Never Again
WARNING: This story depicts graphic scenes of violence, and abusive language.
Discretion advised.
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This story takes place in the "Winds of Change" universe.
click [here](%5C) for background info.
Never Again
"I had that dream again last night. The one where I am stalking through the tall grass on an open plain, and I can just make out the legs of something through the cover. I slowly creep closer, and suddenly with a tremendous burst of speed head right for my target. Just as I am about to pounce on my victim, it turns around and...it's me! That's when I wake up, every time." Scott sighed. "What does it mean, mom?"
Without turning her head from her sink full of dishes, Maria replies, "From what I've read, and heard on TV, it could mean that you are getting ready for your Change. I know you have not even seen your First Sign yet, but I'm sure you're just a late bloomer." Her large bushy tail twitches in quiet thought, as she continues to scrub the dishes.
Scott had been distracted all day at school because of his dream from the previous night. This had been going on for over a month now, the dream reoccurring every few nights. The sound of a car door slamming shut shook him from his thoughts.
Oh great. He is home.
Before Scott even had a chance to grab his book bag from the chair next to him, the kitchen door bursts open as a grumpy hyena-morph walks in. Proceeding directly to the refrigerator, Bruce tosses his briefcase towards the chair with Scott's book bag, causing it to miss and fall on the floor.
Letting an exaggerated sigh escape, he turns on Scott, "How many times do I have to tell you not to leave your crap laying around?" Pulling the book bag from the chair, he tosses it heavily into Scott's lap, who in turn gives a small "oof" from the force.
Giving the teenager a wry "humph", Bruce turns back to the 'fridge and pulls out two beers. Without even closing the door, he chugs the first one and lets out a loud " belch!" After wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Bruce closes the door and slumps down in a chair. Turning to Maria, he cracks the other beer open and bellows, "Where is my dinner, squirrel?"
Maria sheepishly reply's, "I haven't started it yet. I needed to finish the dishes before I could start-"
"Dammit woman! You know good and well that when I get home I expect to have a hot meal waiting. I don't want your excuses, just make me some dinner and make it quick!"
Taking another pull of his beer, Bruce turns to Scott, who had begun to make his way out of the room clutching his bag. "Well? Shouldn't you go and do your homework or something?" Scott returns the glare for a moment, and then heads off for his room.
Closing the door behind him, Scott flops down on his bed and stares at the ceiling. Man, this sucks. Looks like I'll be stuck in here for the rest of the night. Oh, well. Should probably make the best of it. Rifling through his bag, he pulls out his homework for the day and is soon lost in his studies.
**
*KNOCK*KNOCK*
"Scott? Aren't you going to eat your dinner?"
It took him a moment to register that it was his mother's slightly muffled voice from the other side of his bedroom door. Looking up from his books, the clock read 8:30. Geez, that was two hours already?
"Yeah mom, I'll get it in a few."
"Okay, your plate is still on the stove when you're ready."
Scott could hear his mother shuffle down the hallway back into the living room. Although muffled by the door and the blaring TV, he still managed to hear Bruce complain to Maria, "That kid is old enough to make his own damn dinner, you shouldn't baby him like you always do."
Typical hypocrite.
As he starts to put his books away, he can barely make out a "Yes dear," from his mother. With a sigh, Scott opens his door and makes a direct line for the kitchen, his eyes downcast in an attempt to avoid any contact with his parents. Just as he passes the doorjamb between the living room and the kitchen, Bruce bellows, "Hey!"
Now what?
"Don't forget to wash your dirty dishes when you get done. And take out the trash while you're at it."
Wish I could take you out to the trash...
With a slump in his shoulders, Scott retrieves his lukewarm dinner. Oh boy, fake pork chops and biscuits.
Ever since The Change had irrevocably changed society, the price of meat had gone up, and his family's finances had not been the best, so Scott had to endure another night of "substitute" meat.
At least it is bland so I won't notice the taste.
Not that he had much of an appetite anyway, his thoughts always returned to wondering when his Change would come. Scott would be a junior in high school next year, which would mean his schedule would include the Change classes. Something he was not looking forward to at the moment.
With a quiet sigh, he sat down at the table and ate his dinner. When that was done, he did as was requested and washed the dishes, including the dishes from his parents. A few minutes later it was time for the trash. Changing the full bag in the container, Scott took the load out the side door of the kitchen and around to the side of the small house he has called home for the past few years.
Geez I hope I can at least finish school before we move again.
Distracted by his thoughts and unable to see in the darkness, Scott tripped on a tangle of weeds. Falling face first into the rough grass and banging his nose into the hard ground, he let out a sharp " ow!"
Great, that's all I need is a broken nose.
Rolling onto his back, the trash momentarily forgotten, Scott gingerly brings his hands up to his nose. Pressing this way and that, he cannot feel anything out of place or even any blood.
Funny...it doesn't even hurt.
Just then, he feels something...different about his nose. It feels almost flat. Must have landed harder than I thought. Picking himself up off the ground, Scott finishes with the trash and heads back to the kitchen door. Stopping briefly at the door, he takes a moment to look up at the stars, and for a moment is content. That is until there is an itch on his cheek under his eye.
Hope I didn't scratch my face too. Guess I should go in a check it out.
Heading for the kitchen sink, he proceeds to wash his hands. Reaching for the dishtowel sitting on the window ledge, Scott notices his reflection. His nose appears to be black, as well as both sides of his face.
Oh man, that can't be good.
Forgetting the towel, Scott ran by the living room and down the hall to the bathroom. "His" bathroom, since there is also a bathroom in the master bedroom. Slamming the door, he flicks on the light and closes his eyes, temporarily blinded. Facing the direction of the mirror, he slowly opens his eyes and is surprised at the reflection looking back.
His nose had shifted further down his face towards his lips, and it was black. In addition to his strange nose, Scott now had two black "tear" streaks running from just below his eyes down to his chin.
A slow "Whoa..." is all he could manage to get out before there was a sharp rapping knock on the door.
"Scott? Are you all right in there? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah mom, I'm fine. I just tripped and banged my nose when I took out the trash."
Scott could hear, no he could smell the concern in his mother's tone. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need to see a doctor?"
A muffled, "He is not going to see the doctor, we can't afford that. So what if he got a bloody nose? He's a big boy now, he just needs to suck it up and take it like a man."
Ignoring the comment, Scott replies, "No, mom, really I'm fine. I'm just going to get washed up and go to bed."
"Okay. Good night then."
Scott continued to stare at his reflection, prodding his new nose with a finger. So this is my first sign huh? Wonder what I'll turn in to? Upon closer inspection he sees that the tear streaks are actually long patches of fur, in addition to a thin layer of golden blonde fur. Reaching up, he gently runs a finger down his face, tracing one of the long black streaks. Surprisingly, Scott finds that he can feel all the hairs move as his finger makes a furrow through the fur.
Wow. That will take some getting used to.
Scott listens to his parents make their way into the bedroom and waits until the door closes and the muffled conversation dies down before risking opening the door. Quietly, he makes his way back down the hall to his room and shuts the door behind him.
I wonder how this will go over?
He knows that his mother will be happy for him, but at the same time Bruce will not be. A visit to the Change doctor will cost money. Given their financial situation though, anything that is not considered a "necessity" by Bruce usually means that there is no money for it.
Maybe if he didn't consider beer a "necessity" then we could afford more things.
With a sigh, Scott slips out of his day clothes and into some nightclothes and hops into bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he falls asleep dreaming of roaming a large grassy plain.
**
*BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEE-*
"Get yer lazy ass outta bed or you'll be late for school!!" Scott heard Bruce's muffled yell from the kitchen.
Groggily, Scott rolls out of bed. Glancing at the clock, it reads 6:45. Welcome to another crappy day. At least there is only 2 more weeks of school left, which means only 2 more weeks of getting up at the crack of dawn.
An overwhelming urge to yawn grips Scott, and as he opens his mouth he can feel his tongue curl up as his lips pull back across his teeth...his pointed teeth. That thought was enough to stop his yawn short, leaving him to run his now slender, raspy tongue around his mouth, making a note that he now possessed very sharp teeth.
Whoa. Looks like whatever I'm becoming is a meat eater. I wonder how long it will take me to brush these guys now?
Reaching up to run a hand through his hair, Scott discovers he no longer has "hair." Instead his whole head (and his face he assumes) is covered in short, thick fur. Running his hand over his head is strangely soothing. A loud bang on the door jolts him out of his new discoveries. "Are you up yet?? Get your ass moving, I'm leaving in 5 minutes with or without you. Do you hear me?"
" YES!! I'm UP!"
Aiming a scowl at the closed door, Scott quickly gets dressed and tosses all his books into his bag. Even in his haste, he notices that his fingernails are longer and more pointed than they were last night.
At this rate I'll be changed by the end of this week.
Leaving his room and making a quick stop in the bathroom, Scott chances a look in the mirror and sees the progress of last nights change. He did indeed have a predators grin now, nearly scaring himself when he produced a full smile at his reflection. His nose and upper lip had combined and pushed out slightly into the beginnings of a muzzle. He definitely had a feline appearance now.
A cat, huh? Well at least cats can run fast. Good thing I already like track. I'll be a lean, mean, running machine.
With a wink at his new self, Scott left the room and headed for the car.
The morning routine was to hitch a ride to school with Bruce, since there was no school bus that would pick him up this far into the suburbs, which was closer to the open countryside in Scott's opinion.
Scott had already gotten into the back seat of the aging Explorer when Bruce emerged from the house already wearing a grumpy expression. Upon seeing the state of Scott's Change, Bruce's eyes went wide and he produced a look of shocked surprise.
After a few seconds of gaping at Scott, the scowl on his face returned and muttering a few unintelligible things, he climbed into the truck. "Looks like you had an interesting night. I want you to stop by the school nurses office before I consider making you an appointment with a doc. From the markings on your face, looks like you will be a cheetah" he said with a distinct grumpy note to his voice. Looking into the rearview mirror and making eye contact with Scott, Bruce adds, "Figures."
Not quite making the connection that cheetahs and hyenas were natural enemies in the wild, Scott only nods and averts his eyes. The rest of the ride to school was in silence, which was fine with Scott.
**
All through the day, Scott got many compliments on his First Sign. Several people also told him he would indeed be a cheetah, and at lunch he confirmed this for himself with a trip to the library. Scanning through several books of pictures and descriptions, Scott was convinced that becoming a cheetah would be a welcome change. Possessing a sleek body, and of course being able to attain fantastic speeds, the cheetah appealed to Scott. He could hardly wait until later that afternoon when he would be on the track.
I may not be a full cheetah yet, but it will still feel good to run.
When it finally came to the end of the day, Scott made his way into the nurse's station, which was across the hall from the administration section of the school.
The school was not very large (by city standards anyway), but it still had a full time R.N. on staff who handled everything from scrapes and bruises to broken bones, Mr. Robert Lecht. The office receptionist greeted him (Ms. Mandilla Arnold, or Mandy as she preferred for everyone to call her). "You must be Scott Burke, right? Nice being today's topic of discussion, hmm?" she said with her version of a smile.
She was a brightly colored Red Cardinal, with the typical black face plumage and a small pointed yellow beak. She was the "flighted" type, which meant she possessed a set of wings independent of her arms. Scott briefly found her very beautiful but it had not been the first time he had seen her. He found himself staring as another feeling came over him that he was not expecting. Suddenly, it occurred to him that he felt...hungry. Shaking his head he realized he had not answered Mandy's question.
"Uh, yeah, I'm Scott," he stammered. "I made an appointment earlier with Mr. Lecht-"
"Of course, Scott. He is expecting you. Go right in."
"Thanks, Ms. Arnold."
"Call me Mandy, please." With a nod, Scott enters the second office.
Closing the door, Scott found Robert Lecht with his nose literally buried in an open textbook; he was a horse-morph after all. Of what kind, Scott could not easily discern since zoology was not one of his stronger points.
"Please sit down, I'll be with you in a sec..."
Scott mumbled out an "Ok" before taking the chair in front of the desk.
"Acinonyx Jubatus," Robert says looking up from the textbook, "or more commonly known as the Cheetah. So how are you feeling Mr. Burke? Any more changes today?"
Now that he thinks about it, Scott mentions the annoying itchy feeling he's had the whole day, describing it like having and itch he cannot find.
"I'm sure it just means fur is getting ready to sprout everywhere," said Mr. Lecht. "You might consider wearing loose clothing for the next few days until you can get used to it. I'd also advise you to be prepared for an extra appendage, based on the degree of change you are showing already. You realize that a cheetah's tail can be almost 3 feet long? It would also mean that until you get a new wardrobe, cutting a hole in your pants would have to do."
A small "Oh..." is all Scott could offer.
Seeing the slight downcast emotion of the teenager, Robert decided to alter the subject. "So, are your parents happy for you? You seem to be handling it pretty well so far."
"I dunno yet. I got my First Sign last night right before bed, so my mom doesn't even know yet. My step-dad saw me this morning, but I would not call the reaction he gave me as being 'thrilled.'"
"Oh, really?" Mr. Lecht said with a hint of concern in his voice. "Usually parents are happy that their children get to go through with the change. Is something wrong?"
Scott was beginning to get uncomfortable as the discussion turned towards family life. His family had not been a typical "functional" family. Could he trust this man to keep this between the two of them? Scott had only met Mr. Lecht once before when he was required to get a physical a year ago when he started attending this school.
Scott kept to himself and never had any injuries, thus he had not met Mr. Lecht again. Scott decided not to risk it.
"Well...see, we don't have a lot of money at home. So Bruce wanted me to stop by here for a 'doctor's opinion' before deciding on whether or not to send me to the Change Doc."
Robert interjected, "Bruce?"
"My step-dad, Bruce Trundal."
"Oh, I see. Well I can make a call and see if we can work out something...with your permission, of course."
"Do I need to go to the other doc? I'm sure my mom would think so, but I doubt Bruce would okay it since I don't have any weird problems or anything. Right?"
"No, I don't see anything wrong with your progress. It's just uncommon that the Change occurs so late, as I'm sure you've noticed the other students about your age are already Changed or well into it."
Scott nodded his agreement.
"The only problem I can see for you is that you will most likely change very rapidly, and sometimes it is hard for people to adjust quickly. But based on the accounts I've received from your gym teacher and your instructors, you are handling the beginnings well."
Scott shifted nervously in his chair.
"I would recommend that you see the Change doctor soon, or at least as soon as you can when your change gets done. You need to be tested for powers. There are some powers out there that can potentially be dangerous if the owner is not aware of them."
"Yeah, I guess so. I've heard stories, but I thought there were all exaggerated..."
Suddenly, with a smile and wink at Scott, the lid to the small candy jar that sits on the edge of Robert's desk lifted up. A single gumdrop floated out of the jar and flew directly at Scott, stopping a few inches from his face. With eyes widened in surprise, Scott plucked the treat from the air and stared at it, as the lid silently resumed its place on top of the candy jar.
Mr. Lecht put a finger to his lips, and with a loud whisper says, "Shhh. Don't tell anyone. I would rather keep this on a 'need to know' basis." Resuming his normal tone he inclined his head towards Scott and continues, "I'm sure you can see how powers can be used for the wrong thing?"
Even as Scott was nodding in agreement, the gumdrop shot out of his hand and into the waiting mouth of the horse. Scott let out a surprised, "Whoa!" and began to chuckle at the comical expression on the horses face as he devoured the morsel.
With a good-natured smile, Robert said in a fake country drawl, "Go on now, git outta here." Resuming his normal tone, "If anything comes up, you can stop by anytime. Don't bother making an appointment it's not necessary. If you need someone to talk to, I'll be here and I'm not just talking about your change either..." With a sincere look, Scott replies, "Okay. Thanks, Mr. Lecht."
"Anytime, Scott."
Closing the door to the inner office, Scott meandered his way past Mandy's desk towards the outer door. Wonder what will face me tonight?
"Scott?"
"Hmm?"
"Congratulations on your change."
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turning his head offered a "Thanks" to Mandy. She twittered quietly and resumed her place at the desk as Scott left the office.
**
Man, where is he?
Scott looked at his watch again. It was getting close to 6 pm. Bruce was supposed to pick Scott up on his way home from work today "to keep an eye on me," as he recalls from his conversation two nights ago. That was the same evening after his meeting with Mr. Lecht.
Shoot, it will be dark soon. Guess all those years of cross country running will come in handy, since it's 10 miles from here to home. Better get started, no telling what mom is going to think when I get there.
With a small sigh, Scott shouldered his pack, and started down the street that would eventually lead to the small back road...that would eventually lead to the dirt road...on which his house was located. He sighed again. To take his mind off of his run, Scott started thinking of all the information he had gathered on cheetahs in the few days since his First Sign showed.
He could honestly say that he found himself looking forward to finishing with the change and getting used to his new body. Maybe I will have to switch to sprinting, he thought with a chuckle.
He could already feel his muscles becoming stronger over the past few days, and his body becoming lean and streamlined. He had even begun to sprout a tail, though at the moment it was no more than a nub with a black furred tip. That was another thing that Scott was beginning to see...fur, and lots of it. His whole body was covered now in the tawny golden fur with the telltale cheetah spots. All except for the front of his torso, which had solid white fur. The only things that had not started to change were Scott's ears and eyes and his feet, but that did not bother him much. After about a mile, Scott fell into his running groove and zoned out. He lost himself in his thoughts about how his Change would affect his life, as the miles passed under his feet.
Roughly halfway home, he started to get a terrible cramp in his feet. First his left foot, then the right. Scott slowed his pace to a slight jog, which had helped when he got a cramp in the past. In this case the pain became unbearable, forcing him to stop. Dropping his book bag in a heap beside him, Scott plopped down on a grassy spot off the road. It's never been this bad before. Scott reached down to start massaging his feet when he noticed both of his shoes were bulging out.
Reluctant to take off his shoes for fear of what he might see, the pain it was causing overrode his reservations. Tearing at the laces, he quickly tossed his shoes off. A great sense of relief washed over him as the pain in his feet evaporated. Although Scott knew that he was undergoing his Change, the sight of his feet still gave him a surprise.
What were normal looking feet this morning, had now been replaced with paws. The funny thing that occurred to him was that he had not even felt his legs changing the whole while he was jogging towards home, but now he could see his legs shifting into a digitigrade form. His feet had elongated by at least 6 inches, and his toes now possessed claws. He also noted that the inner claw on each foot had shifted farther back, so it appeared that he only had 4 toes on each foot. Scott reached down and felt his new foot paws, noticing that the ball of each foot now had a thick pad underneath as well as each new claw. Guess shoes are out of the question now.
Just like the rest of his body, his new feet were covered with the same golden fur. Scott also noticed his legs felt a little different now. His thighs and shins had shortened up a little, but still had the same muscle strength in them (if not more). Flexing his legs, Scott felt a renewed energy to run. Time for the moment of truth.
Standing up was a different matter for Scott. He had to get into a crouching position in order to shift and balance his weight correctly.
Once on his footpads, he stood up and took a few shaky first steps. He noticed that from the way his feet were shaped now, he tended to lean slightly forward.
Suddenly, Scott felt a strange sensation from his rump. Reaching back, his hand grabbed a handful of fur. His tail. He guessed that since he needed a counterbalance, his tail chose that moment to finish growing. Good timing. Marveling at the strange sensation his tail gave him he found that walking was much easier now. Running his hand down the length of his new tail, Scott brought the tip around in front where he could look at it. The same tawny fur with spots covered it for the most part. The tip was solid black with several rings leading up to it. Five rings, wonder if that's my lucky number?
Steering his thoughts back to his situation, Scott quickly stuffed his shoes into his bag. Glancing at his watch, it read 7:45. Estimating that he was still one or two miles away from home, he picked up his pace quickly. Maybe I can still make dinner.
**
Scott came within sight of the house, so he slowed his pace to a trotting jog. Reaching the end of the long driveway, he decided to take a moment to catch his breath and stretch a bit. As he stood there and let his heart rate return to its normal level, a loud crash emanated from the house.
Oh, geez. Not now.
Scott sprinted up the driveway towards the kitchen door, only to hear Bruce shouting at Maria, "-don't need this shit from you! I do the backbreaking work all day, while you sit on your bushy tail!"
"Bruce, please just go and check at school. Maybe Scott got tied up with something, or maybe his Change finished and he had to go to the hospit-"
SMACK!
"Don't talk back to me, rodent!! I don't need you telling me what to do! I am not about to go waste my time looking for that nitwit kid if he doesn't have the sense to do what he is told."
"But you were supposed to pick him up on your way hom-"
SLAP!
" DON'T YOU EVER CORRECT ME, RODENT!!" Bruce bellowed out with a snarl. "He must have misunderstood me. I TOLD him to get a ride. I guess neither one of you can hear straight."
Scott overheard every word, standing outside the door. He silently fumed at Bruce. He remembered clearly that Bruce was supposed to pick him up after school. Obviously, the jerk thought getting home to his beer was more important. Not wanting to get involved in the conflict, Scott quietly padded around to the front door. Waiting a moment, he entered the front door loud enough to distract Bruce from the scene in the kitchen.
Heading towards his room down the hall, Bruce calls out to Scott, "Hey dumbass! Why are you home so late?"
Stating matter-of-factly Scott replied, "Well, after waiting till 6 o'clock and no one showing to pick me up, I decided to run home."
Bruce staggered up to Scott. Scott could smell the beer on his breath, as Bruce jabed a finger in Scott's face. "You had better watch your tone with me, mister. You come waltzing in here and start giving me attitude. I'll let you off easy this time 'cause your mother was worried. You get to do all the chores tonight and this weekend. If I hear any lip from you, you'll be doing them for the rest of the month. Got it?"
Scott just stands and scowls at him.
"I said GOT IT?" Bruce shoves his face into Scott's and punctuates the statement with a snarl. In a reflexive action, Scott lets out a reflexive "hiss!!" followed by a low "rowrr."
Surprising both himself and Bruce, Scott backs up a pace staring wide eyed at Bruce. With a small chuckle, Bruce turns back towards the kitchen, "Humph, maybe you're a man after all."
Taken aback by Bruce's comment, Scott retreats into his room and locks the door. He can hear the argument resume as he drops his bag on the floor. Sitting on his bed, he buries his face in his shaking hands. Feeling helpless to the situation, Scott feels tears burn his eyes as a muffled "thump!" carries through the wall.
Curling into a ball on his bed, he pulls the pillow over his head. Making soft mewling sounds, Scott quietly cries himself to sleep the same way he had done on many nights in the past.
**
Scott lay in bed, awake. Unable to shake the nightmares from his head and unable to go back to sleep, he got up and got dressed. A look at the clock said 4:30 am.
Making up his mind, Scott moved purposefully to get ready for the day. Packing his book bag, he looked around for his shoes out of habit. Grabbing his left shoe, he started to shove his toes (claws now) in before the reality of the situation hit him.
Duh, I don't need to wear shoes anymore. With a smirk, he chucked his shoe into his open closet and shouldered his bag. Slowly and silently opening his door, he heard the sounds of sleep coming from the master bedroom. Good, don't need that headache this early in the morning. Padding into the kitchen, Scott scrawled out a note for his mother and left it on the 'fridge, and with that he quietly left the house and started his run to school.
**
Robert Lecht always arrived early at the school. As he pulled into the parking lot and drove past the main entrance, he noticed Scott sitting along the sidewalk reading a book. Curious, he looked at the dash clock, which read 7:15 am. Making a mental note to speak with Scott, Robert pulled into his usual spot and trotted off to his office to prepare for the school day.
**
Other than his morning run to school, the day passed uneventfully for Scott. That is until he was in his last class of the day. A knock at the classroom door presented the room teacher with a note.
"Scott Burke? Mr. Lecht would like you to report to his office."
Looking confused, Scott replied "Now?"
The teacher said with a shrug, "That's what the note says." Gathering his things, Scott hurried his way up the hall to Robert's office, wondering what information the R.N. would give him.
Entering the door, Scott gave a smile to Mandy. She motioned him to enter the next office, which he did.
Looking up from a book, Robert nodded to Scott and extended his hand towards a chair. Scott took the offer and his curiosity getting the better of him asked, "You wanted to see me about something?"
Mr. Lecht's smile waned slightly. "Is everything all right, Scott? I noticed you were here awfully early this morning." Scott fidgeted in his chair before replying, "I woke up really early this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to stretch my legs." Mr. Lecht looked unconvinced. "I see. Speaking of your legs, have there been any other changes?" Scott nodded and stood up, letting his tail curl around the front of his legs. "I discovered this the other night after my feet changed. I also discovered I no longer need to wear any shoes."
"Ah, yes. I was wondering when that would kick in, no pun intended. The tail makes a wonderful counter-balance. So I take it you do not have any difficulties using your new feet and tail?"
"Nope. Last night when I left here I had normal feet. Halfway home they changed, and since then I haven't noticed any difference. It just feels like I've always had these feet. My tail usually has a mind of its own, so I hardly notice that either."
"So you ran home after school?"
Scott nods.
"But you also ran to school this morning? I thought you lived out in one of the rural areas on the city limits?"
Scott stammered out, "Well...I do. But I have been running cross-country for several years now, so it's not really that big of a deal."
"Do you run because you feel like running that distance, or do you run because you can't get a ride to school?"
Scott was beginning to get uncomfortable at where the line of questions were leading. He cast his stare down at his lap and nervously played with the end of his tail.
"Look, Scott, I'm just trying to help. Are you sure there is nothing you want to talk about?" Robert said, giving Scott a genuine look of worry.
After a moment of contemplation, Scott decided he had held his silence long enough. "Most of the time I feel so helpless. I'm too afraid to stand up to him." On the verge of tears, Scott manages to mumble out "My step-father abuses my mom and she doesn't fight back. We can't leave, because he is the only one who works."
Robert felt great concern for the sniffling teenager. Robert punched the intercom on his desk. "Mandy? Please make sure that we are not disturbed. If we are still busy by the time you leave, please lock up."
"Of course, Mr. Lecht," was the reply.
Robert let out a slow sigh. "Okay, Scott. Maybe you should start from the beginning..."
**
Quite a while later, Scott finished relating his dark past to Robert. He told him of all the times he had moved and had to adjust to a new school. He told of all the times he had cried himself to sleep at night after Bruce's temper had been taken out on his mother, while he hid in his room forced to listen to them. He told Robert of all the times Bruce had berated and verbally abused him, shattering his self-esteem. At many points Scott had completely broken down, and Robert could only put an arm around his shoulder and offer words of support until Scott regained his composure.
Scott had to admit that he felt a lot better upon opening up to someone. Robert listened to everything, only prompting when Scott could not find the right words to express how he felt. As Mr. Lecht offered support, Scott did not feel so helpless anymore.
Red-eyed, Scott turned his gaze up to Robert, "So what should I do, Mr. Lecht? I just don't know what to do next."
With a small smile, he replied "Please Scott, you can call me Robert from now on. As far as what to do next, the first thing will be not to let Bruce know that we have talked. Secondly, just try to go about your usual routine and I'll see what I can do."
Scott looked at his watch. "Oh shoot! It's almost 6."
Robert picked up the phone on his desk. "What's your number?" Scott gave it to him, and shortly the phone was answered my Scott's mother, Maria.
"Hello?" Scott could hear his mother reply through the receiver Mr. Lecht was holding.
"Mrs. Trundal? Hi, this is Robert Lecht over at the school."
"Oh my goodness! Is everything all right? Is Scott all right?"
"Yes, everything is fine, Scott is right here. Just wanted to let you know I kept Scott a little longer than I intended to and I didn't want him to get into trouble." Robert gave Scott a wink. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to give him a ride home?"
"That is very generous of you, Mr. Lecht, thank you. If I may ask, why did you need Scott to stay late?"
"Oh, I was just checking on his progress, and you know how time can fly when you start talking about the Change."
Maria agreed, "That is true. I'll let you finish up. So I should expect Scott to be home soon then?"
"Yes, he should be home before 7."
"Okay. Thank you and good bye."
"Good bye." With that, Robert hung up and looked at Scott. "Before we go, let's get our story straight. I kept you after to check on your progress, we got off on a tangent, and I gave you a ride home. Please don't tell your mother what we talked about yet. I will do everything I can to help you and your mother out; it just might take a few days. Think you can hang tight?"
Scott gave him an encouraging smile and said, "I think I can handle it." Just then he felt a powerful wave of dizziness pass over him. Scott almost fell out of the chair as he brought his hands (paws) up to cover his eyes and face.
"Are you okay?" asked Robert.
"Yeah, I just felt really dizzy for a minute. It seems to be going away, I just have to wait for the room to stop spinning."
"I'll get you glass of water, sit still."
Scott slowly opened his eyes and waited for the room to settle down. His eyes seemed much clearer now, and he could even read the small print on the spines of the magazines across the room. "Uhh...Robert? Do you have a mirror?"
Coming back into the room carrying a paper cup of water, he replied, "Sure." Handing the water to Scott, Robert saw what Scott had already guessed. Scott's eyes had Changed completely. The cheetah-morph sitting before him now had dark golden eyes, replacing the clear blue eyes Scott used to have.
Scott looked as Robert's expression changed from one of surprise to amusement. "That dizzy feeling was my eyes changing, wasn't it?"
Robert nodded. Retrieving the mirror in his desk he handed it to Scott and replied, "See for yourself."
He took the mirror and looked through his new eyes. "Wow, I really do look like a cheetah."
"I have a feeling your going to look even more like a cheetah in a moment," Robert said pointing to Scott's ears.
Scott quickly looked in the mirror to see his ears shift and move up the side of his head. After only a few blinks of the eye, his ears had turned into their feline counterpart. He could even flick them and fold them back against his head if he concentrated. Scott reached a paw up and felt the soft fur on he inside of his ear, which made it twitch reflexive and caused him to giggle. "That tickles!"
Robert chuckled at Scott. "Well, looks like you're all done as far as I can tell. I'd still like you to visit the Change doctor as soon as you can. Guess we better get a move on, since I told your mom I'd have you home by 7."
Picking up his bag, Scott agreed, "Yeah."
**
The small talk was light between Robert and Scott on the ride out to the house. Scott had a little time to explain briefly about his background and why they moved often. Robert listened with a practiced ear, knowing that it would be good for Scott to get some of his past demons out in the open.
After a moment of silence, Robert was almost ready to ask Scott about his mother. Before he could form a question Scott pointed up ahead and said, "This is my drive, turn in here."
Robert nodded and followed directions. The 'drive' was a simple dirt and gravel pathway across the property, ending in a large turnout in front of the house.
As the car pulled to a stop a short distance away from the other parked vehicle, Scott turned to Robert. "I'm not sure what kind of mood Bruce will be in, so don't be surprised if he has any snappy comebacks for you."
The two approached the side kitchen door. Scott rarely ever used the front door. Just before he grabbed the handle a loud "BANG!" followed by an equally loud "DAMMIT!!" could be heard through the kitchen door. Scott cast his gaze down and silently shook his head before opening the door.
Poking his head in, Scott entered the door, closely followed by Robert. His mom was busy washing dishes like usual. Bruce was apparently in the living room.
"Hi mom, I'm home."
Maria turned and, drying her hands on a towel, offered Robert a handshake. "I'm Maria Trundal and you must be Mr. Lecht."
"Call me Robert, please."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you Robert. Will you be staying for dinner?" Maria divided her glance between Robert and Scott.
"I wouldn't want to impose..."
"Oh, nonsense! You boys go on in and I'll have dinner ready soon enough." Maria went back to the dishes.
"That's my cue," said Scott. Motioning for Robert to follow, he headed towards his room.
Passing into the living room saw Bruce sitting at a corner desk with a pile of papers in front of him. As Scott approached he heard Bruce uttering curses under his breath.
"Uh, Bruce?" Scott said pensively. "This is Mr. Lecht, the school's physician. He gave me a ride home today."
Bruce stood up and replied, "Well good. Saves me the trouble of making an extra trip." Eyeing Scott, he turned to Robert. "So it looks like Scott here is done changing, eh? Hope he hasn't given you too much grief?"
Robert replied smoothly, "On the contrary, he has been a model patient. Absolutely no problems as far as I can tell, but I would still advise that he needs to see a Change doctor so he can be tested."
Bruce dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "Why bother? He probably doesn't have any powers anyways, and besides Change docs are expensive." Bruce sat back down and muttered, "If you don't mind I have bills to pay." Scott rolled his eyes, and motioned for Robert to follow him once again.
When Scott led Robert into his room, he closed the door and tossed his bag onto the bed. "Sorry about Bruce. He can be kinda rude sometimes."
Robert replied, "No problem." Looking around, he commented, "So this is your sanctuary, hmm?" Scott nodded as he flopped down on the bed next to his bag. Robert's eyes roved over all the bits and pieces of Scott's world. He saw everything from his rack of CDs, to a few sci-fi books on his nightstand, to a couple of plush animals sitting on the windowsill. "Guess you don't have too many buddies you can go hang out with way out here, huh?"
Scott shook his head, "Nah. But it's cool. I usually just read in my free time or go out running to clear my head, ya know?"
Robert replied with a smile, "Yeah, I know. I don't exactly have an active social life myself," he chuckled.
In a short while Robert and Scott were chatting as if they had known each other for years. Neither of them steering the conversation towards any one topic, and eventually the Change came up. At that point, Robert told the story of his change. Scott was captivated by Robert's experience.
"I actually didn't know I had a power until a few years after," Robert was saying. "I had both arms full of stuff on a trip to my dorm at the time. The halls were deserted and I need to open the door, and I sure didn't feel like dropping all the junk and picking it back up again." Robert sat for a moment reminiscing.
Scott chimed in, "So what happened?"
Robert let out a small chuckle. "I got frustrated to the point of being angry. I was so close to throwing the stuff on the floor that I just blurted out loud 'Open dammit!' at the door without even thinking, and to my surprise it did! Later, after I got tested, I was told that I had Telekinesis. I had subconsciously opened the door lock. Although, it was not as strong as some of the cases the doctors had read about, I didn't care. I've tried to keep it...uh, under wraps shall we say, that I have this power. Sometimes, people can get jealous and I try to avoid that."
Just then a short rap on the door broke the conversation.
"Scott? Dinner is ready"
"Okay, mom. Be right there."
As both of them got up to leave the room, Scott paused. "Please don't take offense at anything Bruce has to say. He can be a hypocrite most of the time. I usually just ignore him."
Robert placed a hand on Scott's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be the perfect gentleman. Now let's get going before dinner gets cold."
Scott nodded and led the way.
**
"I don't care what the news says...the economy is in the shit-hole!"
"Bruce please not while we are having dinner," Maria pleaded.
Bruce ignored Maria, and pointing his fork at Robert pressing his point. "You white collar workers don't have it the same as us blue collars." Bruce took a pull from his beer and went back to work cleaning his plate. "I mean look at this poor excuse for dinner."
Maria frowned at Bruce for a moment before addressing Robert. "Can I get you some more water?"
Robert smiled back saying, "No thank you, I'm fine. By the way I think dinner was very nice. It's more than I usually have...thank you for including me."
Maria smiled.
Bruce crushed his beer can and with a small belch nodded towards Scott, "Make yourself useful and get me another beer, wouldcha?"
Scott made a small grunt and plunked his fork down as he got up from the table and took the two steps over to the fridge.
Maria got up and intercepted Scott on his way back to the table. "I'll get it, dear." Nodding her head for Scott to take his seat again, she said, "So the end of school is only a few days away. Have you thought about what you will do over the break?" She had aimed her question at Scott, but was hoping that Robert might speak up as well.
"Not really. I was probably going to train some more, and I was thinking next year I might try out for the track team-"
"I don't think so," Bruce cut in. "You're going to get a summer job at the construction site and help pick up the slack around here."
Scott went silent and hung his head.
Robert felt as if he could cut the tension with a knife.
Maria broke the silence. "Scott doesn't really need to get a job unless he wants to. I think we can manage..." she said with a small pleading tone in her voice.
Bruce turned and glared, "You think so huh? Well it seems I'm the only one that works his ass off everyday around here. I'M the one who pays the bills; I'M the one who has to pay for food. I'M the one who has to DRIVE you and that kid anytime you need to 'go' somewhere."
Maria was fuming and curtly replied, "Well if you would let me get a job too..."
Bruce let out a loud hyena-bellowing laugh. "You? You couldn't handle getting a job these days. There aren't many jobs that require 'squirrel-housewife' as a pre-requisite." He shook his head and drank from his beer.
Robert cleared his throat. "Perhaps I should excuse myself," he said as he began to get up from the table.
Bruce snobbishly waved his hand at him, "Sure go ahead doc, whatever. I guess you're too good for us low-class citizens. You go on and go home to your fancy house and car, while we do the REAL work of the world."
Robert was getting tired of Bruce's brash behavior, but still he kept his comments to himself.
Maria stood up and faced Bruce. "Don't insult our houseguest! It is barely tolerable that you insult me all the time, but it is unacceptable that you treat our guest that way."
Bruce just made a "pfff" and absently waved his hand in a dismissing manner as he drank his beer once more.
Maria turned to Scott, "Why don't you go ahead and get started on your studies dear, I'll clear the table."
Scott nodded getting up from the table, and gave Robert an I'm sorry look before heading to his room.
As Scott left the kitchen, Maria turned back to Robert. "You'll have to forgive my husband, Mr. Lecht. After a long day he can get cranky-"
With surprising speed, Bruce stood up and backhanded Maria.
Robert stood shocked at what he just witnessed. Maria staggered back against the counter, but did not cry out. Bruce took another drink from his beer and turned on Maria. "Don't you EVER speak for me again! I think you need a lesson in manners..."
Robert could see what was going to happen. He shouted a warning at Bruce, "Don't do it!" Bruce ignored him and grabbed Maria by the collar, pulling his hand back for another hit.
Robert felt time become slow motion as he concentrated all his will on Bruce's hand. To Bruce's amazement, his hand stopped a few inches in front of Maria's face.
Bruce let go of Maria in surprise as he turned to see Robert with his eyes tightly shut, concentrating his power on Bruce's hand. With hardly a second thought Bruce grabbed a plate out of the sink with his free hand and flung it at Robert.
Robert had all his energy concentrated on Bruce and never saw the plate crash into his skull.
Just as Bruce saw the plate smash into several pieces on impact with Robert, his hand was once again free. Turning back on Maria, Bruce snarled, "You bitch! You're cheating on me aren't you? You had to have your boyfriend over so you could gloat about it in front of me. Well I got news for you missy, as long as you're my wife I'll treat you how I see fit and that means you need to be punished!"
Maria let out a strangled cry as Bruce grabbed her. "No Bruce, please! I promise I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'll teach you to respect me!" Bruce raised his hand and slapped her hard across the muzzle. "The first rule is that you don't ever talk unless I say you can." Bruce once again backhanded her.
Maria was completely disoriented by the abuse. Her last thought before she blacked out was she hoped Bruce would not take his anger out on Scott.
**
CRASH!
Scott looked up from his book bag. Had he just heard something break? Carefully, he cracked his door open and listened. He could hear Bruce rambling on about something. For several seconds he strained his ears. When he heard his mother cry out, he knew something was wrong.
He flung the door wide and made his way out of the hall in time to see Bruce savagely backhand his mother. Something inside Scott snapped and suddenly he found himself crouching low, quickly sidling his way up to the kitchen door.
Just as Bruce raised his hand for another strike, Scott let out a very loud RROOWWRRR!!!
Jumping up, he managed to grab Bruce's arm before he could land the blow, and whipped him around away from his mother. Bruce let go of Maria, and having no support she slumped to the ground next to the counter.
Bruce eyed the cheetah with his steely gray eyes, all traces of his intoxication gone. "So you've got some balls after all, eh? Well let's see if you can fight like a man." Bruce punched Scott squarely in the nose with his free hand.
Scott was seeing stars. He had never been punched before, and especially now that he had more nose to take the blow with, he was dazed. He reeled backwards a step and let go of Bruce's arm.
Hoping to distract Bruce, Scott yelled back, "I've let you go too far for the last time, you lowlife! I'm going to make sure you never lay a finger on my mother again." Shaking his head, Scott squared his shoulders in front of Bruce and took up the same stance as his opponent.
Bruce just shook his head and laughed. "You really think you can take me, boy? I've broken twigs in half that were bigger than you. You are definitely going to pay for talking back to me, you need to learn your place, cat!"
As Bruce took a lumbering step towards Scott, he also brought his arm around in a left hook. Scott almost had no time to react, and managed to barely bring up his right arm to deflect some of the blow.
Bruce recovered quickly and grabbed Scott's right arm at the wrist and twisted. Scott's arm was no match for Bruce's strength and snapped under the stress. Scott let out a yowl of pain and reflexively swiped out with his free paw. Scott managed to rake his claws across Bruce's right shoulder, which forced Bruce to let go of Scott's broken arm.
The two staggered apart as each held their wounds, trying to determine who would recover and strike first. Bruce made the first move.
"I was actually going to go easy on you, kid. Now you're in for the ass-beating of your life." Bruce closed the gap and whacked Scott on the head with his closed fist stunning him. Then he picked Scott up in his arms in a bear hug, trying to crush the life from him. Bruce may have been out of shape, but the hyena-morph had more than enough strength to be lethal.
Scott retaliated by clamping his jaw down on Bruce's exposed collarbone. Bruce roared in pain, but only increased his crushing embrace. Scott wheezed and was forced to let go, letting his head loll on his shoulders as he was starting to lose consciousness.
Bruce slackened his grip ever so slightly. "So now it comes to this eh?" he breathed heavily in Scott's ear. "I was getting tired of you anyway." Cruelly, Bruce bit a chunk out of Scott's ear. "I would have kicked you out long before, but I would have to hear Maria bitch about it, so I was going to wait until you were done with school. Now you got two choices. I can snuff you out like a candle," and he emphasized the point by squeezing harder, "or you can beg for your life. C'mon, I want to hear you beg like a pathetic little house cat."
Scott felt tears well up. Hot, blinding tears of rage blurred his vision. He did not feel sorrow, or pity. He suddenly felt a rush of pure hatred at the creature before him. Seething animal bloodlust filled his vision, and he knew if he did not kill his opponent it meant his own death.
Scott raised his head and simply told Bruce with firm determination, "I'm going to kill you."
Placing both of his hind paws between himself and Bruce, Scott splayed out his claws and raked down with all the strength he could muster up. Scoring deep gashes in Bruce's thighs was enough to break the hold he was in. Bruce collapsed to the floor with a groan and in a few seconds his clothing was covered in his own blood, seeping out of the cuts Scott had made.
As soon as Scott touched the floor, he jumped back out of the reach of the injured hyena. He took a moment to get his breathe back and let the dizziness pass. Then something peculiar happened.
Scott felt an unbelievably warm feeling in his injured arm. It was as if he were holding his arm under a hot current of water. Amazingly, he looked down to see the unnatural angle of his arm straighten back out perfectly. It was as if his arm had never been touched and he flexed his fingers experimentally to make sure. There was no pain whatsoever.
Bruce also witnessed this, wide eyed. Seizing the moment, Bruce stood up painfully and lurched over to the counter top.
Scott was momentarily distracted by his newly discovered power, holding up his arm in front of his face disbelieving. He hardly noticed his opponent until he heard a groan as Bruce turned towards him brandishing a large kitchen knife. "You are going to pay dearly, boy!"
At that moment, Scott was no longer afraid. He knew what he would have to do to take care of Bruce. Opening his arms wide, Scott stood defiantly and said, "Try me."
This proved to push Bruce into a blinding rage, which is what Scott was hoping for. Bruce lunged forward and buried the knife deep into Scott's side. Scott cried out but did not flinch or attempt to pull the knife from his body. Bruce was knocked off balance by his overextended lunge and fell to his knees in front of Scott.
Scott did not hesitate this time. Flexing his claws on his repaired paw, he dug them into the left side of Bruce's throat and tore with all his strength. Scott let out a roar as he felt Bruce collapse onto the floor.
Bruce let out a gurgling choke as his hands went to the gaping hole in his throat and neck, where Scott had given him a fatal blow.
Scott stood over Bruce and watch the life ebb from him in a deep crimson river. The knife was still buried in his side.
**
Robert stirred slowly as the pounding in his head became unbearable. Opening his eyes, he could see the pieces of what was undoubtedly the plate that knocked him unconscious.
There were sounds of a struggle all around him, and as he painfully sat up he was instantly aware of the struggle between Scott and Bruce. A mortal struggle as it turned out.
Robert had managed to come to just in time to see Bruce lunge and bury the kitchen knife up to the handle in Scott's side. Robert almost became ill at the site as he heard Scott roar out, and tried to clear the fog from his brain as he watched the struggle unfold in front of him.
Robert watched in fascinated horror as Scott reached down and tore out Bruce's throat. Stunned, he could only sit and stare at the aftermath of the battle.
After a moment of silence, Scott cried out, clutching at his side. Robert once again witnessed in horror as Scott pulled the knife from his side and flung it across the kitchen into the sink. Scott stumbled over to the counter and grabbed a dishtowel to staunch the bleeding wound.
Robert unsteadily regained his feet and went over to Scott. "My God! Are you okay?" Scott turned as if seeing Robert for the first time.
"Huh?"
"We have to get you to a hospital!"
Scott shook his head and looked down at his mother, "No, I can't leave her. I'll be okay."
Robert looked at Scott dumbfounded. "Are you serious? You could die from a wound like that!"
Scott shook his head, "No I won't. Watch."
Pulling the towel from his side, he concentrated hard. Robert thought he was going to pass out and held Scott in his arms. What he saw was unbelievable. Robert witnessed the wound stop bleeding and close on its own! In a matter of seconds there was not even a blemish in Scott's fur, only the blood that had been spilled on his clothes remained.
"How did you do that?" Robert asked in little more than a whisper, visibly shaken.
"I guess that is my power."
Robert looked over at the bloody mess that was left of Bruce. "I guess your nightmare is over. You won't have to worry about him anymore."
Scott shook his head slowly and closed his eyes. He clenched his jaw and muttered, "Never again."