It was a stupid game.

The basement was dim, lit with faux candles and whatever filtered through the small rectangular window on the far side of the room. Thin and bristly grey carpet, sky blue walls, modern it was not. The other girls knocked back jello shots and laughed, talking about nothing important. Boys, grades, careers.

Luna sat in the corner, nursing some unknown brand of cola that had been served to her in an equally generic disposable clear plastic cup. It wasn’t good, it wasn’t terrible, it was just cola. And this glass was definitely half empty. The meagre illumination wasn’t enough to show the displeasure on her face, though it glinted off the silver spikes of her bracelets and choker. Their matte black leather matched her long hair, she liked that.

Wishing she could be anywhere else, Luna took another sip, trying to ignore the cheesy new age music someone was streaming from their phone. Drums and singing bowls or something. Perfect for a wannabe Wiccan ritual they read about on the internet. Her friend, Cassie, a tall slim figured redhead, was busy clicking the legs in place on a long folding table. It was as cheap as they come. Covering it with an equally cheap red tablecloth, a shiny one, as if that made it any better.

Cassie put out four tarot cards, face down, well spaced apart in a row. Beside each, an oh so special ‘ceremonial’ styrofoam cup. Luna rolled her eyes and finished off her drink. Cassie poured what was probably some sort of discount pink lemonade mix into them from a plastic pitcher. And finally, on top of each tarot card, she placed two mini chocolate chip cookies scooped from a bulk bin. A few crumbs got... everywhere.

“Okay, so, like, guys... it’s time to do this, right?” Blaire asked over the music. The shortest and most petite girl among them. With straight chestnut brown hair that hung past her shoulders. Her tight jean shorts did what they could to help show off her butt. Much like her white tank top, just a little too tight around her mediocre chest. She tried. Her legs and tummy were nicely toned at least.

“Yeah! It’s gonna be awesome!” Cassie giggled. They all knew it was a joke, just a fun game to pass the time with. Though some of them took it a bit more seriously. The mousy blonde who stepped in front of Luna, blocking her view of the spectacle with her juicy DD’s, was one of them. Luna swore she did that on purpose.

“So are you ready to unlock your inner goddess?” Tamira asked with the excitement of a caffeinated gerbil. Bouncing on her toes excitedly, bouncing her boobs in kind. Luna couldn’t deny that Tamira’s were pretty nice, but, both of them knew that her own weren’t bad either. It was something that made Tamira a little competitive, flaunting herself around Luna and other girls. Probably a reminder in her own mind about how much better she was. Maybe this was why the bubbly blue eyed blonde was so excited.

“Yeah, sure, I guess.” Luna replied, shoulders slouching as she looked at her empty cup. “I just have a headache so I hope this doesn’t take too long.”

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Tamira sympathized, “When did it start?”

“Right as I got in the door, came out of nowhere.” Luna said, limply waving her left hand in annoyance,“But the music’s helping, I think.” her arm plopped back down across her lap.

“Oh, well... if you need to go home I can-” Tamira started before Luna cut her off.

“No... no, that’s okay. I want to stay, I just feel weird is all.” She sighed, as if she’d give Tamira another excuse to feel superior to her, “Maybe whatever that is will help me” She nodded at the spread of tarot cards, which on second look, were clearly quite erotic. The backs depicting a scantily clad blonde in stereotypical greek goddess attire, what little there was.

“Well, I hope so, come on lets do it!” Tamira responded gleefully. Walking off with a spring in her step to talk to Cassie who was finishing her set up at the table. Tamira acted nice, but that’s all it really was. The reality is, Luna felt as if, somehow, for some reason, she needed to be here. She felt it even before this whole ridiculous event was set up three weeks ago. A feeling like somehow, something big was coming, something absolutely life changing. That feeling of destiny has only intensified since then. Now it was throbbing in her head. So here she is, sitting in her friend’s basement with a bunch of other girls, about to drink pink lemonade out of a cheap cup like she’s at a funeral service. The music even fit in its own way. Surely none of this can have anything to do with her destiny.

“Okay, so, like we are all here to become one with our higher selves.” Cassie raised her cup and spoke above the murmuring music. “Our true, divine feminine nature.” The other girls giggled as they grabbed their own cups, Luna last of all,and she wasn’t amused. But as her fingers wrapped around her cup, her spirits lifted along with it. This was a little fun she supposed.

They all picked up their cards, flipping them over to reveal what divine beauty they had inside them. Squeeing over it in Tamira’s case. Fucking Tamira. Hers depicted the radiant blonde goddess of the logo, because of course it would. Cassie’s looked like some sort of dryad, green skin, forest background the works. And Blaire’s was a girl wearing animal skins on her back, like a selki maybe?

Luna’s was an angel, just an angel, of course it was just an angel. With smouldering dark eyes, Jet black hair, soft white wings and voluptuous curves. But... unlike the others, which were bright, happy even, hers seemed somehow darker, more sinister. That seductive look in her eyes, the coy smirk on her lips, it was all standard fair but something about it just wasn’t right. It was so... knowing... Staring into her, through her. Whispering secrets and sweet nothings in the back of her mind. Things she couldn’t quite hear yet understood intimately. Dragging her deeper through those mischievous eyes until, just barely she began to see-

Two taps on her shoulder... Luna blinked, startled. Blaire’s face catching her gaze on her left, “Hey girl, we’re like, starting.” Blaire said softly.

“Oh, yeah.” Luna responded, blinking the remaining fog from her mind. That was strange... she grabbed the cookies and turned towards the circle of girls.

“Oh spirits of our forgotten selves, we call you here now to fill us once again with your holy light.” Cassie intoned with all the dramatic reverence she could muster, “We offer this, the symbol of our bodies, so that you may remember the divinity of your form.” Cassie ate one cookie, the rest followed suit. They weren’t bad, a little stale. The gawdy music drowned out most of their crunching, fortunately.

“Okay, so, we offer this next, the symbol of our spirits, so that you may, like, remember the divinity of your power.” Tamira continued, vibrating with anticipation, giggling the whole way through. The second of the chocolate chip offerings went into their mouths.

“Finally, we drink of your essence, so that you may, remember the divinity of your presence.” Blaire continued, quite casually. They all took a sip. Huh, it was actually cream soda. Cheap cream soda, with vodka.

“We readily accept your sacred feminine energy as our own, To mould our mortal bodies into their true forms. To imbue us with the powers of creation and destruction as is our right. And to make us whole with your presence, so that all may know that goddesses of the highest order walk among mortals once again.” Cassie held her tarot card out, the image facing her. The rest did the same.

“So, like, use this as your conduit into our bodies and mend that which was broken.” Tamira giggled in finality. God she was so annoying. But in any case it was over now. She stared at the stupid dumb angel on the stupid dumb card like the rest. Staring directly into those mischievous eyes of hers. Drawing her in again like before. But... there was a feeling, a physical sensation, something warm inside her. But more than that, did the card change slightly? Maybe it was just the dim light but... was her mouth always a bit open like that? And are those tiny fangs? Something tightened in her chest as she continued to scrutinize the image.  A phantasmal serpent coiling around her heart, slowly. It was like the card was trying to swallow her. An emotional gravity that kept her eyes fixated on the angel’s while it’s visage continued to shift. As if looking away, if she even blinked, would cause it to leap out of the card and sink it’s fangs into her throat.

Its pristine wings faded to pitch black. Skin morphing to a deep, menacing reddish purple, two small horns grew out of her forehead, and her eyes glowed with brilliant pink light. Luna felt like an ocean was forcing its way inside her mind and body. That serpent growing into a mighty basilisk, coiling around her whole being, waiting with its fanged mouth open above her for the slightest misstep, the slightest hint of resistance to the process. To consume her whole.

The other girls were having similar reactions, and though unable to look away, she could see glows of different colours filling the room in her periphery. But she was too absorbed in the pink brilliance of her own to tell much more. Luna felt her body reshaping, enhancing, strengthening. She felt strange arcane memories clawing at the back of her mind. Only able to push through a vague feeling of pure okayness. It smothered her fears as the transformation continued. The feeling of it was blissful, every tissue felt soothed. She couldn’t help but moan, overwhelmed by the pleasure of becoming... herself. And she wasn’t alone.

The cards dropped out of their hands. Their purpose fulfilled, essence deposited to incubate. Starting another, more powerful transformation within them. With an intense, vibratory surge of raw power.

Pouring from what felt like the very core of their existence, it flowed outwards, filling their, and pressing against the inside of their skin. Becoming thick, viscous, hard, suffocating. Threatening to tear their bodies apart, until something gave way. It was like a mountain of granite breaking inside of them. A fierce bolt of orgasmic lighting piercing them from head to curling toes. Their bodies simply couldn’t take the charge. So, their bodies grew to accommodate. The chunks of mountain fractured again, and again. Each bolt of pleasure slightly less potent, but becoming more frequent. The mountain pulverized into boulders, the boulders into stones, stones to pebbles, pebbles to an ocean of sand. And they grew to accept it all.

Luna couldn’t even hear the sound of her own moans over the buzzing in her head. All that sensuous electricity coursing through her. Expanding her, tearing her ever tightening clothes. It was as if within her soul was an engine rusted from eons of stagnation. Turning over for the first time in living memory. Groaning and creaking with effort as those first few cylinders fired, scraping off chunks of calcification and decay. Revving faster and faster, cleaning itself, becoming like new again as the oil began to flow. And Luna was nothing if not lubricated right now.

Barely conscious as she pressed momentarily against the basement ceiling. Ripping through it the next. Higher and higher. Feeling the struts and flooring of the kitchen crack against her swelling hips. The warm naked bodies of the others all squashed together as they grew in unison. Until the entire house peeled apart like an overripe banana. They all stumbled backwards, away from each other in the open air. Feet crunching fences, the deck, and Blaire’s car. Then suddenly, it was over.

Catching their breath, flabbergasted. Towering above the culdesac, the two story houses barely knee high for each of them. More surprising, though, were their new bodies. More voluptuous, brimming with divine power. “H-Holy shit it worked!?” Blaire crackled. Running her hands down her new curves, pinching herself, but it was no dream. Not only far more attractive than they had been, but changed in other ways too.

Blaire felt the top of her head... a pair of fluffy cat ears wiggled between her fingers A long, sleek feline tail twitched from her lower back, Her teeth had become sharper, finger and toe nails too. She smiled as she swished her tail, she was always into cutesy stuff like this, it was more than a dream come true for her. But there were more changes, there were mottled lines down the sides of her arms and legs. Her skin now felt more like fine, soft scales too. Her pupils were vertical slits set into bright yellow sclera, there were no irises. A forked tongue peeked from her lips. Cats don’t have any of that... what was she? It was as if she embodied evolution in all its forms.

“Aauuggh my house is wrecked!” Cassie wailed, looking at the ruins beneath them. The hole that was the basement was too small for her to even put a foot into. “But this is so weird, I feel... fine with that.” She crossed her arms. Her skin was now a woody shade of light brown with bark like striations of greens and tans throughout. Her red hair was now a willow like moss of thin, leafy vines that draped elegantly down her back and over her shoulders. All complimented by the striking emerald green of her eyes. Two thick, gnarled, branches had grown just above her temples. Sweeping back behind her head like a crown. A true vision of nature.

“Yeah, I do too.” Tamara said, her change was in some ways more subtle and in others more pronounced. Her ears had elongated to sharp points, and her bust had grown even larger than it already was. Furthermore, her skin took on an unnatural, ethereal smoothness. It seemed to glow softly, with purity. But along with her skin, her already piercing blue eyes and golden blonde hair had changed to even more brilliant hues. Her entire body radiated power, evident in the ease and grace which she carried her curvaceous form. Truly, she was a Goddess. “How about you... Luna...?” She paused, wincing as she stared at her friend.

Unlike the others, Luna retained at least some scraps of clothing, her spiked choker necklace, and the two matching wristbands. That was hardly the most surprising thing about her. Like the others, she had become the avatar from her card. Purple skin, horns, fangs, black wings, the works.

“Luna are you okay?” Tamira asked, uncertain.

Luna blinked, she’d been zoned out. Cocking her head, she smiled at Tamira, “Oh, yes, I’m more than okay...” She couldn’t help but purr the words. The whole ordeal all just seems so... trivial now. She didn’t understand why, yet, somehow she just knew that everything was okay. Furthermore, as she looked at her friends she felt... nothing. No connection, no compassion. It was like a veil had been lifted from her mind and she now knew them for what they had always been... irrelevant. Did they feel the same? Did it matter?

“Ooookayyyyyyy...” Tamira said uncertainly. The feeling of Luna’s energy wasn’t like the others. It was dark, yet calm. Below them there was a tiny scream, they looked down to see a tiny man run past their feet towards the middle of the culdesac. Cassie’s neighbour, he had been out mowing his lawn by the looks of it. Now he barely stood taller than their ankles.

Luna scoffed as he brushed past her left foot. Turning, she raised it, swinging forward to lightly tap him in the upper back with her big toe. Flinging him forward with an audible yell before he landed on his face. Skidding, rolling onto his back, coughing up blood. Guess it wasn’t so light for him. Luna’s foot crunched into the pavement as she took a single step towards him. Black wings flaring, eyes glowing pink as she glared down at him. He raised his arms just as her next step brought her other foot down on him, with force. Crushing ankle deep into the road with an echoing boom. Flecks of blood splurted upwards as trees rustled and windows shook. The pavement cracked outwards, splitting into a couple driveways.

“Holy shit Luna!” Cassie gasped. Then she blinked, “Wait... I don’t really.... feel bad about it...?” She touched her chin, confused. Looking over at the other girls, is she crazy?

Blaire watched Luna remove her foot, the gore left behind seemed to refuse to stick to her soft skin. “I didn’t either. it actually felt kinda...” Blaire thought for a moment, looking at Cassie.

“H~o~t...” Tamara growled seductively. “I don’t, like, get it, but we are Goddesses now, right? So, like, maybe it’s just okay now?”

“Everything is okay now~” Luna purred. She felt as though, for her whole life she’d been wandering a vast desert dying of thirst. And then in this moment, she’d come across a vast ocean of clean, fresh water. And that first, refreshing swallow only drove her to gulp down more.