3Lyn opened her eyes. She looked at the clock on the other side of the room. 4 am. She realized she was drooling all over her pillow. Her stolen muscle shirt from a former boyfriend and silky pajama shorts were disheveled. She rolled out of bed and scuffed to her bathroom. Her semi- long hair was knotted and going in very odd ways. She grabbed her glasses out of the bathroom and stomped back to her bed. Lyn shuffled herself back under her covers. That's the second weird dream I've had. I never go back to sleep afterwards. It's always wolves. Lyn shrugged and banished any more thoughts. She grabbed the latest novel out from under bed, and began reading.
She woke up again sprawled out all over her bed. Her head was at the foot of her bed and one foot was resting on a pillow and the other hanging off the side of the bed. Her book was lying open by her arm and the other arm was resting on the floor. Lyn groggily looked at the clock again, 10:00 am.
"DAMMIT!" She yelled and fell off the side of the bed. "Ow, fuck." She grabbed her glasses and ran into the bathroom where she turned the shower on to warm. She scrubbed quickly and hopped out where she ran with a towel to her room. She grabbed her dark blue jeans from yesterday, threw on a button up shirt and grabbed her tan leather, with the fur lining. She grabbed her gloves that were warming on the heater. Lyn hopped out of the door with one shoed foot and putting the other on. Thankfully, it was Sunday and no one was using the elevator to get out of her apartment building. She did however crash into the maid on her way into the elevator. She apologized and slipped into the closing doors.
Ann's going to kill me. She thought as the elevator slowly went down its shaft. Lyn burst from the door knocking over an incoming college resident seeking shelter from the freshly showering snow. She apologized to him and fished her keys out of her jeans pocket. She hopped in her SUV and pulled out in front of other people who showed her their displeasure.
"Screw you." She said to the last trucker that blared their horn. She floored it out of town and reached an old ranch. She threw her car into park, and ran quickly through the snow up to the front door. She slipped on the step and fell. Luckily, someone opened the door and she landed on the welcome mat just instead the door.
"Hi Ann." She said as she picked herself up from the floor. "Hi yourself, you're late. Again." Ann said. The blonde folded her arms in disgust. "Well, sorry. I had a hard night last night." Lyn said. She threw her coat and boots on the wet floor. "You were out partying and you forgot about today." Ann said. "That's not true! How could it? I never party and you know it! You're the one who parties all the time!" Lyn yelled back. "Girls please! You'll never quit will you? What would your mother think? Hearing you two squabbling like two cats in her home." A gruffy old man with a mustache said. "Sorry Dad." They said in unison. "That's better. Now let's get this over with. I know neither of you want to do this, but we need to get your mother's will sorted out." He said picking up some boxes. "Yes Dad." They both said childishly.
They sorted through until late evening. It started snowing again. "This is the last of your guys' childhood things." Their father said heaving them up from the basement. "What do you say we call it a night and we'll finish this up in the morning?" "Sounds good to me!" Ann said leaping up. "Will is waiting for me at home." "Be careful going home then Annie." Her father said, giving her a hug. He and Ann waved her good-bye through the window. "And what about you?" He said turning to Lyn. "I hate driving home in snow. I think I'll stay. I want to dig through some more old things of mine." "Alright. Maybe it'll speed things up a little bit. You're a bit more diligent than your sister since you dumped Drake." "He moved too fast. Not my style. I'll end up being single for the rest of my life." Lyn smiled. "Well, you always have this man to give a hug to you." Her dad said. "Thanks Dad." She gave him a hug. He headed upstairs. She waited until his door was shut before she began digging.
She dug around in photo albums, old clothes, stuffed animals and baby blankets. She sorted hers and Ann's out.
"Well, that's the last of it. Wait." Lyn said looking at the bottom of the box. There was a small wooden box tied with a burgundy ribbon. It had the initials HL scratched in the top next to the ribbon bow.
"Who the heck is HL?" She asked herself quietly. She picked up the box and turned it around in her hands.
All wooden. Red, and obviously old ribbon. Holes from moths were eaten through it. The wood was unharmed. Lyn was mystified by it. This was in hers and Ann's box but neither one of them had any 'H' in their name.
It hit her suddenly. This is grandma's! Heather Langdon. Those were the initials on the box. I've seen everything that was grandma's. In fact, I remember this too. At grandma's will reading, it was given to Mom. I asked her what it was and she wouldn't tell me. She just looked like the guy handed her a dead animal. She stared surprised. I snuck a peek when I could, but she tore it away from me. She said it was a bad thing. How could anything of Grandma's been bad? What is it? She began to pull one end of the ribbon, when she heard something from upstairs. She froze exactly how she was. It was her father upstairs getting a drink from the bathroom. She waited until he grunted and shut is door again before she let out her breath. She continued to pull on the ribbon slowly. It came undone and floated gently to the ground. She took the top cover of the box off. Her heart thudded in anticipation. There was something wrapped in an old cloth that yellowed with age. She unfolded the object. In the cloth. It revealed to be a black leather dog collar with silver spikes. It looked new. How could something so old look this good. It's even leather. It looks like new. What's this? She pulled out a note written in perfect script. 'Dear Heather, Happy Birthday.' Well, that was weird. I always wanted to be Gothic anyways. She snapped the collar on around her neck. Wow! This is really comfy! I bet I could sleep with this on even!
The mists parted from the full moon. It had shown brightly through the faded window curtains. She was admiring it. This black looks so new! I can't figure it out. It's my great-grandmother's gift to Grandma. I guess she never wore it. It's in great shape. She continued admiring it. She slowly began to feel hot, and later she felt very feverish. Why the hell is it so hot in here? My God, it's snowing outside and I'm sweating! What the hell is wrong with me? She stripped down into her stolen muscle shirt that she slipped on underneath her clothes and her jeans. She took off her tennis shoes and socks and paced around in order to get a breeze. It's so HOT! She fanned herself with her hand. She felt a tingling sensation over her body. I can feel the sweat run down my back! A pain in her fingernails came to her attention. What the hell? Her nails were black and growing into a curved point. Patches of grey fur were growing on the back of her hands and her shoulders. Lyn felt her teeth shift and her canines push forward. Her nose grew out into a muzzle. Her ears became large and elongated. They pulled up to the top of her head. They pointed with black tips. Her short black hair grew longer, quickly. She tried to speak but only a snarl came out. Lyn felt the balance shift on her feet. Her toes became thicker and shorter. The sole of her foot stretched. Pads developed on the ball and on each of her toes. Pads also were on her fingertips and where her palm was. She fell to her hands from the balance change. Her knees bent from the foot change. The knee burst from her jeans with dark grey fur. She arched her back when it popped down along her spine. A bushy tail burst from the seat of her pants. Lyn panted. Her dog tongue lolled about the side of her muzzle. Her black hair hung about; longer than the rest. It made a ridge of black fur down to the top of her tail and a black mane around her neck and down to her chest. Some of the spikes from the collar protruded from her long hair. Her hands, feet, muzzle and underbelly were a pale grey. The rest was dark grey. Her glasses fell off. Lyn's vision was blurry for a moment. One of her irises remained dark blue, the other was a dark green. Her yellow eyes fuzzily scanned the room she was in. Lyn laid down on her hands and stomach and fell asleep.
She woke up with the sunrise shining through the windows. The orange clouds outside announced it was just sun rise. She got up, half- asleep, and walked over to the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and looked in the mirror.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Lyn screamed and she went backwards and fell. "This has got to still be a dream!" She felt the fur on her arms. It feels real but it can't be! She bit herself on the arm with her teeth. She yelped. Red blood came from the wound. Werewolves aren't real! I'm not one! Lyn fall to her knees and started to cry.
"Lyn? Where are you? What is the matter?" Her dad said. She covered her ears and ignored him. She hoped if he did find her; he would put her out of her misery. "Lyn? Lyn where are-Oh my god." He said. Lyn knew he was in doorway, staring at her. Her body shuddered. Get it over with please! " that you?" She shook her head. Another tear fell off the end of her nose. "Oh God, Lyn what happened?" He knelt to her. She pulled away. "Don't touch me. I'm a monster." "Oh Lyn. How did this happen?" He asked. "If I knew, I wouldn't have done it." She half-growled and sobbed. "Lyn, don't be that way. Let me help you." "Shoot me with a silver bullet." She snarled. "Lyn, no." He said. He took notice of the collar protruding from her black hair. "Where did that collar come from?" "It's Grandma Heather's. It's from my great-grandmother to her. For some birthday. Why? Do you know what it is?" She said. Lyn turned to her father. "Your mother only told me that her family had a terrible curse. She wouldn't tell me otherwise when I asked." "Dammit." Lyn swore. "Well, it has something to do with Grandmother, who isn't available for questioning. Neither is Mom. And obviously Great- Granny is out of commission." "I don't know Lyn. Your great-grandmother was never heard from again after her 25th birthday. She just disappeared." "But it's highly unlikely. Think about it. Right now she would be 147 years old." "Well, if I know anything about werewolves, they're pretty much immortal." "Really? So I'm stuck like this practically forever. Wonderful." "Heeeeeeellllloooooooo?! Anybody home? I came back to help and-OH MY GOD!" Ann said. Her shrill voice even hurt Lyn's ears. "Dad, what is that thing?!" "Hi Ann." Lyn said from the floor. "L-L-Lyn? Really? What happened?" Ann said. "It seems to me that great-grandmother left a present for me." "Well, that's interesting. Now you live up to the name 'bitch.' You had better shave your legs before you find a date anytime soon." Ann laughed. Lyn growled and leapt and Ann. Ann screamed and was down. Lyn was standing over her. Her black hackles were raised. Her lips curled, her white fangs clenched. The dog ears were pinned against her head. Ann was panting from fear of the beast on top of her. "Lyn, Ann please!" Their dad said. "Lyn! Come to your senses!" Lyn turned and snarled at her dad. "Lyn control it!" Ann whimpered underneath Lyn. A tear ran down her cheek as she sniffled. Lyn turned to her. Saliva dripped off her bottom lip. Ann quivered. Snot came from her nose and she whimpered again as another tear ran down her cheek. Lyn's dream flashed in front of her eyes. Her sister's big brown eyes became like the doe's. A tear ran down the doe's fur. Lyn shook her head. Her ears moved from anger to hurt. She hid her eyes but a tear ran down her muzzle. She moved back and sat in a squat. He rested her elbows on her knees. Ann twisted around and dashed out from underneath her. She ran to their father and hid behind him. "Lyn?" Her father said. Lyn bent over on all fours and started sobbing. "What am I going to do Dad? What am I going to do?" "Oh couldn't have known. I'm so sorry." He leaned down and stroked her fur. "This is partially my fault. Your mother told me to burn that box, but seeing how I never knew what was in it, I didn't." Ann stood there for a moment. "Listen, I' about earlier. I guess that." "It's okay. I apologize too. For ." Lyn said turning to her sister. " ." Ann stuttered. "Just hug already!" Their dad said. They stared at each other for a while. Lyn opened her arms first. "Well, you're .fur is really soft." "This will definitely take some getting used to." Lyn said.