Daughter part 1

Running. Heart pounding. Ears ringing. Cold biting through my flesh, but sweating seeping through my pores. Street lights flickered as I raced past, glass cracking as the noise grew louder.

Then I realize, it's me.

My mouth is wide open, screams pouring out. I didn't even know I could hold that much oxygen in my lungs. I've been screaming since I bolted from my house fifteen minutes ago.

The pain strikes again. It feels like a hand gripping my insides in a tight fist, its nails puncturing the tissue. The scream gets louder, my voice cracks, then cuts off. I fall on the pavement. A single car screeches to a halt a good twenty feet ahead of me. I gasp, sucking as much air into me as I can. I choke. I feel bile riding in my throat, and I wretch on the road. My mouth tastes like metal. I look and see thick red splattered across yellow lines. My muscles tighten. I can't move. I'm stuck in an animalistic crouch, snarling at the headlights that seem too bright.

The hand moves up, crushing my lungs. Air comes flooding out of my mouth and nose. I can't suck any back in. I'm dying. Or am I already dead? The hand lets go, and too much oxygen comes back in. My lungs are bursting. My whole body is. I'm shaking; convulsing. My fingers curl, scratching at the black pavement. The instant my mouth opens to let out a scream, every bone in my body breaks. I hit the asphalt hard. My vision blurs, then becomes better. Colors are duller, but lines are sharper. I can smell better. I can hear better.

I scream, but what comes to my ears is a low growl. It comes from the back of my throat, vibrating in my chest. I push myself up, looking at the blood on the pavement. I notice that my nails are too long. My fingers are too short. My skin burns and begins to ripple. White fur sprouts on my hands, working its way up my arms. My nose feels like its being stretched from my face, and it becomes wet.

And all at once, the pain stops. Everything feels fine. I'm standing now, but on four legs. I feel as tall as normal. I look up for the first time, to see a horrified woman staring at me near her car. I can smell her sweet perfume, and almost taste the coffee that has spilled on the ground in front of her. My eyes seem to zoom in on her. Her face is wrinkled, her hair is either blonde or gray - my eyes can't pick up colors well - and her eyes are terrified. Her red lips wide open, her hands trembling as I lift my head high and howl.