SHIFT: Book One: HORIZONS

Five: Darius

THIRTEEN HOURS TO RELEASE

HE STARED AT his reflection in the small puddle before him. Darius could barely even recognize himself anymore. Months of constant pain, anger, fear and stress had burned a permanent scar on his face. Deep lines creased his forehead, and his black eyebrows were heavy and left his face in a constant scowl. His lips curled at the corners in an everlasting frown. Even the initial pain from his eternally clenched jaw had subsided long ago. He had to actually think about it when he wanted to soften his features and not seem tired and angry at the world. 

But his eyes, they were what scared him the most. They were, different. There was either a deep and heavy sadness or no emotion at all to them. They were like that now; cold, blue and normal, it seemed. People said he was fine. Most girls even thought he was handsome, gorgeous. Nobody could see the pain on his face that he did and knew was there. They couldn't see what he saw. They couldn't feel what he felt. Nobody, nothing, could do that. 

And no one had ever seen him when the other side came out. When his voice changed and his eyes turned and his hands and neck and... 

Nobody was ever around when any of that happened. Darius made sure of that. It was good that way. He didn't want people around when that side of him came out. He didn't want to hurt anyone by mistake. 

He leaned back from the puddle and looked up. The stream stretched for as far as Darius could see, and sand, grass and gravel bordered it on both sides. The sky was a bright orange, and the air was starting to get cooler. Night was coming. He would have to leave soon if he wanted to be back by sundown. After all these years, one thing had stayed the same; it was never good to be out at night. A cool breeze drifted through the air, blowing cold wind upstream from the east. 

Darius pulled his shirt halfway off and turned his back partially toward the puddle. When an obscure view of his upper back materialized in the water, he stopped. He felt with his finger tips the two small humps on his back between his spine and shoulder blades that were growing and changing every day. They were smooth and hard, and about eight inches in vertical length. A thin but tough line resembled a long callous up the center of each hump, and they had been giving him a slight pain and annoying itch the past two days. He still wondered what they were. 

A leaf landed in the puddle, and the image of Darius's back disappeared as a ripple conquered the once still water. The strengthening wind refused to let the image return. Darius sat back again. 

The soft sound of a footstep and of a branch moving caused Darius to look behind him. And there it was. 

Not ten feet away, a huge ape-like creature with big black eyes and bloodstained fur around its mouth emerged slowly from the tree line. It was looking straight at Darius and walking slowly and steadily toward him. 

Darius grinned. He pulled his shirt back on. Hot anger flowed through his veins. His muscles tensed. Memories of his brother Austin flooded his brain. Hatred toward his father and all the other scientists and anyone who had even the slightest bit of input on the Evolution experiments for what they had done to the both of them clouded the rest of his thinking. 

The idea of one of these rabid beasts standing in front of him, even thinking that he would be weak enough, small enough, or impossibly stupid enough to fall victim to be killed and eaten by one of them, just that idea pissed him well beyond off. 

He looked around. Two more of the carnivorous orangutans had been unveiled from the forest. He stood up and leaned over the puddle. He could see himself turning already. 

The cold blue color of Darius Merwin's bloodshot eyes had changed to a sick, golden yellow, and was barely visible behind the huge black iris. Black veins crept up his neck and down his arms like demented tattoos. His perfect teeth became sharper and four fangs grew longer. His short black hair and trimmed beard added to the scene. 

He looked back at the now five, for even two more arrived, bloodthirsty primates. He smiled angrily. 

"You picked the wrong goddamn day to fight me," he said as his voice deepened and rumbled into a near growl. The apes leaped toward him, and he returned the favor.