Ferris's secret (Full Version)

Everyone’s got a secret. Whether they brought it on themselves, or whether it was dumped on them. Me? Well, I’ve got the mother of all secrets, and I was only able to keep it for so long, until that day, in the middle of school when it killed my best friend.

It was like any other day, beginning with a long bus ride. I didn’t bother talking to anyone, and they didn’t bother talking to me. There was only one other stop, and that one stop had the only kid who bothered talking to me, and that was Luke. He took a seat next to me and smiled.

He was quiet, just like me. We hardly ever spoke, yet we could have silent conversations and no-one but us knew it. I took out my iPod and turned it up. All I listened to was techno, and sometimes I’d daydream to the music and remember the old days, before the outbreak, before my family died, before my brother, Aaron went missing, before… Okay, let’s forget that last thing that’ll come later.

Luke tapped me on the shoulder, “Ferris, ready for the chemistry lab today? You seem stressed.” Luke hardly ever asked questions; this must’ve been serious.

“A little, yeah.”

Luke nodded, and got back to doing whatever. I looked back out the window.

School was far worse; I wasn’t picked on, I was scared about… well… my ‘secret’ getting out. We had to walk through the most crowded hallways before we actually got to our class. And if you were late, you had detention. Welcome to Banesville high school!

Chemistry was on the far side of the school; conveniently enough, it was located next to the ‘safe room’, just in case we had another, ‘Hazmat’ problem. The teacher, Mrs. Legatto was young, in her mid twenties, had brown eyes and blonde hair. But she always looked at me funny, like she knew what I was hiding. Today especially, she seemed nervous, like she was worrying for me.

The room was average size, with a white tile floor and nine black tables lined up in rows of three each with two chairs and an individual sink next to it. The teacher’s desk was all wooden and loomed over the front of the room. Luke and I sat at the front of the room, in the middle table.

Before I sat down, the teacher came up to me, wearing a look of concern, “Ferris, are you alright? You don’t have to do the lab if you don’t want to.”

Now I knew something was up. Our teacher NEVER let us skip work. I told her I was fine and to go on with the lab anyway. Basically we just had to mix certain chemicals and write down what we saw, followed by a worksheet.

Luke started off, grabbing a beaker of blue liquid and pouring it into one with green powder. Total red wire-blue wire situation, and Luke had to go and cut the wrong wire. The mixture fizzed for a bit, the beaker rattled and then BANG! The beaker exploded. And guess who was unlucky enough to get his head caught in said explosion?

Lucky me; the green mixture shot straight into my eyes, scorching them like hot sauce up your nose. Luke dropped everything and hurried me over to the eye-rinse station. The water from it didn’t help, it just spread the burning out. But then it began to cool off. The teacher ran over and handed me a towel, “Ferris! Are you alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine! It’s just-” Suddenly my body felt chilled. My hands started burning, “No. Not now.” I held my hand up in front of my face, which lost its color instantly. It had happened before. I’d tried to control it to keep it under wraps.

My finger nails had become black, razor sharp claws. This was only the start of it. The rest was much worse. I bolted from the room and took off down the hall.

Yeah, remember that secret I told you about earlier? You’re about to find out what it is. The burning had reached my legs now, and already the changes were visible. The blue-green scales had started growing on my shins and were spreading quickly. My legs were starting to go numb; I tripped and fell face first onto the tile floor.

But I needed to get up, and fast. After running into twelve lockers, two classroom doors and several walls, I’d gotten the Dean, the principal, Luke and the school deputy’s attention. They were hot on my trail.

But I was no newbie to getting back up; I gripped a nearby door knob and hauled myself on to my feet and stumbled into the room behind the door, which I locked. The burning was in full swing now. All over felt like it was on fire. My stomach was in knots and my head ached. The blue-green scales consumed my legs and I quickly threw off my clothes.

White hot pain seared through them as the bones inside broke apart and started fusing. I cried out in agony, only to watch them become a singular mass covered in scales. Soon it began to stretch and lengthen into the tail of a snake. A line of lighter scales formed down the middle. My tail it didn’t stop growing until it was thirty feet long. Think it’s over? I wish.

The scales started up my torso. These were more like calluses but scales were scales. The same lighter scales spread up my belly and chest, all the way up to my neck. By now my arms had become covered in the darker blue-green scales as well as what remained of my top half.

The skin on my head changed color, becoming the same darker blue green as most of me. My ears lengthened, and pointed. Horns, yes horns, started to grow from the back of my skull, poking out from my brown hair until they were about a foot long. The burning suddenly died down, and I was alone.

If you’re wondering what I turned into, I have no idea. Below my waist, was the long, blue-green tail of a snake, above my waist, I was kind of human. The scales had covered most of me, accept for my head, which the skin had changed color. I also had horns and really, really long, pointy ears.

I was a monster, no doubt about it. But that was the least of my worries right now. I needed a way out, an escape route. I took a look at the room I’d hidden in. It had several windows; and each was big enough to fit through. I stood up, balancing myself on my tail, and slithered over to one of the windows. I pulled my shoulders through and then the rest of me.

Suddenly I felt weightless; I lost grip on the windowsill and plummeted down, “Oww!” I landed with a thud onto the ground. Apparently, I had not paid enough attention, and had climbed out of a SECOND story window. I’d landed on my head, why couldn’t I have broken my neck? At least then I could get past what would come later. Yeah, it’s a longer process than just changing into this ‘thing’. I didn’t even know what I was, great.

I got back up. I’d fallen at the back of the school, where there was a small marsh.

Perfect, I thought, I can hide there.

I dashed into the woods, and stopped to catch my breath. I’d have to get back home at some point or another. I looked around the swampy place.

I turned around, and met eyes with Luke. He was only at the edge of the marsh. He stared at me, jaw hanging open in shock. I couldn’t explain, “Luke...Luke…stop. don’t run! No!” Luke started backing up I lunged for him but it was too late.

Neither of us saw it coming. Luke had only time to look to his right, before being struck by a police car. In a way, that car hit me as well, “This is all because of me.” I said aloud. I dashed towards Luke and snatched him up. His head lay limp, his neck broken. I put my ear on his chest, no breathing or heartbeat. A deputy stepped through the reeds into view, with death in his eyes. It was Luke’s father. He quickly reached for his pistol, and started firing. I sped away and all I can remember is seeing him holding Luke’s dead body and sobbing over him.

I needed to find my hideout fast; the change back would start soon.  

* * *

Every time I change, the transition back to human is slower and more painful than the last. After ducking through two back yards, a corn field and one street (No body was driving on it, thankfully), I’d made it back to my shack unnoticed; hidden away in the woods and curled myself up in a corner. Now imagine my transformation back to human; three hours, that’s how long it took me. Every time a bone broke, snapped or twisted to reshape itself, or every time a muscle changed and tore, I felt it. It was three hours of pure agony.

I was powerless. All I could do was hide in my hut and scream. The pain itself was enough to kill me. All I could see was white. I guess I’d better explain.

The whole start of this happened years ago; back when I lived in my old town of Kayson. Our family wasn’t poor or anything; in fact we were quite rich, but that’s another story. Anyway, a few scientists were trying to create a super-vaccine, one that would grant ultimate immunity to every human sickness. They’d needed test subjects so that they could see if it’d work. Of course, I’d signed up; everyone else who’d tested it had lived.

The lab was just outside of town. Once there, I had been told to sit down on a small table. A guy in a lab coat sterilized the injection sight and injected the serum. A wretched pain had jabbed me. I’d begun to change. All I can remember after that, is losing myself and rampaging through the lab, knocking stuff over, people trying to stop me, yelling and then and explosion.

When I woke up, I was in a tent. My skin had been burnt badly. Most of my clothes had been burnt, except for my boxers. Which was odd, they’d ripped when I’d changed.

“Get up.”

The voice startled me, “Who’s there?”

“Relax, you just recovered.”

He was a man in his thirties and wore an Army uniform. He didn’t have a name plate and gave me some clothes to wear, “You took quite a blow back there! How’ve you been?”
I rubbed my sore head, “I don’t know. Where am I?”

“You’re in Banesville. Ferris right?”

“Yeah.”

The man nodded, “Well, you’re safe now. Away from the Kaster incident.”

“The Kaster what?”

The man sighed, “Well, the lab you were in was caught in an explosion. We can’t tell why, all we know is there was an explosion. Inside the lab was a sample of every known human disease, along with trays of the unfinished vaccine. When the samples mixed with the unfinished vaccine, they mutated, becoming a super-bug.

We called it the disease of no second chances. Once you were infected, you’d certainly die. We had to fire bomb the place to kill of the disease. Survivors were evacuated. The rest is classified.”

He pulled out an envelope, “You brother’s name is Aaron Kidd, right?”

“What happened? Is he alright?”

“That’s a yes I’m assuming. He told me to give this to you.” The man said handing me the letter. I tore open the envelope and unfolded the paper inside.

Ferris, mom and dad are dead. I’m still alive, but I’m in the hospital sick. I could care less if they were gone, I mean, they used me. But, if you’re out there, please, come back, I miss you! The hospital’s in…

The rest of the letter had been torn off, “Let me guess, what else he said was classified.”

The officer grimaced, “Hey, I had to do what my boss says. Look it’s really toxic here; we should get you someplace else.”

Now, about the letter; In the letter, when Aaron mentioned how he’d been used, he had gotten a bad dealt a bad hand. Yet at the same time, he was lucky; when I was thirteen, I’d come home after school. Aaron was up to his usual antics, tossing a tennis ball at the side of the shed. Only he wasn’t tossing it; he was just flicking his hand back and forth. And the ball was just flying through the air and hitting the shed.

He looked over and once he saw me, he ran towards me with a paper in his hand. “Look Ferris!” he yelled, “Look at this!”

He handed me the paper. It was a flyer, with a picture of Aaron in the middle. He was wearing a magician’s outfit.

“I’m putting on a show, tonight! Come see!”

“A show for what?”

Aaron started floating the tennis ball he’d been throwing, “For this.” At first, it was truly amazing. Aaron was telekinetic. But little did I know, this was the beginning of the end of our family. Mom and dad got greedy and over time, Aaron’s shows were no longer a thing he did for fun. Instead, mom and dad extorted his talents; they kept all the money and gave Aaron nothing but more shows to perform.

They punished him if he lost interest or said no. At one point they’d even invited ME into the action, “Come on Ferris! Join us! We can be rich together!”
“We may be rich, but Aaron’s paying! Look at what you’ve done to him, look at what you’ve become!”

“He’s just a kid, he doesn’t care! He loves it.”

“No he doesn’t mom, he hates it! You’re ruining him!”

“SO WHAT!? He’s one-”

“He’s my brother! And he’s your son! How could say that!”

We exchanged some harsh words; I tried several times to leave with Aaron, but it didn’t work. Our parents weren’t stupid; they either paid someone to find us or found us themselves. They never helped anyone but themselves.

That’s why I volunteered as a test subject. I wanted to help others by assisting with a vaccine that would save lives. Something they’d never do. Well, look where it got me. No home, just a shack; the burden of turning into this ‘thing’, and the regret of leaving Aaron behind.

I came back to the present.

My changes were over leaving me with just a shirt on. It’s safe to say that I was scared of myself. One side of me is relived; I’d lived through this whole process again. But there was that other side; this will happen again. It’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘when’ and the next time could be the time that kills me. I was able to open my eyes once again, and stare at what little I had.

The shack was basically a wooden box with a small window, a wooden cot, and a small window. Not other furniture. The roof didn’t leak, thank goodness; there was no mold, also good. The only downside was the cold. Every night, I went to sleep shivering. My clothes didn’t do much to keep me warm.

My last outfit sat on the makeshift bed.

I grabbed it and put it on. I sat down, Great, I thought, the last outfit. How am I
suppo-

I was cut short; I heard twigs breaking outside. I wondered who could be out here at this time of night? I went ahead and left my shack.

The air was crisp and cold, the moon was full. Trees surrounded my place; the moonlight shone through the leaves adding an ominous feel. But what had made that sound?
There was a gunshot, and something whizzed by me slashing my side, “Argh!” My heart stopped and then started. I buckled over and held were I’d been hit, lifted my shirt and saw the wound. The bullet had only grazed me below my left ribs, but I was definitely bleeding.

“I’ve finally found you.” A man’s voice said.

“Who found me, ahh! Who’s there!”

A figure stepped into view. I knew who it was, “You’re Luke’s father.”
“Damn straight I am! You killed my son, now you will pay!”

I shakily stood up, “I didn’t kill him, he was hit by a car. It was an accident!”
“That’s not what I was told. You killed him! I’ll kill you for that!”

Luke’s father charged with a knife, “I could only afford one shot, so I’ll use this!” I stared at him, as he charged slashing. The blade caught my arm. I tried to run, but he swung again, this time cutting deep into my leg. The cut started bleeding like crazy and I fell to the ground. Then I was stabbed in the side; the blade cut deep into the same side I was shot at. Luke's father twisted the blade and pushed it deeper. I screamed as loud as possible, but I was too deep in the woods to be heard. Luke’s dad pulled the blade out and watched me lay there, bleeding.

My vision was going red, when I felt the burning again. The shift happened so fast I didn’t even have time to blink. The scale caught me off guard and rushed up my body and
down my legs/tail.

Luke’s father dropped the knife, “Y-y… you! W-wh- what the-” I struck fast.
I lost control, and coiled him in the blink of an eye. Luke's dad squirmed about. But the more he wriggled, the tighter I coiled. I had no idea I was about to kill him. He started choking, and I felt the cracking sound of his rib cage breaking. I slashed at his face with my claws.

He managed one last glance at me. That face would be the one to stick in my mind forever. It was the look of pure fear. For a moment, I regained control. But it was too late. He had been wrapped too tight for too long and his ribs buckled, “Aaarrrggghhhhhhh!”
He coughed and looked at me, “You! You…ruined…everything. You…ughhhh.”

I unraveled myself from him. He laid there, dead and cold. I’d done it again, this time on purpose. This ends here. I thought grabbing the knife and gun he’d brought to kill me with.

* * *

I found the most remote spot in the woods next to a lake. My reflection was clear in the water. I hung my head in sorrow, letting it rest in my hands. I could only be disgusted with myself; I still didn’t know what I was, yet I did. I was a monster and a murderer. I threw a rock into my image and watched it fade.

The full moon lit the area with white light. I took the knife that had been used on me and thrust it at my chest. The blade shattered against my chest. These scales were harder than I thought. I sat down on a log (which was surprisingly easy without legs) and thought of what the rest of Luke’s family was doing, probably planning his funeral.

Oh wait!

They would need to plan two funerals, one for him, and one for his dad. His family tron apart, by me. I took the gun and looked at it. It was a small, six shot revolver. I pushed the barrel open and saw it had five more shots in it, almost a full round.

Why didn’t he use you? You could’ve put an end to it much faster than a knife. It baffled me that Luke’s dad hadn’t just shot me. Maybe he was more messed up than I thought, and thought shooting me was too quick. Well, it backfired on him.

I looked at the gun I’d been holding, and then at the sky. The memory of Aaron flicking that ball at the shed came back to me. He’d seemed so happy.

I held the gun up, when a female startled me, “Wait! Don’t shoot!” It was none other than, “Mrs. Legatto! What-?   How’d you find me?” Then I remembered, “Oh god! Don’t look at me!” I lowered the gun.

“Don’t worry Ferris, I’m not scared. I just want to talk. I know you’ve been through a lot. But I can’t sit here and let you kill yourself. Hear me out.” She had a sort of urgency in her tone, like she was hurrying things along. She also stayed in the shade, and not in the moonlight.

“What do you have to say? You don’t know what this is like.” I said gesturing to my serpentine body. Mrs. Legatto exhaled, “You might want to look away.” and then stepped forward.

Her body convulsed as patches of brown fur sprouted all over her body. When Mrs. Legatto said to look away, she wasn’t kidding. I’d seen enough shape changing for one day. I covered my face (I also wished I could cover my ears, her change was noisy).

I briefly peeked through my fingers. I stared as the fur consumed my chemistry teacher’s face, seeming to push it into a canine snout, with record sized fangs to boot. The rest of her looked entirely different than before; the fur had consumed her entire body, her feet only had three toes, each tipped with huge claws, her arms were also covered in thick, brown fur along with her hands. Her finger nails had sharpened into claws and was that a… tail?

She let out a terrifying howl as her transformation ended. My jaw fell open; my science teacher was a, “Werewolf. You, you’re a werewolf?”

She can’t talk, stupid. I thought, Werewolves don’t talk.

But again, I was wrong.

“Yeah, I’ve always have been. Big secret huh?”

I nodded slowly. Mrs. Leggato sighed, “I knew something was different about you from the minute I found you. You just smelled different I thought enrolling you in school was a bad idea, turns out it was.”

“Ya think?”

“I know. And about that; you’re stuck that way.”

“I’m what!?”

“You can’t change back. The last time you changed, there was a faint trace of human scent on you, now there’s nothing. I thought you’d like it, since you won’t have to deal with the horror of changing back.”

“No! No, I’m fine! So what am I, huh? Do you know?” I retorted.

“You look like a naga to me.” she paused and looked over her shoulder; the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.  “Look the police are out searching for you, we need to go. I know a place where we both will fit right in. It’s called Kaster City.”
A spark went off in the back of my mind.

Kaster was the name of the lab that blew up. Soldier mentioning classified stuff? Letter torn off at the bottom? Something was definitely up. “I need your help. I know that city, and I think that’s where Aaron is. We need to get there, fast.”