The Lycanthrope Club - Indiscretion, Part V

Note: Sorry for the long delay in getting another one of these up, but I think you'll agree it was worth it!

Siya groaned softly, shut her eyes and leaned back in her seat. The afterimage of her laptop's screen flickered in her lidded gaze. She glanced down at the tiny digital clock in the lower right of the taskbar. Her lips tightened. She spent another minute double-checking the last paragraph before saving the essay and turning off her computer. She rose, shifting her shoulders and clenching her legs and buttocks to break the stiffness they had accumulated over the last hour. She absently rubbed her forehead and noted to her mild distress it was somewhat warm. Praying she wasn't coming down with something, she reached down, opened her backpack and pulled out a blue, short-sleeved collared shirt that had the logo of a national gas station chain emblazoned on its left breast. She lifted it over her head as though to put it on, but then hesitated. She hazarded a cursory sniff of her shirt. Wincing, she placed the blue shirt on her bed and then stripped down to her undergarments. As she turned she caught a glimpse of her half-naked form in a mirror hanging on the closet door. For about the hundredth time, she silently swore to ask her grandmother if she could take the mirror down.

Though somewhat on the short side, Siya was not skinny and certainly not overweight. Furthermore, her skin had a pleasant, consistent almond tone - like coffee mixed with milk. But her physique was, in every sense, flat. Apart from having no muscle tone, only after close observation one might detect a slight curvature in her hips and barest bulge beneath her bra. She could, by her own admission, readily pass for a boy after a haircut and wardrobe change. She did have a nice face - deep, soulful eyes, long lashes, soft lips, narrow cheekbones; she wouldn't have minded a smaller nose, however.

Siya sighed and donned a fresh pair of clothes (she kept a change of clothes in the guestroom for just this purpose) along with the blue shirt. After shouldering her backpack and grabbing her purse she nudged the door open and slipped out. She walked down a hallway and entered a richly-decorated living room. The walls were covered with dusty photographs, colorful tapestries and paintings. The furniture, though worn and antiquated, was of excellent, elegant make.

An elderly woman wearing a traditional sari was there seated on a burgundy sofa. She was watching a sitcom on a widescreen television in a cabinet on the opposite wall.

"I'm going to work, grandma," said Siya as she passed the woman, speaking Marathi. "I'll call if I'll be out late."

The woman stirred and turned to face Siya.

"Oh, could you make me a cup of tea?" she asked sweetly, also speaking Marathi.

Siya opened her mouth to say she needed to get going. In fact, she also wanted to point out that the kitchen was only a few yards away and it took very little effort to make a cup of tea.

"Of course, grandma," she replied.

She hurried into the kitchen and found there was still water in the electric kettle and, more to the point, it was still warm. After turning on the heater she put down her backpack and purse, opened a cupboard and retrieved a ceramic mug, small tin box and a tea infuser. With practiced ease she pinched a small wad of loose tea leaves from the tin box, placed the leaves in the infuser and then dropped the infuser in the cup. A few, uncomfortably long minutes later, the kettle started boiling. Siya quickly but carefully poured the hot water into the mug.

"Here you are, grandma," she said with forced cheerfulness as she emerged from the kitchen carrying the steaming mug on a tray.

Her grandmother grasped the mug in both hands and took a generous sip of the still piping-hot brew as though it were ice-cold lemonade.

"Where are you going, granddaughter?" she inquired as Siya turned to the door.

"I, uh, I'm going to work," said Siya.

"Oh," said her grandmother, suddenly sounding very sad. "Take care," she said softly.

Siya bit her lower lip and then glanced down at her watch.

"I'll...I'll call you if I run late," she said again.

With that, she hurried towards the door. Then, she hurried back.

"Forgot my purse and stuff," she barked, scampering into and then out of the kitchen.

Siya made her way along the path leading from her grandmother's house to the sidewalk. Though the sun had not yet set it was rapidly approaching the horizon. Long shadows and fading orange light suffused the suburban landscape, lending it a hazy, dreamlike quality. There was little movement or sound apart from the occasional dog bark or distant roar of a lawn mower. She unlocked her somewhat battered but functional Volvo sedan and slipped inside. Just about she was to turn the ignition, her phone vibrated in her pocket. With a weary sigh she dug into her pocket and retrieved the device. Kristen had texted her.

hey! guess what? harvard accepted megan! she'll be transferring in the fall

Siya stared at the message for twenty, maybe thirty seconds before remembering she had somewhere to be and really couldn't spare much more time contemplating the unfairness of the universe.

That's great. she replied.

She turned the key and the engine rumbled to life. She switched gears from 'P' to 'D' when her phone buzzed again. She briefly considered leaving it unanswered but checked anyhow.

we're going out to celebrate tonight! wanna come?

She rolled her eyes but diligently tapped a reply.

Sounds fun, but I might be working late so I'd better not.

comeon! we're going to emma's! megan says she'll pay for everything.

Siya hesitated. A free meal was a free meal.

What time?

we're thinking tenish?

I get off work at 11:30

come anyways! we'll be heree WAY past midnight

Siya thought of her grandmother. She didn't like being alone late at night but usually fell asleep before Siya got home from work. She probably wouldn't even notice her prolonged absence, assuming she didn't wake her when she returned. Then again, Siya was feeling a little under the weather. Perhaps her malaise was just due to stress and fatigue. Or she might be coming down with a cold or worse. A night out could help the former, but exacerbate the latter.

She decided to compromise between the two possibilities.

OK, I'll stop by, but I'm not staying the entire night.

cool! seeya

Siya pocketed her phone, twisted the key and the engine sputtered to life. She drove down the empty street towards the city.

* * *

"Thank you, sir! Have a good night!"

The elderly mustached man collected his pack of cigarettes off the counter, turned and exited the store without as much as a nod. Siya's already thin smiled faded as he left. She sighed and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. The harsh glare and incessant buzz of the fluorescent lights were particularly grating tonight. At least it had been a relatively uneventful shift. Apart from the old man and not counting those who just came to buy gas, there had only been seven customers all night. She glanced over at clock on the wall behind her. To her relief, she saw that it was almost time to punch out.

As though on cue, the front door opened and a soft, ersatz tune played, indicating that someone had entered the store.

"Hi Chad," said Siya happily upon seeing it was her co-worker.

"Heya Siya," said Chad.

The gangly twenty-something redhead wore a uniform identical to Siya's. His eyes were glued to his phone.

"How, uh, how's it been?" he asked.

"Not busy, that's for sure," said Siya, who had already started taking off her apron.

"Uh, hang on hang on," said Chad, briefly looking up. "Can you, uh, do me a favor?"

"What is it?" said Siya wearily.

"Can you, uh, cover the store for like...fifteen, twenty minutes longer?" he said, tapping away on his phone.

"What? Why?"

"It's...complicated, okay," he muttered.

"Are you playing that game again?" said Siya, narrowing her eyes.

"Um, uh, no."

"Chad, I can hear it from here."

"Just...I can't stop now, okay?" said Chad irritably. "It's an in-game event and there are only thirty minutes left. I'll just...hang out in the bathroom until it's done."

"Chad...come on."

"Cool! Thanks!" said Chad quickly.

Before Siya could say or do anything, he hurried over around the counter and disappeared into the men's restroom, gaze locked on his screen the whole time.

Siya's already flushed face reddened. Teeth clenched, she balled up her greasy apron and threw it on the floor. Then, she did something she hardly ever did.

"Goddamn it!" she cried.

Suddenly, she felt short of breath. She took a step back and braced against the wall, chest rising and falling. The room was spinning. Her body felt as though it had been immersed in hot water. Anger quickly turned to fear. She wondered if she needed to call for a ride or even 911. She stood there for a time, trying to recover. Seconds ticked by. Then minutes. The strange, disorienting spell slowly passed. Siya stepped away from the wall and swallowed. While she did feel better, she still didn't feel good. Gripped by a sudden, desperate thirst, she hurried around the counter over to the drinks cabinet and grabbed a bottle of water. She tore open the cap and downed half its content in three long gulps.

"Hey, did you pay for that?"

Siya's cheek's bulged in surprise. She coughed, spitting up a little bit of water. She looked over and saw Chad standing there. He had finally put his phone away. It was clear by the tone of his voice that he had meant it as a joke, but the question still irked Siya.

"I'm going to, okay?" half-growled Siya, wiping her mouth.

"Uh, are you alright?" said Chad, cocking his head.

"I'm fine," said Siya. She glanced up at the clock and saw that fifteen minutes had already passed.

"I can call you an Uber or something if you're not up for driving home," he offered.

"No, I can handle it," said Siya, capping the bottle. She drew a deep breath. "Are you done with your game?"

"Uh, yep."

"Good. I'm going," she said.

She hurried around the counter and picked up her apron. She clocked out on the computer.

"I...I'll cover you for the water," said Chad weakly as she marched past him.

"Thanks," she said flatly. With that, she exited the store.

The sliding door shut behind Siya as she stepped out. She looked around. The gas station lot was empty. The bright blue and white glow of the pumps and canopy lights illuminated the gritty, stain-splattered pavement over which hundreds of cars passed every day. Beyond the station on the other side of the street sat a cluster of apartment buildings; only a few of the windows were lit. To left lay a closed grocery chain and to the right lay an unoccupied building that had once been a bookstore. Overhead, the full moon hung in an otherwise featureless black sky. The sound of distant traffic flickered in the cool night air.

Siya uncapped her bottle and took another swig as she walked around the building. Behind the convenience store tucked to the side of the loading dock were two parking spots, one occupied by her Volvo and the other a weathered red hatchback. Though the two spots were not technically reserved for employees, customers rarely ever used them. Siya stuck her key in the Volvo door, opened it and crawled inside. She stretched back against the driver's seat and sighed. Dingy as her car was, it provided a welcome contrast to the glaring, multicolored neon barrage of the convenience shop. As she turned the ignition, she was struck by a vague sense she was forgetting something.

She blinked.

"Right, Megan's party," she murmured.

She'd been ambivalent about attending before. Now, she was really leaning towards driving straight home to get a (relatively) early night's rest, possibly making an appointment to visit the doctor in the morning.

Then her stomach grumbled. She realized she hadn't eaten since 11:00 AM.

The thought of eating anything from the gas station shop made her want to dry heave. Cooking or even eating at home was out of the question since it might wake her grandmother. Emma's, on the other hand, made a curry she was partial to. Making her decision, she drove out of the gas station lot and onto the road. Emma's was usually a twenty minute drive from her work but traffic proved to be surprisingly light; it only took her fifteen. Still, it was nearly midnight by the time she arrived. Pausing only to quickly change out of her uniform in her car (tricky, but not the first time she'd done so), she hurried over to the restaurant/pub.

Emma's occupied a long, single-story granite building; featureless save for a line of tinted windows and a sign over the entrance consisting of metal letters illuminated by backlights. She paused at the door to adjust her dress and stepped inside.

The lighting inside was muted but warm. The furniture and decor were mostly black with occasional gold highlights, all characterized by a slick minimalist design. A tall, thin young maître d' with smooth black hair and an even smoother smile greeted Siya as she entered.

"Hello, ma'am. Welcome to Emma's. We are no longer holding table service and the menu is limited, but the bar is still open."

"That's what I'm here for," said Siya, returning his smile, albeit wanly. "I'm meeting some friends for a get-together. They've probably been here for a while."

"Oh yes, them," he said, nodding almost gravely. "Just right through there," he said, gesturing.

"Thanks," said Siya unenthusiastically.

She entered the main dining room. All of the tables were indeed empty and devoid of cutlery and napkins. The bar, however, still had a respectable number of guests. They were mostly young adults and college students, chatting amicably while drinking wine and munching appetizers. Siya scanned the assorted patrons for her friends but then a loud cackle pierced the air. Siya recognized it. Sure enough, there were Kristen, Megan and Margret, all laughing at a joke one of them had made. Kristen's gaze then happened to fall upon Siya. She broke into an even wider grin and waved.

"Hey girl, over here!" she cried, to the mild annoyance of some of the other guests at the bar.

Siya issued a little waive in return and hurried over to the three.

"Where have you been?" exclaimed Megan in mock exasperation.

"Congratulations on Harvard," said Siya.

"Thanks!" said Megan gleefully.

"I was there when she got the letter," said Margret. "I don't think we stopped screaming for over a minute! Heck, we should have streamed it - would have gotten a ton of views."

"Probably," said Siya distractedly, looking around the girls at the bar. "What's still available? I'm starving."

"Oh yeah, sorry, we already ate," said Kristen, a bit sheepishly. "We knew you would be late 'cause of your job and everything but, uh, we had already had a few drinks and it was getting late."

"It's fine," sighed Siya, reaching around them for a menu.

The curry, to Siya disappointment, was no longer available. She settled for some chicken satay and rice with a low alcohol lager. As she waited the other three girls chatted, gossiped, teased, joked and otherwise behaved exactly how cliché dictated young college girls should. Every so often Siya would cut in to comment or answer a question posed by one of the girls when they seemed to remember they had a fourth member. The experience wasn't toograting. However, as the night wore on, the combination inane small talk and lack of food (the kitchen seemed really slow) started to take its toll. Worse, it was starting to feel uncomfortably warm inside the restaurant. Siya swore she felt a drop of sweat trickle down her neck.

"...I just hope I can find a decent apartment in California. Have you heard how crazy the rent is?"

"Oh yeah!"

Siya looked up. There was something she'd wanted to ask since she arrived.

"How did the transfer go, anyway?" she asked.

"Huh?" said Megan.

"I mean...how many letters of recommendations did you get? What'd you write for your application letter? I heard-"

"I can barely remember," said Megan, giggling. "I mean, I had some help from this adviser guy my dad hired. We worked, like, non-stop for almost a week, writing and re-writing and re-re-writing and shit. At the end I was so zonked out I slept for, like, day."

"Oh, okay," said Siya wearily.

At last, her meal arrived. She took a seat at the bar and started eating.

"Whoa, slow it down there," laughed Margret.

Siya blinked. She looked down and realized she had already wolfed down half of the chicken. And had hardly been chewing. She also had a smear of sauce on her lip. She shyly wiped her mouth.

"Sorry, I was really hungry," she said.

"Well, obviously. I wish I could eat like that and stay as skinny as you do," chortled Megan.

"Hey, not nice!" remarked Margret, though she was laughing too.

Siya's face reddened. She continued to eat, albeit slower. By the time she'd polished off all of the chicken and rice, she was still hungry.

"Hey, uh, would you mind if I ordered something else?" said Siya, addressing the girls. "I missed lunch."

"Sure, go ahead," said Kristen, shrugging. "Just make sure they add it to your bill."

"Okay, th-....wait, my bill," said Siya, looking up in shock.

"Uh, yeah. We're doing separate checks."

"You didn't mention that," protested Siya angrily. "I mean, you said this was a party to celebrate her getting in. You've always..." she trailed off. She clutched her head. It actually felt like she had a fever. Worse, she was getting a little nauseous. She leaned over in her seat clutching her gut. She swore she could hear blood pounding in her ears.

"Hey, you okay?" inquired Megan.

"You probably should have paced yourself," said Margret, covering her mouth to stifle a chuckle.

Siya growled. She very nearly threw her empty plate at Margret and immediately felt terrible about it.

"I...I'm going to the bathroom," she said between grit teeth. She staggered out of her chair and scurried through the dining area, clumsily ducking between tables and chairs.

"Hey! Do you...Christ, let us know if you need a ride," called one of the girls. Siya wasn't sure which one had spoken and didn't care.

The women's restroom was empty. Siya rushed over to the sink and splashed cold water in her face. It cooled her, but did little to help the feeling her gut was about to implode. Quivering, she slowly looked up at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were sunken and skin was red and slick with water and sweat. She ran her fingers through her greasy black hair. The lingering tang of chicken satay on her tongue now tasted revolting. Suddenly, her entire body pulsed. Siya gasped and staggered back. She reached out and gripped the side of one of the stall doors to steady herself even as she slid to the floor. It was then that she felt her mouth getting watery. She groaned, turned, opened the stall and crawled inside. The cold tiles chilled her perspiring hands as she moved. She knelt by the porcelain bowl - which was, thankfully, quite clean - and waited.

Seconds ticked by. Though the nausea did not quite dissipate and her stomach was still churning, she did not actually throw up. Eventually she felt strong enough to rise to her feet. She walked back to the sink, shaking her head as though she had just woken from a bad dream. She took a few steps towards the exit and then stopped. She looked up.

A narrow skylight had been built into a corner of the ceiling. From where Siya was standing, the full moon was just visible through the glass. For some reason, she couldn't tear her gaze away from it. The sight was strangely comforting - invigorating, almost.

By the time it occurred to her that the moon should not be affecting her this way, it was too late.

Siya grew suddenly hotter and hotter until it felt as though her body were on fire. She staggered over to the sink to splash more water on her febrile skin. As she reached down to the twist the knob, she noticed to her alarm that her hands had become swollen and red. Her fingers now resembled overstuffed hot-link sausages. Siya shrieked. She limped towards the exit to seek help but stopped in her tracks a sharp pain erupted in all ten of her digits. She raised her trembling hands and watched in horror as her fingertips inflated to nearly twice their width. Then, her nails split as stubby black claws emerged from the stumps. It was, needless to say, agonizing. Siya managed to get a few short steps closer to the door before the next phase of her terrifying metamorphosis began.

Siya crumpled to her knees as wave after wave debilitating pain shot through her. It felt as though some hitherto unfelt presence inside her was trying to tear its way out. She could feel her arms, shoulders and chest swelling up in inconsistent, asymmetrical little pulses. Dark veins throbbed across her boiling hot skin. Siya grit her teeth so hard she feared they would crack and tried to stand only for her legs to buckle beneath her as bones fractured. She screamed.

Outside, the other girls had, through no small amount of shameless flirting, convinced the barkeep to play some of their favorite songs on the house speakers. At excessive volumes.

Had someone else been in the bathroom to witness Siya's plight they would have noticed she had nearly doubled in size and mass. The formerly skinny, petite young woman was now packed with thick bulging muscles. More disturbingly, black hair was growing on every inch of her body save her face, which itself was starting to contort into something far more...bestial. Her lips peeled back revealing rows of sharp fangs. She screamed again, or at least tried to. Her cry would be better described as a snarl or guttural wheeze, her voice now a far deeper register. Through no small effort she rose on all fours and felt her legs bending in unfamiliar, impossible angles. She looked up through tear-soaked eyes but could not see herself in the mirror from the floor.

Suddenly, she laughed.

Nothing about this made any sense. Nothing at all. At that moment, she didn't care what happened. She didn't care about anything. Had a deep vast pit opened in front of her, she would have hurled herself into its depths. Not to end her suffering but just to see what would happen next.

Another growth spasm wracked her body - one far more intense yet not nearly as agonizing. Siya grew and grew, inflating with muscle, flesh, and bone. First her shirt tore open. Then her pants. Then her undergarments. They clung to her like plastic wrap for a few seconds until the tension grew too great and they peeled off her and slipped to the floor. The hair that had been growing across her thickened and darkened. It soon became clear it was not hair but fur - dense, shiny fur but black as midnight. Her physique rapidly went from that of an Olympian swimmer to a powerlifter to what bodybuilders would call an absolute unit. Then she grew even larger. Despite this, her overall form became more feminine. Firm, proud breasts emerged from her massive pectorals while her hips widened a good few inches relative to her waist. Siya pounded the floor as much from exhilaration as pain. Her football-sized fists left cracks in the hard ceramic tiles.

Then, something even stranger happened. A sharp pain briefly engulfed the small of her back. Siya shuddered as she felt something slither out between her buttocks. She glanced over her hulking shoulders and spotted something fluffy wagging back and forth. It took her a few seconds to realize what it was.

She had a tail.

Siya chortled again. Why not, she thought. Her ghoulish grin quickly turned to a grimace as a tight pain enveloped her face. Her nose, jaw, indeed her entire skull stretched forward as though being pulled by some unseen reality-warping force. Her nostrils widened as the skin around them turned dark and leathery while her already sharp teeth lengthened into true fangs. She breathed in once and then winced, nearly overwhelmed by a dozen or so intense foul odors.

The transformation seemed to be reaching a crescendo. She experienced one final spurt of growth, gaining an inch or two in height. Her ears widened and then narrowed into points. Her eyes darkened and then began to glow with a sullen, sapphire malevolence. Prompted by some primal urge, Siya howled, her cry a long, mournful, triumphant ululation.

Siya's consciousness blurred but did not fade entirely. Several seconds or several minutes later, she stirred. The pain was gone.

When she stood, she realized she needed to hunch over to get a good look at herself in the mirror. What she saw frightened her. That is, at first. She slowly ran her paws along her chest, waist and hips, marveling at her power she felt within them. She opened her mouth and gasped, amazed at her toothy maw.

Siya tilted her head back and issued a manic cackle. She should be freaking out right now but in truth she felt good. Incredible, even. Every nerve in her body tingled with faint, anticipatory pleasure. She felt...strong. Invincible. Like she could - and should - take on the whole world! Who could stop her? 

Then, her ears twitched. She could hear - quite clearly, in fact - music and the voices of the girls in the restaurant. Her eyes narrowed. She snorted like a bull and stomped out the bathroom. 

It took some time and careful maneuvering to squeeze through the door.

* * *

Kristen had downed her sixth shot of vodka by the time Siya emerged from the bathroom. Because of this, her initial reaction was a drunken giggle rather than wide-eyed terror.

"Geez, Siya, that's a lousy costume," she chortled. "What the hell are you trying...to do..." she trailed off. Her mouth widened.

The other girls had not been quite as reckless while drinking. They went silent and began backing away, pale-faced and trembling.

Siya stood an astonishing twelve feet in height and an equally astonishing four feet in width. Her anatomy was like something from out of a comic book. Even under her thick pelt of ebony fur, every one of her muscles could be seen bulging. Her biceps were as thick as tree trunks; her chest was like a train engine. Her abs were beyond a six-pack. She now also sported an impressive (but not outrageous for her size) bust, her nipples hidden beneath her fur.  She stood on enlarged toes rather than her heels. 

Siya gazed down at the quivering girls through her glowing blue eyes. Her nostrils widened as she breathed in, snorting irritably as they read the myriad sharp aromas permeating the restaurant. Her black lips peeled back, revealing rows of wickedly curved fangs.

"The funny thing is," she intoned in an ominous, reverberating contralto. "You girls are the real bitches." She turned to Megan. "Megan, your skinny ass only got into Harvard because your dad paid for half of that new lecture hall." She regarded Margaret. "You need to stop talking shit about the other girls behind their back. It makes me uncomfortable." She then turned her gaze to Kristen. "You're goddamn drunk whore, Kristen. Everyone thinks so."

With all that out of her system, Siya looked over at the barkeep, who had been inching towards the kitchen door but froze when he saw her looking at him.

"Tell the kitchen to start making the yellow chicken curry, extra spicy," she growled. "Enough to feed ten people. If you're out of ingredients, get some more. I don't care if you have to break into a grocery store." She grinned evilly. "I'm eating something tonight."

* * *

Siya awoke with a yawn. She stifled a belch and pulled the blankets closer. Her mattress felt a little stiffer than usual but was still comfortable enough.

The doorbell rang.

"Siya! Could you get that!" called her grandmother in Marathi.

Siya groaned and got up. She took a few steps, hesitated, and then looked down. She was stark naked. Normally she wore a bra and panties to bed and could quite remember why she hadn't this time. Her recollection of the previous night was hazy; some of it had to have been a dream. She went out into the hallway, entered the bathroom, grabbed her bathrobe off a wall hook and tied it tightly around her skinny frame.

The doorbell rang again.

"I'm coming!" called Siya loudly in English. She hurried towards the front door.

As she passed her bedroom, she failed to notice that her bed looked as though it had been hit with a wrecking ball. The frame had half-collapsed and the mattress was caved in.

Siya reached the front door. She unlocked and opened it.

"Uh, hello?"

Five figures stood at the porch. Two were older teenage girls that Siya had never seen before. The other three - standing a good few yards behind the two teens - she recognized.

"Girls?" said Siya, nonplussed. "Is everything alright?"

Kristen, Margret and Megan did not reply. Indeed, they seemed to be avoiding her gaze. They seemed...scared for some reason.

"What's going on?" barked Siya. "Why are...you..."  She sniffed the air.  "Who...what are you?" she gasped, addressing the two teenagers. "You...you're..."

"Yeah," said Melinda, nodding wearily. "Can we come in? There's a lot we need to talk about."