Rob's Story Request

A long overdue $50.00 Patron award for Rob.

***

            Jimmy shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun as he reached to top of a shallow hill overlooking the forest. Though occluded by the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees the afternoon light was still bright enough to sting his eyes. His mother had warned him to grab his sunglasses before heading out; he'd dismissed her advice more or less automatically, though now it seemed like she may have had a point. Still, he'd missed this - fresh air, the verdant foliage, the smell of grass, dirt and wood, and the crunch of pine needles beneath his hiking boots. He'd never really appreciated just how awesome it was living mere minutes away from a state park until heading off to college, particularly since said college was smack dab in the middle of a city many miles away from anything even resembling a park, wildlife preserve, nature center or hunting range. Hiking along the old trail near his parent's house was like visiting a hometown sweetheart he'd never quite got over.

            The harsh light softened as he descended the hill, the path curving to the right along the side of a ditch that filled with water every time it rained. Jimmy kicked an errant pinecone as he walked, sending the woody thing skidding along the dirt. He paused a moment when he reached the bottom. He inhaled and exhaled somewhat dramatically, grinning as only someone with no cares or worries in the world could.

            If memory served, the trail went on another mile and a half. That was perfect - he was starting to get a bit tired. And dinner would be ready soon. Wiping a thin layer of sweat and dust from his brow, Jimmy continued onward, circling around the ditch and then passing through a copse of paper birch trees. The trail narrowed until the grass was tickling his legs.

            A thought struck him. He'd walked this particular path hundreds of times before. It was nice and all but...actually kind of boring. Why not take the path less traveled by not taking the path at all?

            He stopped and looked around. He'd never actually ventured off trail. Technically it wasn't allowed but that rule had been made before the advent of cell phones with GPS tracking. And it wasn't like the place was crawling with rangers looking to chastise trespassers.

            With a sort of self-satisfied smirk, Jimmy stepped off the path. He adopted a long, awkward, striding gait as he moved through the tall grass. He approached one of the birches and ran his palm along its coarse white trunk. He toyed with the idea of taking a strip of its bark - apparently the stuff had a lot of uses - but simply shrugged and moved on.

            The grass thinned as he made his way past the birch grove and farther into the forest. Minutes passed. The light acquired an orange tinge as afternoon transitioned to late afternoon. A red cardinal perched on a bough high above watched the skinny young man walk around its tree. The undergrowth grew thick to the point Jimmy had to stop and sidle his way between two half-dead bushes. He cursed softly as their spindly branches raked his legs, leaving bright red lines along his skin. He was legitimately beginning to regret wearing khaki shorts now. Still, he pushed past and emerged in a part of the forest he'd never seen before.

            It was a sort of clearing or hollow, with tall trees lining the sides of a short, gully-like depression. The vegetation was thin. Only a few clumps of sickly yellowing grass and some half-dead looking saplings grew here. An ancient fossilized stump the width of a small dinner table stood near the center. The shadows were deeper but it wasn't actually harder to see.

            For the first time since he left the path, Jimmy felt a little uncertain - maybe even anxious - without quite knowing why. Something about the place seemed different, possibly sinister. He slowly stepped inside and surveyed the hollow. He spied a few pale white mushrooms growing near the stump and a surprisingly healthy-looking fern growing to the right near the top of the slope. He glanced back the way he came.

            Then, as he turned back, something caught his eye.

            At first he thought it was another mushroom but upon further inspection he determined it wasn't the right shade of white. Curious, Jimmy stepped over to the tiny object, knelt and examined. The thing was half-buried in the moist soil. More than likely it was just a rock but something about it seemed special. Jimmy brushed away some of the grime with the back of his hand, gripped its sides with his fingers and pulled. Though it offered a surprising degree of resistance the object eventually came loose. Jimmy held the thing in the air, observing it from several different angles. It was about the size of one of those miniature golf course pencils but curved, hard and sharp. When he realized what he was looking at he broke into a grin.

            It was a fang - a long, enormous, and surprisingly sharp fang. It was too large to have come from a wolf but too narrow to have come from a brown bear. It might have come from a cougar but there weren't supposed to be any living in Minnesota.

            Maybe it was fake. Jimmy rubbed its surface with his thumb. It certainly felt real - it wasn't plastic at least.

            He brushes away the flecks of dirt still clinging to the thing and then pocketed it. Assuming it wasn't too brittle he could easily drill a hole through it and make it into a nice necklace - one that came with a story. Satisfied that his little adventure had borne fruit - and starting to feel hungry - he turned and maneuvered his way out of the hollow. Though initially unable to locate the trail he soon spotted a few landmarks and managed to find his way back to the path.

***

            "Mooooom! I'm home!"

            Jimmy strode into the kitchen and looked around. The oven light was on, the table was set and he could smell the mouth-watering aroma of enchiladas cooking but his mother was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged and stepped over to a small table standing next to the backyard door. He dug into his pocket and deposited the house keys in a small bowl on the table. He grimaced suddenly and then hurried out of the kitchen towards the bathroom. Had he not been so distracted, he would have noticed he'd dropped the fang in the bowl along with his keys.

            A minute or so passed.

            "Jimmy? Jimmy, are you finally home?"

            A brunette wandered into the kitchen through the archway Jimmy had gone. She appeared to be in her late thirties - fair-skinned, composed and mature, with few wrinkles on her oval face beyond mild crows' feet - of average build and modest curves, her most distinct characteristic being her frizzy hair. She wore an auburn long-sleeve knit sweater and blue jeans, both of which were tight yet well-worn and comfortable looking. She carried herself with a sort of quiet, weary confidence - as one who was always expecting something to go awry yet entirely able and willing to deal with whatever happened.

            She scowled as she surveyed the kitchen. Then, her eye caught the gleam of the keys resting in the bowl.

            "At least he remembered to use the bowl this time," she grumbled as she stepped over towards the keys.

            As she reached into the bowl to retrieve the house keys, Jimmy appeared in the archway.

            "Mom?"

            His mother leapt in surprise, her hand reflexively gripping the keys - and the fang.

            "AHHH!" she cried, retracting her hand and clutching it.

            "Crap! Crap! Sorry," exclaimed Jimmy. "You okay?"

            "I think I cut myself," hissed his mother, glaring back at him. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, Jimmy!" She gazed back down at her hand and saw a small red bead of blood forming on her thumb. "Yes, looks like I cut myself," she sighed.

            "I-I said I'm sorry," said Jimmy, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Do you need a band-aid?"

            "No, it's fine," said his mother. "It's just a nick." She looked back up at Jimmy and frowned. "What I need you to do is change out of those clothes and wash up for dinner. You're covered in dust and your hands and face are filthy."

            "Come on, it's not that bad," said Jimmy, gestured down at his body.

            "Yes, it is," said his mother firmly. "March, mister."

            "Geez, I'm not six anymore," mumbled Jimmy, who nevertheless turned and exited the kitchen.

            Shaking her head, his mother walked over to the sink and washed her finger. It really was just a small prick and the bleeding was already starting to subside. After drying her hands on a paper towel she approached the bowl and examined its contents.

            "What is this?" she said, carefully plucking the fang from the bowl. She eyed it disdainfully. "What was that boy thinking? Next he'll bring a whole raccoon corpse," she snorted.

            She opened a cabinet beneath the sink and tossed the fang into a small garbage can inside.

***

            That night, Jimmy's mother - Claudia - awoke in a sweat. She threw the blankets aside and gasped for air as though something had been smothering her. She ran a shaking hand along her perspiring brow and shuddered when she felt how hot it was.

            "Damnit," she whispered. "Fever."

            Suddenly very thirsty, she clumsily slid off the mattress and rose to her feet. She felt dizzy and just a tad nauseous. Nevertheless she made her way out her bedroom and into the hall. Behind her, behind the half-closed shades, the full moon could be seen through the window.

            The wooden floor felt icy cold beneath her bare feet. Navigating by memory, Claudia made her way through the unlit hallway and reached the bathroom. She felt around in the dark until her hand touched the knob. She twisted it, opened the door, stepped inside and shut it behind her. She turned and flicked the light switch, wincing and shielding her gaze as the world around her turned bright white.

            Once her eyes had adjusted to the radiance she turned on the faucet, leaned down, cupped her hands and started drinking. Several seconds passed, filled by the steady hiss of the water punctuated by soft splashes and slurps as Claudia drank her fill. Sated, she stood up and turned off the faucet, wiping her mouth.

            She stared at herself in the mirror. Though not ugly, she didn't look particularly prepossessing at the moment - no make-up, eyes sunken and an unhealthy red sheen on her cheeks. The neck of her off-white nightgown was wet. She sighed wearily and felt her forehead again. She was definitely running a fever but it didn't feel quite as bad now. As she lowered her hand she happened to gaze directly into her reflection's eyes. There was something off. She blinked, and then leaned in for a closer look. Her pupils had grown unusually large despite the bright light and, far more disconcertingly, her irises had changed from dull brown to golden yellow.

            "Oh no," whimpered Claudia, stepping back. "I...should I call the hospital?" she murmured to herself uncertainly. 

            Then, strange tightness enveloped her hands. She looked down and watched in horror as her fingers quickly swelled to nearly twice their former thickness and acquired an unhealthy, inflamed tinge. The pressure around them grew and grew until it became downright painful. Claudia issued a strangled cry as each of her digits stretched out as though pulled by some terrible, unseen force. She could feel and hear the tiny bones inside cracking and snapping. Then, thick black claws jutted from her fingertips as dark-brown fur sprouted along her wrists and arms. Within the span of a few seconds her hands had morphed into enormous, monstrous paws.

            Paralyzed and mute from sheer shock, Claudia could only stare as the transformation traveled down the rest of her arms and her torso. Her once feeble muscles surged with power, gaining pound after pound of mass and strength, her shoulders, biceps and chest bulging with power. Thick, slightly curly dark brown fur blossomed across her shoulders, back, and breasts, rapidly obscuring her skin. Loud cracks filled the air coupled with Claudia's pained gasps as bones broke and reformed.

            With a terrified scream Claudia turned from the mirror and reached for the door. Yet as she took her first step her legs buckled beneath her. She gripped the corner of the sink with her paws to steady herself and then gazed downwards. Her feet had changed - they were larger, longer, and now rested solely on the balls rather than the heel and balls. They initially brought her to mind of a kangaroo's legs, though in truth they more resembled that of a coyote's or wolf's. Much to her dismay she also noticed that a furry nub had formed above her buttocks. It snaked out, growing several feet, becoming a long bushy tail.

            Claudia body grew larger and larger, seemingly expanding with every breath she took. Her loose nightgown now clung to her furry form like an undersized translucent corset. A small tear formed along the neck. Dozens of tiny strained threads along the rip held fast for a second or two. Then, the dress burst like an overinflated balloon and fell to the bathroom floor in tatters. Though now naked, every square inch of her skin was now covered in shaggy brown fur. She had also grown so large her head was mere inches from brushing the ceiling.

            An inhuman growl escaped her blackened lips as her very skull stretched a few inches. Her blunt teeth narrowed into sharp fangs. Her nose darkened, acquiring a leathery texture, and then jutted out in tandem with her jaw, ultimately forming a short muzzle. Her ears traveled up her head and flared into triangular points. Whether from agony, terror, or both, Claudia pounded the sink with a clenched paw, leaving cracks in the imitation porcelain. She screamed, her plaintive cry degenerating into a wild, bestial howl. Then...the pain ceased.

            "M-Mom?"

            Claudia froze. Her eyes darted to the door. Her ears twitched. She could hear her son's footsteps, faint as they were, through the door. She looked around the bathroom in panic. The only way in or out was the hallway.

            Before she could do or say anything, the door opened.

            Jimmy stood there. He goggled at the thing before him - a brown-furred, nine-foot tall anthropomorphic she-wolf built like an Olympic wrestler. She gazed down at the skinny teenager, her expression almost matching his.

            Almost unconsciously, Claudia slowly lifted her paws and covered her now soccer-sized breasts.

            Jimmy glanced down and saw the torn nightgown lying at her feet.

            "Where...where's my mom?" he whimpered, stepping back.

            Claudia sighed, her massive chest heaving.

            "I'm right here, Jimmy," she said.

            Her voice had changed too. It was deeper, more resonant, yet still unmistakably female. More to the point, it there was a familiar weariness in its timbre.

            "M-M-Mom?" shivered Jimmy, his eyes growing even wider.

            "Jimmy," intoned Claudia in a surprisingly calm voice. "I think you may have some explaining to do..."