[Woman to Beanbag Chair]



﻿Sarah exited her room, the bag in her hand crinkling as she crossed the living room. She made her way toward the kitchen, cheerfully humming a tune. The floor beneath her socks transitioned from carpet to linoleum as she dug inside the bag. Taking out the small box, she set it on the countertop, brushing aside a stray strand of her brown hair.





Today Sarah was going to spend the evening with her reclusive roommate Jennifer. It still struck her as insane that the two had never really hung out together despite how far into their first semester of graduate school they were. They were like ships passing in the night, with Sarah always out at some event or rushing off to meet with friends while Jennifer was always sequestered in her room.





“It’s time for that to change,” Sarah resolved, studying her purchase on the kitchen counter.





“Ease yourself into bliss,” the back of the box proclaimed with puffy letters. Sarah sincerely hoped there was some truth to that advertising. Her roommate was going to be home soon, and then it was just going to be the two of them for the whole evening. No crazy parties, no loud music, just two girls spending some quality time together. It sounded like a wonderful change of pace, yet Sarah felt she needed something to curb her restless nature. Her active lifestyle had cost her too many opportunities to connect with her roommate in the past; she needed something to lull her lively drive.





Her hands dug into the top of the box and tore it open. Within were some sheets of plastic with shining material backing them. Sarah selected one of the sheets and applied pressure to the pill part, popping the blue thing into her palm. The sheet discarded, she pinched the pill between her index finger and thumb. Hesitation over the reason for the drug gave her a ping of guilt.





"Is Jennifer really that boring?" she wondered. Her face scrunched up at the indictment.





No, she needed to be sure. The inevitability that Sarah would become too bored to want to sit around in the apartment on a Saturday night made the socialite fret. As soon as that boredom boiled over, she'd be trying to drag Jennifer off into the night, which would only further damage their strained relationship.





"Better safe than sorry," Sarah concluded, grabbing a glass from the cupboard, pill still in hand.





The faucet turned on and water flowed into Sarah’s glass. She exhaled, placed the pill on her tongue, then took a big gulp of water. The pill slid easily down her throat, disappearing as it traveled further into her system.





Sarah stood in the kitchen for a few seconds. Was it working? She consulted the box resting on the countertop. Turning it over a few times, she located the directions.





“Right, only take one at a time, don’t take while operating heavy machinery or driving, blah blah blah,” Sarah skimmed. “Ah, here we go, ‘Effects: Transformation could take thirty seconds to five minutes to complete depending on body weight and other factors- wait, transformation?”





Sarah’s green eyes went back to the sizable “Warnings and Notes” section of the box. They grew wider once she realized just what she had purchased. Her heart skipped a beat at the mention of “inanimate.” Her jaw went slack when she understood why the cover of the box prominently featured the beanbag chair rather than the person upon it. This wasn’t supposed to help her relax; it was meant to make her relax by turning her into a floppy chair!





Her eyes darted across the directions, desperate for some kind of way out of what was about to transpire, but it had already begun. A warmth flickered in Sarah’s chest. As her panic surged, the sensation spread out from her breast, growing in strength. She tried to keep searching for some way out of what was happening, but the soothing was moving far too rapidly. It traveled up her throat and hummed out of her mouth, a lightness that cascaded through her thin frame as she stumbled through the kitchen.





“Focus!” Sarah mentally commanded, shaking her head. But the daze wouldn’t leave. Her eyelids grew heavy, the words on the box blurring. Her legs faltered. Her hand went to the side of her head to hold it steady, yet her arm felt like a wet noodle, hardly stabilizing her. The box slipped out of her other hand as the heat within her increased.





Her foot slipped out from under her. Sarah managed to grab the counter just in time, but she felt so heavy. The room distorted around her, spinning slightly in a sickly manner. Unable to find her bearings, the drugged girl collapsed to the floor.





Her rear collided against the carpet just outside the kitchen. Sarah let out a groan that morphed into a pleased hum. The changes were rapidly altering her body, but a more pressing matter had come to her attention: how everything felt to her. The gray carpet tickling her palms, her shirt against her thighs, her tank top rubbing her stomach, they all elicited a euphoric feeling. A stupid smile spread across Sarah’s face as she investigated this revelation.





She slowly lifted a hand up to her face and touched it. She was rewarded with another spasm of positivity. Her fingers then explored her legs, creating yet another flood of endorphins. Her trepidation was replaced with joy as she traced her body, loving every second of it.





The only problem was her pesky clothes. While the touch of her skirt and tank top was fine, she wanted to feel them with her hands. Hazily, Sarah stripped out of her tank top. Her skirt was a bit more difficult because of her waning strength, but she managed.





Looking down, she noticed that her stomach seemed a bit rounder than normal. Her boobs also seemed slightly flatter. While some cognisant part of her screamed, Sarah took the news with bemused indifference. What did it matter if she got a little softer? In fact, she rather liked this new look.





Sarah grasped the pudge of her belly, and in response, was blasted with a wave of satisfaction. A hum rumbled out of Sarah’s throat. Her hands rubbed the expanding surface of her stomach, and once again she received encouragement. Her eyes slid closed, losing herself in the gratifying, mindless stroking of her body.





Then, the waves stopped. Confused, the woman cracked open her eyes. She saw the reason they ceased was because her arms were melting into her body. Already her hands had sunk completely into the folds of her obese midsection. Her forearms were quickly following suit, her massive tubby stealing them away. Sarah half-heartedly tried to lift them up, but they didn’t respond. And they were still slipping, more and more of her upper limbs disappearing into her. After a few more seconds, her arms were gone without a trace.





A moment of terror managed to pierce through the haze surrounding her mind. Her arms were gone! But the fog of happiness returned with a rather insidious idea.





“Wait, arms?” Sarah bewitched mind realized. “I… shouldn’t have arms. I’m a beanbag. No, what am I saying? I’m a person; I still have legs!”





Sarah lifted her legs up only to see they were also fading away. They seemed to be boneless, their skinny forms limply following the force of gravity and misshaping them. Her socks slipped off her withering feet as the once shapely things retracted. Even as she inspected them, she could see them shrinking into her body. Her stunned study was cut short as the last bits of muscle were stripped and they fell out of view.





Panic tried to clear the fog around Sarah’s mind, but the drug blinded her. As the last of her legs joined the deforming mass of her torso, the girl’s thoughts were consumed with elation. Her whole body just felt so right, so good. Her chest flattened against her increasingly indistinct torso. The vast width was simply too much for the hooks of her bra, snapping off and falling by the wayside. Her panties, however, fell off without resistance, her hips and legs no longer available to anchor them. Now she was nothing but a head atop a fleshy mass.





She leaned her head back as the process continued, closing her eyes and letting her brown hair fall back. “Well, I used to have legs,” Sarah mused, giggling. “I guess I used to be a person, but now I’m… turning back.”





The thought inspired the transformation to continue. Her head started to fall into her massive body. Her throat quickly merged with the top of her sack-torso, and her jaw followed suit. Sarah didn’t even notice her nose close, her breathing ceasing. Her relaxed eyes drifted into the mass of her body without concern. Soon, only her hair remained above the fair-skinned mass of flesh.





Her skin then changed as an artificial fuzz came in. The pink fur gave the surface across Sarah’s body a soft, comfortable feel. Her hair quickly joined the pink parade forming across her body, shortening and taking on the lively color. Her body also deflated as the few bones, muscles, and organs left within her split and separated into squishy pellets. The repurposed material filled the new piece of furniture, filling the air with a sound similar to the pitter-patter of rain.





“Ah,” Sarah mentally sighed as her transformation completed, “there we go, back to being a beanbag.”





As the last vestiges of her humanity drained away, Sarah’s mind settled on her new form. The magical pill distorted some of her memories, replacing her human form with that of a pretty pink beanbag chair. Happiness over her return to this "alternate form" made the sudden transition easier for her. No longer was this transformation a horrible accident; it was a nice homecoming of her other, more relaxed body.





Despite her inanimate state, Sarah kept her consciousness. She could hear a few stray pellets within her plink and plunk against one another. She could see out into the living room, spotting the sofa opposite the entertainment center as well as the glass door leading outside. But most of all, she could still feel. The carpet underneath her teased her underside, making the girl silently giggle. Even as the fog in her mind lifted, she had a giddiness about her new form. To her, this was a joyous return to a form she didn’t often have the chance to experience. As the apartment darkened, Sarah the Beanbag sat in quiet reverie.





Then the apartment door opened. While Sarah couldn’t move her body, she could see the flood of light as the overhead lamps came on. Turning her attention toward the door, she saw her roommate enter. Her keys jingled as she adjusted her glasses. She placed her book bag on the end table near the door and took a moment to remove her shoes.





“Sarah?” her roommate called into the apartment. She paused. “Sarah?”





Sarah, meanwhile, quivered with excitement. Jennifer was finally home! She had been waiting so long for her to come back, and now they could finally hang out. Unfortunately, Sarah finally realized the first hurdle she would have to overcome: getting her attention. She tried her best to motivate her body to move, but without bones, muscles, or tendons, her efforts were in vain. She was stuck.





Jennifer sighed. “Typical. Probably off somewhere else.”





Sarah watched her roommate approach in rapt anticipation. Jennifer had to see her once she visited the kitchen. All she had to do was be patient.





“Whatever,” Jennifer lamented, “at least now I can do some reading tonight instead.”





Sarah could feel the slight vibration of Jennifer’s footsteps as she approached. Just a little further…





Jennifer stopped, “What’s this?” She bent down to inspect the strange new addition to the apartment. Sarah’s mind buzzed at her touch. “Did Sarah get a new chair? And- ugh, come on," Jennifer frowned at the sight of Sarah's discarded undergarments, "I thought I told her to clean up after herself. Sheesh, when did the living room become her bedroom?”





Much to Sarah’s dismay, Jennifer stood back up. She wanted to reach out to her, to convince her to keep brushing her body, but the bespectacled girl was already wandering off into the kitchen. The beanbag cursed her luck as her roommate got a drink. The faucet turned off, and Jennifer reappeared. As she took a drink, she pondered the chair.





“Maybe she wouldn’t mind if I took it, just for tonight,” Jennifer mumbled, a slight smile cracking on her face as she set down her glass.





“Yes! Yes!” Sarah screamed, yet not a sound came out. To her delight, she felt Jennifer’s fingers sink into her sides. In a quick motion, she was lifted up, causing her body to squish between Jennifer’s hands.





“Geez, this thing is a lot heavier than I thought,” Jennifer complained as the two moved toward her bedroom.





As Jennifer heaved her inside, Sarah got a good look at her new surroundings. A large television dominated the left wall closest to the door. Directly in front of the door was Jennifer’s desk, its workplace spotless but the rest of it covered with various collectible figurines and statuettes all neatly lined up. Sarah marveled at the artwork which covered every inch of the walls, depicting a plethora of science-fiction and fantasy media. Jennifer placed the beanbag down on the carpet, which Sarah was surprised to find was actually cleaner than the floor outside in the living room.





“Whoa, nerd city,” Sarah thought as she took in her new surroundings. She had always known her roommate was a bit of an egghead, but seeing the vast collection of items did give Sarah pause. Jennifer had always seemed cold and lifeless, but she clearly had a passion for this stuff. The more she studied the vast collection of intricately designed models and beautifully painted artwork, the more impressed she was by its scale and craftsmanship.





Sarah was snapped out of her inspection by Jennifer’s sudden introduction. Her rear firmly placed itself right into Sarah’s waiting lap. Sarah mentally huffed as she took on Jennifer’s weight. While unexpected, the rush of positive sensations made the task a delight. Having someone sitting on her just felt… right.





“Well, I am a beanbag. It’s kinda what we’re for,” Sarah giggled to herself.





While Jennifer covered some of her view, Sarah could hear her sigh. Shifting her vision around, she saw her roommate held a tablet in her hand. Usually, Sarah had some difficulty reading her roommate’s expression, but now she could clearly detect the bit of sorrow in her eyes. But why?





“Because she thinks I stood her up,” Sarah realized. She might be in the room with her, but Jennifer had no idea she was there. Guilt smacked the beanbag, ruining her pleasant mood. Sarah prayed she could make it up to her friend.





A buzzing suddenly massaged Sarah’s side. Unfortunately, Jennifer took away the vibrating device before the beanbag could really enjoy it. Jennifer placed the tablet down and answered her phone.





“Hello?... Yeah, I’m back at my apartment,” Jennifer answered the caller. Sarah tried to be polite and not listen in, but without much else to do, she still did.





Jennifer sighed into the phone, “Yeah, I don’t know, she was gone when I left… No, it’s fine, I really didn’t want to- well, I mean, I would have really liked to finally get a chance to hang out, but I’m sure something important came up.”





“Dammit,” Sarah thought mournfully. Why did she pick tonight of all nights to turn into a beanbag chair again? She should have been there for her, especially after how long they had been planning this “girl’s night in.”





“What?” Jennifer asked her phone. “No! No, she’s fine! She just has a lot of other things she’s involved with. It’s not fair for me to impose on her, even if it’s just for a night… Oh, come on, she’s not that bad… Yeah, I do. She might be a bit- ditzy, but she’s really nice.”





Sarah moped beneath her roommate. Even after inadvertently ditching her, Jennifer still came to her defense. It was so strange because Sarah was convinced that Jennifer was always annoyed by her. How she left messes around the apartment and was constantly pressuring her to go out with her. She resolved to change her ways and make more of an effort to meet her halfway.





Jennifer’s conversation shifted away from Sarah toward other topics. While the beanbag had no idea what they were talking about most of the time, she did recognize a few show and film names. Jennifer had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of recent films, so much so that her recounting greatly interested Sarah. Hearing her breathlessly praise and scorn certain aspects of entertainment intrigued the beanbag, so much that she made mental notes of the shows Jennifer recommended and panned.





“Yeah, yeah… hey, thanks for the call, Erin. You sure you can’t come over to see the new episodes of ‘Highland Warrior?’... Ok… No, it’s fine, really, you got that test to study for, I know. Ok... Ok, bye,” Jennifer said, hanging up the phone. Another depressed sigh escaped her lips. Sarah tried again to move, to speak, to console her dejected roommate, but Jennifer got up and left before Sarah could do anything.





“I really have to make this up to Jennifer,” Sarah concluded. While she might have told her phone differently, the beanbag could tell her roommate was looking forward to having some company. “Maybe we can watch that one show together, ‘Highway Warrior’ or something?”





A yelp from outside redirected the beanbag's attention. The door blocked her view outside the room, leaving Sarah in suspense. Anxiety gripped her as she waited, and hoped, for Jennifer’s return.





Thankfully, the thin girl did come back. Her face was pale, her brown eyes staring directly down at the beanbag resting in the middle of her floor. Sarah looked back up, a crawling fear coming to her.





“I think she knows.”





“Sarah?”





“Yup, she knows.”





Unfortunately, Sarah could do nothing as her roommate tepidly moved forward. She circled the innocuous chair like a frightened animal assessing some foreign object. Sarah wanted to speak, to assure her it was fine, to apologize for abandoning her, and… to try to smooth over how she had just technically sat down on her. Hot embarrassment washed over Sarah at the final thought.





“Is-” Jennifer started, holding her arms close to her chest. “Is that you?”





Sarah said nothing.





“I… I found the transformation pills,” Jennifer said, straightening slightly and looking away. Her cheeks were burning. “Wuh… Why did you do that?”





Sarah still said nothing.





“W-Well,” Jennifer said, kneeling down beside the beanbag, “it looks like I’m the one that gets to talk now, huh?” She chuckled, and Sarah said nothing.





She had plenty to say, though. She wanted to try to explain herself desperately, but beanbags lacked that ability. So all she could do was sit there on the ground and allow Jennifer to draw her own conclusions, at least for now.





“Umm,” Jennifer uttered, a bit of uncertainty settling on her face. “I guess… this means we can hang out tonight, then? I mean, I don’t know if you can hear me, or see me, or,” her voice trailed off as her head turned to the door. “I’ll be right back.”





Jennifer rushed out of the room and quickly returned with the pill box in hand. “Ok, let’s see here… Ok, yeah, you’re still in there, you sneaky little…” Jennifer giggled and shook her head, unable to finish her sentence, though Sarah could imagine a perfect five-letter word to cap it off.





“Hmm, lucky you, looks like this is temporary,” Jennifer relayed. “But for tonight you’re stuck.”





Jennifer stood for a moment over Sarah before finally declaring, “Well, no reason we can’t watch something tonight, right?”





“Have you ever seen ‘Highland Warrior’?” Jennifer asked as she messed with her television. “Oh, right, you can’t talk. Um, well, I’ll just assume you haven’t, but trust me, this is a really great show. It’s, uh, a little different from some of those network shows you watch but… give it a chance.”





Jennifer, in a moment of thoughtlessness, plopped down on Sarah. The shy woman quickly corrected herself, which honestly disappointed Sarah. Yet, as the night wore on and Jennifer started to get tired, Sarah noticed that Jennifer started to lean into her as she got invested in the show. And all throughout, Jennifer added some helpful context and explanations when the crazy action show started to become incomprehensible. The two blazed through the first three episodes, and Sarah had to admit, she was starting to get invested in the fantastical characters and bizarre situations they found themselves in.





Jennifer let out a yawn. “Ah, always fun to revisit those episodes, especially with the new ones coming out.” She turned to the pink beanbag, “Uh, I hoped you liked them, too.”





“But, I think it’s time we head to bed,” Jennifer said, standing up. Sarah looked at the clock and was shocked to see it was already well past midnight. She felt Jennifer grip her sides and hoist her up. As Jennifer let out a few cute groans, Sarah enjoyed the sensation of her roommate’s unintentional embrace.





Jennifer deposited the beanbag on Sarah’s bed. The pellets protested for a moment, but quickly settled back in place. Jennifer turned to leave, but hung by the door for a minute.





“Umm, Sarah?” the timid girl turned, a smile on her face. “Thanks for hanging out with me, even if… well… goodnight.” She quickly ducked away.





In the darkness of her room, Sarah subtly started to revert back. Already, the magical pill’s power was waning, her memories correcting themselves. Her mind began to recognize how strange her form was, and the pellets within her were coalescing into her innards. Five tiny nubs were poking at the sides of the beanbag along with two lumps upon the top-front of the seat. The chair’s vibrant pink color was paling and fading, all save for the browning strands atop the highest lump as it continued to gain mass. Steadily through the night, Sarah the human reformed.





But in the few moments of consciousness, before exhaustion took her, Sarah thought back on her peculiar night with Jennifer. She wished she had been more present for their time together, but she had a lot of fun with Jennifer regardless. Maybe she wouldn’t become one of her new bar-hopping buddies, but she certainly had an interesting taste in media that whet an appetite Sarah didn’t know she had.





“We’ll have to do it again sometime,” Sarah thought as her body continued its transition back to human. “Hopefully next time I won’t be a stupid chair.”





A slight chuckle slipped out of the beanbag chair as she fell asleep.