Hairwolf

It takes Lillian a moment to digest what she’s seeing. Is that fur over Stefanie’s face? What is that black band running ear to ear across her eyes?

The Creature-Stef raises her hands and considers the leather gloves with curiosity. Her deep blue eyes stand out adding to her mystique. Stef’s eyes were never this blue. Her features, somewhat concealed by the hair, show a hint of fur just below her cheekbones. She stares at the gloves. Then, her long, dark shiny claws pierce through the tough hide of the leather as they grow

to completion. This amuses the Creature-Stef.

Lillian, on the other hand, can’t believe what she’s seeing. Although she’s several yards away, she

can tell this is no parlor trick. Stefanie could have done her hair up and used contact lenses but how’d she get those claws to rip through those gloves. How’d she do that? No one can grow claws like that and pierce leather. She watches as portions of Stef’s soft beautiful skin transforms into layers of dark shiny fur. The growth covers half of her legs and arms.

Lillian’s unable to move, afraid to breathe. Her face grows numb, eyes, wide, mouth, slack-jawed and dry.

The Creature-Stef, nearly complete, pauses in relief from the exhausting change. She tilts her head back, soaking up the moonlight as if nourished by it. Muscles twitch from growth spurts. The moon’s rays fuel the transformation and she’s drinking it up.

This creature, which is no longer Stefanie, is stunning and horrifying at the same time. Majestic, yet strange. Her pupils are black, vertical slashes, within blue lenses. Her upper lip is pronounced, hinting at a snout, not fully protruded, but distinctive. White fangs peak from the sides below her upper lip. The bottom of her nose shines a leathery brown.

She wears a thin band of dark fur across her eyes much like Ominous. Her cheekbones are flush red with no fur. She is a stunning creature, appearing as fragile as she is threatening. Curious as she is cautious. She is indeed a werewolf. And for the moment, unaware of Lillian.

Her ears, still flesh toned, protrude sharply from the sides separating her hair. The tops are somewhat pointed like a wolf’s, but not as large. A thin layer of fur coats the front of her shoulders under the dark t-shirt. As she stretches to the sky, the t-shirt rises above her belly, revealing muscles over a glistening sheen of sweat. Another area not covered in fur.

Lillian’s only movement is that from short breaths, matching her racing heart. She’s terrified. Her

back is pressed tight to the tree, unseen by this freak of nature.

The Creature-Stef looks at the gloves and her claws piercing through them but disregards them. She’s reborn and greets the night with a loud and joyful howl.

Lillian, on the contrary, is far from joyful. She’s scared to death by this nightmare. This isn’t Stef. She doesn’t know what it is, but it is not Stef.

The Creature-Stef scans the area, distracted by the many scents. She finds one and follows it to the front of the truck. She looks suspiciously off into the woods, away from Lillian’s position. Something was here, she knows it, but can’t identify it. She turns back and locates a second scent

near the rear of the truck. She leaps to the rear tire and finds it. It leads to the tree where Lillian is standing but she doesn’t see her.

Lillian, using the stick, slowly hooks the elastic band of the mosquito netting and lowers it over her face, careful not to alert the creature to her presence. Then, just as slowly, she returns the stick to i’s raised position over her head.

Stef, following the scent, cautiously approaches the tree, unaware but curious as to what may be the source of the scent. As she draws closer, she freezes. There’s something there. She recoils into a striking position, eyes locked in on Lillian. She’s located the intruder. What is this? Who is this? She doesn’t recognize Lillian or knows what to do. She’s as perplexed as Lillian is scared.

Poised to strike, she threatens with her right claw raised high and fangs fully exposed. Lillian wouldn’t have a chance against her. No one would. At least no human. She’s ready to do battle. But this person isn’t moving. Maybe it’s harmless.

Less than two feet away, Lillian gets a good close up look at her. This can’t be Stef. Can’t be. She has fur and fangs – new ears. Her hair is different as is her skin. She has slash marks for eyebrows that point down towards her nose. Strands of hair part her face until a breeze reveals the curious creature staring blankly at Lillian. And that’s probably the most frightening thing for Lillian. Here she is, all alone with this sudden unknown. There’s no Stefanie to talk to. Stef is

gone. In her place stands this werewolf.

The eyes of the Creature-Stef are curious, untrusting and empty. Empty of person, identity, and recognition as they look back at Lillian. She raises her arms, flexing the muscles in her hands, stretching the tight leather gloves until they split at the seams and fall off. She quirks her head, waiting for a response from this intruder. But there is none. No challenge and no retreat. Creature-Stef raises her claws as if to be showing them off.

Lillian remembers the knives on her hip and slowly slides her left hand down to her side,

palming the handle of the Bowie knife. She’s unsure what she’ll do but equally unsure what may come.

At least she’s thinking and no longer frozen in fear. She grips the handle tightly but can she do it? Can she kill this thing that she knows is or more precisely was, her best friend?

The creature looks into the mask, finding Lillian’s eyes looking back. She positions her sharp pointy claw at Lillian’s neckline.

Lillian, retreating, starts to draw the knife from the sheath as she gasps for breath. But the creature isn’t hurting her. It’s just pressing its single claw against her skin. Lillian can feel the tip, it’s wet,

cold and sharp. She feels a little pinch as the claw hooks under the elastic band of the mask and lifts off her face. The claw slides the band up and over Lillian’s eyes, revealing Lillian’s horrified

features. Lillian’s only hope is if it recognizes her. If it does she won’t need the knife. If it doesn’t, then, well, that’s another decision she’ll have to make just not now.

The Creature-Stef draws the elastic band away from the skin, and with a flick of her finger, releases it, causing it to slap Lillian’s forehead. This was a deliberate tease. A bullying move. Lillian jumps. It worked. She’s scared. The Creature-Stef eases back, studying her and is no longer threatened by her. She knows she could end this person any minute. Then, as if triggering a memory, a scent from this stranger captivates her.

She takes several sniffs of the air around Lillian. It’s familiar. Very familiar. She breathes her in again. She should know her but doesn’t. This frustrates her. She’s locked out of her own thoughts

and memories. She grows very angry, stomping her feet into the dirt. She’s puzzled, struggling with the familiarity but unable to connect to it.

She notices Lillian lifting her left hand away from the knife. This new activity causes the creature

Stef to forget her anger and focus on the present. She looks back at Lillian and then to the other hand, holding the raised stick in it, poised to strike. She holds eye contact with Lillian, querying, wondering, waiting ...

Lillian, barely able to speak mutters, “Fi... fi... fi... fi... fetch?”

The Creature-Stef and Lillian stand poised, curious over each other, motives as different as

their appearance. For Lillian, it’s the reality of this thing standing before her and what it wants. For the Creature-Stef, it’s the reality of this thing standing before her with a stick in its hand. One thing is clear, the next action by either will determine the result.

The Creature-Stef slowly raises her left hand, pointing her claws at the stick. She then guides her fingers over and under the stick, and snaps it in two with the slightest effort. She awaits a response from the human with a hint of cockiness.

Lillian, horrified, back pressed tight against the tree, has no response. She can’t move, she can’t blink, and she can’t believe the strength exhibited in those fingers.

The Creature-Stef relaxes her posture. This human is no threat.

She drops the stick to the ground as her attention is taken by the calm chirping of a nearby bird. When she turns back, her human-plaything is gone.

Lillian runs blindly into the deep, dark forest, wanting only to get away. But her fear has clouded her better judgment and her actions have triggered the predator – prey instinct in the beast. It’s game on.

Lillian jumps over downed trees and gullies like a gazelle. The girl can run. Especially when being chased. But the Creature-Stef can run faster. Her powerful legs propel her high

over the downed trees and gullies. She uses boulders as launching pads, gaining several yards at a time, watching as the human runs past. It’s fun for awhile, but then something causes her concern.

She stomps the ground, expelling a strange warning sound for her plaything but it’s to no regard. This plaything isn’t stopping.

The Creature-Stef races on after her at a desperate sprint.

Up ahead is a cliff. It’s a high cliff. Perhaps the cliff that Stef spoke about. And Lillian is nearly upon it. The Creature-Stef dives for Lillian’s foot and trips her up. Lillian goes head-over-heals,

tumbling towards the cliff’s edge. The tumbling turns into a slide which leads to the sudden drop off and the lake below. Lillian grasps frantically for anything that will hold her. Her hand

finds a spruce sapling growing out of the ledge. She locks her fingers around it as her arm

snaps straight. It’ll hold for the moment. Lillian assesses her situation. It isn’t good. Up above, the creature awaits, down below, the dark wet waters.