Mirror

another unpublished part of "On the road"

Looking into the mirror he saw that his eyes had turned yellow again. Tyler was breathing fast, panic filling his mind, and he had to steady himself by leaning on the wall, his hands clutching at it on both sides of the mirror. Images were racing through his mind, pictures of torn bodies and blood running in streams. He tried to push them back into the deepest corners of his mind where the wolf was at home. But it was to no avail. His mirror image changed starting around the eyes. He saw fur growing and reached with his right hand to his face. It was still smooth, except for the stubble. In contrast his face in the mirror was completely covered in grey fur of different shades. His mouth and nose twisted and bulged, forming into a muzzle. Tyler didn't feel this, yet, but the image alone let tears running down his cheeks. In his mind Tyler realized that this must be an illusion, because no matter how often he touched his face, there was still only skin, no fur and his face was his own, not the head of the monster that formed in front of him. Unlike his real transformation this one lasted only for a minute but the image he saw still filled Tyler with horror and his eyes with tears.
The wolf stared back at him from the glass – his own face was nowhere to be seen – baring his teeth. The pain began to shake his body and he was breathing heavily. He could still bear it but he knew it wouldn't be long until his body would burn, his bones break and twist and the pain would be so unbearable that all he could do was screaming. And what would come next: the monster would break free and rip every living being apart it could find. All the time Tyler stared in the mirror, unable to look away, and the wolf stared back at him.
Tyler saw Jeremy approaching from behind, putting his hands on Tyler's shoulders. "Relax Tyler, I'm here, you can get through this." Jeremy's voice was not exactly calm and had a certain fearful edge, so Tyler was far from convinced. His breathing became more and more like choking. The wolf in the mirror snarled and snapped. But not at Tyler, its rage was directed elsewhere. The beast's eyes looked past Tyler and were fixed upon Jeremy.
Tyler's body began to burn and he felt some bones breaking and resetting. He clung to the wall as if for his very life. Jeremy pressed closer until his chest was flush against Tyler's back. Reaching forward he took both of Tyler's hands in his and twined their fingers. Tyler closed his eyes, partly because of the pain, but mostly because he couldn't bear his reflection anymore.
"I can help you Tyler, but you must trust me, do you hear me? You must trust me."
"Please," Tyler whimpered.
"Then open your eyes. And whatever you do, let them open and do not look away."
Tyler shook his head. His arms started to twist but Jeremy held them in place.
"Tyler, open your eyes," Jeremy pleaded.
Tyler did and still the wolf in the mirror did not look at him but at Jeremy, this time snapping rabidly, foam coming around the edges of his mouth and drool flying everywhere. He dared to follow the wolf's gaze and saw Jeremy's reflection. He noticed the change immediately: Jeremy's eyes had turned bright blue – not red with dark veins around them - and he was not looking at Tyler but at the wolf in the mirror. The thought might have intrigued Tyler normally but currently all he thought of was the pain. He started to close his eyes again.
"Tyler," Jeremy screamed with fear in his voice.
Tyler shot his eyes wide open.
In the mirror he saw Jeremy open his mouth and baring fangs. Jeremy did not simply bare fangs but he snarled at the wolf. He snarled the way Tyler remembered dogs and wolves in documentaries did. Tyler's mind was too much in turmoil, due to his agony, to think straight and so he stayed, unable to move in any way.
The wolf in the mirror changed his expression, his ears were laid back, his maw wide open, snapping in Jeremy's direction, who didn't stop snarling at the monster but instead pushed his head forward until he was on level with Tyler's. Jeremy let out an extremely loud snarl and the wolf went backwards in the mirror. At the same time, Tyler felt some of the pains recede. Jeremy continued his snarling, all the while pressed against Tyler's body and gripping his hands. With each threat the wolf receded more and so did Tyler's pain. Finally the burning stopped, the pain receded and Tyler calmed down. His breath was more even, albeit shaky like all of him.