Nate felt a searing pain in his mouth and cried out as four teeth were pushed out of his gums and came loose in his mouth. He spit them out into the sink with a bit of blood and then opened his mouth, watching in pained awe as large, sharp fangs grew in where they were. He cried out and walked away from the mirror.
Nate wandered out of the bathroom and into the living room, grateful to have the house to himself with his parents at work and brother at school. He sat down on the couch and looked over himself. He couldn't help but freak out at his situation. Every inch of his body ached and he wanted to cry. How could this be happening, he thought to himself. Then it suddenly popped into his head. The other disappearances in town. Was it possible this was connected. Was the wolf that attacked him once human.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. Nate's heart leapt as he wondered what he should do. The person knocked again.
"Nate? Are you there? It's me, Mr. Thompson. Damon's father." announced the voice on the other side. "I understand you're home sick from school. I'd like to talk to you please."
Mr. Thompson? Damon was a friend of Nate's from school. He was one of the kids who went missing. The two had bonded as kids over their shared love of werewolves. Nate's current situation seemed almost ironic. Still, he knew he couldn't answer the door like this. Mr. Thompson was, in addition to being Damon's father, a science teacher at their school. He used to work for a big science lab in town, but was fired under mysterious circumstances.
"Nate, please answer the door. If you are experiencing what I think you're experiencing, I think I can help."
This remark made Nate re-think the situation. He got up, wrapped a blanket around himself and walked over the the front door. He unlocked the door and opened it, letting Mr. Thompson in. Mr. Thompson took a step back and looked over Nate, smiling.
"Ah, yes, my boy you are coming along wonderfully." Mr. Thompson was practically glowing.
"What are you talking about?" Nate was confused. Why was Mr. Thompson happy to see him like this?
"I can explain. One night, my dear boy Damon came to me and explained that he loved werewolves so much he wanted to live as one. He wanted money to buy an elaborate fursuit and mask to wear in his time at home. He wanted to let me know he was saving his money to buy these things and wanted me to know that is what he wanted." explained Mr. Thompson, leading Nate into the living room and sitting him down on the couch. "Now, I'm a highly accomplished scientist and geneticist and I figure to myself if that if this is what my son really wants, why not give it to him."
"What are you saying?" asked Nate. It was starting to get harder for him to talk as his fangs continued to grow in.
"I developed a serum that would transform him from boy to the werewolf form he so desired. Even better, I made it so he could transform others with a simple bite. I'm not surprised he picked you, the way you two got on. And once you change, you'll be able to pass it on too." Mr. Thompson was smiling from ear to ear.
Nate grabbed Mr. Thompson's shirt and pulled him closer, growling, "You did this to me?!"
"Well, yeah. You think a virus like this happens naturally?" he replied, calmly. "And the thing is, no one will ever know. Because soon enough, you'll be an animal, just like my son."
Nate cried out as the changes started up again and rolled off the couch onto the floor. He clutched his gut with his paw like hands as he felt the changes slowly progress. He was turning from human to monster and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had no idea what to do now or how much further his changes would progress.