More Random Writings

It's Storytime!


The room swirled with smoke. The biggest sources of light coming from candles on each small table. The crowded audience listened to the haunting tune, whose melody was sung by violin. Guitar, keyboard, and drums accompanied, but for the crowd, the violin may as well have been solo. It’s minor key touching each person’s soul. Lost love’s remembered. Old pains, long pushed to the bottom of the memory were brought to the surface. From some, tears rolled down cheeks. For others, fists clenched and teeth grinded. By the end of the song, not a happy thought would be left in the dark room. Despite the negativity filling the room, when a lone light shines down on the violinist, the room erupts in applause.
Standing in the circle of light stands a woman, tall even by men’s standards. Her slightly curled raven hair seems to absorb the light, as do the leather pants stretched tight across her long legs and the leather vest, doing it’s best to contain her full breasts. Her skin is dusky, and her beautiful features are exotic. Her full lips, slightly pale, purse as she blows a kiss to the crowd.
As the applause begin to die, she turns and takes long strides off the stage. Every male eye, and quite a few female, watch as she all but glides out of sight. The band begins to play again, beginning the notes of some industrial Goth tune, but the audience’s minds are still thinking of the exited woman.
Once back to her cramped dressing room, Veronika exhales deeply, as though she had finished some monumental task. She slowly lowers herself into the tattered, once plush, chair and she looks at herself in the grimy mirror that dominates the wall opposite her. Instead of the perfection on which the audience gazed, Veronika is greeted with a pale, emaciated specter of herself. Through her mirrored form, she is able to make out the duct tape holding her chair together. The image always saddens her. Knowing that were any of her family still alive, they would slay her without hesitation for what she had become. Only her tiny sister remains of her family, and she had yet reached a point where she could attempt to cleanse the world of Veronika’s taint. That day was years away, if ever it would come.
Thirty minutes later, her band had finished its set. An hour later, Veronika finally decided to head home. Her sister would be waiting for her. She steeled herself for the men that would be waiting for her outside. Not that she didn’t like the attention; she would have loved to take any of them home. But, if she did that, the ‘new’ her would not be able to let them leave. And she couldn’t risk that. So, as with every night, she walked the gauntlet outside the back door of the club. Luckily, mere men were no obstacle for her. Her well toned body already looked formidable, but looks only hinted at the strength that lie within her. Her six and a half foot frame towered over most men, and she looked down to watch as their eyes fixated on her chest, ass, or legs.
Finally she exited the small gathering of admirers, and swiftly continued down the alley. The cool night wrapped around her and made her feel strangely warm. As she continued home, she kept to the alleys. She was less likely to run into anyone that way, and should she run into someone less than scrupulous, she was sure she could handle it.
Halfway home her normally solitary walk was interrupted. At a crossing of alleyways she walked into the middle of an encounter. To her left was a girl, nearly the same age as her young sister, yet rather than dark haired, and tanned skin, she sported pale skin, and blonde hair. She was dressed in mismatched clothes, one leg in a striped stocking, the other bare, shoes of different styles and a knit cap. In her arms she clutched an odd doll. To her right were the men that caught her attention. They stood, uniformly seven feet tall, yet looked to weigh no more than one hundred and fifty pounds. Their arms and legs were exceedingly long, the arms almost reaching their knees. Hands that could easily palm a basketball ended each arm. They wore dark blue suits, and sunglasses covered their eyes, despite the dark night. But this was all easily overlooked because of the way the men stood and walked. They all leaned forty five degrees to their left. It was as if, to them, the world was tilted. They took long strides toward the girl, who had seemingly tripped, and they acted unaware of Veronika. She knew there was something unnatural about them, as they were the first men she had seen in a year that she did not hunger for.
Walking past her, the four of them advanced on the girl, the lead reaching out his enormous hand with its spindly fingers, for the child. Veronika did not want to get involved, but this girl was her sister’s age, and the image of her sister being in the same situation would not leave her mind.
“Can I help you gentleman” her voice called out, it’s tone both sweet and threatening.
By this time, the lead man had grasped the girl by the shirt. The remaining three turned as one on Veronika, their lean features seeming to focus on her for the first time.
“Be gone amalgam, we are not here for you yet” said the one closest, his voice hollow and without emotion.
She was about to speak, when his hand shot out with amazing speed to grip her throat. His grip would have snapped a human’s neck. Thankfully, she was not one, but the pressure was still great for this form. His grip began to widen, as her neck, and the rest of her body, increased in size. From every pore, hair sprouted. Her vest and pants, already straining from tightness, gave way. Muscles across her entire body bulged and swelled. Her face elongated, her ears coming to a point and moving up her head. From her back sprouted two appendages, each appearing to be small bat-like wings, but quickly became larger, eventually spanning twelve feet. Once her transformation was done, Veronika resembled a nine foot human-wolf being. Her fur was as raven as her hair had been, her new wings flapping slightly before folding in against her back. Dark canine eyes looked down her long snout to the arm griping her neck. In a movement almost too quick for the eye, her tooth filled maw snapped down on the arm and cleanly severed it from its owner, causing it to drop to the ground.
The man looked at his newly severed limb, no expression on his face. Without a word, the three men swarmed the newly formed, hulking beast. They moved with supernatural speed, and their thin long limbs contained incredible strength. So did Veronika. She slashed at her original attacker, her newly clawed hands tearing deep gouges of flesh. His thin torso nearly severed, the leaning man fell, dropping to the ground bloodlessly. The remaining two were attempting to grapple the canine beast. One had is long arms wrapped around her waist squeezing tight, but her supernatural muscles prevented the crushing squeeze from having much effect. The last man had his hands around her throat, but he never got to squeeze, Veronika's tooth filled wolf-like maw snapped through his neck, severing his head. She expected the gratifying sensation of his blood filling her mouth, but no such sensation came. Only the taste of stale flesh was there. Turning her attention to the man wrapped around her waist, she placed both clawed hands on his head and pressed them together, feeling it give, as though squeezing a grapefruit.
Immediately she looked to the remaining man and the girl. He had picked her up, held tightly in the crook of his arm she kicked with no effect. He was facing Veronika, watching her with an impassive look on his face, his body still leaning to the side, somehow not falling even with the extra weight of the girl. Both knew he was capable of killing the child before Veronika could get to him. She growled low, angry at her inability to do anything. Despite being focused on the man, she noticed movement behind him. A dark figure was standing there. Even with her night vision, it was hidden in the shadows as it silently approached behind the leaning man. As it got closer, Veronika could make out details, although the figure remained shadowed. He was immaculately groomed, with what appeared to be a pencil thin mustache. His dress suggested a Victorian age gentleman. And closer inspection made him seem flat somehow. He gave no scent either. He raised one hand and spoke in a language Veronika did not understand. The leaning man whirled around at the sound just as a red glow arced from the shadowed man’s hand. When it struck the kidnapper, he froze. Glowing red cracks appeared throughout his skin, as though he were about to crumble, but he did not. The shadowed man glided forward, and Veronika finally saw that he had a no legs, simply a dark column touching the earth, and then a trail of shadow leading back to the girl, defying where the light would normally place the shadow. He moved to free the child, but his hand simply passed through the arm holding her.
“Damnation” he uttered, his voice hollow, with a slight echo. “You there, Garou, would you mind releasing this child.” Veronika continued to stand there, stunned that this ‘shadow’ knew what she was, or at least part of what she was.
“Chop chop now! We have not got all night.” He commanded. Veronika moved forward slowly, and growled at his arrogance, but he seemed not to care. She easily pried open the incapacitated man’s arm and the girl dropped to the ground.
“I swear child, I do not know what I did to have you forced upon me.” His voice sounded very irritated. The girl finally spoke “It was probably all that bad stuff you used to do.”
“Yes, quite right I suppose.” He then looked at Veronika “You may go now. Lady Mindy must scrounge for her supper now.” Again Veronika chaffed against being treated as a servant, but the thought that this girl would be alone on the streets tugged at her heartstrings. Looking down on the girl, she could see fear in her eyes. Knowing that it was likely her form causing it, she reverted to human form, and crouched down to the child. She did notice the shade ogling her naked form, but ignored him.
“Mindy, right?” She asked the girl, who nodded “My name is Veronika, how would you like to come with me and get some food?” The girl nodded vigorously.
“You can go now mister Moot” the girl said to the shadow. “Oh I do so hate that name…” his words trailing as he melted into the ground, Mindy’s shadow returning to its rightful spot. For the first time, Veronika noticed that Mindy’s doll bore a slight likeness to ‘Moot’.
The pair walked down the alley. Mindy didn’t seem to mind Veronika’s nakedness. “You know Mindy, I have a sister your age…” and the night swallowed them.