𝐘𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐲 - 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝟏𝟏𝟔𝟔

Chapter 5: Yarnaby

The world returned to Quinn in a foggy haze—the low hum of machinery, the cool metal against his skin. But his body felt strange, foreign, and heavier than he remembered. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking at the harsh, sterile light above him. His heart skipped as he lifted a hand—or what should have been his hand—and saw a massive, fur-covered paw, woven through with thick, multicolored yarn that cascaded around him in a dense, mane-like covering.

He flexed the paw, feeling its strange weight. The yarn strands glinted in the light, each color shimmering as if stitched with something alive. Quinn's heart raced as he looked down, taking in his new form. He was a patchwork creature, built of vibrant threads and fur, his limbs thick with yarn.

Trembling, he glanced toward the mirror at the far side of the room. His reflection stared back, and he recoiled. The creature in the mirror had an orange-yellow face framed by yarn, giving the impression of wild hair. Its eyes—his eyes—were large, cartoonish, with deep black irises. And below them stretched a wide, unsettling grin, three pointed fangs poking from his lower jaw.

His heart thundered in his chest. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came. Instead, his grin began to split down the middle, his entire face bisecting. He watched in horror as the two halves pulled apart, revealing a gaping, fleshy maw filled with sharp, uneven teeth that encircled a small, hollow opening in his throat.

Quinn stumbled back, his reflection mimicking the movement, the grin closing back into place, sealing the monstrous maw shut. His mind whirled with terror, disbelief at the thing he'd become.

The door creaked open, and Quinn's gaze snapped to it as Dr. Sawyer entered the room, his expression calm and reassuring. He approached Quinn slowly, his hands outstretched in a gesture of comfort.

"Quinn," he said gently, placing a steadying hand on Quinn's massive paw, his touch grounding him. "I know this is frightening. This new form... it's a lot to take in. But you're still you. Just... transformed. Look at what you've become. You're stronger, more resilient, and more unique than ever."

Quinn's breathing slowed, his racing heartbeat quieting a little. He looked into Dr. Sawyer's calm eyes, clinging to his words like an anchor. He wasn't sure who—or what—he was now. But with Dr. Sawyer's hand resting on his paw, he allowed himself to hope, if only for a moment, that somewhere beneath the yarn, fangs, and the strange, splitting maw, he was still Quinn.