"I'm taking a shower. You wait here and don't leave."
"I'm not going anywhere patient 12."
She rushed him and grabbed his collar. She pulled him in close, yelling at him.
"My name is Shae! You will never refer to me as patient 12 — ever! I am not your patient. I won't be going back to that place again."
"Of course, Shae," he conceded.
Shae pulled him closer to kiss him. At first, he tried to pull away, but she told him to stop resisting. He couldn't resist. The kiss was sloppy and clumsy. She never kissed anyone before. The only time she had been kissed was when George forced himself on her. She broke away and sauntered to the shower.
When she finished taking a shower, she entered the room wearing just a towel. Daniel watched TV. He looked at her once and quickly looked away. She was angry. He was rejecting her. She moved over to him, blocking his view of the TV. She had his attention. She dropped the towel.
"Get undressed," she told him. Her voice cracked when she spoke.
"Shae, you don't want to do this. It isn't right."
"Isn't right? Isn't right?" she yelled at him. "What isn't right is what you did to me. You used me, over, and over again. I didn’t have say in the matter. You were no different than George. Now, you will feel the same way I felt. GET UNDRESSED!"
She put as much force behind her words as she could. Reluctantly, he got undressed. She almost lost her nerve. She never saw George naked; it had been too dark, and too quick. Daniel was a fit man, not like George. Whereas George was big and somewhat fat, Daniel was lean and trim.
She felt things she had never felt before and quickly dismissed them. She would not become attracted to Daniel. She would use him. Like he used her, and George had used her. She pushed him back on the bed and climbed on top. The sex was stilted and uncoordinated. She had little experience, and that experience was of being raped. She had what she believed was an orgasm, for it felt unbelievable. Her entire body tingled, and her breath came in short gasps.
It appeared Daniel was about to cum, but Shae lost interest and got off him. She went over to the other bed, turned off the lights and climbed under the covers. She heard noises coming from Daniel's bed after a moment. Shae realized he was playing with himself. She told him to stop and that he couldn't touch himself. He groaned but rolled over and went to sleep.
They traveled through Pennsylvania into Ohio. Shae had no destination in mind. She just wanted to keep driving as far as she could go. Shortly after crossing the Ohio line, it happened. They had been driving for a while and passed several motels, but Shae didn’t want to stop at them.
They drove into the night, the road made bright by the moon at its fullest, high in the sky. The road was empty except for their car. They drove in silence as always. They rarely spoke to one another; all Daniel would do was ask questions about what she had done. Shae would reply with a blunt ‘shut up.’ Eventually, Daniel stopped asking. She figured he finally realized she didn't have any answers.
They passed a sign about a rest stop ahead. Shae suggested they pull in there. The pain hit. Unprepared for the onslaught, Daniel swerved off the road. Shae immediately knew what was happening and sought to control it. She forced herself to stay calm, to deal with the pain. She felt her body start to break and remembered what she looked like when she changed.
Suddenly, the changed image of herself locked into her mind and the pain eased. She felt her body rapidly finish changing. Her senses heightened immediately, and she was aware of banging noises coming from the car. She also heard Daniel screaming in pain.
The banging came from branches swiping against the car as it rolled uncontrolled through a small stand of trees. Ahead was a large elm. Shae reached over and jerked the wheel enough the car only struck the right front bumper, smashing the headlight and bringing the car to an abrupt halt. Daniel stopped screaming, apparently passed out. His body finished changing and he looked like a larger version of her.
Shae got out of the car and saw the destruction it caused on its way through the trees. They were lucky not to hit anything before she regained control. She moved around to the other side and opened Daniel's door and pulled him out. He fell to the ground. She crouched down, waiting for him to regain consciousness. It wasn't long. He opened his eyes and shook his head, and then glared at her with feral eyes.
"Daniel! Daniel! It’s me, Shae," Shae yelled at him.
Slowly, recognition gleaned in his eyes. Measuredly, he got to his feet and examined his body. He was covered in short brown hair. He noticed his face was elongated as he looked down his nose bridge, which was now at least a foot long, ending in a blackish nose.
Daniel held his arms before him; they, too, were also covered in hair, long and scrawny. His hands ended in claws. Most of his clothes were torn since he had gained in height and girth. He flexed his muscles and could feel them bunch beneath what remained of his clothes. He felt his muscles in his lower back contract and release as his tail swished from side to side. Shae had grown stronger when she had changed, he could tell it also happened with him. He looked back up at Shae, or what he knew to be Shae.
This was the first time he had to really look at her in this form. He realized what she looked like. Like a rat, walking on two legs. Yes. That was it, a rat. He knew now she changed into some sort of humanoid rat creature. And now, he changed into it as well.
“Watch this,” Shae said in a gravelly voice only slightly like her regular voice. He saw her wince in pain, and suddenly her body began to shudder. He heard bones break and skin tear. In moments, she reverted to her girl form. Her clothes, rested in strips on her body, occasionally swept up by an errant breeze to reveal her pale flesh underneath.
“I wasn’t sure if that was gonna work, but I’m glad it did.”
“How did you do that?” Daniel barely recognized his voice. It was like talking deeply through a running fan.
“Well, when I started changing in the car, I tried to remember what I looked like when I did change. As soon as I got that image in my head, it sorta… stuck? I don’t have a better word for it and then the change, well, it went quicker, and less painful.”
“That’s a relief. I felt as if I would die when it started. I don’t know how you lived through the first time. I’m impressed. How did you change back?”
It appeared his praise had an effect on her. She seemed to blush a bit and smiled.
“I just brought an image of what I normally look like to mind. Once I did, it stuck again, and I changed back. Why don’t you try it?”
He was a little afraid to. It had been very painful when he had changed the first time. So much so he lost consciousness. However, he couldn’t remain like this forever.
He visualized an image of himself. He got it as close as he could remember but wasn’t sure. Apparently, it was close enough. Pain shot through his body and he doubled over. His bones broke and fused in different positions; his skin tore when the bones moved but his skin just healed itself right away. His skin burned and itched like flaming poison ivy as his body reabsorbed the protein strands of his hair.
It was over in seconds, but he felt it took hours. He stood and once again looked at Shae. He suddenly realized he admired her and her strength. She had been through so much pain it seemed that pain enough to bring him to his knees only made her wince.
“What do you plan to do with the car?” Daniel asked her.
She looked at it and moved around to the front.
“Looks like you just busted the right side. I think it might still run.”
Daniel looked back up the slope towards the road.
“Umm. Yeah, but how are we going to get it back to the road.”
Shae looked at the car, and then back up the way they came. She gave him a triumphant smile. He guessed what she had in mind before she initiated the change. In moments, she was the creature again, back against the tree and pushing the car. It began to move, and once she got her legs behind her, it made more progress. Da
niel did not want to change back and help, but he couldn’t let her do this alone. His pride, what was left of it, wouldn’t let him. He formed an image in his mind of himself as the creature. The pain struck, dulled only slightly this time. He did his best to ignore it.
Shortly, he was next to Shae, and the car was quickly back up to the road. The two changed into human form and got in the car. It started fine and they were on the road, continuing their trip west. Both relieved they now seemed to be in better control of the situation, they just didn’t know what to do with it.
Chapter 5
Mark Abrams opened the door to their new house and ducked inside. One of their neighbors, the Doug Kenslie, was washing his car when Mark pulled in. From the corner of Mark’s eye as he pulled in the driveway, he saw Doug Kenslie watching him and looked as if he was trying to decide whether to approach Mark. Mark took the decision from him by quickening his step and making it in the house before Doug could call out or approach. Mark learned his lesson at the last house they lived about getting to know the neighbors. This was their third house in six months.
They had done their best to remove themselves from those closest to them. It had been months since he talked to his family. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to them, it just made it easier to not have to lie or avoid the questions he really didn’t have the answers to.
The house was a simple two story, with three bedrooms and one and a half baths. It was a rental. They managed to sell their first house to buy the second one, but they weren’t having any luck selling the second one, and they couldn’t buy another house while still owning the other one. Plus, renting made sense. Who knew how long they would be able to stay in this one before they had to move on?
They acknowledged their circumstances — they had yet to unpack most of their belongings, even though it was their second week here.
Mark wandered through the maze of boxes and made his way to the kitchen. He could hear a conversation in one of the back bedrooms, his wife on the phone, as he set the manila envelope with his resumes, followed by the want ads, on the kitchen counter. He spent most of the day in downtown Topeka looking for work. All to no avail. It was a tough job market, even for an insurance salesman.
Mark opened the fridge. It was basically empty, another example of their crazy lifestyle. He grabbed a beer. He popped the cap when the reason why his and Amy’s life was so crazy walked into the kitchen.
Sylvanis, his eight-month old daughter watched him. Though, to anyone else, they would assume she was at least twelve years old. She was barely four and a half feet tall. She had blonde hair and one could easily make out her bright green eyes from across the room, for they seemed to carry their own light. A small rounded face and a well-formed nose sat above soft, full lips.
She was a pretty girl, full of life, and a wonder to behold. She filled him with joy, and if it wasn’t the fact, she also scared the crap out of him, he would be the happiest father in the world.
He remembered when they had brought her home from the hospital. Amy and he were still in shock from the events surrounding the birth of their daughter — from the strange light, the change of sex, to the certainty of his wife’s decision their daughter should be named Sylvanis. Something she still could not explain. They quickly recovered though as the daily minutia of raising a baby took hold.
That lasted about a week. It quickly became apparent something was wrong with their baby. Within a week of getting her home, she grew eight inches and showed surprising awareness of what was going on around her. At least, she did when she was awake. She slept almost eighteen hours a day. Amy insisted they take her to the pediatrician. The doctor ran some tests to check to see if Sylvanis’ thyroid was producing too much HGH, or human growth hormone. It occurred in people suffering from a genetic disease that caused gigantism.
He remembered the look on the doctor’s face when she brought the test results into the room with her. She struggled to tell them what she found. Apparently, Sylvanis’ HGH was off the charts. She had never seen anything like it. It wasn’t gigantism, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She insisted they bring her back in a month for her to check on Sylvanis’ progression.
By the end of that month, Mark and Amy had moved out of state. Their two-month old baby was walking and nearly two feet tall. They had a pretty good idea what would happen if the doctors got a hold of her.
It wasn’t just the phone calls from family and friends prompting them to move. A neighbor spotted Sylvanis in the window watching her and stopped by later to inquire about the young girl she saw. Something about the girl drew her attention for some reason, and she needed to find out more about her. Mark, never being a good liar, was unable to come up with an adequate answer.
The neighbor began to press about their daughter and how she never got to see the little girl. In fact, she hadn’t heard even a baby’s cry come from the house. Mark quickly excused himself and all but shut the door in his neighbor’s face.
They packed up and moved out by the end of the week. That was two houses ago. His daughter didn’t show any signs of slowing her growth either, so they might not be here long. He felt bad about keeping her in the house, but what could he do? He couldn't risk someone seeing her one day looking twelve, and then seeing her again in two weeks looking twenty.
It bothered her a lot, though. When Sylvanis did make it outside, it was like another person came out. Her face would light up at the smallest insect, the roses, even a growing weed. The weirdest thing was, from the smallest insect to the growing weed seemed to brighten when she was around them. The insects never ran away, the roses bloomed much fuller, and the weeds grew that much quicker. He thought he was delusional until Amy said she noticed the same thing.
When he would insist, she stay inside, she seemed to physically darken, emotionally, as well. He didn't know what to make of his daughter. He believed there must be a reason for her to be like this, but he didn't know why. He wondered if even his daughter would have the answers.
His wandering thoughts were broken by the sound of his daughter’s voice.
"Father?"
He looked up from his beer.
"Yes, honey?"
"You just seemed lost, Father."
"Did I?"
She frowned at him; obviously aware he was deflecting.
"Yes, Father. I called for you twice before you looked up."
"Well, I guess I got a little lost in thought, sweetie."
"It's because of me, isn't it?" she asked seriously.
He could lie to her and say it wasn't, but he knew she would see through the lie.
He sighed.
"Yes, it is, Sylvanis. I don't want you to think I am upset or angry at you. Or, that I don't love you. It's just you present your mother and I with some serious problems, and some serious questions, with very little answers." He gave her a quirky smile. "Not to mention, a lot of stress."
She crossed the room and sat next to him.
"Father, I never doubt yours and mother’s love. I know you aren't angry or upset at me. I'm not stupid, Father. I know I am different. I have watched TV. I know how someone my age should look and act. I know why you keep me inside. It is for my own safety. I am sorry I cause you and mother so much stress and trouble."
He couldn't help but marvel at her. Of course, she would watch TV and see how a baby should be. She would figure out she was different, and in this case, being different could be dangerous.
He gave her a hug, and a little laugh.
"You have no need to apologize, sweetie. You did not choose this. You have no blame for what is happening."
She seemed to consider this and could not disagree with the logic of it. She nodded her understanding and looked back up at him.
"I know I perplex you, Father." It was always father with her, never dada, or daddy. "All I can say is I feel the answers are here." She pointed to her head. "I think I am not ready for the answers yet, and maybe you aren't ready yet, either."
Mark sat back. He couldn't believe she talked like this. She was eight months old. She shouldn't be talking at all. Let alone like an adult.
"Come on, Father, let us go out back. With the big fence we have, there shouldn't be any chance of anyone getting sight of me. I need to spend time outside."
"Need?" he asked.
She nodded and took his hand. He shook his head in wonderment and let her lead him outside.
Things went smoothly for a couple of weeks. Mark landed a job. Amy also found a job. Sylvanis spent most of her days out back. She grew more and looked almost sixteen. She was starting to look like a young woman. She even had her first period.
Amy somehow took it all in stride. Mark was having a great deal of problem. Like most men, he had difficulty in general with female puberty. Add to the fact his daughter was having these issues fifteen years before she was supposed to, and he was feeling a bit overwhelmed. His daughter was becoming more and more introverted. She spent a good deal of time alone, outside kneeling in the grass as if communing.
One night Mark returned home from work late after dinner. He couldn't find his wife and daughter anywhere inside the house. The kitchen table was set, and some of the food even looked eaten, but left, unfinished. Mark felt a stab of worry.
Searching the house, he headed out back to find his wife standing, staring deeper into the yard. He was going to call to her, but instead, his eyes found what she was looking at.
Sylvanis stood, naked before the garden. Her arms were stretched upwards towards the heavens. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the light of the half moon, blonde hair shining and luminescent. Her body was lithe and slim, hips only slightly flared in her new-found womanhood. Her legs were shapely and well-formed leading to a rounded yet small backside. He could hear her muttering something, and he was sure it wasn't English.
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