I had only been driving a few minutes when I realized that I was insanely hungry. I wasn't sure why-I had felt outright nauseous only a short while ago while cleaning up the remains of Benny. Yet here I was, my stomach rumbling angrily at me, demanding food.
I stopped at the first restaurant I saw; it was a cozy little bistro named "Marti's". I got a table in their patio seating area, wanting to be able to smoke without the stares of irate non-smokers. A young man, no more than nineteen quickly took my order of a rum and coke to start me off, and left me to peruse the menu.
I glanced over the menu, not even really sure what I wanted to eat. When my eyes settled on an 8 ounce ribeye steak, however, I knew there was no other real choice to make. It left me feeling a little odd when I placed my order and asked for it rare, though. It's not that I used to be a vegetarian or anything, but I really wasn't into the whole bloody steak for lunch idea before now.
When the waiter laid my meal before me, I had to actually restrain myself from picking it up with my hands and devouring it as quickly as possible. It was a tangible thought in my mind, and I found that more frightening than my craving itself. I was actually having to struggle not to act strangely. Hoping to calm my nerves, I ordered my second rum and coke.
The first bite of my steak was like a new experience for me. I tasted the meat and the blood in a whole new way. I gulped down the steak quickly, taking each bite more vigorously than the last. With each swallow of the meat, I could feel a foreign presence in my mind growing stronger. I should clarify; it wasn't entirely foreign. They were definitely my own thoughts in my head. But they were far darker and more primal than anything I'd thought before.
At first, it occured to me that this was the way things were meant to be-that I was a predator, a being made to consume the flesh of the weaker beings. About halfway through the steak, it dawned on me that a living being would be much more satisfying. To taste the warm blood as it gushed into my mouth, to taste the adrenalin and fear mixed in, to experience the thrill of the hunt.
By the time I'd finished the steak, it was now a conscious knowledge that a simple animal might sate my hunger briefly, but the true satisfaction would come from the flesh of the human species. Humans are so arrogant! They think that they're the top of the food chain, and that they have no natural predators. It was time to prove them wrong!
When the waiter came to clear my table, he seemed to notice the change that had come over my persona. I don't know if I was giving off some sort of pheremone, or if he was simply sensitive to my mood, but he seemed rather uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the way I was looking at him, as though he was a prospective meal. I ordered a final drink from him, wanting to sit and let my meal digest, and to be alone with my thoughts. I knew that these thoughts were totally because of what I'd become,yet it no longer frightened me or repulsed me. I no longer felt remorse at what I'd done to Benny. He was merely the victim of my evolution into something far stronger than what I had been before. He'd been a victim of my new nature, nothing more.
Despite my original intent to leave after my third drink, I found I had finished it far more quickly than I'd imagined. There were still more thoughts in my head, and I wanted more time, so I ordered yet one more rum and coke. Strangely, I didn't feel drunk at all, just pleasantly buzzed. As I nursed my drink, I wondered what to do with my newfound powers tonight. I glanced at my watch, cursing the fact that it was barely noon. Moonrise wasn't for another eight hours. It couldn't come soon enough for me now. I wished the time to pass quickly; I longed to feel the change again. I began to dwell on how to best spend the evening.
Perhaps a night in the woods would be fun, I thought. Spring was in the air, and campers might very well be in the woods, not expecting anything more dangerous than a rabbit or an owl.
On the other hand, I thought, why take a chance on finding prey, when I could simply go to a club and find some unsuspecting person to take home? The thought of taking a stranger home for sex and shifting while they fucked me turned me on incredibly then. Two of the most primal acts, unified into one-the rut and the kill. The idea intrigued me.
Perhaps I would visit my ex-husband. Why kill a stranger when I could easily kill someone who deserved it? He'd hurt me before, and still held a power over me because of our history. It would be a grand way to declare myself free of him.
My thoughts came to me with yet another idea. I could always visit my friend Renee. She and I had been close since our high-school days. Perhaps I would go visit her tonight, and make her an offer that she couldn't refuse. I would have a companion to share the nights with, and to talk to about my new nature. Of course, she might hate me at first, but soon enough, she'd forgive me.
The last idea came to me as I handed the waiter my credit card and finished the last of my drink. Perhaps I would spend the rest of the day finding out about the flower that pricked my hand, and who had sent it. I knew instinctively that whoever had sent me the flower must be as I was. There would be no need to give Renee the gift of evolution, at least not right away. It might be better that way, to avoid losing total control and killing her. If I met the man, I could learn more about what I'd become, and how to control some of the finer points of my new form.
I left the bistro, giving the waiter a final look of hunger, wanting him to see it. I gave him a sultry smile as I saw him blush. He was innocent, I realized, and quite shy, judging by his reaction. He was probably quite tender and juicy, I imagined. He was most definitely prey. I made a mental note to develop a bit of a relationship of sorts with him. Perhaps one day it would be HIS throat under my fangs.
I got into my car again, pausing temporarily, gathering my thoughts. I made a conscious effort to suppress a certain amount of the animal inside of me, as it was making it hard for me to concentrate on how to drive. Finally, I decided on what to do for the evening, and set out to put my plans in motion once I got home.