I stared down at my hands in shock. Could I even call them hands anymore? Blood trickled from my fingertips. The claws my body had ejected were long, tapering to a point on the end. I glanced down at my bed. My clothes and sheets were stained with crimson. I trembled as I saw the thin cuts webbed across my thighs.
I viewed the claws yet again. A week ago, to the day, I started feeling an indescribable feeling of agony in my fingertips. My mother chalked it up to growing pains, but it was like there were tiny shards of glass scraping at the inside of my flesh, just aching to be set free. I'd woken at 3:33 AM, as always, and had gotten up to get a glass of water, as always. I didn't notice the needles until I got them caught in the fridge. When I pulled them free and turned on the light, I saw the blood, the needles, the way they shone in the dull glow of the chandelier. In a panic, I cleaned up and raced into my room, locking the door.
I sniffled once more and grabbed my phone. The number I wanted to call felt somehow daunting now. 911... I mean, I do have an emergency... I felt an odd twinge inside me. I couldn't bring myself to push the buttons, and found myself calling my best friend, Bellatrix. She lived on her own, and spent most nights writing songs. Despite her telling me it was fine, I had promised not to call her except for in an emergency. Even now, I didn't know how I felt about this. Not giving myself any more time to consider my options, I pushed the call button next to her name and waited as waves of tension rolled over my shoulders.
She answered on the second ring, not giving me much time to worry. "Yes?" Her voice sounded strangely guttural, different from its usual lilting tone, and I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.
"Did I wake you up? I'm sorry, I'll leave."
She laughed, her voice going back to its usual tinkling tone. "Oh please, do you honestly think I was sleeping?" I smiled in relief. She wasn't mad.
"Something happened..." I said, unsure of how to start.
"What is it?" I struggled to steady my breathing, reminding myself that we were best friends.
"Do you remember when I was telling you about my fingers hurting?"
"Yes, you said you were beginning to think you had some form of medical ailment. Did you find you what it is?"
I nodded before remembering that she couldn't see me. "Yeah..." I held my breath as she waited, then let it out in a sigh. "I don't know what it is or how it happened, but I have needles coming out of my fingers."
"Needles? Describe them." I blinked, taken aback by her calmness.
"Um... Well, they're very sharp." No, really? And? "And long, very long. Shiny too."
I heard her breath catch over the phone. "Do you think I could come see you?" I blinked before looking around, as if that would help me think. Mom was no doubt in a drug induced state of sleep, and wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
"I-Um-I guess." There was only a small chance of anyone seeing her, and I really did need her now.
"Very well, I'm be there in five minutes."
"But your house is ten minutes away, isn't it?" The call dropped and I set my phone down, frowning slightly in confusion. Knock, knock! I jumped, startled, and turned around. Mom better still be asleep... I swung the door open to see Bellatrix standing in front of me with a large paper bag.
I stared at her, wide eyed. "You look pleased to see me. May I come in?"
"Y-Yes," I said. I backed away from the door as she entered, smiling. "H-How... How did you get here so fast?"
She tapped her chin and looked down at her thin black watch. "Ah, I left as soon as I got your call." She stepped in front of me and walked down the hallway to my bedroom. I followed her, stunned. She waltzed inside and set the bag on the bed.
"What's that?" I asked, nodding to the bag.
"Oh, this? Just a few things."
"That's awfully vague..." I said, an edging tone to my voice.
"I see," she responded. Scatterbrain... "Now, may I see them?" I'd had my hands hidden behind my back but now slowly pulled them out of hiding. Unfazed, Bellatrix reached forward and grabbed one of my hands, pulling it closer.
I jolted and pulled away. "H-Hey, what are you-"
"Silence, I'm just looking," she hushed me, examining my... Appendages.
"You look with your eyes, not with your hands!" She ignored me.
"I see..." She said, almost to herself. "I believe these are a result of a unique reaction to radiation."
"English, please!" This... Girl...
"I thought I was speaking in English?" She asked, cocking her head.
"Just tell me what the hell is happening to me!"
She gave a curt nod and stepped back, releasing me. "Due to a large amount of ionizing particles..." She pressed her lips together, then shook her head. "Your deoxyribonucleic acid has-"
"My what?"
"-Your DNA has mutated," she finished.
"I-I... Don't understand..." I replied, "radiation? From where?"
She shifted, looking uncomfortable as I smirked. Ha! It looked like I had finally came up with a question she didn't know the answer too!
"We don't exactly know... How much radiation there is... B-But certain levels can cause permanent adverse e-effects."
My grin fell. "W...What?" She stared at the floor and I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "Permanent?" I asked.
"Permanent," she murmured.
"But... It can't be! There has to be something we can do!" It felt like hot steam was being poured straight into my ears as I struggled not to panic. When Bellatrix didn't answer, I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Answer me! Please!"
She glared at me and grabbed both my wrists in one hand, shoving me back. "Don't," she hissed. Her slit eyes stared straight into mine. "Don't ever make demands of me in such a manner!"
I trembled, stepping back as she released me. "I...I'm sorry..." I tried not to show emotion, but I soon felt my face contorting as I broke into terrified sobs. "I'm s-sorry, I'm just scared," I cried, my voice barely coming out as a pathetic, rodent-like squeak. I dropped to my knees as the sheer panic overwhelmed me, taking great breaths of air but feeling no oxygen enter my lungs.
I heard a low sigh come from Bellatrix followed by the shuffling sounds of her sitting down in front of me. "Look, I'm sorry too. That just really bothered me." She placed a hand on the top of my head and rested it there, like she didn't know what else to do, how else to comfort me. More incoherent responses flowed out of my mouth, but even I didn't know what I was trying to say. Suddenly, I felt the needles beginning to retract beneath my skin. I gasped, pulling my head back.
"B-Bell, they're fading!" No sooner had the words left my mouth as I felt an inferno of white-hot pain blossom over my fingertips. It was like a thousand tiny paper cuts underneath my nails, searing into the flesh below them. The pain was so great that I couldn't even scream. All of my remaining strength was focused solely on one thing: breathing. But the air refused to come, and soon black fuzz was covering my vision as I left the conscious realm and slipped into darkness.
