February 2014
Josh couldn't stop shivering. He was just wearing shorts and it was cold in the basement. He was nervous, fidgeting and wetting his lips. He didn't really want to do this but, for his sisters (for his mother), he would go through with this. It was life changing however losing his sisters would be the worse of the two. Better them alive and he changed, then Hannah and Beth dead when he could've done something to help.
He watched his mother move around, as she prepared the materials for the ritual.
There was a cauldron bubbling away in the corner, its contents boiling, black and tar like with a horrible, thick smell that permeates the air. It almost made him gag the first time he entered the basement but now he was just a mild annoyance.
His mother was muttering under her breath, her eyes flying over the pages of her book. Josh's stomach turned, his hands cold. He knew that he had to go through this or else the guilt would eat him up alive but... But, at the same time, he didn't want to do this. This would change his life forever and that was scary. He was fucked up enough as is, and adding another condition was just another thing to make him worse.
There were seven black candles on the floor, placed in equal distances around a silver circle with elaborate runes and archaic language. It was a huge magic circle, taking up most of the floor, and he was going to be lying in it soon.
He swallowed, eyes wide. This was happening. This was actually going to be happening. Fuck, he-
"Joshua," Melinda Washington, his mother, said," come. It's time to start."
He felt short of breath, his palms were sweaty and he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready at all.
"Joshua, please. Your sisters..." she trailed off, her face full of agony. Maybe she didn't want to do this too, maybe she was just that desperate.
It was difficult to walk into the circle and lie down, his chest was tight and throat dry. He felt out of breath and nothing even happened yet. Fuck, he was such a fucking coward.
Melinda stepped into the circle, a bowl and brush in hand. "Now, stay as still as you can Joshua. This shouldn't take too long," she soothed, kneeling down beside him. She placed her warm hands on his cold cheek. He leaned into her touch, his racing heart calming slightly. It didn't help his stomach though.
They both took a moment before Melinda started chanting softly, a wet tip of the brush swept across his skin. First on his chest then his stomach, his shoulders and wrists and ended at the hollow of his neck.
His mother's voiced tapered off - fuck. Fuck, it was actually happening now - and she brushed his hair before placing a kiss on his forehead and leaving the ritual circle.
He blinked, his vision blurry with tears. He felt short of breath again, his chest heaving as he tried to pull more air into his gasping lungs. He noticed that the seven candles were alight with blue flame (that wasn't normal but what was normal about this whole situation? Fucking nothing, that's what!) and his mother looked so, so grave.
"Try to stay calm, Joshua. We'll get through this together and find Hannah and Beth."
'We? I'm the one who's going to be different forever!' He thought, bitterly.
She began chanting, the circle beneath him started glowing and the air felt charged with electricity. There was a distinct hum in the air, only audible between his mother's words.
Fuck - No! - Stop! - STOP!
He didn't want this! He didn't want to do this at all!
But none of his panicked thoughts escaped his throat. There was a vice wrapped around his neck, he couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe!
His mother's chanting increased in volume and speed, the humming became a high pitched ringing, and black spots started to fill his vision. Oh God. Oh God, it was happening!
Mum, stop it! Stop the ritual! Fuck, don't do it!
Then his mother was standing above him, a silver chalice in her hand. He shook his head. No, no, no, nononononono-!
Her cold hand - what happened? She was warmer than him just moments ago! - touched his locked jaw, coaxing him to open his mouth. He shook his head, that was the next step.
She was talking to him but he couldn't hear her over the insistent ringing and suddenly he felt hot, thick liquid pouring down his throat. He coughed and his chest heaved but most of the concoction slid down his gullet.
His vision whited out, the glowing circle burned so brightly that it started to hurt. He felt a fire in his veins, boiling under his skin, coursing through his whole body. Oh God, something went wrong! He was burning from the inside out!
The markings on his body burned even hotter than the lava flooding his bloodstream. The air was heavier and he knew he was screaming. His body jerked, his arm slamming down hard on painted concrete.
He arched his back, his muscles convulsing and straining as the magic took hold. He didn't want this! He didn't want this! HE DIDN'T WANT THIS!
There was another painful spasm and he felt bone break. Ligaments and tendons snapped, muscles shifted and swelled as the transformation took over.
He only knew pain, even the ringing - his screams, his mother's chanting and sobbing - had fallen silent. There was only the pain of his body contorting and mutating, his body suffering through a change he didn't want.
The pain continued to rise. He thrashed as he felt his teeth elongate, his jaw lengthened to accommodate his growing teeth and tongue. As his misshapen skull continued to change, he knew the end was coming. 'It can't get any worse than this, it can't get any worse than this, itcan'tgetanyworsethanTHIS!'
"...
In a shape that make both men and spirits quake
Let his new form wake
Come, werewolf, come!"
His body arched, muscles pulled taut, and a loud cry echoed in the basement. A strong gust of wind blew through the house, blowing out the candles and leaving the basement bathed in moonlight.
Pain continued to throb through his body. It was done. It was done and nothing will be the same ever again.
A mournful whine escaped him. Oh God, he was so fucked up.
"Joshua?"
He was on his stomach, face pressed against the cold floor. He slowly looked up, the pain slowly subsiding as he studied his mother. She looked wrecked, her face pale with tear stains on her cheeks.
"Oh Joshua, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking as she sunk to the floor. She started crying in earnest, wrapping her arms around herself.
Josh didn't understand, couldn't phantom why his mother would break down. He crawled forward, new muscles making themselves known, his ears pressed flat against his skull and tail tucked underneath him.
She flinched when he wrapped his clawed hand (?) - well, they certainly weren't paws. Like a cross between the two - around his mother's wrist. She looked up - did he get taller too? - at him, tears streaming down her face.
"I didn't know, Joshua. I promise I didn't know," she wept, placing her hand against his cheek. What didn't she know? That the ritual was going to be that painful?
She continued to pet him, to soothe him - or herself - after the distressing experience.
Then she wiped her face and pushed him away. He felt a pang of anxiety. Did he do something wrong? Melinda Washington stood up, glancing out the basement window. "Come, Joshua. There time is running out to search for Hannah and Beth tonight."
Right. Right, he was like this for that reason only. He had to find them. Or he'd die trying.
He shakily got to his feet, standing on four then straightening up to stand on two. 'Yeah, I did get taller,' he noted, his ears brushed against the low ceiling. He was massive really...
Melinda walked over to the side door and opened it. She looked back at his and said, "Joshua, you must come back before dawn. It's dangerous if you transform back outside."
He blinked. Oh, right.
He bolted out.
Melinda closed the door, shutting the cold wind and snow out. She took a breath and another before she collapsed onto the floor. Her chest heaved as she was overcome with grief and sorrow.
She didn't know. She really didn't know!
She sobbed again. But she needed to find her daughters, her heirs, and Joshua - her son, her precious child - had paid the price.
She hadn't realised how Joshua had felt about the ritual or how badly the ritual would be for her only son. Oh God, her only son.
Because Joshua was not an as willing participant as she thought he was. The ritual had explained that the lighter the colour of the new werewolf, the less willing the participant and Joshua was all white.
Tbc