Remedial Lunacy {LGBT}

Chapter 4 - Knowledge is a gift

Harriet Palmer shoved her papers roughly into a folder; she snatched it up and threw it into her bag. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. The clock had run away with her, she had lost an hour whilst fussing over the electrophoresis machine. “Damn it!” She slammed her foot into edge of the counter. Her hair fell out of its ponytail and fell across her face “Anything else care to go wrong?” She ran from the lab, and propelled herself into her car. Tyres screeched as she pulled out onto the road and raced off into the night.

Her key argued with the front door lock, with every attempted turn she worked her way through profanities until the key finally obliged her request and she almost fell through the front door. “Fuck.” She threw the keys on one of the hooks before pacing through into the living room. Her breath caught in her throat as the sleeping body in front of her stirred. “Shit, shit, shit.” She whispered. She laid her stuff down in the armchair and walked towards the back door. Her shoes slipped gracefully from her feet and allowed her soles to kiss the bare earth as she stepped out of the house. Night enveloped her like a cape, but the moonlight danced on her skin giving her a ghostly glow.

The moon loomed overhead; it pulled at Harriet’s bones as she walked towards the trees. Once shrouded in the embrace of the copse she allowed the moon to have her wicked way. Bones creaked and snapped, muscles pulled and twisted, her breath caught in her chest as she dropped to the floor. The process was swift, but the demand placed on her body left her panting. She trembled as she found her paws and gained her innate awareness of the situation.

A low howl reverberated in the still night air; Harriet lifted her muzzle to the air and answered her brother’s call. The night became eerily silent as she prowled beneath the canopy, her eyes scanning for movement, nose on standby for a fresh scent. Rabbit. She crouched down low and watched, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Pounce. Her teeth crashed down on its neck, she swung her head from side to side until she felt the vertebrae slip between her teeth. The body became limp and lifeless, she laid it down on the ground and used her paw to pin its foot as she tore into the flesh.

A cool breeze wrapped itself around Connor and forced his body to shiver. He cracked open his eyes and saw the moonlight illuminating the back hallway. He shuddered and pulled the fleece blanket round his shoulders, he reached for his chair. Slowly and quietly, he made his way to the open door, scouring his environment for the faintest trace of an intruder. As he reached the door he saw a pair of woman’s shoes, he shook his head and pulled the door closed. He collided with the armchair as he made his way back to the sofa.

A soft thud echoed in the darkness accompanied by the skittering of papers against the hardwood floor. “Crap.” He forced himself around the furniture to begin picking up the mess; he dropped the bag and its loose contents into the armchair and scooped up the largest pile of papers. “Matt’s mother is going to kill me.” He slid the pile on the table and manuvered himself round to pick up a group of papers crudely held together by a paperclip. As he sat them on the table, he scanned the title of the piece. His breath caught in his chest as his heart went into hyper drive, the room seemed to swim around him.

The back door swung open with great force, but a hand grabbed the handle before it could slam into the wall. “How much have you read?” She ran at him, her eyes still wild from her moonlight jaunt. “Tell me, how much have you read?”

“The title.” Connor stuttered. His eyes struggled to focus in the darkness, but he could discern the body shape of a woman, her hair a messy silhouette against the faint glow of light from the open door.

“And?” She put her hands on each of his wheels and pulled him closer. Nose to nose she watched for the tell-tale signs of deception.

“Interesting field of study.” Connor tried to look away but he was lost in the woman’s eyes. “If you could prove that such evolved beings actually existed of course.”

“We exist.” She pushed him away. “But not as you think.”

“You don’t know how I think.” Connor backed away.

“We are neither monsters or fluffy pets.” She allowed herself to sit on the edge of table. “The moon forces us to take our natural form, but we would rather dine on animals less…tainted…than the human species.”

“Does Matt know any of this?” Connor stopped trying to escape.

The woman’s head dropped and she began to cry. “No, he was not blessed with the gift, he isn’t even a carrier.” She pulled a tissue from the box next to her and blew her nose. “Human blood is dominant, back when there were more of us it wasn’t a problem, but now we are all too closely related to even think about mating with each other.”

“I guess biting new wolves is out of the question?” Connor gasped as the woman gave him a seething glare.

“A bite is only good for killing.” She threw the tissue in the bin. “To turn someone is a great risk; thousands have died trying.”

“So you are yet another one of the unknown endangered species of this beautiful planet?” Connor sighed and wheeled himself closer. He rested his hand on hers. “I am truly sorry for what humanity has done to your kind.”

Dumbstruck she looked at the damaged young man before her and allowed her eyes to look beyond the physical. His aura glowed pure. “If the gift was to be given to you it would mean regaining the use of your legs.”

“At what cost?” Connor withdrew his hand.

“I’m sure I could persuade Matt and Thomas into believing you had volunteered to be a guinea pig at my lab.” She curled her hair around her finger. “They don’t have much of a clue what I really do.”

“The moon forces you to turn, what does that mean?” Connor eyed her with suspicion. “How easy is it to control animal urges?”

“The first few moons are the hardest, but you are past puberty so it will be much easier for you to gain control.” She stood up and allowed herself to slip into her lupine form.

“I’m guessing you can turn at will then?” Connor’s palms slickened with sweat and his heart rate jumped.

She pulled herself back into human form and slid back into her dress. “To an extent.” She sighed “It is the body of a wolf, no super strength, speed or any of that bullshit.”

“But a body that is one with nature.” Connor whispered, his eyes filled with wanderlust.

“Naturally.” She smiled, “You interested?”

“What is the risk?” Connor focused his eyes on her face and pleaded for the truth.

“It attacks the body like a virus, destroying DNA and replacing it with the modified code, it could very easily kill you if it progresses too quickly or runs too slowly.” She looked up at the clock behind her head. “It has to start at the full moon, when the virus is strongest.”

“I have to decide now?” Connor looked around him as if searching for his conscience. “I can’t just say yes and pray it is a success. What happens if it fails?”

“You will have at least a few days to say goodbye, it isn’t instantaneous.” She said nonchalantly as she strode towards the back door. “You want the gift or not?”