Tinseling

Chapter Twenty - Darting

No one got cut earlier, not even Karen. As the night waned, Treasure’s symptoms progressed. After suffering through bubbling skin and protruding teeth the workers had finally started stacking chairs onto tables, something that gave Treasure hope of being done soon. Nadia stood by the doors, rubbing her arms as though cold to hide her trembling skin.

On her third chair, Treasure’s muscles twitched. The chair crashed back to the floor, creating a horribly loud noise.

Trying to smooth over the mistake, Treasure picked the chair back up and set it on the table with more haste. Still, the stillness in the room told her the scene hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“You’re a mess,” Jenny accused, watching her.

Smiling apologetically, Treasure said, “I’m just tired, sorry.”

“I can relate,” Jenny shrugged, starting to lift chairs again. Karen put up a chair as well. “Turn it the other way around,” Jenny instructed, making a circular motion with her finger. Treasure watched them for a moment before moving across the room to another table.

Soon, she’d be out of here. Work always felt slightly suffocating because of all the people and responsibilities, but now it felt worse because she wanted outside, away from civilization.

She could tell Aidan agreed. So far he hadn’t shown the symptoms like Treasure: no dropping cups, or chairs, or anything else. Every time Treasure wished she knew why, she remembered being a werewolf wasn’t exactly something science knew about and had answers for.

Imagining going to a hospital and asking for tests on being a werewolf made Treasure snicker. But only momentarily, because then her skin would bubble, reminding her werewolves were real—and serious matters.

“Everyone out so I can lock up,” Jenny said, which were exactly the words Treasure wanted to hear.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Treasure met Aidan and Nadia at the front doors and left with them, Karen and Jenny trailing behind them.

As soon as the sounds and smells of outside hit her, Treasure didn’t want to be human anymore. From the way Aidan and Nadia stiffened beside her, she knew they felt the same. But none of them could do anything while two humans stood behind them.

Which answered the question of where they’d go.

“Truck,” Treasure muttered, heading for Aidan’s parking spot.

Nadia said what they were all thinking. “We’re not going to get anywhere like this,” she said through gritted teeth.

“We’ll wait them out,” Treasure said, climbing into the truck though she didn’t want to. Once again she felt closed in, trapped. On the other side of the road, trees mocked her, showing her what she could be running through if she chose.

Emitting a whining noise, Nadia said, “I don’t want to.”

“Then just stand there,” Treasure said urgently, watching as Jenny and Karen split for different cars. “We just can’t shift.” Jenny’s car started. “Pretend to be throwing a tantrum, it’ll help explain why we’re not gone,” Treasure added.

The look Nadia gave Treasure would’ve scared a weaker person. But with shifting so close, Treasure felt no fear.

She heard the cracking sound but didn’t feel it: her elbow. Without looking, Treasure already knew the bones would start poking through her skin, changing shape and bursting through the too-tight skin encasing.

“They’re gone,” Aidan said, voice sounding funny. Treasure discovered his canines had grown while she’d focused on Nadia.

Nadia started walking away, but Treasure asked, “What about Karen?”