Chapter 1 - Day 1, 0:26

Slowly I awoke.

My entire body felt heavy, and my thoughts were clouded over, as if I had slept far too little following a long and exhausting day. Despite this slow state of mind, I quickly noticed something strange.

I was on the ground.

Furrowing my brows, I attempted to remember how this came about. Nothing. But considering how I was feeling in general, it wasn’t all that surprising.

Carefully my hands moved to lift me up. To my relief, I at least recognized were I was. My computer screen and the reading lamp next to it lit up enough of the room for me to see.

The door to my left was slightly opened, though I could not see through that gap from where I sat . My bed stood in the opposite corner, adjacent to it the window on one side and a wardrobe on the other. Together with the desk and the two bookshelves it made for a simple yet well-lived-in room.

Weakly I lifted my body off the floor and dragged myself into my chair. For a couple minutes I just stared at the wall, attempting to deal with the heaviness of my body and the fog clouding my mind. I had little success with the latter I’m afraid, but physically I soon felt much better.

It was also around that time that I started noticing the noise outside.

Giving in to my curiosity, I stood and headed for the window. I pulled the curtains aside, my eyes widening at what I saw.

The streetlamp across the road, the reason why I needed curtains in the first place, was bent, the top nearly touching the sidewalk and letting out sparks. Two cars stood nearby, one obviously having crashed into the other.

But those were only passing observations.

Blood flowed from various body parts strewn about. One head I even recognized, as I had often passed the man’s house when heading off to school. Among the gore stood a dog-sized rat, and not a small species of dog either. It was gorging itself, not at all paying attention to the screaming people headed its way.

The group of four were being chased by a black and yellow four-armed bear. At least that was the closest thing I could compare it to. It was gaining on them fast, roaring loudly.

I immediately closed the curtains. Considering how I was feeling, dealing with that beast, should it notice me, would be unpleasant.

Taking a seat on the side of my bed, I once again attempted to remember. The street outside, and that monstrous creature, seemed to have loosened some, but the images were incongruous.

Not letting this discourage me, I spent the better part of half an hour sorting through the memories as they returned. Soon I could make out the lives of two different individuals, one being the human named Drake, to whom the room belonged, and another which was definitely not human, having instead more in common with the beasts rampaging outside.

The whole situation was odd.

Deciding I had little more to gain from staying in the house, I gathered some basic necessities into my backpack and headed out.

I used the backdoor, and slipped from the garden into the little alley behind it. With no streetlamps back there to guide me, I had to find my way through the thick black of the night. But that proved no issue, as I could see perfectly well.

My human common sense told me it was abnormal that I felt so at home in the darkness, but my beastly other half had never known anything else.

So I made my way through the unlighted back alleys at a firm pace, continuously avoiding the monstrous creatures scouring the streets. Even though I hadn’t a doubt that I could take them, it was much less troublesome to just leave them be. Though I was quite curious about what had seemingly drove them to madness. And why I wasn’t affected.

The place I was headed to laid on the edge of town, and had long since been made an emergency shelter for when the river occasionally flooded the surrounding land: the local high school. Because of the foresight of its builders, it was positioned on a hill, safe from the rising water. The founders of the town hadn’t been as smart, unfortunately.

Anyway, it meant the place was the most likely refuge for all the civilians who lived around here, and the best place for me to get some answers.

They were something I sorely lacked.

Another reason for me to head there was to see how the people fared this night, not to mention what they would do going forward. This was still my city after all, no matter the change to my own circumstances.

As I travelled I came across no other people, only parts of them littered some streets. There were definitely not enough of those considering all the houses around here, so most were likely either still hiding or had fled. Which of the two was the right choice was impossible to say, but I hoped for their survival none the less.

Meanwhile I was trying to adjust to my own situation. My new perfect night vision wasn’t the only thing my human form had gained from the beastly self. My hearing was much sharper, not only picking up a wider range of sounds, but also pinpointing their origin with great accuracy. My sense of smell let me know what had passed by the streets I passed, and how long ago, though the ever-present metallic scent of blood made me uncomfortable.

My physical capabilities had also improved, most notably my stamina. I’d have to test exactly how much at a later time though, since the high school was barely half an hour walking from my home.

Suddenly the unmistakable sound of shoes hitting asphalt reached my ears. Four people, no five, one was a child. They were running in the same direction I was, , on the main road though, and were being pursued by some small six-legged monster. Well, small for one of the monsters, it was still the size of an average dog.

I picked up my pace, bypassing the group, and once I had enough of a head start I entered a backyard. I took position in the shadow of the house with overview of the main street. Soon enough I saw the humans run past, not even noticing me hidden in the darkness. Their pursuer however immediately took note, briefly pausing to decide what to do, before once again focusing its attention on the fleeing people.

For a second I pondered its strange behaviour, but quickly I realized this was yet another question with no answer, yet. For now, I left cover, pouncing the prey who thought defenceless humans more interesting than the predator laying in wait. It didn’t even have time to screech as my front paw landed on its head, crushing it instantly. The beetle-like creature dissolved into dark smoke, leaving only who things: a human corpse and a black crystal, its core.

Without hesitation, I swallowed the core, adding the measly amount of energy to my own. As I wondered if I could even process the power as a human, the realization of my change hit.

I looked down at my black-furred paws and swivelled my head to observe my flanks and the tail swinging back and forth. It seemed I had taken on my monstrous form, not even intending to. I suppose that answered that particular question.