Belt of Beasts

Blaring music, drunk foreigners, and sleazy merchants. It was the way of life on the remote island Dabba. It was frequented by cruises that needed to refuel, often leaving many of the passengers to run rampant on their temporary stop on dry land. One lone merchant sat under the shade of a palm tree, watching as people danced and laughed just a bit from the docks.

A man stumbled away from the ongoing party his body swaying wildly off beat. The railing of the dock met his arms as he leaned over the edge, throwing up an impressive amount. Chad grimaced as he wiped his face off, flicking the last traces of his insides into the ocean. "Worst shots of my life." A laugh from the side startled Chad as he clutched onto the railing harder, his body threatening to fall to the floor.

His eyes found it hard to spot the man sitting under the tree. To Chad it looked like the world had just tripled, the merchant an imposing one man army. "Sir is a wasted no?" The heavy accent was painful to listen to, just like his vision. Chad just closed his eyes and mumbled a yes, hoping whatever that other vendor gave him would just leave his system. "Me a help you?"

Like before Chad just mumbled a yes, his body feeling unnaturally heavy. His head was swimming as if he was one with the ocean. The waves pounded against his thoughts, washing them away into a sandy mess that he couldn't get a grip on. Chad groaned as strong hands picked him up as if he was a feather. When he opened his eyes the merchant was carrying him under the tree.

It shouldn't be possible, the merchant was practically half his size and much older. With a slurred mess of words Chad asked him for the workout routine. "No routine, all from one item." Chad's eyes focused on the lone belt settled on a pink cloth. And then everything seemed to fade to black.

______

Chad gasped as he woke up. He sat up, looking around. The room was the same one from his cruise. He was in his room. Sweaty sheets coated the entirety of his bed making him cringe. With a grunt he moved his naked body in what felt like the first time in forever. He stumbled to the bathroom, the blaringly bright led lights were almost enough to make him want to hurl. A small crackling of noise came over the intercom as Chad splashed water onto his face. "Thank you all for the best week this cruise had yet to see. Don't forget to pack up any and all belongings before we reach land. All valuables left behind will not be returned. We hope to see you again."

Chad looked down at his hands confused. From the last time he remembered there were still four more days to this cruise. Was he out that long? With a push off of the sink he went back to his room, a briefcase full of unused clothes sat at the trunk of his bed. He had been out that whole time. But what caused it?

Chad tried shifting through his rather hazy memories. All he remembered was the cruise docking at Dabba and him going out to party with the rest of the guests. Chad groaned as he remembered one vendor, their shots were almost as salty as the sea water outside. Then he got really sick. With a huff Chad started to grab his few belongings that were unpacked. Two sets of dirty clothes, quite a few rainbow wristbands, and a leather harness. Chad put them all up annoyed. This was supposed to be the time when he let loose and gave up on responsibilities and appearances. Guess he would have to wait for next year.

With a thump Chad looked back to the bed. A leather belt had fallen to the floor, a bright pink cloth poked out from under the sheets. Confused, Chad walked up to it, grabbing the pink cloth. It seemed familiar, something about it making him believe he had seen it before. With an inspection he noticed a small card attached to the cloth.

With letters so bad a third grader could have wrote it Chad tried to piece together what it said. "You seem out of it when gifting. I put this for you in case you not remember our talk. This is beast belt, belt that empowers wearer with inhuman traits." Chad looked back down at the very normal looking belt. With a roll of his eyes he kept reading, "Choose place you want the belt and it will shape to fit your placement. Make sure it is on skin. It will have to stay there for at least a month before you can remove it so make good choice."

Chad rolled his eyes and grabbed the belt, he yelped as a shock coursed through his system. The belt laid on the floor, its appearance still that of a totally normal belt. Chad's heart raced as he slowly reached for it again. The same electric feeling buzzed along his skin as he held onto it. It wouldn't hurt him if he wore it, would it?