The Dream of the Elongated Woman

Note this story is orginally from hymek11 from the RRR
I begin with only the smallest consideration: my
nails. Closely trimmed, the adventurous lifestyle my
husband and I share makes it impossible to wear them
longer than this. But now I only have to envisage the
fine nails I once used to take for granted and they
begin to grow. Slowly, one-by-one, working along from
the pinky on one hand to its opposite number.
Expanding like rubber, yet still keeping their hard,
chitinous quality.�<br><br>Sue had always promised she�d do
this the next time the League were on a long-term
mission. Now, with Ralph and his teammates racing off to
some far flung part of the galaxy, chasing some
inter-dimensional horror back to its origin, the time had arrived.
She had spent too many times sitting fearfully at
home whenever Ralph was called away to do his
superheroic duty. While part of her still couldn�t help but
be worried for her husband�s safety, on this
occasion she was determined she wasn�t going to waste her
time pining. The Elongated Man would return to her in
one, albeit extended, piece soon, just as he always
did.<br><br>�I gave up glamour when I entered the detective�s
world of shadows and deceit, where appearances are
honed by experience and necessity, not the make-up
brush. My hair has been a practical, unfussy, almost
boyish length for too long. At my command my locks
unfurl, drawn like black copper, past my shoulders,
hanging against the small of my back. The life�s work of
an Indian beauty achieved in under a minute. I could
laugh.�

Ralph�s study was tucked away in one corner of
their apartment. Inside, the Dibneys� computer lay on a
desk, buried beneath the case files and unsorted notes
that filled up most of the space in this tiny room.
Sue rummaged through a pile of nearby stationery that
was balanced precariously between a bowling ball and
one of their wedding albums. She was looking to print
off a hard copy of a set of notes that had been
e-mailed to her by an old friend of hers, her former
beauty therapist, Alice. Typically, Ralph had left the
printer�s paper tray empty after the last time he had used
it and Sue was struggling now to find something to
refill it with. At last, she retrieved a handfull of
creased, but otherwise unmarked, sheets and set about
achieving her goal.<br> <br>�And my hands. Once their grasp
was limited by the length of each arm. Now,
everything is theirs, nothing can escape their reach. I
recall a brush hanging beneath the hallway mirror. There
are at least two other similar ones here in the
bedroom with me, but it is this once distant object that
appeals to me. I gaze at my arm. The biceps tenses as I
form a grip and I see my muscles bulge beneath my
skin. Then, I disregard what�s before me and override
my biology. My hand unclenches, but still my muscles
flex. Impossibly, my limb extends, snaking away at an
incredible rate, rewriting natural laws about mass and
balance. With the effort of twitching a thumb I redirect
my arm this way and that, my familiarity with our
apartment lending a precision to my movements. Unmodified
fingers, separated from the similarly unaltered majority
of my body by this incredible elastic arm, fix about
the brush. Goal achieved, another subtle manipulation
of muscle retracts the arm, inch after inch from the
shoulder down reforming into the true proportions of the
original. I brush my long, long hair.�

Before she switched off the computer, she visited
another part of the study. Locked away in the bottom
drawer of a battered old filing cabinet was a small
crate of Ralph�s Gingold soda. Sue had made a copy of
the cabinet�s key long ago and she now used it in
order to get her hands on a bottle of the
peculiarly-propertied liquid�<br> Sue had tried Gingold before, despite
Ralph�s warnings of what could possibly happen. The only
other time she had been as ill as she�d been then was
when she had caught food poisoning in a
less-than-hygenic eaterie in downtown Bangkok. Even now the memory
of the convulsions she had suffered in allergic
reaction to the drink made her hesitate before attempting
what she was about to do. But it had been that violent
effect upon her that had inspired the little project she
had begun in Ralph�s absence.<br> Plenty of people
drank Gingold, and not all of them suffered from the
allergy that waylaid Sue and a notable few others. Then
again, none had seemed to gain the extraordinary
stretching powers that Ralph had, although of course it was
Ralph himself who had noticed how many contortionists
seemed to benefit from Gingold�s effects. For the most
part it was perceived as an oddly-flavoured health
drink or cordial like Aqua Vita or Elderflower water.
Yet why should some people have some some sort of
reaction, while others have none at all?<br> Ralph gained
his powers thanks to a particular gene he�d
inherited, a gene that allowed him to utilise Gingold�s
incredible, but usually hidden, qualities. It was Sue�s
theory that the people who had been made ill by the
drink also possessed that same gene, but instead of
using what was in the Gingold, it was reacting against
it. Allergies could be fought, and Sue believed that
if something could be found, a kind of super-power
anti-histamine, to counter the ill effects then the imbiber could
also gain the elongation abilities that so far had
uniquely belonged to Ralph. <br><br>�I work away the
night�s tension from my neck, rolling my head around to
test the vertebrae, removing the kinks from between my
bones. On an impulse I decide to ignore my skeleton and
urge my neck to elongate, launching my skull skyward.
The blanket of my hair trails behind as I send my
head up to the ceiling. Intending to circuit the room
I bend my neck at right angles, nothing more than
an exaggerated shrug of my shoulders enough to keep
it paying out until it reaches the wall. From my
head�s elevated position I see my body sat on the bed,
the pale blue cotton of my underwear underscoring the
ordinariness of my unchanged body. Were it not for the metres
of elastic flesh that still connect me to it, it
could belong to someone else entirely, someone normal.
I can exert a remote influence however and a casual
thought orders my left arm to stretch out to move a
chair. At this distance the extension of the limb barely
registers, its movement almost automatic, instinctive. My
path now clear I continue my original journey, looping
my neck toward the floor, bending it through another
corner to slither across the floor even as my arm
retracts to standard size. Still stretching, I pass by my
feet, under the bed, and begin climbing the wall at the
far side of the room. About halfway up I feel my
elasticity challenged and my neck muscles refuse to extend
any further. All it takes though, is a re-imagining
of my task, analogous to shifting one�s weight to
gain better leverage. The expansion begins anew and
soon, after a final fifth turn, my head reaches the
point where my neck first touched the ceiling.�

Sue�s friend Alice had studied extensively in the
field of homeopathy and often suggested hypo-allergenic
treatments for her beauty therapy clients. The notes Sue
held in her hand contained a detailed analysis of a
sample of Gingold that had been sent to Alice some weeks
ago. They also contained a recipe for an effective
counter-agent to the drink�s allergic effects. All it would
take would be a quick visit to the drug
store.<br>Later that night, Sue sat alone in her and Ralph�s
apartment, a cocktail of Gingold and Alice�s allergy
antidote sat in a tall glass on the table in front of her.
It could be poison, she thought, or even if it only
wreaks its usual havoc with my digestive system it�s
going to be painful. It wasn�t going to be easy to
simply down it in one like a Tequila Slammer. Yet Sue
had always envied Ralph�s abilities, had marveled at
the things he could make his impossibly ductile body
perform. If this was her only chance to experience those
sensations then she was going to take it. She lifted the
glass and slowly, cautiously, and sipped the bitter
tasting liquid.<br><br>�Keeping my head perfectly still I
began to contract my neck. Simultaneously, I twitch my
abdomen, utilising the same muscles I�d use to pull in my
tummy. As my neck shortens, so my midriff lengthens, my
arms and upper body travelling along the path laid
down by the loop around the room. I revel in the shift
in sensations travelling down what passes for my
spine, as in perfect sympathy one part of me gives up
its elongation to another. As my torso approaches the
bed, it�s clear from my hovering viewpoint above that
it will not clear the narrow space between mattresss
and floor. My unextended legs stand up. With barely
an effort my hands stretch to encompass the
underside of the bed. Elbows wedged against the floor, a
feat of strength propels my forearms upward, lifting
the bed the few inches necessary to accommodate my
trunk�s passing. Once my shoulders have shimmied past I
lower my load, allowing my arms and hands to return to
their customary size. At last my neck attains its
original length, the top and bottom of my frame in true
proportion while a rubbery expanse of stomach connects my
breasts and underarms to my hips in a giant circle about
the room. I relax, letting myself coil to the ground
like some massive serpent. This time I let my waist
and legs thin out before whipping them back into
shape from under the bed. With an audible �twang� my
body snaps to its usual size, sending a shudder of
pleasure across my skin. I stand and walk to the front
door of the apartment.�

The glass had been replaced on the table for a
good thirty seconds now. When Ralph took his Gingold,
his elastic powers usual reached potency in under a
minute. The last time Sue had tried it she had felt the
first cramps after two . She waited nervously,
wondering which feeling would strike her first. Rather
self-consciously, she lifted an arm and attempted to elongate it.
Nothing happened. Another minute passed, two, three, and
while she had suffered from nothing more than the
mildest dyspepsia, neither had she gained any superhuman
powers. Her concoction had worked too well. The Gingold�s
effects were negated completely. She went to bed with
mixed emotions, greatly disappointed that she hadn�t
become the Elongated Woman, yet proud that she had
solved the mystery of the liquid�s side
effects.<br><br>The clock radio that lay on the cabinet by Ralph�s
side of the bed read three-fifteen. The Dibneys� bed
was empty, a trickle of light brushing against its
foot from a crack in the bathroom doorway. On the
other side of the door a wretched concerto of unhealthy
noises was playing itself out.<br>It had been an hour
since Sue had felt the first pain. Had it been this bad
that first time she had tried the Gingold all those
years ago? Or had the sheer intensity of it been enough
to blot out her memory of that earlier attempt? If
she had remembered torment like this there would have
been no way she�d have dared risking such agony.<br>As
the last throes of nausea subsided, Sue went to the
basin and washed the cold sweat from her face. So much
for her �cocktail�. All thoughts of the small victory
she had allowed herself earlier had disappeared. Like
her previous encounter with Gingold, this one had
ended in disaster. Finally, painfully, her dreams of
mimicking her husbands elastic powers had
ended.<br><br>�Outside in the empty hallway I push open the fire doors
opposite the elevator and nip through, hoping to be too
quick to draw attention to my barely clothed body. I
climb over the banister that spirals down the stairwell
for the five floors that separate our apartment from
the ground. Perching on the cold metal handrail I
watch my feet dangle above the dizzying drop and idly
deliberate over which of my thighs I will make longer.�

As she dried her face with a fresh towel she was
aware that something wasn�t quite as it should be. She
peered closely at her reflection in the bathroom mirror,
looking for any signs of the lingering effects of her
allergy attack. The colour was slowly returning to her
cheeks, but other than that there was nothing. Sue went
to replace the towel when slowly the truth began to
dawn on her. She hadn�t moved from the basin. Yet the
clean towels were kept on a shelf below a small airing
cupboard. On the far side of the bathroom. <br>Sue held the
towel out in her arm. She was still a good five feet
away from both the shelf and the rail where an old
towel hung. There was no way she could have got it from
either location. Unless�<br>Slowly, incredibly, her arm
extended. Still not fully taking in what was happening, Sue
matter-of-factly draped the towel over the rail and retracted her
arm without thinking. Even though she was half-asleep
and weak from exhaustion she knew she hadn�t imagined
what she had just seen.<br>Immediately, she stretched
the same arm out again, then retracted it without a
pause. She let out an ironic laugh as she repeated this
action twice more, seeming not overly impressed with
this turn of events.<br>Success. In the middle of the
night when she was dead on her feet. After enduring the
most painful experience she�d ever been through. It
was just typical.<br><br>�This time I let gravity do
the work. I focus on the weight of my foot as it
swings to and fro like a pendulum. I let the downward
pull dominate and feel my left leg stretch away out of
view. I�m struck by the sight of my legs together: the
right one with its thin-muscled thigh and calf, limited
in ambit by knee and ankle; the left an unearthly,
prehensile thing with no respect for boundaries. I give a
shiver as my foot touches cold concrete way below. At
will my other leg responds, transforms until it too
becomes as drawn out as the left. Both feet on the
ground, I teeter like a circus stilt-walker, slipping
away from the bannister. I turn my attention upwards
and grow, neck, back and waist extending like a time
lapse of a flower seeking the sun. I�ve stretched twice
as high again by the time my head reaches the top of
the stairwell, my superhuman balance performing feats
almost as impressive as my elastic powers.�

Sue hadn�t the heart to try out her new
abilities. It would be too distressing to feel the
excitement of testing her elastic powers only to know she�d
have to go through agony if she ever wanted to gain
them again. The small dose of Gingold she�d taken
would be enough to keep Ralph stretchy for six hours or
so. She�d be her normal, inelastic self by the time
she woke up in the morning. It was a shame, but as a
spike of pain gradually eased its way into Sue�s skull
she knew she needed sleep now more than anything
else. With one final, barely-aware stretch of her body
she wormed her way back onto the bed and under the
covers. Her last waking thought was of whether or not she
would tell Ralph about her little
experiment.<br><br>�Back at the apartment, I search through the old
wardrobe that is the lone occupant of our undecorated
spare room. Discarded clothes, intended for recycling
or the local charity shop, hang within. Among the
musty blouses and faded jackets I find one of Ralph�s
former costumes, a red and blue number from some years
back. It would fit, the unusual elastic material it was
made from being designed to mimic the shape of the
wearer � no matter how long and thin that might be. I
look out of the window at the late afternoon sun.
There�s still half the day to play with. I think about
going out for some fun.�<br><br><br>At breakfast, she
found she could retrieve the milk from the fridge
without having to leave the table. She was still as
flexible as ever. Later that morning she popped out to
pick up a few groceries. Reversing at the parking lot
was much easier when you could stretch your neck
round and look straight out of the rear window. And the
products stacked on the highest shelves were easy to get
hold of when you could add a few inches to your height
with a thought. Back for lunch at noon, and fork
dropped down the back of a cabinet presented no problem
for Sue. She simply elongated her fingers and
retrieved it without any fuss. Preparing for a shower, Sue
wriggled her way out of her clothes without unfastening
anything. Once under the water, she found she could scrub
and massage any part of her body just by reaching for
it. Sat on her and Ralph�s bed before getting
dressed, she wondered why her elongation abilities had
persisted despite the usual time limit having long expired.
Ralph had mentioned how he often got twinges some time
before the Gingold�s potency failed that would remind
him to top up if he wanted to maintain his
elasticity. Sue had felt no such warnings and, to the best of
her knowledge, was as stretchable as she�d ever been.
At the back of her mind she entertained an unlikely,
yet undeniably exciting possibility: what if the
reaction of the Gingold and the allergy suppressant had
permanently gifted her with these powers? Would she still
have them tomorrow, next week or in a year�s time?
Whatever the answer, with her illness from the previous
night now an unhappy memory, she determined that she
wasn�t going to let this opportunity go to waste. She
sat up and contemplated what to do with her
extraordinary body first.<br><br><br>The End<br><br>Hymek