MTU: Hard To Look At - Chapter 9 (Patreon)

I woke up Saturday morning with two legs, much to my relief. I showered and returned to my room. As I looked through my closet I noticed the one pair of jeans I had purchased just a handful of days ago. Reaching for the jeans made me feel funny on Thursday. Today, I picked them up off the rack without my compulsions complaining about it. I put them on and still there was no problem. I had to admit I liked the way they hugged my body. When I finished dressing I went downstairs for breakfast. Mom and Daddy were already up.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Daddy asked.

"I feel pretty good, I guess." It felt good to say that.

"You're wearing jeans? " Mom asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "They don't bother me now."

"Perhaps that discomfort is a gauge of your hunger?" Daddy suggested.

"Maybe. I did wear those pajama pants that first night."

I finished breakfast and then Daddy and I went to the Clinic for more tests.

Dr. Adelaide greeted us first and we discussed my new form. The first thing she asked me to do was the thing I did not really want to do. She wanted to see my new form. Reluctantly I complied – it only took eight minutes wearing nothing but a hospital gown to figure out how to do it – and she ran me through a series of tests.

"Totally Rad!" She exclaimed.  "I've, like, never seen such a totally complicated Twist. The good news is you are a metamorph, having two distinct forms, one bipedal and one snake-like, or, like, perhaps lamia-like. But lamia are like demons so you probably prefer snake-like. It also appears that you feed on a substance that doesn't exist in this dimension."

"What?"

"I know, it's far out." She said. I was finding her enthusiasm annoying. "When you, like, petrify someone something in its flesh totally interacts with the Darrington field, the quantum field, to create a vapor that is locked inside the stone. You mentioned that you could, like, change the pose of a bird. The glands we could not identify are what allow you to do that. They also allow you to release the vapor and absorb it into your body."

"What is the vapor?"

"I don't know, but it seems to build up in the statues you create, when it builds up to a certain level, it is released and the transformation is reversed. That explains why when you absorb some of the vapors from a statue the reverse transformation is delayed."

"Do you have any idea how I'm supposed to deal with the craving? Or find a ready supply of animals to drain?"

She paused for a moment. "No, but I think you need some time with Dr. Philips. That's enough experimentation here. Keep working with that friend of yours. His attempts to improve your control can't be a bad thing. Let’s go see Dr. Philips."

“Before we do, I heard you were a metamorph.”

“Tess, like, sold me out. Didn’t she?”

“Yes. Can you turn to stone now?”

“Sort of. I’m totally unaware when I’m stone. And it lasts between ten minutes and three hours and I have like no control over it,” she said sadly. “Oo, I should totally do it in front of you so you can like see if I have the same like lines inside me as people you petrify. Hang on. Let me stand over here. I can totally film myself turning to stone. Once you get a look inside me, just head on down to Dr. Philip’s office.”

Adelaide transformed into a statue. I waited a moment before opening my inner eyelid. She had all the same swirls within her as I had observed in my statues. I found some paper and wrote ‘Same swirls” on it and left the paper in her hand.

I had to ask Tess how to find Dr. Philip’s office. There, we chatted for a few minutes as I told him about being a snake. I don't remember how he did it but soon I was crying about turning into a monster permanently. He let me cry about it for a while before trying to steer my thoughts in another direction. His words were plain and logical and I guess exactly what I needed to hear.

"You need to find a way not to focus on the negative aspects of your twist. You'll figure out your need to feed and how to avoid transforming into your snake hybrid accidentally. You will." He said reassuringly.

"Now, have things changed in school?" He continued. "How were you received by your classmates?"

"Most of them seem more focused on my becoming a girl than my snakes or my trick. The jerks who use to pick on me still do."

"Let's get back to them in a moment. How do feel about being treated as a girl?"

"Well, when the other girls do it I feel included. When the boys do it, I feel like I'm just some walking collection of boobs and legs for them to ogle. I realize they're just doing what I'd be doing if I were still a guy and I have sympathy. For the guys who do more than ogle, I get angry."

"So, you're having the typical experiences of a typical teenage girl?" He asked.

"I suppose so."

"And the boys who taunted Gordon?"

"Still taunt."

"You have to stop letting them control how you feel about yourself. What they think of you is theirs to control. How you feel about yourself is entirely up to you." He advised. "You are bigger and stronger than you use to be. I'm not recommending violence, I would never do that. But, you should not feel intimidated by them."

From there we talked about my experiments with Elliot. I was caught off guard when he asked, "How do you feel about Elliot?" As I stumbled unable to answer he added, "How do you think Elliot feels about you?"

After moment I said, "I don't know." When he did not follow up that question with another, I continued, "We've been best friends for as long as I can remember."

"Is he like a brother to you?"

"Maybe." The word escaped my lips unexpectedly. Last week I would have said "Yes" immediately. Why had I replied "Maybe?"

The session ended not long after that. My head was swimming. How did I feel about Elliot? How did he feel about me?

Daddy and I left the Clinic in silence. I was very deep in thought and I guess he was giving me some space. About half way home I realized if I went home I'd have to deal with Elliot. I asked, "Didn't you have an idea for how I could feed that you were going to share? "

"Well, sure. You just looked like you wouldn’t be in the mood to do that now."

"No, no reason to put it off."

Daddy changed direction and about twenty minutes later we were in a parking lot. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" he began.

"I guess not."

"Are you sure you want to deal with this now?"

I nodded and got out of the car. We were behind an animal hospital. I had a bad feeling I should have paid attention to what he was saying. Though, I didn’t really hear him at the time.

Daddy opened the rear door to the building for me and called out, "Douglas!"

A voice replied, "Wait in my office."

We were in a hallway of nondescript doors. At the end of the hallway was a reception area. I could smell the distinct scent of many fuzzy animals in the air. There were occasional barks and meows. Daddy led me to the second door on the right and we entered.

The office was neatly kept, with two plush chairs facing a plain steel desk. Based on the diplomas and awards, Dr. Douglas Hauser was a renowned animal surgeon.

Daddy asked me again if it was a good idea to be here now.

I was vague in my nod and it wasn’t until the doctor entered the office that it occurred to me that they thought I would euthanize sick animals.

Like some monster.

Suddenly, now was not a good time to be here. "I've changed my mind, Daddy. Can we leave?"

Not hearing my whispered plea, Daddy introduced me to the doctor.

Douglas took my hand and said, "I'm a bit dubious about this my darling. I wanted you to meet an old friend of mine."

They led me to the next room where an old dog was sleeping on the floor. When he saw the doctor, the dog lifted its head and struggled to stand up on obviously arthritic legs.

"Duke, here is almost fifteen years old and I'm going to have to put him down soon because of the pain he suffers just standing like this," he began, a tear in his eye. "Your father has put into my head the idea of something better than taxidermy, which I loathe. Before asking you to do anything to Duke, I want to know that it will not hurt him."

"I've told you it didn't hurt," Daddy interrupted.

"You said being petrified doesn't hurt," the doctor explained. "I want to make sure the feeding doesn't hurt."

"I can't do that to a person," I stated. "It's too dangerous."

"Then, there's no solution to your hunger problem here. I won't allow my animals to suffer so some vain socialite can claim to have had a statue made of their old pet."

"How many people wanting to turn their sickly pets into statutes are there?"

"Once the first statue appears in one of their homes, they'll all want one."

"What will we do after everyone has one," I asked. "Fads don't last long."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out when the time comes," Daddy reassured me.

They looked at me expectantly. After a moment I said, "Okay. Where shall I petrify you?"

"Not here, not now," Douglas said. "We'll do that when I'm not on call. Perhaps tonight for dinner? Betty would love to see Silvia again."

"That's fine with me."

I just nodded and stood up. "Let's go, Daddy." I walked out. As I left I could hear the doctor ask Daddy if he was sure I was ready. Daddy admitted he wasn’t sure.

As I walked to the car, someone let out a wolf whistle at me. I spun around in fury, my head snakes flared out and hissing loudly at the man. He turned white as a sheet and for moment I thought I had petrified him. Then he screamed and ran off. I had not used my trick on him. I’d merely frightened him to near death with just a look.

I ran out of the parking lot towards a park and into a nearby woods. I ran until I could no longer hear Daddy's voice calling me back. When I stopped I was near some train tracks as they crossed over a stream.

I sat down, realizing Mom would probably be annoyed about the dirt all over my jeans. Too late to care. Several moments passed without me paying attention to them. A voice called out, "Are you a real gorgon?"

I looked up to see an old man approaching me. He was frail, poorly dressed, and I could smell him already. One of his eyes was milky white from an old injury based on the scar on his face.

"I suppose so."

"Heh, heh," he cackled. "Nope, I don't think so. If'n you were I'd be all statue-like already. You're just a girl with a weird hairdo. Must be."

"Maybe I don't feel like turning you to stone."

"Nope, gorgons hate all livin' bein's. They's ugly to the bone. And they'd never con-verse with a lowly retch such as me. Heh, heh. Nope. You're no gorgon, girly," he kind of danced in place at he made each point. "And you be too beautiful, too, girly."

I stood up, "Beauty means I'm not a gorgon?"

"Damn, you is tall, girly," he said looking like his neck hurt to look up at me. "Damn right, you too beautiful, though I prefer my ladies a smidge shorter. No offense."

"What if I weren't beautiful?"

"How?"

I turned around and pulled off my jeans.

"What you be doin'? I be far too old for you girly."

I snickered as the snakes showed him turning as if to look away, but he was definitely staring at my ass. With the pants off, I transformed into my half snake form. I turned back around. "Are you sure I'm not a gorgon?"

"Heh, heh, I still ain't no statue, girly. That's a good trick. But, you ain't no gorgon."

"That eye of yours works, right? "

"Heh, heh, yes, it do. Can you lower your head so I don't have to look up?" As I complied, he continued, "You might look monstrous, snake girl, but you ain't no monster. I ain't dead or made of rock. You don't hate all livin' bein's. In fact I bet you love a few, girly. And more than a few love you; I'd be a fool not to bet ya. What are you doing trying to convince a daft old man that you's a monster for anyway?"

"I didn't expect it to take so long," I joked.

"Heh, heh," he laughed as his laugh dissolved into a coughing fit. "It's too bad you ain't a gorgon. Petrifying can't be the worst way to go."

"I'm told it gets boring."

"Ya, I could see that. Heh, heh, told by who?"

"Just because you believe I can't petrify people doesn't mean I can't. It just only lasts about an hour."

"You see what I'm saying. What kind of monster petrifies only for an hour, girly?"

"I guess you're right."

"Medusa," a voice called.

I flattened out down on the ground. I don't know why and I felt silly almost immediately. "I should get going."

"Heh, heh, yes, you should. Me, too," he announced after looking at his unadorned wrist. "I got to go convince a man over on that ridge over there that marriage will be wonderful." And he walked off in the direction of the ridge.

I transformed and quickly put on my pants. I walked back to the park. When I saw Daddy's determined grimace as he searched for me, I turned to look for the old man. He was not where I expected to see him. He was at least a mile further away talking with a man.

Maybe he was Twisted, I thought.

"Medusa," Daddy called out as he started running toward me. "You had me..."

I cut him off with a gesture and gave him a big hug. "Yes, worried sick. I'm sorry about that. Let's just go home."

Caught off guard, he replied, "Um, okay." I stood there holding him for moment. "If we're going home, you'll have to give up this hug," he interrupted.

I let go and we walked back to the car. It was a longer walk than I expected. As he saw me looking around he said, "Didn't think you ran so far, did you? You were moving extremely fast. Not as fast as your mother, but you sustained a higher than normal level of speed for a relatively long time." He laughed, "I tried to run after you. But, I was gasping for air after a few minutes. That's why it took me so long to catch up with you."

"I had no idea," I replied.

"I don't want to jinx it, but running off actually seems to have helped."

"It kind of did," I replied. "I met someone who seemed to know just what I needed to hear. And he said it in manner that I was willing to listen to."

"What's his name?"

"Heh, I didn't ask."