Secrets

Kara came home running. The sun had just fallen below the horizon and already she was getting anxious. With the strap of her schoolbag falling down her arm, she took it and lifted it back on her shoulder as she ran home.
The door swung open Kara entering her house. Down the hallway she peeked into the kitchen. Empty. A glance into the opposite end of the house revealed no one in the living room. She breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently her mom wasn't around. Last thing Kara wanted was for her to find out.
She could feel the moon outside. Any moment now would trigger the change. Kara went upstairs with the backpack still on her shoulder.
"Kara, honey?" a voice called as she rounded the railing. It was mother.
"Mom?" Kara said in fright, "You're home?"
"Of course I'm home!" she said, "How was your day?"
"Fine, mom," she replied as she walked down the hall to her room, "Where are you?"
"In the bathroom. You got your test back?"
It was hard to lie to mom, Kara thought. "Yeah..."
"How was it?" mother said with a bit of curiosity.
"I'll tell you later, mom," Kara said while turning the knob to her bedroom door.
"Tell me now, honey," she insisted.
"Not now, mom!" as she closed the door to her room.

After fumbling with the lock on her door, Kara opened her bookbag and spilled all of its contents onto her bed. She needed a hiding place, and fast. The closet was full. Behind the bed would be too suspicious, but she could probably make the garbage can which sat beneath her window outside.

A knock on her door. "You come out of there, young lady!" her mother demanded.
"Mom, I'm kinda busy!" Kara said. She caught her throat. Her voice had that growl to it. She peered outside; the full moon was in sight. Kara panicked as she heard the knock on her door again.
"I'm warning you, Kara!" mother said.
"Go away!" Kara cried.
"What!?" she said in disgust, "That's it, young lady!"
Kara heard her mom's footsteps as she marched away from her room and down the stairs. She wiped the sweat from her face, which had already developed a silky fuzz that ran down her cheeks. She looked under her shirt and a patch of grey fur had already crept down her stomach. Her clothes grew tighter as she panicked a little more. Desperate, Kara opened her window. Looking down, she quickly became afraid of the staggering height her bedroom seemed off the ground.
Kara gripped the window, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't do it. She couldn't lie. Kara looked at her hand, and claws formed at the fingertips. In more panic, she twirled around her room before collapsing onto the carpet. When she fell to the floor, her clothing began to rip apart. Underneath her tearing clothing was growing and lengthening fur that covered her entire body. She laid on the floor stomach down, with her chin on the carpet as she saw her snout growing between her eyes. Licking her teeth she found a pair of sharp incisors that grew from under her lips.
The other changes happened much quickly. As Kara rolled around on the floor, a tail pushed its way out of her skirt and waved around independently. Her nose grew wet and black and her eyes became two glowing, yellow orbs. Her shoes burst open as lengthening feet became longer still. Her clothes became nothing more than shreds that lay on the carpet for Kara to claw at as the change progressed. At first, she thought she could howl in reaction if she wanted; the room was soundproof. But the window was wide open so Kara kept her mouth shut as the change slowed down in completion.
Once again, Kara could hear her mother marching up the steps. In her hands, for sure, was the key to her room. Feeling ashamed, she kicked herself backwards to the wall under her window. Putting her head in her arms, Kara heard the sound of the key jiggling in the lock.

"Kara!" mother said as she opened the door, "What did you do to your clothes!?"
"Mom," Kara said softly, "I have to tell you something..."
"Don't say it. I already know."
"But how...?"
"Mother's intuition. And the sound of your voice. On the bed, right?"
Kara nodded. Her mom went to her bed and picked up the test that stood on the top of the pile of papers. It had a big red D+ marked at the top.
Mother sighed. "Did you study?"
Kara sniffed, "Yeah."
"Did you think you did your best?"
"I thought I did."
She let go of the test, as it fell softly down onto the stack of papers. "Then I guess you'll do better next time, right?" mother said as she lay her furred hand on Kara's head.
Kara looked up with an apologetic smile, "Thanks."
They looked around the room. Shreds of cloth were everywhere. "Just couldn't get undressed, couldn't you?"
"I was late getting out of school, and..."
"Ah, forget it. Get washed for dinner. I brought home meat for tonight."
"Uncooked?" Kara said with delight.
"Of course! It's ready downstairs," she said, "Only the best."
Kara stood up and followed mother out. "Mom," she asked, "Where Dad?"
"Pack meeting. He called, he said he'll be home early."
"Are we going out chasing animals like last time?"
"No, I was thinking it'd be just you and me, going up to the hillside and howl at the moon."
"Aw, mom!"


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