A TWISTED TAIL.

This is my first story to be posted on the newsgroup, and in fact, the first story I've written in a long time. The idea came to me while returning from an exam. A lot of it is true, and happened as I described. How much is true, I leave for you to decide...

Heck, it was this or revision... :)

All rights mine, my work, gerroff, don't copy, don't store, consider yourself lucky to even read it blah blah blah...

Huddersfield town centre was busy and the afternoon sunshine was warm and bright, unusual for so early in the spring. People in the city square, caught out by the unusually warm weather, lazed around on the benches soaking up the heat like soft pink lizards. Others continued to scurry around, buying whatever the merchant moguls were telling them to.

The leather jacket I was wearing felt warm and heavy, causing a slight sweat to break out down the length of my spine. Even with the jacket unzipped, it was proving uncomfortably warm. My steps were slightly laboured, with the rucksack slung over one shoulder gently rocking against my back. The pendant hanging around my neck was also swinging back and forth, the stone on the end impacting against my chest like a second heartbeat. As I crossed Westgate junction I wondered how such a small stone could feel so heavy. The warmth from the sunshine was even spreading into my boots. I could feel the boots were beginning to tighten, and also the moistness in the socks. What a relief it would be to get home and remove them, and enjoy a nice relaxing bath. I stuck my nose underneath my jacket, in the direction of an armpit... definitely a bath.

Staring at the various shop fronts as I walked past, I noticed just how vivid and bright the displays were. After the bleakness of winter, this early sunshine was bringing out the colour in everything. In an attempt to escape the heat, I cut down a side street as I headed towards the railway station. The closed shadow of the narrow street was cold and a cool breeze blew through the alley, causing my skin to break out in goose-bumps. The tips of my fingers began to itch as I walked down the dark back street, so I began to scratch them with the nail of my thumb as I continued on my way. Away from the oppressive heat of the sun, my senses seem to become more aware of my surroundings. The sharp bitter scent of a nearby kitchen, the acidic, burning smell of car fumes. My fingertips felt wet, so I brought them up in front of my face to examine them. The fingers were not the skinny pink appendages I was accustomed to, but were red, swollen, and bleeding badly. I gagged and tried to hold back the vomit of what I saw.

Now I could feel my entire skin crawl, itch and burn with an intensity I had never felt before. The only thing I could think of was the urge to scratch. This I proceeded to do, scratching and tearing at my clothing and flesh. Panic began to set in as blood began to seep through my clothing. I took another look at my hands, and could not believe what I saw. The flesh around the tips of my fingers was gone, and under the blood could be seen something white and hard. At first I thought it was the bone, but as I brought them closer I realized that they were too pointed and short. Through gaps in the flesh on the palms of my hands, I could see not more bone, but fur, brown and matted with clotted blood. Panic began to tighten its hold, and once again I clawed furiously at my clothes, a thunderous roar rising in my mind, blocking out all conscious thought as I began to tear at my face.

I stumbled out of the alley, then paused, mind racing...

I fell directly into the path of an oncoming fire engine, sirens blaring as it thundered down the street. Not much was left, with the mix of fur and flesh, it's natural that they should think they hit someone walking their dog...

Written by Utlah