{"id":786,"date":"2021-05-01T09:54:30","date_gmt":"2021-05-01T16:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=786"},"modified":"2021-05-01T09:55:13","modified_gmt":"2021-05-01T16:55:13","slug":"passing-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=786","title":{"rendered":"Passing Through"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>Warning: painful transformation, death, violence, and gore.<\/p>\n<p>Were-World&#8217;s Sue makes a stop in a sleepy town the morning after a full moon.<\/p>\n<p>I wrote a fan fiction piece for Were-World ( https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/were-world\/gallery?catpath=\/ ) based on their &#8220;Sue&#8221; stories. All &#8230; copyrights? for the character are theirs.<\/p>\n<p>You can find my page at: https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/markgraham<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wide arc of the sun crowned against the horizon, casting pure golden light throughout the valley.\u00a0 The gray sky strained to contain the perfect blue yearning to break out.\u00a0 Birds chirped and fluttered, zipping from building to building while watching for crumbs and worms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Light buzzed and hummed and swarmed within the neon sign for Ray&#8217;s Diner.\u00a0 Trucks, old and new mixed together, parked haphazardly in the lot.\u00a0 The white lines marking parking spots had faded years ago but the regulars had claimed their spots before then and now they parked by rote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gravel crunched as a small four door sedan slowed on the road in front of the diner.\u00a0 Its turn signal winked and the car turned, easing into the lot to weave between the trucks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail glanced outside as she stood with a pot of coffee in her hand.\u00a0 She frowned at the car when it slid between two old Chevys.\u00a0 Nobody in their small town owned a car like that and Ray&#8217;s, sitting just at the outskirts of town and off the main road, rarely saw visitors.\u00a0 Especially not when The Grill House was more well known and used by the few people passing through.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Thanks, Abi,&#8221; Grady said, tapping the front of his hat while lifting his coffee cup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Oh, yeah, sure, hun,&#8221; Abigail said, shaking herself.\u00a0 &#8220;I&#8217;ll have your eggs out in a minute.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Aww, I&#8217;m not in a hurry.\u00a0 You know that,&#8221; the grizzled old man said.\u00a0 &#8220;You going to be at Mass tonight?\u00a0 You know Trudy&#8217;s not as good on the organ and she tries to sing along with the choir.\u00a0 She&#8217;s even <\/span><b><i>worse<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at that.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail batted the man on the shoulder with an admonishing tsk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Grady Hearns, you know that&#8217;s not nice,&#8221; Abigail told him.\u00a0 She pulled at her white apron before touching the hairpin holding up her coiled blonde hair.\u00a0 Despite what she said, she felt a small sense of superiority at his words.\u00a0 She <\/span><b><i>was<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> better at the organ <\/span><b><i>and<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> she had the sense to leave the singing to others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bell hanging over the door jingled while the door itself screeched on its hinges.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A young woman entered dressed in torn blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a green flannel shirt hanging open.\u00a0 She paused at the entrance while glancing around before turning and finding an open table in the corner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Huh,&#8221; Grady said, craning to see the new customer.\u00a0 &#8220;A foreigner, huh?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Better swallow what you&#8217;re about to say, Grady,&#8221; Abigail warned when the old man opened his mouth to continue.\u00a0 &#8220;I&#8217;m sure whatever it is, it ain&#8217;t very Christlike.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of answering, he turned back and sipped his coffee.\u00a0 Abigail looked towards the shelf on the kitchen window but it was empty so she walked towards the waiting woman.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How old is she?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Abigail wondered as she drew close.\u00a0 She looked even younger than she had when she&#8217;d first entered but she wondered if that was due to her only having seen Asians on television and never in person.\u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh Lord, our menus don&#8217;t have pictures.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Welcome to Ray&#8217;s,&#8221; Abigail said while smiling as brightly as she could.\u00a0 She reached for one of the menus set against the wall but the woman grabbed it first.\u00a0 &#8220;What can I get for ya?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Can I get about six eggs, ten slices of bacon and four pieces of buttered toast, please,&#8221; The girl said in perfect English.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail&#8217;s smile faltered.\u00a0 She glanced towards the parking lot and the small car nestled between the trucks, expecting to see someone within or on their way inside but there was nobody else.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Maybe fifteen pieces of bacon,&#8221; the girl muttered.\u00a0 &#8220;Yeah, fifteen.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Alright,&#8221; Abigail said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The newcomer was gaunt and pale with dark lines under her slim eyes.\u00a0 And now, standing this close to her, Abigail could smell a deep earthy scent.\u00a0 Of dirt and sap and something else entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Can I get a name for the order?&#8221; Abigail asked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Oh, I&#8217;m Sue,&#8221; the woman said while placing the menu back against the wall.\u00a0 &#8220;And a cup of coffee, please.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Sure thing, I&#8217;ll be right back with a new pot,&#8221; Abigail told her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only when she walked away and conversations resumed around her did she realize that everyone had stopped to listen in.\u00a0 Abigail rolled her eyes as she made her way to the kitchen window to grab the waiting plate and to drop off the new order.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;She speak English?&#8221; Grady asked when his food was set before him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Better than you,&#8221; Abigail answered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The waitress spun and grabbed a fresh pot of coffee to bring to the waiting girl.\u00a0 Once there, she turned over a clean white cup on a tray by the window to fill it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Here you go, hun,&#8221; Abigail said, reaching out the hand that held the cup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Faint traces of dirt and blood and viscera were caked beneath Sue&#8217;s fingers.\u00a0 She&#8217;d cleaned up in a nearby creek after waking up inside her tent while making a note to wash more thoroughly when she found a bathroom.\u00a0 Once she&#8217;d spotted the diner, a fierce hunger had taken hold and the thought slipped her mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A wide, curved obsidian claw peeked out from beneath the nail growing out from the cuticle on her right index finger.\u00a0 The claw receded slowly, dissolving back into the tip of her finger but not fast enough.\u00a0 It bit into the side of Abigail&#8217;s palm, slicing her deep enough to cause blood to flow immediately, coursing down her wrist to drizzle down onto the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail gasped.\u00a0 She dropped the coffee cup and it shattered, splashing hot coffee over her and against Sue&#8217;s arm.\u00a0 Sue growled, snatching her arm back while sliding closer to the wall.\u00a0 She quickly grabbed paper napkins to sop up the coffee<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Are you okay?&#8221; Sue asked, staring up at the waitress.\u00a0 She inhaled and her lips trembled briefly while drool pooled in her mouth.\u00a0 &#8220;What happened?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I- I don&#8217;t know!&#8221; Abigail said.\u00a0 She clenched her hand against her apron and her blood immediately soaked into it.\u00a0 &#8220;That really hurt!&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;You okay, Abi?&#8221; the owner, Ray, asked from behind the counter.\u00a0 &#8220;What&#8217;d that girl do to you?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;She didn&#8217;t do nothin&#8217;, Ray,&#8221; Abigail said firmly, turning to stare him down until his glower faded.\u00a0 &#8220;Don&#8217;t you go blaming people when you don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s happening.\u00a0 I just cut myself on one of your old, broken cups.\u00a0 That&#8217;s all.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Well, I&#8217;ll go get the first aid kit,&#8221; he grumbled.\u00a0 &#8220;Don&#8217;t <\/span><b><i>you<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> go bleedin&#8217; all over my diner, girl.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;m so sorry,&#8221; Abigail said.\u00a0 &#8220;I&#8217;ll get you a new cup and- and I&#8217;m sure you won&#8217;t have to pay for your food.\u00a0 Is your arm okay?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Yeah, I&#8217;m fine,&#8221; Sue told her.\u00a0 She licked her lips with her brow creased, swallowing and inhaling before shaking her head.\u00a0 &#8220;Don&#8217;t worry about me.\u00a0 I&#8217;m more worried about you.\u00a0 That looks like <\/span><b><i>a lot<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of blood.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ray returned and walked around the counter to grab the coffee-soaked napkins on Sue&#8217;s table.\u00a0 &#8220;Come on, girl, let&#8217;s get you cleaned up.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail followed the owner to the bathroom in the back.\u00a0 She hesitated when he opened the little kit.\u00a0 The idea of looking at her hand to see how bad the damage was terrified her.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Come on, then,&#8221; Ray said, nodding at her.\u00a0 &#8220;If it&#8217;s too bad, I&#8217;ll drive you over to the clinic to get it stitched.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a trembling right hand, Abigail unwrapped the apron covering her left hand.\u00a0 It was heavy and sticky and blood dripped freely when she accidentally squeezed it.\u00a0 Her clenched fist refused to open at first.\u00a0 She stared at it, willing the fingers to pull apart and, finally, they did.\u00a0 More blood ran down her palm before falling to the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Oh, Lord,&#8221; Abigail moaned.\u00a0 She looked away when Ray took her hand gently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;ll try to clean around it but it&#8217;ll probably sting like hell,&#8221; he told her.\u00a0 &#8220;Looks like it&#8217;s already stopped bleedin&#8217;, at least, so that&#8217;s good.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail peeked from the corner of her eyes when the alcohol wipe rubbed against her palm.\u00a0 The white fabric darkened to pink immediately but he continued to clean until it was smearing blood.\u00a0 He tore open another packet to finish cleaning the skin around the wound.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Alright, let&#8217;s see,&#8221; Ray muttered, reaching his fingers up to the dark, four inch long strip on the side of the woman&#8217;s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;No, wait-&#8221; Abigail said, pulling her hand away but he held her tight while gently prodding at the wound.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Well, what the hell, girl?&#8221; Ray said.\u00a0 He ran his thumb against her skin from the base of the cut to the tip.\u00a0 A half-formed scab flaked away to reveal smooth skin beneath.\u00a0 &#8220;Don&#8217;t never give blood because it looks like you&#8217;ll bleed out from a pinprick.\u00a0 Got me all worried over nothing.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;But, I-&#8221; the words died in her mouth as she touched her hand and turned it back and forth in front of her.\u00a0 Her apron was <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drenched<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in blood and she&#8217;d <\/span><b><i>felt<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the jagged edge of the cup tearing into her.\u00a0 Opening her up.\u00a0 A hot, quick pain that made her skin crawl.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Go on.\u00a0 Use one of the old aprons hanging in the back.\u00a0 That girl&#8217;s food&#8217;s probably gettin&#8217; cold.\u00a0 We won&#8217;t charge her for it or if she asks for anything else.\u00a0 As long as it&#8217;s reasonable.\u00a0 She&#8217;s small enough that she can&#8217;t eat us out of business anyways.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail continued to stare at her hand while shuffling towards the little closet they used as a break room.\u00a0 She opened and closed her fist, certain that the skin would part to show the gnarly wound she&#8217;d received but there was nothing and she felt fine aside from being slightly lightheaded.\u00a0 After bundling up her own apron, she placed it in her small cubbyhole and donned the new one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I just don&#8217;t understand,&#8221; she whispered with a last look at the side of her hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The large order of bacon, eggs, and toast was placed out on the window&#8217;s shelf seconds after Abigail walked out of the break room.\u00a0 She took it, ignored the worried stares of everyone around her and brought the waiting girl her food, careful to balance the overloaded plate in her right hand with her left gingerly touching the bottom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Thanks, I&#8217;m <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ravenous,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; Sue said, immediately grabbing a slice of bacon to shove into her mouth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Sorry again and don&#8217;t worry about paying anything.\u00a0 It&#8217;s on us,&#8221; Abigail told her but the girl was oblivious as she tore into her food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone asked what happened as she brought refills but she played off the incident as her overreacting and they eventually accepted it for what it was.\u00a0 She didn&#8217;t even realize the strange girl had left until she saw the car backing up and pulling away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rest of her shift continued as it always did, with the same faces ordering the same food and nearly the same daily, tired conversations replaying on a loop.\u00a0 She let it sink to the back of her mind as she worked, refilling drinks, taking orders, and bussing tables until Tracy came in to help with the initial lunch time crowd.\u00a0 When that died down, Abigail clocked out.\u00a0 She gathered her things but nearly forgot her rolled up apron until she smelled the sharp, strong scent of blood emanating from her cubby.\u00a0 She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth before grabbing the stiffened material.\u00a0 The dried blood cracked in her grip and she breathed deeply of it while holding it against her body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walking out to her car, Abigail felt sore.\u00a0 Her joints throbbed, dull with a pulsing ache that radiated throughout her body and left her feeling tired and weak.\u00a0 The girl yawned, hiding her cracking jaw behind her hand while sliding into the seat of her old Ford Escort.\u00a0 It whined as she put it into reverse and something in the engine screeched, putting her on edge until it settled and she shifted forward onto the road to make her way home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail&#8217;s bed called to her.\u00a0 She shivered with her arms wrapped around her sides as she made her way into her apartment and then deeper into her bedroom.\u00a0 The girl collapsed onto her bed without changing out of her clothes and she groaned as she nuzzled her face beneath the pillow.\u00a0 Sleep came quickly and mercifully.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hours later an alarm chirped loudly and happily, bringing Abigail out of her restless sleep.\u00a0 She moaned, reaching for her phone on her nightstand but her nails scraped against bare wood.\u00a0 The alarm continued to ring and she sat up, swaying slightly left to right before pushing up to stand.\u00a0 Despite the way the phone echoed and knowing she hadn&#8217;t felt it earlier, she still stared at the nightstand.\u00a0 It somehow sounded loud enough to be right there next to her but it wasn&#8217;t and so she wandered through her apartment, tracking the sound to her purse where it slumped against the wall by the front door.\u00a0 She silenced the phone and sighed, staring at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was her weekly alarm to start getting ready for evening Mass.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She still felt tired but was buoyed by a strange energy that refused to let her relax or rest.\u00a0 After hanging her purse on a hook by the wall, she made her way into the bedroom to undress, slipping out of her work clothes and underwear.\u00a0 Every movement made her aware of her body.\u00a0 Her joints no longer ached as they had earlier but, instead, were inflamed and they pushed against the surrounding bones and flesh.\u00a0 Even more strange, her body weighed heavily against her in a subtle way and the touch of her clean bra and panties against her body was uncomfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Augh,&#8221; Abigail groaned, swaying while clenching her stockings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her equilibrium shifted, leaving her off balance until she reached out to steady herself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blonde hairs pierced the side of her hand, coiling as they lengthened over the healed wound from earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sensation passed and she breathed deeply several times until she trusted herself to continue getting dressed.\u00a0 She sat to slide her toes into the rolled up stockings, unwinding them while pulling the sheer material over her bare thighs.\u00a0 Her black dress followed with her zipping the side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail tugged at the pleating until the dress was settled against her body.\u00a0 It hung uncomfortably, pinching beneath her armpits and waist and stomach.\u00a0 She ran her hand down her belly and tugged at it again, growling lightly before giving up.\u00a0 It was still ill-fitting but she ignored it while walking to the back of her bedroom to sit at her vanity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The girl touched the simple cross she wore on a chain around her neck while staring at her face.\u00a0 A disconnected sensation caused her to gasp.\u00a0 For a brief moment, she felt as if she were floating over her own shoulder.\u00a0 It passed but left her distressed and awkward in her own body.\u00a0 She was certain that little things were off in her face.\u00a0 Little tiny details that she couldn&#8217;t place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Get a hold of yourself, Abi,&#8221; she told her reflection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Threads of gold appeared in her iris, blue fading to icy white before brightening to yellow that glowed in the lights surrounding the mirror.\u00a0 The thin black limbal ring around her eyes grew thick, widening as it pushed out.\u00a0 She scratched at the side of her hand before focusing on her hair and makeup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the very end, Abigail leaned forward with her tube of lipstick in hand, dragging it over her lips.\u00a0 The crimson coloring drew her eyes, reminding her of the blood covering her apron.\u00a0 The blood she could <\/span><b><i>still<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> smell.\u00a0 Her top lip flexed, raising to flash her teeth until she forced her mouth closed.\u00a0 Hackles rose on the nape of her neck.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Crap,&#8221; she grumbled, glancing at her phone on the table in front of her.\u00a0 She finished, touched her hair in several places and stood, rushing to the front to slip into her shoes and grab her purse.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail writhed as she drove to church.\u00a0 She grinded her back into the old car seat while rolling her shoulders and scratching at her neck and side and shoulders.\u00a0 The girl reached out to turn on the air conditioning when she began to feel uncomfortably warm but it did little to help.\u00a0 She felt flushed all the way to the tips of her ears and the loose strands of her bound hair teased the peach fuzz on the back of her neck whenever they moved against her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;m late, dangit,&#8221; she muttered as she pulled into the parking lot.\u00a0 It was nearly full already with only a few people milling about the entrance.\u00a0 She parked quickly and left her purse on the floorboards of the passenger seat while hurrying out of the car.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dusk settled over the town, orange and gray streaks through a dark blue sky.\u00a0 She smiled at Nora Wilson and her husband until she caught sight of the moon at the corner of her vision.\u00a0 Her smile grew slack and her mouth fell open.\u00a0 Abigail moaned quietly while her eyes widened.\u00a0 The strands of yellow spread, tearing through the blue until the pure silver light reflected off of her golden eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail shivered and moaned again while tearing her eyes away from the moon.\u00a0 Two drops of sweat fell down her back but she forced herself onward, slipping into the side entrance of the old, weathered church.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Abi, good to see you,&#8221; Father John told her with a warm smile.\u00a0 The beard he was trying to grow finally looked like more than rough stubble.\u00a0 He scratched it briefly and then waved the girl in.\u00a0 &#8220;I&#8217;ll be starting in a few minutes so go ahead and get ready.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll wait for you.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She nodded rather than answering, licking her lips and scratching at her hand as she crept slowly through the door leading into the nave of the church.\u00a0 Heads turned to watch her when she appeared.\u00a0 She swallowed as her lips trembled and she found herself gnashing her teeth.\u00a0 They ached at the roots but grinding them together helped slightly as she sat before the organ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her heart was pounding and more sweat broke out over her body.\u00a0 She could hear every rustling and coughing and throat clearing and pages turning and phones vibrating and more.\u00a0 It set her on edge, distracting her while the varied smells of the church and its occupants slowly wafted over to her.\u00a0 She inhaled, gagged and began to breathe shallowly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The door on the other side of the church creaked open.\u00a0 She bared her teeth in a silent snarl at the sudden movement but calmed when she saw Father John giving her the signal to start.\u00a0 The organ wheezed to life under her touch.\u00a0 Her ears trembled as the old pipes rumbled and the music swelled, painfully loud.\u00a0 The sound vibrated in her bones until she thought she&#8217;d go mad from it but she continued to play.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail&#8217;s fingers slipped on the keys.\u00a0 Her joints popped while the bones cracked and the skin surrounding them pulled tight.\u00a0 Her fingers strained forward, twitching as they flexed and stretched while muscles vibrated beneath the flesh, strands doubling and tripling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Whaah-&#8221; Abigail gasped, staring at her hands.\u00a0 The twitching fingers moved like chittering spiders creeping through a web-filled tunnel, pulling back before shoving forward and being forced at odd angles.\u00a0 Cramps seized her hands when she tried to move her fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The girl&#8217;s incisor flung out from her mouth in an arc until it clattered against the keys, blood and drool splattering against the white and black keys and the stops behind them.\u00a0 The metallic tang of blood filled the back of her throat, forcing her to cough.\u00a0 More teeth shot forth, cracking against the organ.\u00a0 She swallowed while pressing her hands against her mouth with her eyes wide in panic.\u00a0 Voices whispered behind her at the strange pause until she kicked back, standing and shoving the bench hard enough that it slammed against the floor behind her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With her hands against her face, she could <\/span><b><i>hear<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b><i>feel<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the bones scraping and creaking and cracking beneath the skin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Whuuhhh-&#8221; she moaned, shoving her hands away to stare at them in horror.\u00a0 Her thumbs were shortened against her extended palms while the other four fingers popped and flexed.\u00a0 Calluses were forming along the top of her palm and the bottom of her fingers.\u00a0 She stared as a fingernail fell away to reveal the wrinkled flesh beneath.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Nuhh nuhhh nuuhhhh!&#8221; Abigail tried to say through her ruined mouth while waving her palms.\u00a0 More fingernails were flicked away by the motion but she ignored them and ran, shoving the side door open and then slamming it shut behind her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her heart constricted in her chest and the pain of it shot through her core.\u00a0 Tendons stood out on her neck while sweat poured over her body.\u00a0 The chain of her necklace tightened painfully until she roared and grabbed at her throat to tear it away.\u00a0 And still the pain coursed through her while her heart hammered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dark points speared the tips of her fingers.\u00a0 The hot, throbbing pain of her claws taking root against the bones beneath was nothing compared to the torture being inflicted on the rest of her body but she still felt it and she roared when the claws slid forth to tear into her pale, bare skin. Blood seeped from the wounds but they healed within seconds. The black claws grew as wide as the tips of her swollen fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail tore at her dress in a frantic effort to ease the agony pounding through her chest.\u00a0 Muscles bulged when she flexed her biceps.\u00a0 The sleeves of the dress ripped to show thick veins beneath the hardened skin of her powerful arms.\u00a0 Blonde hairs grew in scattered patches over her forearms as she dug her fingers into the neck of her dress.\u00a0 She pulled and the front of her dress tore like paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hooks of her deadly claws caught the wire frame of her bra, easily tearing it in half down the center.\u00a0 Her breasts, slicked with sweat, shook as she flung the bra to the side.\u00a0 Her pink nipples hardened in the suddenly cool air, twisting and pushing outward while she ripped the rest of her dress apart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bone white fangs pierced the healing holes lining her jaw.\u00a0 Abigail roared, flinging spittle as the new teeth split her gums open to fill her mouth with blood once more.\u00a0 She swallowed, greedily this time, while running her tongue over the fangs.\u00a0 They forced her lips back when they grew at curved angles, overwhelming her small mouth until she felt her jaw and cheekbones <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">break<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 She gagged once more and fell to her knees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Wrrrrryyyyyy,&#8221; Abigail tried to say, panting and moaning while her mouth reshaped.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Air wheezed through the girl&#8217;s lips as she raised her head in a mock howl.\u00a0 Skin pulled tight over her ribcage when the bones opened like gruesome wings.\u00a0 Her sternum snapped but healed and the density increased before cracking again and healing once more.\u00a0 The girl&#8217;s already slim stomach sucked inward when her chest opened, leaving her with a gaunt appearance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The blonde hairs growing over her arms reached up to her shoulders.\u00a0 They lengthened into curly strands as they crept over to her neck and down over her chest and back.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explosions rocked her back, forcing her to her hands and knees.\u00a0 The agony she&#8217;d felt before was <\/span><b><i>nothing<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compared to what she was experiencing now.\u00a0 Muscle fibers grew throughout her body and now they tore at her spine, forcing them up against her back until the pronounced s-curve threatened to tear the skin over her back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her shoulder blades swelled, flexing inward and outward with every ragged breath she took.\u00a0 Her broad chest lent her voice a deep, growling bass as she pushed down, forcing her back inward until her hips cracked and the stub of her tail shoved up against her flesh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The muscles spreading through her body <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pulled<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> her apart.\u00a0 She growled, snapping and gnashing her teeth when her feet pushed back against the thin carpet and her spine snapped in quick succession.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Abi!\u00a0 Abigail!&#8221; Father John yelled as he entered the back area.\u00a0 &#8220;Oh my God!\u00a0 Oh God!\u00a0 What&#8217;s wrong, Abigail!&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anger filled her.\u00a0 His voice was too loud and his fear prickled her nerves.\u00a0 Her ears bent as she forced herself to stand.\u00a0 He stopped in front of her, his face a mask of terror as he stared at her lengthening jaw.\u00a0 Microscopic hooks pulled her nose wide as her muzzle grew in place.\u00a0 Blonde stubble dotted her cheeks.\u00a0 Her ears twitched as they stretched, the tips unrolling to strain outwards into sharp points covered in short gray hairs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> she thought to herself, shaking her head while growling and licking her lips.\u00a0 As her muzzle grew, more fangs emerged from the gaps in her jaw until she was left with a mouthful of fearsome teeth.\u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I- I- I-&#8221; Father John stuttered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She reached for him, placing her hand on his shoulder with a pleading look in her golden eyes.\u00a0 The girl licked her lips, flashed her fangs and growled while her still growing ears flexed down.\u00a0 She towered over Father John now and she stared down at him.\u00a0 Breathing in his terror.\u00a0 Smelling his blood and meat.\u00a0 The beast hungered within her and it grew larger with every passing second.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Faaaatherrrrrr heeelp,&#8221; she moaned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail clenched her paw, easily snapping the priest&#8217;s clavicle while her curved claws tore chunks of flesh from his back.\u00a0 His screams filled the room.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;No.\u00a0 No!\u00a0 Quiet!\u00a0 Be! Be QUIET!&#8221; Abigail roared.\u00a0 Rage filled her.\u00a0 She would be caught.\u00a0 He would draw their attention and they would <\/span><b><i>see<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> her.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The girl lunged forward, snapping her jaws against the man&#8217;s throat.\u00a0 Blood gushed over the bare skin high on her cheeks and forehead as well as the golden fur marching over her jaw.\u00a0 She reached up with her other hand to hold him in place as she tore into him while forcing him down to the ground.\u00a0 Her short tail curled and waved slowly behind her, hairless still, as she feasted.\u00a0 Blood gurgled through his ruined throat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long hairs wound through the holes in Abigail&#8217;s stockings as they tore over her swelling thighs.\u00a0 Her panties sawed into her sex when her hips widened to match her growing frame but she ignored it as she ripped meat from her prey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only when she felt her toes cracking and popping did she growl and look back, staring as the tiny points of her growing claws tore through the flats she&#8217;d worn. The soles separated when the joints grew swollen and her feet widened.\u00a0 Abigail kicked her feet back, first one and then the other until they were bare.\u00a0 Her big toes shriveled into thick dewclaws while her arches vanished, pulled flat by bones and muscles reshaping in her feet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Father John, we heard screams.\u00a0 Is everything-&#8221; a feminine voice asked.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail could smell the woman&#8217;s perfume from twenty feet away but she ignored her until the woman spoke.\u00a0 The door creaked open but Abigail coiled back on her paws and leapt, breaking the door from its hinges.\u00a0 It bent under Abigail&#8217;s weight, pressing into the woman and then <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">down<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, crushing her skull against the ground and killing her instantly.\u00a0 Blood oozed out into a wide, dark pool over the marble floor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screams filled the nave.\u00a0 People close to the front ran first, pushing others to the ground in their rush to escape while the people in the back tried to see what had happened.\u00a0 Abigail jumped, claws out and arms wide in order to tackle an older woman struggling to stand.\u00a0 She grabbed the woman&#8217;s head and pulled, tearing it free to throw behind her before reaching out to grab a young man that had flirted with her the day before.\u00a0 She pushed, forcing him to the ground while clamping her jaws over his shoulder and back, tearing into him as he screamed beneath her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abigail&#8217;s torn stockings were nearly hidden beneath the thick curly blonde fur that covered her entire body.\u00a0 Brilliant crimson blood, glistening bone and chunks of flesh littered her fur as she forced her muzzle into the dead man&#8217;s back to gnaw against his spine.\u00a0 Her tail, heavy and thick with fur, waved behind her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her hunger seemed unending and the rage continued to boil as she stood slowly on two legs, her sharp ears tall while her black-ringed eyes stared at the chaos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She would hunt them all, she knew.\u00a0 Even when she was sated and full, she would continue to hunt under the light of the moon, one by one until they were all dead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The beast demanded it and Abigail, hidden beneath layers and layers and layers of pain and anger, quailed as she shared in the excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warning: painful transformation, death, violence, and gore. Were-World&#8217;s Sue makes a stop in a sleepy town the morning after a full moon. I wrote a fan fiction piece for Were-World ( https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/were-world\/gallery?catpath=\/ ) based on their &#8220;Sue&#8221; stories. All &#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=786\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Passing Through<\/span><span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[174,269,46,246,9,23,5],"class_list":["post-786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-story","tag-female-werewolf","tag-gore","tag-pain","tag-shewolf","tag-transformation","tag-violence","tag-werewolf"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42NMN-cG","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=786"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":789,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions\/789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}