Metamorphosis

The pain didn't go away. It stayed, nagging him from the inside. The pain felt like waves rippling through his entire body. Remus was not moving, but at the same time felt movement inside himself. Every nerve and vessel vibrated, bringing pain and finally exhaustion. Remus wanted to cry, but instead gave out a strange gnarling sound that reflected the vibrations inside. He felt the blood moving through his veins; he was alone, but at the same time felt the blood of others somewhere around him; he smelled the blood in the air. It had that sticky pungent scent, but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, Remus felt a craving for this scent, for the taste of the blood.

His thoughts took a strange form of blurry chaotic images that were pulsating together with his body. It felt like convulsions, yet at the same time Remus was completely alert. He was hot, and rushed outside, gasping for air. It was dark and almost midnight. The pale moon was hanging in the sky, staring Remus in the face, snickering.

“Oh no, you don't!” he yelled, and jumped high, to reach the moon.

The moon seemed to snicker one more time, and then turned bloody red. The moonlight reflected in the Remus's eyes, turning them almost scarlet. The colour seemed to infuse his entire body, and now the thoughts turned into red images. Remus felt he could smell every little bird in the bushes, every insect in the grass, but those were not the scents he was looking for. He was looking for the smell of blood of another animal — two-footed, naked, fearful. He felt that it would be the remedy for the painful pulsations he felt inside. He instinctively knew what to do with the scent's source. He had to bite into it, eat it, make it a part of himself, one with himself.

He smelled around once more. He smelled himself, and caught the smell of fur and of something else, hereto unfamiliar. He found that he was shorter and somewhat sturdier. At the same time, his movements were lighter and more precise; he could walk and run faster. Remus made a couple of laps around the frontyard. It felt good, although it seemed to make the pulsations in his body more intense.

He left the yard and ran down the street, seeking the scent. As he got farther and farther, a sense of anger and frustration overcame him. The streets were empty, and the only companion was the snickering moon. It now took on a menacing deep scarlet. Remus exhaled and seemed to be startled by the very sound that left his mouth. He has never heard anything like it. It was more like a bark, a deep throaty sound that seemed to originate down in his gut.

He stopped. Suddenly he felt a new movement inside himself. It was a movement of fear, of panic. He could feel the naked one inside, whimpering, running around his body. Remus knew he had to get the fearful creature, drag him outside and tear him to pieces. He tried to discern the movement inside. The creature moved down his back; Remus turned his head around and sank his teeth into the flesh. The pain was sharp and sudden. Remus yelped. The creature was still inside, still trying to hide. It now moved higher up the spine. Remus reached as far as he could and bit his belly. The fur stuck in his throat, choking him. This infuriated him even further.

“I hate you! I hate you!” he screamed, biting himself viciously, trying to get hold of the elusive little critter...