susan's resistance ebbing, took a quick moment to take off his clothes. When his penis came into view, it was already partially erect, framed by the same dark pubic curls as his mother's. The tip had a glowing green symbol on it.

It had just been inside Mom. And now he's going to put it into me.

Susan's ambivalence rose as she let Ryan take off her skirt. It went clattering to the ground. He started to pull on her panties but she restrained him. "No, Ryan."

"No?" he said, sounding like the frustrated teenager he was. A frustrated teenager with a rider pulsing on his back. Ryan heard his rider whisper something inaudibly inside his head, and nodded. He started to rub the head of his penis against the soft, shiny material of Susan's panties.

The effect was electric.

"Uh... uh.... uh, uh, uh," said Susan.

"You like this, Sis?" Ryan grinned.

"Uh.... yeah," said Susan, with a pained expression.

Ryan gave a wolfish smile and pulled again on her panties. This time Susan didn't resist.

Susan had a still growing field of soft, curly blonde pubic hair, only a shade darker than the top of her head. Ryan looked at her thick labial lips and felt an ache deep in his balls.

"Sis, you're so beautiful!" he whispered.

"I am?" Susan said, feeling a secret thrill that had nothing to do with her worm.

"Yeah," said Ryan. He leaned forward and pressed the head of his penis against her slit.

No!

"No," Susan cried.

"No?" said Ryan, sounding confused and frustrated.

"I'm a virgin," said Susan. "It's bad enough doing what we're doing. I don't want my virginity taken by my own brother!"

"But-"

"Just use it to rub my clit," said Susan. There was a pleading in her eyes. "Please?"

Ryan nodded reluctantly. He gently peeled back Susan's labia to see her clitoris. He saw the worm nestled tightly around the base of it. He wondered how much of Susan's arousal was his own doing and how much was the Hive's. Not that it really mattered. He started to rub the head of his penis against her clit.

Susan groaned with sheer pleasure. The worm had made her clit incredibly sensitive. As her brother pleasured her, she looked down at his shaft. The same shaft she had seen coursing inside of Rachel and her mother. He looked so manly, so sexy as he pleasured her. Her eyes turned to the mirror behind the bed. She could see his rider, between his shoulder blades, pulsating. What was it doing to him? Was it Ryan making love to her right now... or his rider?

"Do you like this, Sis?"

"Oh yes, Ryan," Susan said, groaning with pleasure. Despite the horror of knowing her brother was under alien control, it felt too good to deny.

And yet, part of her mind still resisted.

What am I doing? Susan thought, as her older brother rubbed his genitals against hers. A week ago this would have been unthinkable. But for Susan, this physicality was essential to maintain her sanity. Her worm had been stimulating her unmercifully, especially around the sight of Ryan making love to Rachel and her mother.

"You're so sexy, Sis," said Ryan. "Even more than Rach."

"I am?" said Susan.

"Yes," said Ryan, with deep and utter conviction, as he grounded his penis against her clitoris. "I can't wait to put it inside you."

"No, Ryan," Susan whispered. But she felt her resistance ebbing.

"I will have you," said Ryan. "We all will. Once you join us."

Once you join us. A chill went down Susan's back.

And then suddenly Susan saw it, in the mirror. His rider was starting to bubble on his back. All the energy that Ryan was exerting to stimulate her was also causing his rider to reproduce.

"No, Ryan. Don't let it split," Susan said.

Ryan ignored her, and continued to gasp as he rubbed the head of his organ against her clit. His rider started to get dangerously large.

"No Ryan!" Susan yelled. She slapped him in the face.

"Hey!" said Ryan. Immediately the bubbling of his rider reduced markedly.

"I don't want that thing splitting," said Susan.

"I can't help it. When I get excited, it does."

Susan's eyes narrowed. She still desperately needed to come. "Then help me come without getting too excited."

Ryan gave her a cynical look, but slowly nodded. He substituted his hand for his penis, rubbing Susan's worm engorged clit as she instructed him. "Slower... a little harder... more circular", she said, as she put her hand over his. "Yes, that's it! That's it Ryan!" She smiled up at him, lovingly, without reservation. Her own brother was giving her sexual pleasure, and Susan was enjoying every minute of it.

"Now faster, Ryan, faster!" Susan cried. And as Ryan's hand moved faster, Susan gasped and cried out, her eyes wide. Then she collapsed backwards on the bed.

They lay in each other's arms for a long moment. Susan realized who she was lying with and what they just did.

"What did we just do?" Susan asked. She had just had sex, sort of, with her very own brother!

Ryan grinned at her. Susan felt a hardness against her belly. She was acutely aware that his organ was still erect. "Are you going to be all right?" she said subtly.

"Yeah, I guess," said Ryan. "Mom or Rachel can help me out, I guess." He saw Susan blush. "But eventually you'll want to do me yourself. I just know you will."

"Maybe," said Susan, looking away.

"Are you sure you don't want to join the Hive, sis?"

"I'm sure," said Susan, with a firmness she didn't feel, as she pushed him back slightly. She looked at his body with lust in her eyes. "Listen, don't tell Mom about this, all right? If she finds out, she'll only put more pressure on me to join the Hive."

"Sooner or later, you will," said Ryan. "Sooner or later, you'll want to."

Later that day, Marion was summoned to Chloe's house to witness "something wonderful." She had little trouble guessing what that was.

Chloe was giving birth to Paul's baby.

When she got there, she found Chloe nude on the back porch, her belly bloated and her legs spread wide. Paul held her hand and looked concerned and proud. The birthing had already begun.

But what was Chloe giving birth too? Marion watched with horror as a green pod started to come out of Chloe's pussy lips.

"You're doing fine, dear," said Paul, grasping her hand. "You're doing just great. Keep going."

Chloe looked up at Paul adoringly. She drew strength from him as she continued to deliver Hivelife. She noticed Marion in the background. "Marion! Come here!"

Marion stepped forward. Her rider pulsated furiously as her mind was full of conflicting feelings.

"Do you see what Paul gave me?" she said, gasping as more of the green pod slid out of Chloe's slick pussy lips.

"Yes," said Marion. Her husband had impregnated another woman. She knew that Paul had been having sex with Chloe, and who knew how many other women. It was his role, now as a fertilization drone. But to impregnate her own sister! Marion feverishly wished it could have been her. She wanted to be the one lying there, her legs spread, giving birth to Hivelife. Life she and Paul had created.

But the Hive had taken Paul away from her. The Hive determined he could best serve elsewhere... or had it really been the Hive's decision? It was unclear to Marion how many of Chloe's orders originated with the Hive or herself. As Marion watched Chloe give birth to Paul's child, she tried to drive the concern and jealousy from her mind. It is what the Hive intended, she told herself. She looked at the pod. "What... is it?"

"It is Hive life, dear, the finest kind," said Chloe.

"Push, Chloe, push!" said Paul, with real emotion which hurt Marion to the core. The last time she had heard Paul say that, it was in the hospital when she was giving birth to Susan.

Chloe bit her teeth and bore down. The rest of the slimy green pod slipped out of her vagina, and in to Paul's waiting hands. He gently put the glowing pod on the ground.

"Oh, Chloe, you were so wonderful!" he said, hugging and kissing her.

Chloe kissed him back. Then she smiled up at Marion.

"Chloe... it's beautiful... but... what is it?"

Chloe grinned. "You'll see."

Susan continued to endure the awkwardness of living in a family where everyone had joined the Hive except for herself. She could try to close her eyes and ignore the bedroom swapping. She could try to ignore the pointed suggestions, the comments about how good she would look as a sex slave, how much she'd enjoy being impregnated with Hivelife, but what she couldn't ignore was the steady stream of people coming into the Weatherly household.

First it was Ryan's male friends from college. One by one they were invited over to the house. First came Doug Richmond and then Kyle Redford and then Reginald Washington and several others whose names Susan didn't know. What she did know is that they came in one at a time and went into Rachel's bedroom, and when they came out, thirty minutes later, they were changed.

"What's going on, Mom?" Susan asked, as Kyle Redford walked out the front door with a dazed look on his face. Rachel casually came out of her bedroom wearing nothing but a bathrobe and a shit-eating grin.

"You know what's going on, Susan dear," said Marion with a wink, as she prepared dinner. Susan could see the faint outline of Marion's rider on her back through her blouse.

"I do?"

"We are spreading the Hive," said Marion.

"You're putting those creatures on other people's backs!"

Marion dropped a knife with a clatter. "Susan, you promised to serve the Hive. As long as you do so, you must not call them creatures. You may call them riders, or masters. Which will it be?"

Susan found four pairs of eyes staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably by the kitchen dinette. "Sorry, Mom," she said quietly.

Marion picked up the knife again as the tension in the air dissipated. "Rachel is bringing Ryan's friends into the Hive. Then Ryan will do the same for Rachel's friends. After they are done, it will be your turn."

"My turn?" said Susan.

"You will bring your little friends here for Ryan to bring into the Hive."

"No!" said Susan.

Marion turned to face her. "The only reason you weren't brought into the Hive is because I interceded for you. Do you remember what you promised? Do you?"

Susan nodded.

"Repeat it, please."

"I... I promised to serve the Hive."

"Exactly. So bring your friends in and stop making faces and eat your dinner."

The day of reckoning came four days later, after all of Ryan and Rachel's friends had been brought into the Hive. They were having a family meeting in the living room, except Susan had trouble recognizing her family.

"It's time for you to bring your little friends into the Hive, dear," said Marion.

"No, Mom!" said Susan.

"It's either that, or you join the Hive," said Marion. "I'm sorry dear, but I've done everything I can for you. It's up to you now." Her face softened. "I know Elly Woodruff is your best friend. Let's put her aside for the moment. Can't you bring us one of your... acquaintances?"

Susan took a deep breath. Her chest felt tight. "I... I suppose I could call Sandra Colley."

"Do that, dear."

Susan felt terrible as she led Sandra into her home. Sandra was smiling and laughing, not suspecting a thing. She thought she was there to gossip about boys and play Pad games. She let herself be led into Ryan's bedroom like a lamb to the slaughter.

"Hi," said Ryan, giving a friendly grin.

"Hi," said Sandra. She made a face as she noticed an odd smell in the room.

Mercifully, Ryan didn't make Susan stay and watch Sandy get taken. She was free to leave once Sandy was overtaken by the pheromones. The last Susan saw of her friend was when she had a goofy smile on her face as Ryan worked the clasps of her shirt open. When Sandra came out a half hour later, she walked stiffly past Susan and out the door, without saying a word.

Susan felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"The first one is always the hardest," said Marion, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know."

After Sandy came Trudy Tishman and Erica Conners. And then the only friend she had left was her best friend, Elly Woodruff.

Elly and Susan had been friends since the second grade. They had shared secrets together, cried together, had fun together, even gone on their first dates together. In some ways Susan felt closer to Elly than she did to her real sister Rachel.

And now Susan was being asked to bring Elly in to be given a rider.

"No," said Susan. "I gave you all my other friends."

"Then what's one more?" said Ryan reasonably.

"It's her best friend. Try to show some sensitivity, dear," said Marion.

"The Hive is not about showing sensitivity, Mother. It's about reproduction," said Rachel. It was still startling to hear Rachel talk this way, it was still so new to her.

"True," said Marion. She turned to Susan. "Susan, dear, I've tried to make allowances. I've tried to do everything humanly possible, even inhumanly possible to keep you out of the Hive, at least until you're ready, so you can make the choice yourself. But the Hive will not be defied. What will it be?"

Susan just sat stone faced on the couch, hoping the impasse would simply resolve itself. But it wouldn't.

Marion sighed and nodded to Ryan and Rachel. "Go ahead."

Ryan and Rachel rapidly took off their clothes. Rachel lay back on the couch and Ryan inserted himself into his sister. His banded rider was bright and shiny on his back.

"What... what are they doing?" Susan asked.

"They're making a rider, dear."

"For... for who?"

Marion looked pointedly at her. "For you."

As Ryan thrusted between Rachel's legs, his rider started to boil and bubble.

"Of course, you can still change your mind," said Marion. "Up until the moment the rider starts to split. After that, I'm afraid, there will be no turning back."

"I can feel my rider reproducing," Ryan said to Rachel. "It feels so good. I can't wait to put it on Sis. When it controls her mind, she's going to become so sexy."

Rachel groaned, getting aroused by the thought of her younger sister joining the Hive. "Can I watch," she asked feverishly, as Ryan pounded into her. "When you take her... can I watch it happen?"

"Of course."

Susan's jaw dropped. She and Rachel had always been close. But now her sister was acting like a stranger to her. It was her own fault, she realized. She had helped Mother bring Rachel into the Hive, and now she was paying the price for it.

The rider on Ryan's back bubble and expand more wildly now. It was going to start splitting at any moment. And Susan knew that when it did they would hold her down and put that creature on her back. She would become a sexual slave of the Hive, merely another vagina like her mother and Rachel-

"No!" she found herself shouting, even as Ryan's rider expanded even more. It could start splitting at any moment.

"No is not the word we are waiting to hear, dear," said Marion mildly.

The rider on Ryan's back was bubbling wildly now, expanding furiously-

"I'll do it!" Susan yelled. "I'll bring Elly into the Hive!"

"Stop!" Marion commanded.

Ryan froze in mid-thrust. He was panting and looked extremely pained, he was gasping for breath and his ass cheeks were extremely taut, as if he had just been stopped from having an orgasm at the last second. "Mom... my rider was about to split! I need to split so bad! I can't just stop now!"

"You can, and you will." Marion handed over her holocomm to Susan, and looked at her expectantly.

"Elly, hello!" said Marion, giving Elly a big hug. "So good to see you!"

Susan winced as her mother, with the imprint of a rider on her back, hugged her dear friend. Elly gave Susan an odd look. Marion had always been friendly towards Elly, but had never hugged her before.

That was only the beginning. Then Rachel said, "Elly! How're you doing?" and then Rachel, who Elly had barely talked to because Susan's friends and Rachel's friends didn't mix, gave Elly a hug.

And then Paul stepped forward. "Elly!" he cried, reaching out to give her a hug.

Susan swiftly interposed her body between Elly and her father. She turned to her friend who had a suspicious look on her face. "Everyone's glad to see you, Elly."

"I see that," said Elly, giving Susan one of her secret "what is going on here?" looks.

"We really are, dear," said Marion. "We've been pestering Susan to invite you over for dinner for days."

"You have?" said Elly.

"Yes," said Marion. "It's always a pleasure to see one of Susan's little friends."

Elly looked at Susan's mother. She was smiling, but with the heavy eye makeup she was wearing, her smile had just a hint of a sinister tinge to it. Marion's eyes were shining in an odd way, and she was wearing a tight blouse and pants which showed off the shape of her breasts and her groin. It was the first time that Elly had seen Marion wearing such shapely clothes.

"Thank you, Mrs. W.," said Elly.

"Oh, please, dear, call me Marion. We're all on a first name basis now," said Marion.

Elly gave Susan a helpless look.

Susan said, "Why don't we hang out in my bedroom until dinner is ready?"

"An excellent idea," said Marion. "You two go and have fun."

When they got to Susan's bedroom, Elly turned to Susan. "What is going on here?"

"What do you mean?" Susan stammered.

"Your family. They're all acting really odd," said Elly. "Are they on the weed?"

"N-no," said Susan.

At that moment Ryan entered the bedroom. "Knock knock," he said, opening the door before he spoke. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Susan said, "Ryan... what brings you here?"

Ryan smiled. "Susie, you told me that Elly and her family took a vacation to San Francisco. I'm thinking of going there over Spring Break and was wondering if you could tell me some highlights."

"Sure," said Elly, giving Susan a sideways look as Ryan closed the door behind him. As she began to talk about San Francisco, she smelled the distinct odor of a man's musky scent. As they talked, the odor became stronger and stronger....

"Kiss me back," said Ryan, pressing his lips against her.

Elly felt tremendous sexual arousal. She had never been particularly attracted to Ryan, but now she felt in great need of release... and Ryan was there to give it to her.

"Go on, Elly, kiss him," said Susan. She knew her friend was going to be taken. She just wanted the transition to be as easy as possible, even as she hated herself for cooperating.

Elly leaned forward and kissed Ryan. He kissed her back. As he did, he fondled her breasts. Elly groaned with pleasure.

"You like that, don't you?" Ryan murmured.

"Yeah... but I don't know...." Elly's voice trailed off. She watched Ryan start to open her shirt. Normally she wouldn't even think of letting Ryan... but her need was so great....

"What's happening, Susie?" Elly asked.

"Ryan's going to make you feel good," said Susan hesitantly. "Really good." She hated herself for participating in this. But she had no choice. Elly would be taken whether she was there or not. At least Susan could try and smooth the way for her.

Ryan smiled as Susan calmed her friend. Susan was cooperating remarkably well for someone who hadn't even taken a rider yet. He opened Elly's bra next and her bare breasts came tumbling out.

As Ryan squeezed her naked breasts, he asked, "Does that feel good?"

"Yes," she gasped. "But... you're my best friend's brother. Should we really be doing this?"

"Of course we should," said Ryan, sucking on one of her teats. When he pulled back with a popping sound, her teat was red and stiff. "Tell her, Susan."

Susan bit her lip. "Yes, Elly... it's quite all right. Let Ryan show you... Let him show you how good it can feel."

In her right mind Elly would never let Ryan make love to her, especially while her best friend sat there and watched. But Ryan's musky scent had overpowered all of Elly's common sense. Her labia was engorged, her clitoris inflamed; she needed easing and she needed it soon.

And so Elly let Ryan pull down her pants. Then he started to take off his own clothes. Elly realized they were about to have sex. "But... what about your parents? What if they find out what we're doing here?" Elly asked.

"They want it, they all do," said Ryan firmly.

"They do?" said Elly. "What about your Mom?

"Especially my Mom." Ryan grinned as if Elly had said something amusing. He pulled down his underwear. Elly's wide went wide as she saw Ryan's long penis hanging between his legs, framed by his manly dark pubic hair. She stared at the glowing green symbol on the head of his penis. In her confused and befuddled state it seemed to hypnotize her.

"She does?" Elly mumbled, her jaw dropping open as she stared at Ryan's penis.

Ryan smiled and leaned forward and kissed her. Elly felt powerfully aroused. She was not a virgin like Susan, but neither was she especially experienced when it came to sex. She felt the urge to have Ryan inside of her, and yet a part of her mind wondered-

Ryan pulled down her panties. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, as he kissed her.

"I am?" said Elly.

"Yes," Ryan hissed.

That was all that was needed. Ryan was strong, and masculine, and wanted her; and Elly was in desperate need of relief.

Susan stayed and watched Elly get taken. Not because Ryan told her to. She did it out of a sense of obligation to her best friend. She owed that much to her, at least.

Elly was lying naked on her back. Like Susan, she also had large breasts for a 18 years old. They used to shop for bras together and go "bra swapping" just for fun. Right now the nipples on Elly's breasts were proudly erect. Elly's eyes were glazed, and she was panting as Ryan plowed between her legs, once again summoning the energy to help his rider reproduce and take control of Elly's mind.

And Susan sat on the bed by her friend's side, holding her hand.

"How do you feel, Elly?" Susan asked.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah," Elly panted. "Feels good, Susie. Feels really good." She was so wrapped up in her own sexual needs that she was no longer concerned about the propriety of her best friend's brother making love to her, especially while her best friend held her hand and watched.

"That's good," said Susan, giving a weak grin. She just wanted this to be over.

"Ahhh!" Ryan cried. "Aaaaah!" he cried again. Susan could see his rider splitting on his back. Ryan looked so strong, so athletic, as his ass cheeks clenched and unclenched back and forth while the miracle of the creation of life took place between his muscular shoulder blades.

"What's... what's happening?" Elly whispered.

"Ryan's about to give you something," said Susan.

"He's already giving me something," Elly grinned, as Ryan continued to plow inside of her. Elly was not a virgin, but barely so; Collin Redwood had taken her virginity just weeks ago. And soon he too would join the Hive.

Susan couldn't prevent what was going to happen, but she desperately wanted to make it easy for her best friend. "He's going to give you something else."

"What?" Elly gasped.

Susan felt Ryan's eyes on her. "Something... something that will make you feel really good." It hurt her to say it. It was like she was working for them. And in a way, she was. But she wanted to soften the blow to her friend.

"Really?" said Elly.

The rider started to crawl down Ryan's arm. Susan turned Elly's head towards her, ignoring Ryan's smirk.

"Yes," said Susan, fondling Elly's cheeks while her hand shielded her view. "You're going to start feeling really wonderful... and the guys are going to like you a lot more... and when you make love, it's going to feel so good, so good inside...." As she spoke, Susan realized she herself was getting aroused. How was that possible?

Could she be attracted to the idea of joining the Hive?

And then she realized that it was her worm. The alien worm, lodged around her clitoris, was stimulating her. She was being conditioned to like this. She was being conditioned to enjoy this!

And then Elly stiffened and cried out as the newborn rider jumped on her back.

"My head, my head! Susie, I feel something in my head!" said Elly.

"I know, I know," Susan sobbed, as she hugged her friend tightly and rocked back and forth with her, even as she felt her clitoris reward her with tingly pleasure.

A moment later, it was all over.

"I am Hiveflesh," said Elly woodenly.

"And so you are," said Ryan. "Sis, would you like to go next?"

Susan frowned and looked crossly at her brother. Instead she helped Elly on with her clothes. Elly was in a daze but let Susan help her get dressed.

But she seemed to become more self aware when she was fully dressed again. As Elly smoothed her blouse and put on her shoes, she stood up and glared first at Ryan and then at Susan. "What... what have you done to me?"

"What she had to," said Ryan. "She's brought you into the Hive."

They walked Elly to the front door. She had been promised dinner, but of course, the Hive was not concerned with that. Elly would be trained, and then bring her own circle of family and friends into the Hive.

"Susan, has your little friend joined us?" Marion asked.

"Yes, Mother," said Susan, hating herself mightily.

"Welcome to the Hive, dear," said Marion, reaching down and kissing Elly on the cheek. "I know you're confused now, but soon you will come to love it just as much as we do."

"No I won't!" said Elly. She glared at Susan. "I never want to see you again!"

She marched out the front door with an angry step.

"Don't be upset, dear," said Marion, putting her hands on Susan's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll get over her anger soon enough."​