The Beast I Have Become

Chapter 29

        I wake up screaming, my eyes flying open only to see the world blurry. I stop my screaming and fall back down onto my back. I actually sat up when I woke up. I wipe my sweaty forehead with the back of my hand. I then notice how every sound I hear seems to be way more clear than usual. I ignore it and head to the bathroom. I've so much sweat on my face, you would've thought I got a bucket of water poured on me. I put on my glasses and look at myself in the mirror.
        No wonder I can hear so well, I thought to myself. I have wolf ears on the top of my head! I observe my new ears and move them around. No wonder animals can hear people and other things from a long way. Their ears are fantastic! I feel them and pull my hand away. I don't like the feel of my hands on my new sensitive ears. It's actually kinda weird looking because I don't have my ears on the side of my head anymore. I look like some kinda anime character or something from a cartoon.
        "Whoa! Nice ears, Mark!" Matt says when he sees my ears. Ryan looks over and rests his eyes on my ears. I turn one ear to the sound of the tv and keep the other straight.
        "Don't be too loud you two, ok?" I ask. "I can hear just about everything that you guys do. Not only that, but my ears are now super sensitive." Ryan gives me a mischievous smile. I know he wants to probably bang pans just to piss me off, but if he does, I'll kick his ass. I give Ryan a warning look before sitting on the couch. I bring out my phone and check Twitter and Insta. I then check YouTube to see what's up. My subscribers have only gone up by like, one. I text Jack about my ears and set my phone down.
        I get up to get a glass of water. I turn around and find Matt behind me! My glass hits his arms and spills water down it. My ears perk up in alarm.
        "Oh dammit!" I say. "Crap, I'm sorry Matt!" Matt has his eyes closed and his lips are pursed in irritation.
        "Just watch where the fuck you're going next time," he says lowly. I try to push the urge back, but I then get defensive.
        "Well I'm sorry," I say, my ears folding back. "Maybe you shouldn't stand directly behind people." Matt bares his teeth.
        "Maybe you should pay attention next time!" He retorts.
        "Pay attention?!" I scoff. "Why would I need to look back and make sure there isn't anyone behind me before turning around? That's bullshit!"
        "Just do it and maybe you won't spill your damned drink down my arm!" Matt says, his voice getting louder. I fight the strong urge to dump the rest of the contents in my glass onto his head.
        "Then don't stand behind me!" I growl. Matt angrily grabs a napkin and dries his arm off and the little bit that fell on the floor.
        "I should've made you wipe this," he snarls while slamming the wet napkin into the trash. I slam my glass down on the table before I crush it in my hand. I bare my teeth and growl and Matt does so right back. I then slash Matt's face, leaving a five-streak claw mark on his right cheek. I had a very strong urge to do so...and it won. Matt shoves me and I fall back against the fridge with a bang as my 190-pound body hits it. I may be short for a man my age, but I'm not light.
        "Hey! Stop it you two!" Ryan says from the doorway. We look over at him and he's frowning at us. "Stop before you two either kill each other, mess up the house, or both. Just go somewhere else and don't follow each other." I snap (like biting, not my fingers) at Matt, causing him to jump back a bit before I walk up to my bedroom. I sit crisscrossed on my bed and rest my head in my hands. I have a headache and my nose and mouth hurt. I take off my glasses and rub my eyes.
        "Fuck," I say to myself. "How the hell am I supposed to do stuff looking like this? I can't even walk out my own damned door. Unless I do it super late at night with absolutely nobody around. Dammit." I strip off my shirt and pants and go to bed with only my boxers.

***

I'm here in Cincinnati, Ohio visiting my mother. We're all sitting in the den and watching a movie. I stroke my mom's new, adorable puppy. Suddenly, I see the moon from the window. It's full.
        I gasp and get up. The puppy jumping off of my lap before it could fall. In a flash of pain and the shifting of bones, I then smell blood. I look around with a wolfish grunt and see the bloody massacre of my family.
        My breathing immediately quickens and my heart blows up with a million painful emotions. Hot, angry tears stream down my face as I see the blood of my family on my hands. I break into a rage and slam my hand onto whatever is nearest, not caring about the painful glass shards that end up in my hand.
        I look up at the moon again and howl my torn heart out for all to hear. My howl turns to a scream as I lose my humanity once more.