So basically, I made a ton of updates to this since I posted CTF last, so I once more posted again. I apologize for this.
FULL SUMMARY:
The Loud family are as thick as thieves, despite all their bickering. But things are changing, mostly for the worst, in their hometown of Royal Woods... and even around their house.
It started with four children that went missing in the woods surrounding the city, Royal Oaks, within the span of two nights. Then, strange noises arise from the basement, despite the police finding nothing.
But the events previous completely pale in comparison when Lincoln, the only boy, ventures into the basement with a wish to catch what he believes to be a ghost. Yet he finds himself falling into a tangled web of death, bitterness, and deception, all woven by a demonic wander spirit named Mendax.
Lincoln, now an anthropomorphic cat, must navigate his way through the demon's sinister plans for him, his own whirlwind of emotions, and the impacts his transformation leaves of his family and society as a whole.
Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg for the boy, especially when Mendax starts targeting his sisters...
The Friday morning's air was crisp and chilly, although there was an undertone of warmth to signify the arrival of summer. It was only just seven in the morning, the sky having barely turned light, yet the children of the Loud family were still gathered outside, waiting impatiently for something. Some were checking their phones, others talking in low whispers, and Leni was simply staring into space while her delicate fingers held up her backpack, a smile making itself known on her face.
A sudden, unpleasantly high-pitched clang came from the driveway. The siblings turned their heads to the source of the noise, the old family van that had been dubbed "Vanzilla". A small, staut girl that wore her hair in blonde pigtail named Lana was busy working on the machinery underneath the old vehicle, although her movement seemed to become more frantic as her oldest sister, Lori, grew furious.
Her fist came down on the teal colored car door, careful enough to not damage it but loud enough to gain her young sister's attention. The blonde teenager made a noise somewhere between a frustrated groan and an angry roar, her thin blonde eyebrows pointing into a deep V shape
"LANA, SO HELP ME YOU DON'T GET THIS DAMN VAN FIXED BEFORE SCHOOL, I'LL-" She snapped, her booming voice commanding the respect of her younger siblings.
The six year old suddenly slid out from underneath the car, a worried look on her oily face. She stood, adjusting the red baseball cap that happened to be loose on her head. She muttered, "Okay, okay, take it easy! I'm trying my best-"
Lori's face grew as red as a jalapeno, her teeth grinding together. "Then hurry up!" She yelled.
Lana flinched and scurried back underneath the car, calling from where she was, "I'm sorry, but you can't rush mechanics!"
"Oh yes I can!"
On the sidelines, a white-haired boy named Lincoln flinched with the rest of his sisters. He seemed to grow agitated as well, hands jamming into his jeans pockets as he groused, "C'mon, c'mon, we're gonna be so late if-"
It was then when the lanky eleven year old realized that the beings he knew watched his life like a tv show, or as he referred to them, the audience, were probably confused. He turned to them, straightening up so that he'd look presentable for TV.
"I'm sure you guys at home are all wondering the same thing: Lincoln, why are you and your sisters all standing outside? Shouldn't you be heading to school by now?"
Lincoln sighed, a cross look on his face. He grumbled as his arms crossed, "Well, Vanzilla's a hunk of junk. Still better than Veronica , at least.". He gagged at the mere thought of the sleek van and his father's former obsession with it.
He moved on, however, and said as an attempt to cheer himself up, "But, y'know what, it's at least Friday."
A dreamy look suddenly overcame him, his eyelids fluttering down a grin tugged at the corners of his cheeks. His voice was breathy as he said, "Ahh, Friday. The week's nearly over, and once you get through it, the fun begins."
The grin spread wider as a twinkle of anticipation appeared in his eyes, unable to sit still as he bounced on his toes. He murmured softly to himself, "Limited edition Muscle Fish comic, you are mine! "
However, a look of realization suddenly came over him, his brows furrowing and his grin dropping into a deep frown.
"I mean, I guess it's not gonna be all sunshine and rainbows...". He shook his head and turned around to face the audience once more.
"Okay, I kinda left out what's been going on lately… ". The boy looked somber as he spoke. He crossed his arms behind his back and continued:
"See, a few months ago, four kids went missing in the span of two nights. But the weird thing is, the police didn't find anything. No footprints, no fingerprints, no blood, no nothing !"
Lincoln sighed, shaking his head. "It's like they disappeared into fat air! And sure, that was way in January, but that's not the end of it, at least for us!"
"About a month ago, we started hearing weird scratching noises from the basement, and saw shadows racing past the first floor windows at night. Mom and dad decided to get the cops involved but..."
Lincoln suddenly looked frustrated, his brows furrowing and his lips tightening into a deep frown as he recalled the events in his head. He grumbled, "They didn't find anything ! Just like with those kids! They told us it must have been raccoons or something. Mom and dad still moved the laundry machines to their room though, just to be safe."
Lincoln sighed, a hand coming up to pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's just… I think there's a pattern here, and I don't think it's good."
He then shrugged, facing the invisible camera once more. "Anyways, that's what's been going on lately. Crazy, I know!"
Suddenly, a loud car horn blared from the driveway, making the white-haired boy jump at least a foot into the air. He whirled around just in time to see that while he was talking, Vanzilla was once more up and running, and everyone else was inside.
Lori poked her head out from the driver's window, shaking a fist and bellowing, " Lincoln, quit talking to yourself and get in the van! "
Lincoln sucked in a sharp breath and, with speed that could match the Flash himself, sprinted after the van, yelling, " Hey, wait, I'm coming!"
Seven hours later, Lincoln Loud and his best buddy, Clyde McBride, were walking down the streets of the suburbs as per usual. However, there was an odd silence that hung heavy and tensely in the air. The only sounds the boys made was there footfalls on the concrete sidewalk.
Lincoln admired the scenery in front of him. In contrast to the biting chill of this morning, the air was warm and scented with honeysuckles and daffodils. The sun was out with few clouds in sight, a true rarity for the month of April. It was such a nice day out, that Lincoln decided to walk home instead of waiting for Lori to pick up the elementary schoolers.
Well, that and Lori was running really late, but shhh.
Puncturing the calamity of the moment, Clyde's head swung to the left, his eyes narrowed in search of something. Lincoln regarded himself with confusion as the boy repeated the action to his right.
It was then that Clyde flinched, wide-eyed, which made Lincoln stop in his tracks.
"Is something wrong?" He asked tentatively. After a few seconds Clyde finally relaxed. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
"Ah, sorry, it was just someone walking their dog."
Lincoln frowned but chose not to comment and just continued on the path.
It was only a few seconds later when Clyde swung his head to the right, then to the left. Lincoln rolled his eyes.
"Clyde, no one's going to take us in broad daylight." The white haired boy pointed out, gesturing to the bright blue sky.
Clyde simply shrugged and only offered a curt, "Well, you never can never be too careful, Lincoln." As a response.
A beat of silence followed before Lincoln asked his next question:
"Speaking of being careful, why didn't your dads pick you up today?"
His glasses-wearing friend looked tense at these words and frowned deeply. "Well, th-their car broke down after they dropped me off yesterday and I missed the bus. Do you know how fast those things move?"
Lincoln hummed, his gaze turning to the readers. His thumb jerked towards Clyde. "Yes, those kids disappeared a few months ago, but people are still pretty on edge. For good reason too! But maybe not to the extent that Clyde's being."
Behind him, his buddy gasped in shock. His hand gripped his comically puffed out chest as he insisted, "Hey! If you're going to be talking to some imaginary audience, tell them I'm just being cautious!"
Lincoln sighed, shook his head, and fell silent.
For three minutes, the silence remained between the two normally chatty boys. Lincoln kept his eyes ahead while Clyde continued looking everywhere around him. If it was possible, the boy surely would have grown eyes in the back of his head.
They nearly reached the intersection that led to Franklin Avenue when Clyde finally broke the hush that had fallen over the duo. A thoughtful had crossed his face as he tapped his chin.
"What if it's a ghost?" He inquired, stopping in his tracks. Lincoln paused, affixing his friend with a perturbed glance typically reserved for someone who's sprouted three heads.
Clyde ducked his head down, looking sheepish all of a sudden. He said, "Right, sorry. I meant like on ARGGH, y'know?"
Lincoln squinted dubiously at his friend, eyebrows knitting together. "I dunno if I follow." He said simply.
This time it was Clyde that groaned in annoyance. "I mean the newest episode! Remember? The one where Hunter Spector saved those kids from an evil spirit?"
Lincoln's bright blue eyes widened as he recalled the episode the other boy was referring to. He let out a soft gasp of realization
"Ohhh, that one!". He leaned forward, his mouth turning upwards into a grin of excitement, "I think he almost got possessed in that one too!"
Clyde smiled, glad that he and Lincoln were on the same page. He added, "Yeah, that's the one. Man, that was freaky! When his eyes rolled back into his head and you could see the white, and- and when he screamed-!". He shuddered in both delight and fear, "I'll never get that out of my head!"
Lincoln added on, "And then he whipped out his trusty capture device and managed to nab that spirit, saving both himself and all the kids!"
He grinned and replied, "Yep! And that was pretty lucky too! One more second and he'd probably be the meat puppet to some spector!"
"Mm-hmm!"
A small pause stretched between them before Lincoln spoke once more.
"This gives me an idea!"
Clyde hurried to wrap his fingers around his phone, saying, "Call the ARGGH crew and have them take care of it? 'Cause that's what I'm thinking too! Glad we-"
Lincoln suddenly patted his friend's shoulder as if he was a naive child. "Oh Clyde, that would take too long.". He suddenly placed his hands onto his hips, a grin on his face as he proudly declared, "No, instead I'll take care of it myself! If anyone can get it done, I can! And I think I know where his headquarters are..."
Clyde sputtered, his eyes bulging in utter shock. " What?! " He cried, appalled by his friend's practically suicidal idea. "That's insane Lincoln!".
He grabbed his best friend by his shoulders with an iron-tight grip, making the white haired boy flinch. "You can't just try to confront an evil spirit by yourself! A-and you're even trained!"
Clyde's words trailed off as he let go of his friend and hunched over. His body shook violently, his chest heaving from the strain of breathing through the panic.
Lincoln, on the other hand, simply stared down at him in bewilderment. He smiled in self assurance and patted his buddy on the back.
"Clyde, it'll be okay. I can handle it."
"How are you so sure though?!" He snapped in uncharistic anger that made his snowy-haired friend wince, "What makes you think you can do this by yourself?!"
The boy paused just as he was about to retort. What made him so sure…?
"Well..." Lincoln started, "I mean, I have a good idea where it is and… I have the equipment! Besides, it's not like I'm going alone."
Clyde shot back: "Oh yeah? Who's going with you?"
"Uh… you?"
"WHAT?! No, I'm not crazy enough to do that!"
The boy sighed.
"Oh alright. I'll just do it myself then."
"I DON'T WANT THAT EITHER!". Clyde screeched these words like a banshee, making any passerbys turn and stare. Lincoln, taking notice of this, shushed his worked up friend and rubbed soothing circles into his back.
Once Clyde regained his composure, his head turned to his best buddy, eyes wide and teary.
"Lincoln… Please don't do this!" He whimpered. It sent a pang of guilt through Lincoln, and he stared down at the sidewalk in discomfort.
There was a lengthy silence shared between the two boys. Lincoln felt guilt eat at his stomach for upsetting his best buddy, unable to even look him in the eye, instead falling onto the sidewalk. But he had to do this. If it really was a ghost, then he could save the town and those kids. Who knows how long until someone else went missing? And who knows if they…
The pre-teen didn't even want to think about it.
"I'm gonna do it, Clyde.". His voice was firm and clear that nothing woud be able to convince him otherwise. It was a tone of voice that Clyde was all too familiar with, often being employed when Lincoln went into his planning tunnel vision.
Perhaps that was why Clyde sighed in obvious resignation. His shoulders sagged and his hands fell limply against his sides.
"Okay, I can see you won't be talked out of it…" Clyde murmured, "But just be careful, Linc. I can't lose my best friend."
Lincoln smile self-assuredly.
"Clyde, this is why they call me the man with the plan. As long as I'm careful and follow the steps, nothing bad'll happen!"
Clyde looked at a loss for words for a minute. "I hope you're right, Lincoln." He eventually muttered. After that, there was no more conversation.
Soon after the pair of boys reached Clyde's house. The boy bid a quick farewell to his friend and walked away, leaving Lincoln standing alone. He didn't stick around much longer, the determination growing as he mulled over his new goal.
Only a few minutes passed before the handsome house that held the Loud family came into view. Lincoln felt his heart speed up, sucking a sharp breath. Somehow, only in that moment did he start to feel the nerves catch up to him, but he quickly shook them off. No, he had to. If he didn't, who would?
Okay, time to put operation nab-that-evil-ghost-and-save-the-kids-and-the-entire-town-and-think-of-a-shorter-name-for-this-operation into action.
He stepped onto the ancient wood of the porch, the worn white boards creaking underneath his feet. Carefully checking that his stride appeared relaxed despite the anxiety and excitement building within him, he opened the front door and ducked inside.
In the familiar living room, he set his backpack by the door, figuring that he could get it later. Of course, he made sure that it was positioned in such a way so that no one would trip over it, but for now he didn't feel like trudging all the way up to his room to throw it onto his bed. After all, he thought, he had a ghost to catch.
"Now where'd I put my equipment?" He muttered to himself.
"Yo, bro, how was school?". Lynn's voice caught her brother completely off guard, whirling around with eyes nearly bulging out of his skull. Oh crap, why didn't he realize his sisters would be home by now? And lo and behold, there they were, sprawled out in their usual spots on the couch and watching TV.
"Geez, why so jumpy?" Lola grumbled, regarding her brother with a simultaneously aloof and bewildered glance.
'Oh, this is bad! I can't let them know what I'm doing!' Lincoln fretted internally. 'If I do, they'll rat me out, and I'll be grounded until I'm twenty!'. Fearful flashes of a possible future of life in bars flew by, his parents looking disappointed and furious while his sisters cackled manically in the background, taunting him.
"Are you okay? You're like, all sweaty and stuff.". Leni's concern dragged the white haired boy from his fearful monologue. With a start, he realized everyone was looking at him weirdly. No doubt because he was just standing there like a deer about to be hit by a car.
He shook his head vigorously to clear his head. Right now, he needed an alibi.
"Oh, sorry!" He apologized in the most chipper tone he could form, forcing a grin to spread across his face, "I just, really, uh… need a snack! Yeah, I'm just gonna go to the kitchen now! No need to be worried, heh…"
With that, he rushed into the dining room, leaving behind his very confused sisters. They swapped bewildered looks.
"I wonder what he's doing?" Lana murmured, standing on the couch to get a better view of his backside disappearing into the kitchen.
"He's probably up to something." Lola commented, rolling her eyes.
Lori's eyes narrowed. She stood up from her spot on the couch, craning her neck to search the kitchen for any trace of her white haired little brother.
"Should we stop him?" Luna asked from the couch. She leaned forwards, placing her hands on her knees as she tried to get a better view as well.
"I'd say so." Lori said curtly, "If he's acting like this, it's probably something big…"
Lincoln crept into the kitchen, casting furtive glances over his shoulder to ensure no one was following him. Sticking close to the walls, he finally managed to reach the basement door. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling his stomach churn with anxiety. Suddenly, he felt a bit dizzy.
'Okay, this is it. I can't go back now.' He told himself, 'If I back out now, who knows how many more people will go missing.'
His shaky hand reached for the doorknob, and time seemed to slow down for the boy as his palm rested on the cool brass knob.
He paused. His palms felt abnormally clammy, his knees beginning to feel a bit weak. He gulped, already feeling the apprehension catch up to him.
"Get it together, Linc!" He muttered to himself, "No getting out of this now..."
His expression turned firm as he prepared to twist the knob, but just as he was about to do so, a collection of shadows fell over him. He froze, jerking his head around to confirm what he already knew.
Lo and behold, just a mere three feet behind him, were his sisters, expressions ranging from utter confusion to intense suspicion.
"What're you doing, Lincoln?" Lori spoke first, her tone annoyed and tired. From her place at the front of the crowd of sisters, she towered over her younger brother almost menacingly.
The white haired boy gulped and slowly turned around.
Great, his plan was ruined. And now his sisters would probably interrogate him about what the heck he was doing trying to open the basement door. While it wasn't necessary a rule, there was an unspoken understanding not to go down there.
He smiled wide, trying to straighten up under the piercing gazes of his sisters.
"I… don't know what you're talking about, Lori. I was jus-" He attempted to say, hoping that whatever excuse he would come up with would get the girls off his back. But Lori cut him off before he could even manage to fully speak said excuse.
"Stop right there, Linc." She interrupted, "We all know you were trying to get into the basement. Just tell us why."
Droplets of sweat were beginning to form at the boy's brow, a stone of fear dropping into his stomach. He felt Was this what death row inmates felt like before they were led to their demise?
He averted his gaze, trying to think of something else. Maybe... maybe just give them a little bit of truth? Just make something believable enough that they'll buy it.
"Okay, okay, I lost something down there." Lincoln sighed, feigning defeat through drooped shoulders and his tone. "I was just going to grab it, and leave."
Luna spoke next, raising a brow as she muttered, "I dunno lil' dude. You tryin' to convince us or yourself?"
There were mutterings of agreement between the girls. But in the midst of the throng of sisters spoke a certain pretty pink twin.
"Why would you act all weird in the living room if you really were just getting something?" Lola drawled, crossing her arms across her chest as she approached her older brother. She tilted her head, smirking. She leaned forward, sporting a look akin to her finding huge dirt of one of her siblings.
"You wanna know what I think?" She chuckled, "I think you're hiding something pretty dang huge. I think you're going down to the basement to do something dumb."
Lola wasn't stupid. She knew that her older brother was hiding something, something that wasn't a quick trip to the basement to grab some random thing. She figured that if she managed to poke and prod enough, he'd eventually say something a bit too revealing and be forced to say what's really going on.
Perks of being a liar herself, she could spot one a mile away.
Lincoln's nervous sweating tripled, suddenly feeling chilly. He scowled, trying to push away the nerves. He can't lose this battle! He knew that Lola was just trying to weasel the info out of him!
Well, he'd show her that he's not so easily fooled!
"Maybe it's just because I know we're not supposed to go down there, and I didn't want you guys poking your noses into my business!" He argued back through gritted teeth. Yet somehow, this still didn't seem to make them back off, everyone still regarded him with increasingly suspicious looks.
"That's a load of bologna and we all know it." Lola scoffed, her eyes rolling in annoyance. She leaned forward and clasped her hands behind her back, crowing smugly, "I bet you're just scared of telling us what's going on because it's one of your stupid plans again."
This time, Lincoln couldn't contain himself. Fine, she wanted to play that game and insulted his planning? He's show her just how important this one was!
"Oh yeah?" He shouted, "Well I think this one's pretty dang important! I-"
This time, Lori stepped in, crossing her arms. "So, you admit it's not you "just getting something from the basement", hm?" She said in a flat tone, slightly tilting her head.
Lincoln's eyes widened in shock. Oh crap. He gulped as his sisters began to close in on him further like a hungry wolf pack to an injured deer.
He scowled. Just great! A careless slip of the tongue led him to a situation he couldn't escape.
'I guess I might as well get this over with.'
He sighed heavily, this time for real. He looked his sisters directly in the eyes and said, "Okay, okay. I'll tell you."
He sucked in a sharp breath, preparing himself to tell the truth. He suddenly found the floor very interesting, admiring the cracks and dust in the black and white porcelain tiling.
"I was wanting to go into the basement because I think there's a ghost down there, and I want to catch it. I think it kidnapped those kids and could kidnap more if-"
He cut himself off upon hearing soft snickers. He jerked his head upwards, eyes widening in shock upon seeing most of his sisters barely able to contain their laughter.
Luan, ever the opportunist, grinned upon noticing Lincoln's apalled expression.
"So what? Are you just gonna call the ghost busters? Because it's really hard to boo-lieve that you'd have a bone to pick with a ghost!"
Somehow, despite those being the worst puns Lincoln ever heard, it made everyone burst out laughing. Lincoln could only watch, mouth agape and eyes wide with shock and hurt, as his sisters doubled over in hysterical laughter.
'I knew they would think it's dumb... but I didn't think they'd laugh?!'
The boy scowled, suddenly feeling determination. Fine, they wanted to mock him? He'd show them just how wrong they were when he came back with a ghost!
Fists clenched in fury, he whirled around to open the basement door, not feeling any need to stick around while his sisters mocked him.
Well, at least he would open the basement door if Lucy wasn't standing in front of it.
He yelped in shock, flinching. He could tell that Lucy was staring at him dead in the eyes despite the bangs covering her eyes. Once Lincoln gathered himself, he groaned.
"Outta my Luce. I got a job to do." He grumbled, motioning her to step away with his hand.
Lucy stood firm, however. "Sigh. Lincoln, listen to me." She spoke in her usual monotone voice, but having lived under the same roof as her for so long had granted most of her siblings the ability to catch onto the subtle hints and undertones of her voice. Here, Lincoln could catch onto the faintest trace of worry. Curiosity filled him as he wondered what she would be so worried about. Despite his patience being paper-thin, he figured that whatever it was might help him.
"Okay, let's hear it." He sighed. "Just make it quick."
"Lincoln, I don't think it'd be a wise decision to go into the basement. For two weeks now, I've sensed a bitter, angry presence in there."
The black-haired girl paused for a few seconds before murmuring in an unusually intense tone, "And I saw eyes down there just two nights ago. They peered from the darkness, golden pupils gleaming like-"
Lincoln quirked a brow. "And? Doesn't that just prove there is something down there?"
His eight year old sister fell silent, and if stares could kill, the one she was giving him would most likely strike the boy dead on the spot. His hands fidgeted with his pockets out of nervousness from the sheer intensity of such a gaze.
After the longest ten seconds of Lincoln Loud's life, she spoke once more.
"Trust me, you do not want to interact with an angry spirit. You'll probably make them all the more agitated, more dangerous... and I don't want my big brother getting hurt."
Lincoln snorted, his patience finally worn thin.
"I can take care of myself just fine!" He snapped, roughly shoving his little sister out of the way. Such a reaction caused Lucy to jerk back in shock and let out an actual gasp. Normally he would feel awful just a second later, but now he didn't feel a remote droplet of remorse.
He shoved Lucy out from in front of the door, a deep, furious scowl on his features. Lucy flinched upon seeing her big brother slam the door shut, the sound of the door locking just the cherry on top.
The nearly deafening slam of the basement door managed to jerk his sisters from their laughing fit.
Lola pulled herself into a sitting position, her eyes bugging out of her skull in surprise. "Did he…?" Her voice was quiet and bewildered, jaw falling agape.
"Yeah, I think he did." Her twin added on, sitting up as well and scratching her head.
Lincoln's heavy footfalls echoed along the stone walls of the basement, the enraged, sputtering words complimenting the noise. His hands were balled into tight fists, his face just as red and scrunched up as a furled rose.
"Stupid stupid - I'll show them-! I'm gonna- Ugh! I'll catch that thing! All catch it all by myself! That'll show 'em!".
He finally reached the bottom of the stairs and, as if woken from a dream, took a few calming breaths. He couldn't let himself get too worked up over this. He had to think straight.
But the realization that he couldn't feel the heavy weight of his ARRGH equipment on his back suddenly shot through him. He gasped, his eyes flying open and the color draining from his face.
"Oh crud, I forgot my equipment!" Lincoln cried. He whirled around and started to run upstairs but stopped himself midway. He shook his head. No way his sisters would let him live it down if they saw him run up looking for his stuff. He shuddered at the mere thought of them laughing and the embarrassment that would make his face feel hotter than the surface of the sun.
'What can I do though? I can't catch ghosts without it!'
Lincoln sighed and trudged back down the stairs, defeat clear as day on his face. Okay, now what?
The boy started to pace, walking further into the basement without realizing, his chipped tooth chewing on his lower lip. Oh, what to do, what to do?! What could he do?!
A small chuckle suddenly echoed throughout the basement.
The boy froze in place, his eyes bulging wide open in fear. He shivered, the air suddenly feeling colder than ever.
"H-hello...?" He stammered quietly; all his previous bravado had gone out the window. His voice echoed slightly in the empty room. He glanced around, but he saw nothing besides boxes and the sunlight streaming through the old, small windows. It looked like he was alone.
"Am I hearing things?" He pondered aloud. And then, almost as if the universe itself wanted to answer his question, the sound of someone, or something, jumping from a high place- presumably the furnace, from the source of the noise- and onto the floor reached his ears.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up, a shiver of dread rushing up his spine.
'I don't wanna be next!' He thought frantically, sucking in a shallow breath. 'This may just be the end of Lincoln Loud...'
Suddenly, there were footsteps behind him. Lincoln whirled around, practically wetting his pants out of sheer fright.
Yet it was the figure that stood in front of him that filled with terror even more than the possibility of death.
It was a tall, slim thing, an impossible combination of human and cat. It stood on two legs at an imposing height that towered over the boy. Its limbs were long and human shaped hands gnarly, but its shoulders were oddly broad and muscular.
Its fur was white and haggard with black patches over its ears, paw-feet, and fingers. It had a long, fluffy tail and pointed ears that contributed to his earlier guess that this thing was part cat.
It was covered in scars as well, some small, some large. Yet they all shared the same two haunting attributes of being pitch black and emitting a strange, dark gray smog.
It wore just three pieces of clothing; a frayed burlap scarf, a worn out and patchy purple jacket that seemed to be missing a zipper, and threadbare pants that only just reached its knees from how ragged they were.
The face shape was narrow with a pointed jawline, and long, scruffy fur hung loosely off its cheeks. It had a narrow muzzle and very long, dark gray hair that was loosely tied into a ponytail that reached below its shoulders, although a clump of hair hung out from the band.
Yet its eyes were the vilest thing about this beast, ensuring that Lincoln would never sleep again if he got out of this alive. They were dark, so dark that it took a moment for the boy to realize they were purple. Its pupils were narrow slits, a bright golden-yellow in color that carried a faint glow to them.
The white-haired boy now understood why Lucy was so freaked out by this thing, even if the only part she saw was those blasted eyes.
For a good minute Lincoln sat there, too frozen in shock to run. His mouth moved to speak, but the only sentences that came out were broken and stuttered as the boy's racing mind scrambled to process what he was seeing with his own two eyes.
The creature smiled.
"Well, well." He uttered, the voice masculine and smooth in a way that sent shivers up the boy's spine. Those nightmarish eyes narrowed, and a thick brow rose slightly. "What do we have here?"
Lincoln, upon finding his voice again, opened his mouth to scream. But quick as a flash, the creature's finger touched Lincoln's lips to shush him. A stern look was on his face and his brows lowered.
"Now, now, let's not be hasty." He drawled, his voice cloyingly sweet despite his stern expression, "If you scream, I'll have to use my camouflage, and by the time your sisters come down here, I'll be gone and make you look insane. Now we wouldn't want that, would we?"
Lincoln's eyes widened but he nodded, unsure of the consequences of any other action. The creature smiled wide enough to show his teeth, and to Lincoln's horror, his mouth contained possibly the largest, sharpest feline teeth Lincoln had ever seen. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but compare them to a lion or a tiger's chompers.
"Very good, dearie." The cat-beast chortled. He slowly removed his finger from his mouth. The cat's horrific eyes were watching the boy's every move carefully and in such a way that it reminded him of Lisa observing an interesting animal.
Lincoln stood stock still for a few seconds as his young mind scrambled to process the situation.
"Wh-what are you…? Did you-" Lincoln whimpered, eyes glancing up to the cat-man.
"Pardon?"
"What are you doing here?! How did- how did the police not find you?! Why-why How did you get in here?! What even are you?!" Lincoln went off, the questions tumbling out of his mouth without caution.
"Be silent." The thing said, his voice hard and chilling as ice. But Lincoln carried on, too wrapped up in his terror to take the hint to stop.
"Did you kill those kids?! It's just that-"
Just as suddenly as earlier, the creature's hand snatched his jaw like a vice and held it closed. He jerked the boy's chin upwards and leaned down to Lincoln's eye level.
"Calm down and listen up, dear ." The cat man growled in an abrasive tone. "I have a request. Do not make any loud noises or screams to give me away. Or..."
The cat man stuck out the hand that wasn't gripping the boy's jaw, a smug smirk plastered on his face. Lincoln glanced at the beast's face in bewilderment before his eyes flicked back over to his arm.
He gasped in shock. His hand... it looked like it had disappeared! But upon further inspection, the snowy haired boy realized for a few seconds he could check a strange sheen that marked the outline of his body.
"Well, I'm sure you get what I mean." The tall cat man chuckled. "And by the time your sisters get here, I'll be gone, leaving you looking like a fool. "
The cat man tilted his head and said in a condescending tone, "Unless you'll be quiet?"
Lincoln swallowed thickly. He felt the iron grip on his jaw loosen enough to let him speak. His voice was no more than a meek whimper as he answered, "Ye-yes sir…"
The creature calmed down instantly and let him go. Lincoln began to take several steps back from the spirit and cast a glance at the stairs. He briefly pondered if this thing would let him go back upstairs without incident but, as if reading this thought, the creature began to laugh.
"Oh dearie!' He remarked between chuckles, "I won't hurt you, even if I do look like something the cat dragged in.". Lincoln couldn't help but groan at such Luan-styled wordplay, his eyes practically rolling into the back of his skull.
"Right, apologies.". The cat-man shook his fur like a dog, and Lincoln noticed with thinly veiled disgust that dust previously attached to the creature's jacket flew in all directions.
"So, I'm sure we can agree that my looks are… rather off-putting, right?". He stared as a nervous Lincoln. "Oh, it's quite alright!" He said, an air of humor in his voice that greatly contrasted the previous tone, "I wouldn't say I look like a playboy either. But, since I gave you quite a spook, I should explain myself."
He crossed his arms behind his back as if presenting something and cleared his throat.
"My name is Mendax, and I am a demonic wandering spirit, a group of entities that refuse to leave the mortal plain and thus, are relegated to roam as lonely, haunted spirits. They can feel anything a mortal would experience, such as pain or hunger, but are unable to perish from it."
Lincoln paused for a second, his brows furrowed tightly in thought. As much as he wanted to ask hundreds of questions swirling around his head, he wasn't sure which ones would get him pummeled.
Eventually, he settled on a rather pressing one that didn't seem too rude: "Why are you living down here?"
Mendax smiled, tail waving in merriment. "Well, adding onto what I said before, spirits like me wander. I simply got lost in your little town and thought this place to be quite roomy."
"S-so you weren't trying to… k-kill us?"
The demon's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Why would you think that?" He asked, his growling voice a far cry from the humor in his tone just a few seconds ago. His tail lashed and his ears flattened in annoyance in the manner of the family cat, Cliff, when everyone's being too loud. Lincoln gulped, eyes darting around the room.
"U-uh, I mean, th-there's been disappearances lately, a—and you just… just... showed up in our basement!" He finally managed to sputter.
A strange, unreadable emotion flashed through Mendax's eyes, but it was gone before Lincoln could figure out what it was.
"Just because I showed up doesn't mean I was responsible, kid." He said simply. "But I suppose I can't blame you for being curious.". Quickly, almost too quickly, he smiled wide and the air around them turned light and playful once more. "I'm sure there's quite a few other questions you have buzzing in your little head though!"
Lincoln nodded carefully as he swallowed. Anxiety began to brew in his belly, but the demon cat seemed to brush it off with a chuckle.
"Well, go ahead! It's the least I can do for showing up unexpectedly!"
"Okay, uh… So, is god or something real?"
"Ah, well," Mendax's expression turned thoughtful, "It's a little more complex than that, from what little I've seen. Not quite Christian, but more… Oh, what's the word… pagan, I suppose."
Before the white haired boy could even think to ask what he meant by that or what Pagan meant, the demonic cat man continued.
"Like I said, there's multiple classes of spirits. I mentioned there's wandering spirits. But there's also higher spirits and demonic spirits. I was meant to go to the equivalent of hell, but I refused."
"So, what, did you just say no to going to hell?!" Lincoln cried. His fear grew ten times upon realizing this thing was supposed to burn in eternal hellfire… or whatever this hell equivalent was.
Mendax rolled his eyes. "Yes yes, I get it. Demons are scary. But see, systems aren't always fair. But, as to why I'm not there." The cat man sighed; his shoulders drooped dramatically. "Well, it's sadly that easy. Apparently, the higher-ups don't care much to interfere with the mortal world and simply let anyone who puts up a fight go."
He elbowed Lincoln as if they were lifelong buddies, although the strength behind this motion sent Lincoln stumbling back a few paces. "Why do you think there's so many ghost sightings down here, mm?"
When Lincoln didn't respond and only shot him a confused and slightly fearful look, Mendax gained a look that appeared oddly concerned, despite the fact they just met.
"Something bothering you?" He asked as he pulled up a box, sitting down with a hardy oof . Lincoln ducked his head, trying not to make eye contact upon realizing the demon was still taller by a couple inches sitting down.
"I-it's just… I guess I didn't expect to have my whole worldview just… just changed! I didn't even know any of this was real!" He exclaimed.
Mendax smiled, giving a half shrug in response. "I get that feeling, kid." He chuckled, "It's even more shocking when you've just died and woke up to find several highers standing over your dead body. Especially so when they tell you that you're going to hell."
Lincoln only hummed in acknowledgment. He still felt on edge, but even that was starting to soften. Why was this thing trying to make conversation with him? He figured that it wasn't to hurt him, but the motive for the cat man remained unknown, and the fact alone made his skin crawl.
"S-so," He began, "Why are you talking to me?". At Mendax's offended look he backtracked, stuttering, "I-I mean, making small talk and stuff! I guess I just don't get what your… gaining from… this."
The black and white cat man crossed his arms and huffed like a frustrated toddler. "What, can't one enjoy a bit of small talk? I haven't had human interaction in ten years, kid!"
Lincoln's eyes widened at this bit of information. What?
"What… Where have you been?!" He asked, confused beyond belief. The demonic cat man simply shrugged.
"Ah, the woods nearby. Staked out a little territory of my own, been living in an abandoned cabin that no one's touched for… what, twenty years or so?"
"Wait..." Lincoln's brows furrowed. "The woods nearby? You mean, Royal Oak Woods?". He felt concern begin to rise within him, taking a small step back from the demon.
"Wasn't that where the kids went mis-"
"Shouldn't you be looking for the culprit instead of interrogating me?" Mendax scoffed and rolled his eyes. He sat up rather quickly and kicked the box aside with a huff. Lincoln scowled.
"Well then who did? You're kinda the only guy I have right now that was in the right place-"
Mendax whirled around, fur bristling. Lincoln jerked in shock, a yell flying from his throat.
The demon towered imposingly over the frightened boy, ears slicked back against his skull and muzzle twisted into a snarl.
" I came into town two weeks ago, kid. " He retorted, his voice so chilling and laced with anger that Lincoln felt his knees shake in unholy terror, "I saw those missing posters; they date back to January. I wasn't around here at that point. End. Of. Story. "
Lincoln held his hands palm up to his chest. "O-okay! I-I won't ask again!" He stammered.
The black and white cat demon smiled. "Good. Thank you for respecting my wishes.". He hummed. "It wouldn't be fair to be upset with you, however… I know you were wanting to find the culprit."
Lincoln jerked in shock as the demon prattled on: "I know it's disappointing, but I'm sure he's out there somewhere."
"How did you know that?!" The snowy haired boy demanded. The demon scoffed loudly.
"Your family's not the most quiet, dear." He trilled, "Even excluding the fact a cat like me can hear much better than you humans, these walls are still pitifully thin-!"
Sufficiently creeped out but also curious, Lincoln accidentally interrupted: "How much did you hear?"
The demon narrowed his eyes and Lincoln flinched as he realized his mistake, but the cat man continued on.
"... As I was saying before you rudely cut me off-" He shot a scathing glare in Lincoln's direction, making the white-haired boy flinch. "I heard your sisters mocking you. They all called your ideas stupid, even the little goth girl said she didn't think you would make it this far."
"Wha-"
"It made you feel like shit, didn't it?" The demon drawled, leaning down once more to the boy's eye level, getting a little too close for comfort. He pouted his lower lip and inclined his head to the side. "They all laughed in your face!"
" How did you know all that ?!" Lincoln shouted, his face going red as a tomato. His chest heaved from the effort of yelling and his knuckles were clenched into fists. However, he recalled Mendax's reprimand about loud noises and covered his mouth with a hand.
It was a lucky catch too; the demon didn't look pleased but didn't give him a verbal lashing like he thought he would.
"Thank you. Anywho, I said earlier that the walls are thin and your family's loud as hell, so I was able to hear your interaction even if I didn't have a cat's hearing ability."
Mendax tapped his chin in thought. "Yet… the predicament fascinates me. Why would a boy like you go hunting for a spirit that, all things considered, could easily nab you as well?"
Lincoln ducked his head upon feeling the judgmental gaze of the demon. He shuffled his feet in anxiety and stared at the ground.
"Er, I-I just thought I could get it out of here since I have ghost hunting equipment. Well, I had." He replied, scowling at the last bit of information. How did he forget that?
Mendax went quiet for a few seconds, confusing the boy immensely. He looked up, only to see the demon smiling in amusement.
"Oh dear, why would you think that would work?" He chuckled. Lincoln's fists clenched up and he scowled in indignation. But just as he opened his mouth to respond, the cat man cut him off. "I mean really, why would a boy like you have actual ghost catching equipment if clearly the rest of your family doesn't believe in such things? They must be toys."
Lincoln gaped at the audacity, feeling burning anger rise within him. "That doesn't mean they're just toys!" He shouted. The demon shot him a glare of disapproval at the volume and tone.
"Who's the ghost in here?" He drawled mockingly, placing his hands on his hips, "I think I would know what I'm talking about, kid."
Face red but unable to come up with a comeback, Lincoln slumped over, hands falling limply to his sides.
"Much better." Mendax said pompously with a self-satisfied smirk. "But I also think I could, possibly, have a way to help."
Lincoln stared at him as if the demon grew three heads. "Help?" He echoed in disbelief.
"Precisely!" the demon replied cheerfully, "But… there's a catch.". His horrid eyes narrowed. "You must complete a favor for me first."
Lincoln blinked in surprise, his brows furrowing. "A-a favor?"
The demon sighed. "Yes, a favor." He repeated in exasperation, "You need to do a favor if you want me to help you catch this ghost."
Lincoln's eyes bulged in both shock and excitement as he murmured in a quiet, breathy tone, "You'd really do that?"
Mendax laughed. "Why of course, dear boy!" He simply said, "I could go out looking for your little ghost, bringing you back information. And all you need to do is just complete a task I give you."
Lincoln stared in a mixture of awe and hesitation. Why would the demon offer this to him?
"Well… wh-what are you getting out of this?"
Mendax sighed heavily, his expression turning sour at those words. He crossed his arms with a huff.
"Well, I just told you!" He sneered, "I get a favor in return! It's almost like you don't want my help!"
Lincoln paused for a second, confused. "I mean," He began, "I was just asking-"
"-Rather rudely a question that had an answer I already told you." The demonic cat man scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Do you really think there's other options? Do you want your sisters to laugh at you when you come out empty-handed?"
Lincoln frowned, feeling this sting of the words hit him. He was sure there were other things he could try, but he couldn't think of anything at the moment.
"Well… what's the favor?" He asked tentatively. The demon gasped in delight.
"Is that agreement I hear?" He chirped gleefully, "Thank you for seeing my way!"
"I… guess?" Lincoln replied. He was admittedly very confused by the demonic spirit's excitement. "Uh, sure. Could you answer my question though?"
The demon chuckled and, much to Lincoln's utter bewilderment, his pupils seemed to double, no, triple in size. "Of course, dear! In a bit! But right now… there's something I need to do."
Lincoln didn't have enough time to even react when a demonic roar ripped itself from the cat beast's throat, and golden beams of light flew from his eyes, blasting the white haired boy backwards.
It didn't hurt, unless you count Lincoln's back colliding with the concrete floor, but it felt like a powerful gush of water, minus the wetness. It was so blindingly bright that the boy couldn't even open his eyes.
Then, it was over. Lincoln sat up, hissing through his teeth as his back twinged uncomfortably. He shook his head.
"Apologies dear. I know that was a tad bit unexpected.". Lincoln jolted upon realizing the demon was standing over him and scrambled to his feet. His chest heaved in a mixture of fear and anger, and his furious blue eyes flicked upwards to the demon.
"What was that?!" He shouted, "What did you do to me?!"
The demon shrugged. "Oh, you find out soon enough. In the meantime, though,". He grabbed Lincoln by the shoulders and jerked him close to his face, so that the boy was staring directly into his nightmarish eyes. He flashed the boy a smile so horrifically smug it could have made Lincoln gag.
"This cannot be undone. You asked for what comes next, and I delivered. Remember that."
Mendax set the confused and terrified boy down, patting him on the head like a child.
"But what did I agree to?!" Lincoln demanded. He scratched at his arm as he shouted, "I don't even know what's going on!"
Mendax chuckled breezily. He only replied, "You'll see."
Lincoln's jaw flopped open. How dare he-
The itch from before suddenly flared up again, much worse than before and spreading. Lincoln glanced at his arm with a groan of annoyance.
"Ugh, what's-"
The words died on his tongue as soon as he saw what was causing the sensation. He swallowed thickly, rubbing his eyes with his other hand to check if he was just seeing things.
The vision didn't fade though. Upon realizing this, his face drained of color and his jaw flopped open.
Somehow, a worrying large patch of white hair had covered his skinny forearm with him realizing.
Right then, Lincoln felt time itself slowed down as he stared down at it. What was probably a mere ten seconds felt like years as he watched the hair slowly but surely advance upwards to his hand.
A sheen of sweat covered his brow, his throat felt clogged, and he began to shiver. What in the world was going on?!
After a moment, he found his voice.
"What's going on?!" He cried, whipping his head around to face the demon. Said demon shrugged, a gleam of cruel amusement glistening in his eyes. But he didn't say anything, just choosing to smirk.
Eyes wide in fear, Lincoln realized he would get no answer from the demon and instead turned his gaze back to the hair. He gasped softly when he realized it spread farther up his hand. In a panic, he almost tried to rip it off by force, only for his legs to suddenly feel weak and shaky.
"What-" He croaked.
Out of the blue, horrific pain seized the boy, the feeling akin to being set on fire. A screech of agony ripped itself from his throat as he tumbled onto his side.
It felt like knives were stabbing and twisting themselves into every inch of his cramping flesh while his bones were being pulverized by several baseball bats. Lincoln yelled, writhing like a worm on a hook from the sheer amount of pain he was in. His clenched eyes opened slightly, before bulging in shock upon seeing his arms.
While he was distracted, he must have not noticed his arms changing even further. The hair from before had completely overtaken his right arm and, to his shock, his left one already matched it while he wasn't looking. He also saw that his hands, beyond being covered on the tips of his fingers and his palms with puffy pink flesh, hadn't changed much.
It did nothing to ease his growing panic, however.
"No no no no no-!" He cried upon feeling the hair march up into his shoulders and the beginnings of his chest. He begged internally for someone, anyone, the stop his pain.
His wish wasn't granted though, and the horrid feeling began to particularly intensify in his ears.
His hands flew up to them in a desperate attempt to stop them from changing, but they were already turning pointed, and even seemed to be growing outwards. The sensation was akin to his lobes being set on fire, causing his eyes to screw shut.
His ears began to pop as they were callously tugged up his head, turning into long, pointed cones. He yelped each time, partially from the pain but partially from being overwhelmed with fear.
Then, with another pop, his world went completely silent. Lincoln blinked in shock, feeling the fear rise even further.
'What the heck is going on?!' He frantically thought.
And then, his hearing returned with one final snap, and he flinched at just how loud everything had become.
The crunching, cracking, and stretching noises coming from his body easily reached his large ears, which were now near the top of his head. The bile began to rise in his throat, and he had to resist the urge to yarp right there on the concrete floor.
His feet suddenly cramped up horribly, and a tearing sound came from the same area. He managed to prop himself on his elbows, albeit shakily, to look down and sate the burning curiosity that was growing, despite fearing what he would find.
He gasped, realizing just how right he was to fear what he was seeing.
His feet had lengthened significantly, his toes puffing out and beginning to shorten. Already he had torn up one sneaker as his foot grew, and upon feeling the other begin to do the same, he rushed to yank the shoe off.
It was too much for the poor kid to even comprehend. Just as he completed the action of taking off a shoe he felt the pain triple in intensity, and with a scream of agony he fell onto his side. His chest tightened as the adrenaline flowed through him, forcing him to breath through pants and gasps. The foot debacle had only served to worsen his panic, his young mind scrambling to figure out what was happening. He knew he was changing, but didn't have the foggiest idea into what, how, or even why.
His senses were overpowered as he heard the creaks and cracks coming from his bones, and how his muscles emitted fleshy pops and wet tearing noises, and what he was seeing made him feel like he was going insane! None of that compared to the pain he was in however, so great that he was sure that dropping dead would be a better outcome than this.
But with his excruciatingly good hearing he heard footsteps pacing around him and quiet mutters, although he couldn't hear what words were being said over his own screams.
He realized it was Mendax making these noises when he saw the bushy white tail of the beast briefly flit into his view. He realized with a start that he could stop this. After all, the demon made this happen to him; surely, he'd have enough mercy to stop it as well!
Lincoln didn't want to beg for the cat-man's pity, as he was sure he'd rub it in his face, but there weren't many other options he had. He lifted himself to all fours but, much to his shame, couldn't get himself to stand, so he decided this would have to do.
"Sir, I-I- ack!" His plea was interrupted by a particularly horrid cramping in his legs. He hissed through his teeth but continued, "I-I need to talk to you!"
The demon's black-furred ear flicked towards his direction, turning around with a smug glint in his eyes.
"Oh? Whatever for?" He drawled coyly. The white haired boy groaned but noticed the pain subsided enough for him to talk, so he continued.
"Please just make this stop!" He yelled, "I di-didn't say I wanted this!"
The demonic cat man paused for the longest ten seconds in Lincoln's life, with a brow quirked and a sneer on his face.
"Really? But I thought you said yes!" He jeered, his arms crossing over his burly chest, "You asked about that favor, you know.". His voice turned into a mocking coo at those words, eyes narrowed and lips turning up into a horrible grin.
Lincoln scowled, "I didn't!" He shouted, "I never said yes!"
The demon chuckled, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. "Perhaps not a direct yes, but you at least agreed." The demon said. His tone then lowered into a threatening growl. "Besides, I specifically said this can't be undone, because no matter what you try to convince yourself with, even if it wasn't this exact word, you. Still. Said. Yes ."
Lincoln shook in terror as the revelation hit him, that he would receive no help from this demon no matter what he said. His vision began to blur, and it took him an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize it was because of tears
The demon waved a hand dismissively, "Now, let's continue. Better to get this over with."
Lincoln's eyes bulged. "Wait, no-"
He couldn't even get a full plea for mercy out before he was struck once more with agony. He screamed as his arms were no longer able to support him, causing him to collapse.
He squirmed as he felt the hair from earlier sweep over his waist even quicker than before. None of it hurt, feeling more like a tingly itch, but it fueled the well of fear within the boy nonetheless. With a startled shout, he realized the hair was starting to creep up his neck, already passing his polo shirt's collar.
He whimpered and stuck a hand up his shirt to feel his chest and stomach, unable to continue not knowing what was going on.
It was long and oddly soft, thickly coating the areas it had grown in. He sucked in a breath, shuddering at the alien sensation of petting it. It felt like petting an animal, but… it was attached to him. He tried to pull on the hairs, only to feel a sting at the roots. He winced and hurriedly let go, his mind trying to put a name to this.
It felt like stroking an animal's fur, he realized, only to gasp.
Fur. It was fur that was growing on him.
Oh sweet lord, he was turning into some sort of animal.
But before he could truly process such a monumental revelation, sharp aches started to develop in his mouth, mainly from his teeth. They ached as if they all had cavities, akin to the descriptions that Lori and Luan gave him of having braces tightened. But he was sure they didn't feel like they were growing .
But there was so much going on that he couldn't be certain of this, so he decided to test it. He ran his tongue along his incisors and canines, only to wince as a sharp sting hit his tongue.
He sucked in a sharp breath at the feeling as a few red droplets dripped down to the floor. He could taste the metallic tang in his mouth, but from the pain and panic, he took a bit to realize what happened. But once he did, he nearly choked on his own spit.
It was blood that dripped down on the ground, and that was in his mouth.
He cut his tongue on his own teeth.
His. Own. Teeth.
'What's happening to me?!'
The boy's entire body was shivering violently, his eyes bulging and misty with tears. Unable to look at his transforming body anymore, he buried his head into his arms. He wouldn't look, he couldn't look, he didn't want to look-
And then, all the pain seemed to build up into the small of his back, a pressure so great he couldn't even bring himself to scream. It felt like a black hole was ripping his spine right out of his body, stretching the skin terribly. The poor boy froze, ears flattening against his head in distress upon realizing that a lump was growing from his tailbone.
Lincoln screwed his eyes shut, teeth clenching and his newly formed claws scraping against the floor as the pressure continued to build.
'Please please please let this be a bad dream!' The boy pleaded in his thoughts. He couldn't take this anymore!
Deep down though, he knew this was no dream. Never in a million years would he have even thought of anything close to this.
And then, Lincoln felt several sensitive hairs poke out from either side of his upper lip. It didn't hurt, and instead just felt itchy, much like the fur. Lincoln opened an eye to look, despite every fiber of his being saying he shouldn't see what happened.
These new hairs were white and at least seven inches long, much thicker that the fur covering his body, and sensitive enough that he could feel the air currents around him. Looking at them reminded him of a cat's whiskers…
He finally put two and two together.
These were cat whiskers. Cat's were the only animals Lincoln knew to have whiskers like these. And Mendax looked like he was at least half cat.
Lincoln wanted to scream, to cry, to curse this demon back to wherever he came from. But the pain kept him in place, a chill running up his spine and his mouth falling open. He swallowed thickly and sniffled.
"I… oh god, I don't wanna be a cat!" He managed to choke out.
A coo came from his left side, but he couldn't bring himself to look. "Did you figure it out?" The cat demon crowed, "Well, don't you worry, dear, there's only a couple more changes left!"
Lincoln's head fell back to his arms as he began to sob, clenching his eyes against the burning tears. He knew the demon was probably right, but it still made heart clench in terror.
Right on cue, the growth started up once more, and the lump began to gain inches at a time. He groaned in pain, wincing as his hearing picked up one the fleshy crunches and pops emitting from his spine, despite how much he wished he could block it out. He growled and slammed his fist into the ground as if he was calling uncle in a surprise wrestling match with Lynn.
The lump ended up bursting through his underwear and hit the denim of his jeans, and despite the material of the pants not giving way it still attempted to grow.
Lincoln's eyes flew open, convulsing against the mounting pressure. Why was it still growing?!
Eventually, the agony grew so excruciatingly awful that he couldn't stand by and let it continue. As much as he hated to help this transformation along, he lifted a shaking hand to claw the back of his pants. It took a bit of scraping, but he could eventually feel his- no, the claws come out.
His face flushed, shame burning in his chest at what he was about to do. He felt like an animal for using the claws, the feeling of them on his fingers so overwhelming and new. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and if this wasn't a desperate time, then he wasn't sure what was.
Much to his surprise, it only took a few seconds to tear the jeans, and, with a deafening crack, the lump shot out the back of his pants. It hurt like burning hell, but Lincoln was at least relieved that the pressure subsided.
He shiver as the pain in his backside died down, his stomach beginning to churn in dread. What would change next? He couldn't even begin to hazard a guess in fear of it coming true.
But nothing came. Nothing came for ten seconds, only leaving a dull, throbbing ache in its place.
Lincoln opened his eyes, only to suck in a sharp in. His vision, while not previously poor, had seemed to sharpen. He could still see all the colors like a human would, but everything seemed much clearer, and he could see into the darker areas of the basement much better than before.
But just as he was getting his bearings, two paw-like feet stepped closer to the boy, and a tall shadow fell over him. Mendax's sickeningly sweet voice crowed from his left, "Welcome back, dear boy!"
Lincoln shouted and leapt to his feet, only to fall onto his butt and the tail due to the changes that befell them. He shivered in horror at the unnatural sensation of pain coursing up it.
Mendax padded closer, head tilting to one side and his arms crossed behind his back. "Oh now, why the long face? Is that how you normally treat someone you were just conversing with?"
Lincoln trembled and tried to speak, only to hack. It seemed that he ran his throat raw whilst screaming. He stared up at Mendax is terror, slowly trying to make his way to his feet.
"Now, I'll tell you about that favor tonight. But for now…". The boy could barely cry out before he was sharply yanked by his shirt and was face to face with the demon's sharp fangs. He elongated feet dangled helplessly, probably about two feet off the ground. He tried to squirm out of his grasp but froze upon feeling the cat man's pitch black talons dig into his skin.
His wide blue eyes gazed into the demon's own purple and gold ones, desperately searching for any hint of pity. But to his horror, there was no mercy, only smug apathy and a hint of some unknown emotion deep within their depths.
The demon snarled, jerking Lincoln from his thoughts.
"If you tell anyone about our little meeting here, I'll have no choice but to kill your entire family! One by one, right in front of your eyes!"
Lincoln's eyes widened in horror, but before he could offer any sort of response he was dropped onto the floor. Now the ache began to grow in intensity, leaving him only with enough strength to prop himself onto his elbows.
He watched as the demonic cat man clambered back onto the furnace and leaped onto the ceiling rafters. Then, little by little yet so quickly, the demon's form blended back into the basement. Now Lincoln could only make out a shimmering outline if the light was right.
Lincoln was barely able to process what had just transpired when the worst migraine of his life gripped his skull like a vice. It was so sudden and so painful that he yelped, only from his eyes to widen in realization.
"No!" He cried in horror. His hands flew up to his face and clutched it tightly. Not again! He didn't know how much more he could-
The all too familiar burn came back, the sensation as if someone injected chili powder into his face. Lincoln's arms collapsed underneath him, only having enough strength for his hands to weakly push back against his face.
But to his horror, his mouth and nose had already moved half an inch outwards. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think of anything else, trying to distract himself from the ongoing transformation. Yet his head felt like it was being crushed, and his facial muscles stung like crazy.
With another crack, his mouth and nose gained another half inch in length. With all his strength, even if deep down he knew the notion was ridiculous, he pushed back against the bulge, teeth gritting in pain. But much to his chagrin, it didn't seem to deter the changes in the slightest. It couldn't care less what he thought, this transformation continued despite his protests.
Despite his best efforts, he could do nothing to stop this horrible transformation from taking away his humanity. And the mere thought terrified the poor kid.
Tears welled up in his eyes and a choked sob emerged from his throat as he realized just how long this was taking. Why couldn't it be over?! Shame burned through him as he realized just how much he wanted to go faster, for his body to become more and more warped from that of a human's, but the thought remained. His body was exhausted and mind overwhelmed, and he just wanted this to be over.
But, as if his changing body had heard this desperate plea, the face bulge was yanked outwards with the loudest crack in the whole process. It felt like his face was being pulled forward being the strongest vacuum cleaner in history. It was so great, he couldn't scream, could barely even breath.
But the pain faded soon afterwards and left a numb ache in its place. Lincoln groaned and flopped onto his side, curling into himself. He felt the tendrils of unconscious tugging him into it's warm grasp, and the poor boy welcomed the break.
Through his exhausted stupor he heard heavy banging on the door, followed by a crack of splintering wood. There were cries of relief that Lincoln realized came from his sisters.
Were they trying to get the door down the whole time?
Lincoln wasn't awake long enough to hear his sisters gasp and shocked exclamations as they fanned out in a half circle around him.
