[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Four

"What can I help with today?"

The doctor's English was thick and halted. I was dying underneath my hooded sweatshirt. I had managed to get out of the hotel undetected. After an agonizingly long wait in a crowded room, a skinny little nurse had shown me into the eight-by-eight cinderblock room I was currently sitting in. I was irritable; I was scared.

I wanted answers.

"It started a day or so ago," I said uncertainly. "This hair..."

I struggled with my jean leg. The hair was fighting the upward motion of the denim. The doctor crouched down; he brushed his fingers over the growth. The look of amazement on his face didn't give me hope.

"Where else?" the doctor asked. He looked up at my face; I felt like a circus freak. I slowly lifted my shirt.

The doctor began talking quickly; I didn't understand anything he said. His shoes echoed loudly on the tiled floor as he walked around me. He pressed on the hard nob of bones lumped in my back. The only thing I did understand was the rising panic in his tone.

"Do you know what's wrong?" I asked. Terror etched through the old guy's face as he returned to face me. He took several steps back. His hand stretched towards the counter. I eyed the syringes nervously.

"Is there some sort of vaccine or--WOAH!"

I sprang from the table. The doctor held up a very large, very sharp knife. He sliced it through the air threateningly.

"Wait! I need to know--" I ducked as the blade came heart-stoppingly close to my ear. I scrambled towards the door.

"Diablo! Diablo!" the doctor screamed. I flung open the door just as he threw the knife at me. The blade stuck in the wood. The little nurse started to talk to me, but I didn't stop. I scampered into the waiting room. My arms shot out and I pushed the glass door open.

A sickening rush of heat overtook me. I bent over at the waist, gasping for breath.

There was no way I could perform tonight. Hell, there was no way I could go back to the hotel. I felt jittery; all I could picture was the doctor and his legion of nurses hunting me down. I took off down the street. People turned and looked at me curiously; I was the only idiot wearing a hoodie in the middle of summer.

The only thing I knew for certain was that I needed to hide. My stomach was growling miserably. I stopped and bought a flavorless taco. The meat was overcooked. I threw half away in the trash - a first for me.

I found refuge by the water. The waves crashed ashore with reckless abandon. I found a cove of sorts created by a rock grouping. I sat down and tore off the hoodie. My arms were covered. I brought my face to my knees and sighed.

I thought about Lauren. The mere thought of the bruises on her body made me sick. I didn't remember having sex with her. Something similar to instinct seemed to have kicked in. I vaguely remember thinking that she was female and I needed her.

The result disgusted me.

I'm not usually a stationary person, but the numbness allowed me to stay in my haven. A few kids darted past my hideout only to be called quickly back by concerned parents. The surf looked as angry as I felt. My eyes marked the sun's path as it made it's way from its perch high in the sky to its descent on the horizon.

Feeling suddenly exhausted, I curled up in the sand using my hoodie as a pillow. I don't know how long, if at all, I was asleep. My eyes flew open and the dark shadows of night spilled all around me. A crab scuttled by, its claws held at the ready. My eyes darted upwards.

The moon - the moment I laid eyes on it I knew - the moon in all its enormity overwhelmed me. I cried out in pain, my chin slamming against my chest. My clothes tore as I expanded; I felt ever bone in my body break and shift. Sand slid under my growing nails as my fingers dug into the soft ground. I writhed in agony; gasping for breath. The extra bones in my back suddenly found a home. The scent of the salty water almost knocked me senseless. I shook my head furiously. The pain became less. I sat in stoned silence and looked back up at the giant orb.

The howl that I let out was far removed from humanity. It was completely animalistic. My head lowered; I felt the fur sprouting everywhere. My hands were gone; in their place two giant paws slapped the sand. Nerve endings in a tail that minutes ago didn't exist twitched. I clawed at myself in horror. I wasn't Nick anymore. I didn't know what I was.

All I knew was that I was hungry. My stomach growled. No, make that starving. I needed to eat. I sniffed the air. A trail of blood dripped down my front leg. The vague scent of the children from earlier teased me. Oh, why didn't I take one when I had the chance?

Slowly, I crept out from my hiding spot. I had never been able to see so well in my entire life. Every little bug caught my attention. My heart was beating so fast I was afraid it was going to tear out of my chest. I had no recollection of anything but the now. The hunter was taking over even as my last shred of human sensibility fought to keep it back. I took off at a quick trot. My feet hit hard pavement. I stayed in the shadows.

I wasn't sweating anymore. The wind picked up my hair. I opened my mouth a little to catch some of the air. A noise put me into an instant crouch.

The sound of laughter came closer and closer. I tucked my tail to keep it from thumping excitedly. A thick line of drool dripped from my mouth. Humans were coming near. Humans with warm blood ready for the taking.

"This is the first time Howie and Leigh offered to babysit. It's been too long since our last date."

That voice. It was familiar. Very familiar. A couple walked by. The man wrapped his arm around the woman's slender waist. They were both blonde and healthy. I let out a growl. The woman stopped.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I could have sworn I heard a dog."

Dog. I wasn't a dog. I was...I was...

The man leaned closer and whispered something. The woman smacked the man's shoulder. They walked off.

My muscles ached. It had taken every bit of energy not to lunge. I pawed the ground. I marked my scent. Eventually I found a dumpster filled with rotting, bloody steak remains. I gourged until the ache in my gut began to subside. I licked at my wound. The blood held a peculiar taste; not nearly as pleasant as the steaks.

Not nearly as pleasant as--.

I paused, my tongue still pressed against my fur. Humans were approaching. Suddenly the steaks seemed like just an appetizer. I imagine my teeth sinking into skin, soaking up the blood that gushed from nerve and muscle. They were two pretty girls, not much older than eighteen. My mind screamed for me to stop; my body moved forward.

I remember nothing else.