{{Hope folks don't mind me contributing to other threads besides those of the various Moon Lake sagas...}}
As the memory of the mysterious light faded, Darren Ianski went back to work, greeting people as they arrived or left the Hotel Doloma.
It was a bright, sunny day, which was why he wore his sunglasses to begin with. Yet for a spring day it wasn't too warm and there was very little humidity.
So Darren couldn't understand why he started feeling hot.
At first he stepped into the shade under the awning that people walked beneath to go in and out of the hotel and felt cooler, but soon that bit of relief departed him as Darren felt hot again.
Hot, and itchy.
What gives? he wondered, scratching the back of his neck and discovering that he was in need of a haircut.
Darren took off his doorman's cap to wipe his brow, but felt something scratch his forehead. He lowered his hand and saw that his fingernails were now much longer, and all ended in sharp points.
That ain't right. Maybe I'm hallucinating, Darren erroneously surmised, but as he went to absentmindedly bite a nail, he discovered that it wasn't just his fingernails that were growing. Some of his teeth were now much longer and sharper too.
I don't understand. What—
But Darren never got to finish that statement as he felt his feet hurting.
He looked down to see his toes popping out of the front of his shoes, for his toenails had gotten longer and sharper too, as his feet began to swell to much larger than their original size.
Darren started to feel faint, and instinctively reached out to grab one of the awning support poles in hopes of preventing himself from falling to the ground.
Yet it wasn't his regular hands that grabbed the metal rod but something larger, with gnarled fingers that had hair growing on them.
Darren was beside himself.
He felt like if he let go of the awning rod, he would fall to the ground in a dead faint.
Despite the fact that there was no one in the immediate area, Darren tried to call out for help, but whatever came out of his aching mouth wasn't words.
It sounded more like an animal.
Darren doubled over in pain as every muscle and bone in his body ached.
He didn't know that he was gaining height and muscle mass; along with a tail and fur as his ears shifted higher up on his head. His mouth and nose extended into a muzzle shape as his hands and feet finished becoming paws.
When it was all over, Darren breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the pain was rapidly subsiding.
Even the throbbing in his head was disappearing.
When he tried to stand upright again, Darren was shocked to discover that he was now much taller than he was a few minutes ago.
Then he felt the breeze caress what was now his bare body.
Darren was about to attempt covering his private area when he noticed that the tattered remains of what was his doorman's uniform were now puddled around his fur covered feet.
He felt more than saw his new tail twitch anxiously behind him.
Darren started noticing all the other changes to his body.
Both scared and curious at the same time, Darren turned to look at his reflection in the glass of the Hotel Doloma's main entrance and discovered that he was now...
(options below)