“Hey, geek! What’s up?”

Henry bristled at the sound of Blake coming into his workshop. He had been working for the theatre for two years, and not once had Blake called him by his real name. It was always some variation on ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’. Blake was the star of the theatre. If he wasn’t the lead character in one of the productions that was put on every year, you could be sure he was at least one of the big supporting characters. He was charming and charismatic, and yes, a pretty good actor, but he was also a Grade-A asshole, especially to the crew. People only tolerated Blake’s antics because the pay at the theatre was actually pretty good, although Henry knew that he wasn’t being paid what he should have been getting paid, especially for the amount of effect he was doing. Soon he was going to have to bring that up to Mr. Barrow, the theatre manager. For now, though, he had to deal with Blake.

“Hey. I’m just working on something for the murder mystery in November. There’s that scene where the maid gets killed, and they want a big blood gag, so I-“

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, great. Listen, I want you to forget about that for a minute. You know what next month is, right?”

“Yeah, it’s ‘The Monster’, right?”

“Correct! What do you have in mind for it?”

“Well, I haven’t thought that far just y-“

“Perfect! I went through the trouble of coming up with some sketches for it if that’s okay.”

Blake swept aside Henry’s work, almost knocking it off the workbench. Henry wanted to take Blake’s sketches and shove them down his throat, but he had to keep his composure, at least until Blake was gone. 

“Now look here. I want this monster to be scary. We’re not talking shitty haunted house scary. I want people to really believe this is a flesh and blood creature. He’s got to look real. I want this thing to scare the hell out of people. I want people running down the aisles!”

“Well, that’s great, but what does Mr. Barrow think?”

“Who cares! All he wants is for this show to sell tickets, and with a monster like this, it’ll sell like nothing we’ve done before.”

“Gee, Blake, I don’t know. These sketches are pretty nice and all.”

“Damn right they are!”

“But this would be a lot of work, and the show is in less than a month.”

Blake narrowed his eyes at Henry. 

“I see. Well, if you don’t think you’re up to the task, maybe we can find someone else for this show. I’ll just tell Barrow that you’ve got too much on your plate.”

Henry was afraid of that. Mr. Barrow had come to rely on Henry for all the makeup effects and gags that the productions did. It was a lot of work, but Henry made it happen. However, if Barrow got it in his mind that Henry wasn’t up to the task, he might just decide to replace him. As much as Henry was fed up with Blake and the pay situation, he wasn’t exactly in the best spot to just up and leave. 

Then, he had an idea. An awful, nasty idea. One that scared him as it crossed his mind, but he couldn’t ignore it. Yes, he would create this creature, and it would definitely be as real and scary as Blake wanted. Maybe a little too real. 

“Hey, earth to nerd! What’s with you? Why are you smiling like that?”

“I’ll do it. I just realized how I can do it too.”

“And it’ll be scary?”

“Scary as hell. I’ll need to get your measurements while you’re here. I’ll start on it tonight.”

“Excellent! I’ve got a dinner to go to though, so you better be quick with those measurements!”

“Can do.”

Blake turned around and looked at his sketches while Henry found his measuring tape. He was grinning again. He was sure he looked a bit deranged, but he didn’t care. He had just figured out how to solve all of his problems.

• – –

The day of the first show had arrived, and Henry was pacing around nervously in his workshop. Nearby was a small crate with Blake’s monster costume inside. Henry was having doubts about what he was about to do, but he knew it had to happen. After all, there was no backup costume for the show. It was this or nothing. 

Henry had asked Blake to perform in a green spandex suit during rehearsals. He told him that keeping the monster’s look a secret until the opening night was the only way to make it truly frightening, not only to the audience but to his fellow actors. Henry had to admit that it was pretty funny watching Blake stalk and scare the cast in his suit. Blake didn’t find it funny though. He was getting more and more frustrated that he’d wear the costume yet, and he was convinced that Henry had botched it. Henry had done well though. The costume was a work of art. No, it was better than that. It was a magnificent creation, and Henry had done it all himself. Well, with a little help anyway…

Blake burst into the workshop, startling Henry. He had already been annoyed by the delays, but now he was positively fuming at having to wait. 

“Okay, man! Time’s up! I want to see the costume NOW!”

Henry grabbed a crowbar and walked over to the crate.

“Yeah, uh, let me just get this open and…”

Blake scoffed and quickly grabbed the crowbar from Henry before going to town on the crate. The nails and wood creaked and groaned as he opened it. Finally, the lid came free and flew back onto the floor with a loud crash. Blake looked inside the crate and gasped. A look of shock and surprise crossed his face. The crowbar fell out of his hand. As he stared at the contents of the crate, a smile began to spread over his lips. 

“Holy shit. Holy SHIT! You did it, you crazy bastard! You really did it!”

He quickly reached into the crate and pulled out the costume. Blake’s sketches had called for a dark green monster with pointy ears, a large nose and chin, and a muscular build. Henry figured the muscles were just for Blake to show off, but he had to admit that they definitely helped to make the monster more intimidating. Blake stared at the costume in his hands, grinning from ear to ear.

“This is fucking amazing, man! It looks so real! It even FEELS real! What’s it made out of?”

“Rubber…”

“Won’t that be too heavy to wear?”

“I put in a special order for this. The rubber I used to make it is very lifelike, but it’s also very light. Once you put it on, it’ll feel as light as that suit you’ve been wearing the past couple of weeks.”

Henry expected Blake to make a snide comment about that, but he was too transfixed by the costume to notice. Blake ran his hand over the costumeís pecs. His face twisted in disgust. He sniffed his hand, then quickly wiped it on his pants.

“Ugh! What’s this stuff on the suit? It smells like sweat. Was somebody already wearing this thing?”

“It’s just something new I created. It’s one thing to make it look realistic, but to make it SMELL realistic will give it that extra edge to really freak people out.”

“I don’t know, man. I’m not sure I want to be breathing that in throughout the whole show. It’s really pungent.”

“Hey, you wanted realism, right?”

“Yeah, but-“

“Well, that’s what I gave you, and from the look on your face, I’d say I did my job.”

“I’ll say. I’m a little freaked out just holding this thing. I really got to try it on though. I’d hate to find out it doesnít fit right before the show starts.”

“Oh, trust me. It’ll fit.”

“Ha! There’s that grin again. You must be really proud of yourself. Shit, I would be proud too if I made something like this. I mean, I kind of did. It was my idea after all.”

“You’re right. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Damn right! Now help me get into this smelly thing.”

Blake began to strip off his clothes. He was about to slip into the costume when Henry pointed out that he was still wearing his boxers.

“Uh, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“What?”

“You’ll have to take those off too.”

“What?! No way! I’ll be fine.”

“You want this thing to fit just right, don’t you?”

Blake sighed, then reluctantly took off his boxers and began to slide the costume on.

“Ohhh. This thing feels so warm. What’s this stuff inside of it?”

“Lubricant. It’ll make it easier to get into.”

“Ugh. It smells like that stuff you used on the outside. I’m going to smell like a swamp once I get out of this thing. I’ll probably have to take three showers just to get it clean!”

“Quit complaining and get in!”

Blake was stunned. It was the first time Henry had snapped back him. Blake wanted to tell him off, but there wasnít time for that. The show was starting soon and he had to get the rest of the costume on. As Blake pulled up the bodysuit over his body, he could feel the rubber tightening around him. The crotch bulge wrapped tightly around his cock and balls, and the tight, muscular ass of the suit molded itself perfectly to his ass cheeks. 

“Shit, you really thought of everything, didn’t you? My cock is sealed up tighter than a Christmas gift in here.”

“Don’t want anything flopping around while you’re performing, right?”

Blake let out a nervous laugh. As Henry helped him pull the suit up further, he could feel the suitís muscles latching onto his own. He flexed his arms and was amazed at how well they moved, without any wrinkles or creases visible. Once the bodysuit was on, Blake flexed and posed in front of a nearby mirror. 

“Man, if this thing wasn’t green, I’d wear it out on the town. Maybe pick up some chicks with it. Hell, maybe even some guys too, ha ha!”

“Okay, enough posing. It’s time to put the mask on.”

Henry handed Blake the mask. Blake stared into its hollow eyesockets, mesmerized.  

“I am going to be one hot monster wearing this…”

The suit suddenly tightened against Blake’s skin, startling him. He grabbed the front bulge and adjusted it. Henry smirked in amusement.

“Something wrong?”

“Uh, nothing. Just giving myself a little room, you know? This suit is so tight on me.”

“But it fits, right? You don’t need any adjustments?”

“No, no, it’s fine. Let me just slip this on and I’ll be ready to go.”

Blake raised the rubbery mask over his head and pulled it down. The musky smell of the costume rushed into his nostrils. The mask pressed snugly against his face, tightening around his features. Blake was actually starting to like how the costume felt. If anything, it was certainly going to help keep him in character during the show. He was starting to feel like a real beast in it. Blake turned to Henry, his eyes now aglow in luminescent yellow against his green skin. 

“Well, how do I look?”

Henry was stunned as he heard Blake’s voice morphed into a low, monstrous growl. He hadnít expected that little detail. 

“You look… stunning!”

Blake let out a low growl of approval, then turned back to the mirror. He smiled, and the mask mimicked his smile perfectly. 

“Time to give these guys a show they’ll NEVER forget!”

With that, he made his way out of the workshop and headed for the stage. Henry stuck his head out the door and was pleased with all the gasps and murmurs he heard as Blake made his way down the corridor. 

• – –

The show went off without a hitch. Henry sat in the far corner of the theatre watching as Blake terrorized his co-stars, much to the delight and terror of the audience. He heard more than a few comments about the costume as the show went on. Nearby, he saw Mr. Barrow watching the audience too. He was positively giddy about the response, no doubt already preparing for next weekís show in his mind. He quickly glanced over to Henry and gave him a thumbs up. Henry returned the gesture and smiled. 

“Enjoy it, Barrow, because this is a one-night-only show.”

Henry then slipped out the exit and returned to his workshop, eager for the real show to begin. He sat at his workbench, sipping a cup of tea, waiting for the roar and applause from the crowd to reach his ears. When it did, it was almost like summer thunder. Little ripples appeared in his teacup. Once the applause died down, he could hear the other actors rushing down the corridor. There was some discussion about Blakeís performance and his costume. One actor grumbled about Blake getting too into character during one scene and making him miss a line. Henry suppressed a laugh when he heard this. If only he knew what was about to happen…

Blake threw open the door to the workshop and strutted inside. With the costume on, he was the epitome of arrogance. His grin was even bigger than before, enhanced by the maskís features. He let out a low roar as he approached Henry.

“I was fucking amazing out there, man! Did you see me?! Did you see the look on the audience’s faces?! They ate it up!”

“I did. They really enjoyed it. Barrow enjoyed it too. I could already see the wheels in his head spinning about the next show.”

“I can imagine! I’ve got some ideas about that too, but first I need to get out of this thing. I’m sweating like crazy!”

Blake reached up and tugged hard at the neck of the mask. 

“Ah!”

The mask didnít budge. He tried again.

“Ow! What the hell?”

“Having trouble?”

“Yeah, I’m having trouble, you little geek! Can’t you tell?”

Blake tried again to pull off the mask, but it was still stuck tightly to his face. He then pulled on the muscles on the bodysuit. The suit did not give at all. 

“What the fuck is going on here? What kind of lube did you use? This thing is really stuck on me!”

“Yeah, about that…”

Blake stopped wrestling with the costume. He moved in closer to Henry. Henry could feel the heat coming off of Blakeís body. He could smell the mixture of Blake’s sweat and the costume’s sweat. Staring at his creation come to life, Henry couldn’t help but get a little hard, and he hadn’t even gotten to the best part yet.

“What is this? Why can’t I take this damn thing off?”

“Remember how you said you wanted the costume to be real? That you wanted people to believe it was a flesh and blood creature?”

“No shit I remember. What about it?”

“Well, you got what you wanted. Or rather, you got what you deserved, Blake.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I really had to rack my brain on this one. This job has definitely had its challenges, and that’s not even taking into account how Barrow has been fucking me over the last two years.”

“Take that up with him, not me. Now get me out of this fucking thing RIGHT NOW!”

“I was wondering how I was going to make this monster come to life. Then I remembered something. It was an old book my grandmother had given me before I moved here. She was originally from a tiny village in the Black Forest of Germany. They didnít have to fake it to make monsters there. No, they could make the real deal. Lions and tigers and bears… and monsters! Oh my! Oh my my my!”

Henry cackled wildly, something he had never done before. The absurdity of what was happening had finally gotten to him. He took a breath and calmed down.

“Sorry. I’m rambling now. Anyway, I decided that maybe a little of my grandmother’s ‘gift’ might reside in me. She always said I had it in me somewhere. That’s why my work is so good, you see. So I dug out that old book of hers in my closet and decided to work my magic… if you catch my drift.”

“I donít care about your crazy grandma or her book of bullshit! I want this ugly thing off now! Take it off me!”

“I can’t, Blake. You wanted realism, and now you’ve got it. That costume isn’t a costume anymore. It’s your skin.”

Blake took a step back as Henryís words reverberated in his mind.

“What?”

“You heard me. You’re the monster now. It’s what you wanted, right?”

“You’re a liar! You’re just a little makeup geek, not a sorcerer. You tricked me into putting this thing on, and now it’s glued to me. Well, take a good look at your work, because I’m about to tear this thing apart. When I’m done with THAT, I’m going straight to Barrow to have him fire your ass! Good luck getting another gig after this little stunt of yours! I’m going to make it my mission to make sure you NEVER work again!”

Blake tugged and pulled and clawed at his monster skin, becoming more desperate with every move. It was only when he began to draw blood that he realized that Henry wasn’t lying.

“My god, what have you done to me?!”

“I made you into something more than just a smug, self-centred fuck. I made you into my masterpiece. Oh, and donít worry about your little mission. I’m retired now. Barrow was kind enough to give me the money he owed me, plus interest! All it took was a little persuasion on my part…”

Blake looked behind Henry. He had been so wrapped up in gloating about his performance that he hadn’t even seen Barrow passed out cold on the floor nearby. 

“No! You can’t do this to me! Please, I’ll do anything! Just change me back! Please!”

Henry picked up his bag, presumably carrying his ‘final paycheck’, and headed toward the door. 

“What’s done is done, Blake. To be honest, I’m not even sure I know HOW to change you back. This is all pretty new to me. Don’t worry though! This doesn’t have to be the end for you! After all, there’s always a show out there in need of a monster.”

With a wink, Henry quickly made his escape, his footsteps echoing loudly through the corridor. Soon after, Blake’s co-stars heard his anguished cries for help. Entering the workshop, they found him on the floor, continuing to rip and tear at his new monster form. 

“Wow, Blake! What kind of a mess have you gotten yourself into now” said the man who missed a line.

His co-stars pointed and laughed as they watched him thrash and stomp around. It was only when one of them noticed Barrow lying in the corner that they realized it wasnít a joke. 

• – –

A few days later, Henry found himself heading north to his grandmother’s home. He hadn’t seen her in a few years, although he still kept in touch. She was delighted to be seeing him, and she was eager to hear about the work he had been doing. Henry couldn’t wait to tell her about Blake and the monster. He was also hoping that she might be able to teach him more about his ‘gift’. He had told Blake he was retiring, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn’t want to quit. It would be a shame to let his particular talents go to waste. Besides, there was always a show out there looking for a monster. Why shouldnít he be the one to bring it to life?