“I think,” I continue, my voice dropping to a whisper that somehow carries to every corner of the silent cafeteria, “that you should get down on your knees and thank me for even acknowledging your existence.”
Something shifts in Kass’s expression. The fear is still there, but now there’s something else. Something that looks almost like pity.
“Briar,” she says softly, “what happened to you?”
The question hits like a physical blow.
What happened to me? What fucking happened to me?
I became what I was always meant to be. I stopped pretending to be something soft, sweet and human. I embraced the monster that was always lurking underneath the perfect exterior.
But looking at Kass’s tear-streaked face, at the genuine concern in her eyes despite everything I’ve done to her, something cracks inside me.
For just a moment, I see myself through her eyes. A girl with fur sprouting from her cheeks and ears that look more animal than human. A girl whose teeth are so sharp they could tear flesh, whose eyes have gone completely black with rage.
A monster.
The moment of clarity lasts exactly three seconds. Then the rage comes back twice as strong, and all I can think about is making her hurt. Making them all hurt.
“What happened to me?” I repeat, my voice rising to a shriek. “Nothing happened to me. I just stopped pretending to be something I’m not.”
I lunge at her, my hands curled into claws, and she screams. The sound is high and pure, and absolutely delicious.
But before I can reach her, strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back. Mr. Henderson, the gym teacher, has appeared out of nowhere to restrain me.
“That’s enough.” He shouts, but I’m beyond hearing. I’m pure instinct now, pure predator, and all I want is to get free so I can finish what I started.
I twist in his grip, snapping at his hands with my sharp teeth. He swears and loosens his hold just enough for me to break free.
The cafeteria erupts in screams and chaos as students scramble to get away from me. Tables overturn, trays clatter to the floor, and somewhere in the distance I can hear someone calling for security.
But all I can focus on is Kass, backed against the wall with nowhere to run. Her eyes are wide with terror, and I can hear her heartbeat hammering like a rabbit’s.
Perfect.
I advance on her slowly, savoring the moment. This is what I was born for. This is what the doll has been preparing me for all along.
“Please,” she whispers. “Briar, please.”
The sound of her begging sends electricity through my veins. I raise my hand, claws extended, ready to show everyone what happens when you pity Briar Hartley.
But then I catch sight of myself in the cafeteria’s windows, and the reflection stops me cold.
The thing looking back at me isn’t human anymore. It’s covered in coarse gray-brown fur, with an elongated snout full of needle-sharp teeth. Its ears are huge and pointed, twitching with every sound. Its eyes are completely black, reflecting light like a nocturnal predator.
It looks exactly like the mouse doll.
The realization hits like ice water; this is it. This is the moment Briar Hartley dies, and the mouse takes over completely.
And I’m doing it in front of the entire school, being recorded on dozens of phones that will upload the footage before I can even try to stop it.
The rage drains out of me all at once, leaving nothing but cold, stark terror.
“No,” I whisper, backing away from Kass. “No, no, no.”
But it’s too late. I can feel the final changes starting, my bones shifting and cracking as my body prepares for the last transformation. My spine is curving, forcing me to hunch over. My hands are becoming more claw-like by the second.
The scratching sound returns, louder than ever, but now I know it’s not coming from the walls. It’s coming from inside me, from the creature that’s been clawing its way to the surface.
