Like Old Newspaper

Ah woke at, well, it must have been dawn as the crows cawed and the gulls were sinking intae the water. It wis a few moments before ah realised ah wis at the edge o' the water. Tide lines were imprinted intae the small beach as the water had moved oot. Ma clothes clung sae tightly tae me that they stung ma flesh.

Ah closed ma eyes tae try and clear ma hazy vision. As ah rubbed them, small particles o' sand and seawater tore from ma weary lids. Deep shadows and dark water surrounded me momentarily.

Did ah drown? Well, no... ah wis oot o' the water and awake and lucid.

A strange noise drifted on the breeze as it rose from the water surface and reached ma ears. There wis a distance tae it. Ah strained weakly tae lift mysel' off the moistened sand, with ma hands planted flat, sinking down an inch or twa before ah extended ma arms. On ma knees, ah straightened ma spine and erected mysel' like a monument tae drunken escapades.

Why else wis ah on the beach at the crack o' dawn?

As self-consciousness gripped me, and ah felt uncertainty and a little shame, ah made ma way slowly home. Everything ached and ma feet felt caged and restricted. Ah wis worried they had swollen up or ah had injured them badly.

Finally, having dragged mysel' back tae ma house, a few streets away from the seafront, ah fiddled with ma keys tae try and work the lock. Ma fingers felt strange. Sore, sure, tired, but on fire like they were infected. If ah wis being dramatic, ah'd say ah wanted tae peel the flesh off tae let the digits breathe.

As the lock succumbed tae the penetration and turn o' ma key, ah stumbled tae the kitchen tae take some paracetamol before ma weight shifted and the floor became ma bed for the night with a bang.

A grey fin or breast filled ma vision as ah struggled tae breathe. A finger tae an alluring set o' lips ah saw next, as ah heard a sombre yet reassuring song. As the same finger hooked intae ma mouth, ah felt ma body being lifted through the water. Then naething.

Then the embarrassment o' waking on the kitchen floor like some drunkard—like ma dad. Ah wis just glad ah lived alone and wisnae likely tae have any visitors.

Pushing as ah planted ma hands on the cold linoleum o' the kitchen floor, ah felt a burn from ma palms along ma arms tae ma shoulders and down ma back as ah stood up. The struggle o' getting tae ma feet had momentarily taken ma mind away from the pain in ma fingers until…

Whit the?

Ah felt the same sharp pain ah did before ah collapsed on the floor, focused almost exclusively on the tips o' the fingers on ma right hand.

A strange, compelling force took hold o' me as ah used ma left thumbnail tae pierce the skin. 

Although ma efforts left an imprint, it wisnae enough, sae ah grabbed a small but very sharp tomato knife from the wooden block ma sister had bought me many Christmases ago.

Without hesitation, as the pain tore at ma concentration, ah pressed the cold steel talon against the reddened tip o' ma thumb and carved a clean line through the epidermis down either side o' ma thick digit. The skin at either side o' the blade opened like a flower blooming and ah felt intense euphoria, closing ma eyes and giving in tae the sensations.

While there wis pain, it wis quickly superseded by a strong sense o' elation—a delirious euphoria, if ah were tae be dramatic aboot it. Ah had never felt such grace and an intense sense o' self before, except maybe when ah lost ma virginity. Before opening ma eyes, ah felt around in the self-imposed darkness for some kitchen roll, in expectation o' an outpouring o' crimson. But as ah opened ma eyes, all ah could see wis the quickly calcifying frayed skin and a tough membrane in the opened wound that had an impossible translucence. Grey and slick.

Transfixed by the sight, in horror and fascination, ah repeated the process with ma fingers then switched hands. As the sharp curve sliced through the skin, a sense o' calm... calm delirium overtook me. While ma fingers were repulsive, as the skin dried and died quickly around the incisions, ah felt a shifting in me that wis alien but no unwelcome.

It wisnae just ma hands that hurt now. Compulsion, like a junkie's greedy desire for something tae elevate them, overtook me. The weak and feeble skin covering ma body wis on fire and ah'd have happily ripped it off, if ah didnae have tae go tae work. But for now, the small modicum o' a reprieve from the pain wis welcome. The grogginess o' ma night's binge had been replaced with a sensation that wis foreign tae me.

Ah could feel every inch o' ma freshly exposed new flesh. Ma feet still struggled as if ah hadnae walked upright for months, but ah wis boosted by the dopamine and adrenaline from the cutting. Ah had a quick warm shower that didnae seem hot enough, despite being set tae the highest setting, and then pulled on a fresh pair o' jeans and an ocean-blue shirt.

…

Denby's Tea Room wis the most popular place in our small village for tourists. With the exception o' some rather tasty buns, made by the lovely Yvonne at home, everything wis made on site. Yvonne met me at the door as ah stumbled in.

"You're late, Andrew. Did you have a few too many last night?"

Her faux scowl reversed intae a smile. Ah loved her. Well, felt a lot o' strong, complicated feelings for her that amounted in ma head tae love. But Yvonne saw me as naething more than a friend. Ah didnae really blame her. It wis slim pickings for her living in our village. There wis me, a young lad who worked for his dad's fishing business, and…

"Andy boy. Imma start docking yer wages if ye insist on being late."

Stu. The head chef. A short chunk o' muscles, veins popping, and too much testosterone.

"Och, leave him alone, Stu, or ah'll tell ma dad you've been offering customers a swatch o' yer hairy bawbags."

A few regulars chuckled while one poor newcomer looked uncomfortable.

"She's no serious," ah tried tae calm down the woman.

"Well, Yvonne. You know I'd show you but you keep breaking my heart! Now are ye gonna get into the kitchen and clean dishes or not, sinkboy?" His lusty gaze towards Yvonne erupted intae a scowl as he looked ma way, pointing his bread knife at me.

"Of course. Right away, Stu," there wis no point arguing or telling him whit ah really thought o' his attitude.

Work seemed tae go by in fast-forward. Orders were slow and Stu's patter with poor Yvonne wis a strange mix o' the tedious and the creepy. Ah often dreamed aboot smashing his head intae the dishwasher or grilling his slimy, sleazy hands. Ah dinna ken if ah wis just a bit high on the cooking fumes, but ah felt less and less intimidated by Stu. He wis slow, clunky, and easy prey.

Well. No. Those thoughts were new. Whit the hell.

Still, in spite o' ma disgust for those violent visuals, ma lips curled intae a smile, just as Yvonne walked intae the kitchen with the last o' the dishes.

"Any plans the night, Andrew?"

"Uh... naw... quiet night, might get an early night. You?" ah stumbled.

"Well, with so many options in this toon, ah'm having a hard time deciding." Her eye roll said everything.

"If yer at a loose end, you could come help me, Yvonne hen, I've got something tasty for ye!"

Whit a prick. The smiling idiot. Ah felt ma hands fist instinctively, allowing a plate tae smash on the floor.

"Well done, sinkboy. That's coming oot yer wages, ya rocket."

Ma vision blurred momentarily as ah tried tae focus on the debris at ma feet. Flashes o' the water flooded ma mind again, and the nude woman or seal that saved me, kissing me. Ah shook ma head, and that's when ah felt it before ah noticed it—extra skin had formed in the valley between ma thumb and index finger.

Whit the fuck.

Ah stared and stroked the webbed gap, alarmed.

"Oi fanny, stop giving yersel' a handjob and get on wae cleaning up that mess."

Ah crouched down tae lift pieces o' broken plate, and wis surprised tae feel Yvonne's hand brushing against mine as she helped.

"Ye didnae have tae bother, Yvonne. Ah can dae it."

She just smiled.

Ah felt an almost overwhelming urge tae lift her off the ground and take her oot o' the quaint but soul-destroying cafe, kicking Stu in the process before fucking Yvonne down by the beach. Instead, ah hid ma new webbing and cleared the rest o' the plate debris before leaving the kitchen for the day. Stu tried tae trip me up, but ah sensed the dick move and jumped over his sweeping leg. Much tae Yvonne's delight.

Ah guess ye could call it a partial lie. The night wis gonna be a quiet wan, as ah'd be spending it alone, again. But ah still thought it'd be interesting.

...

Ah had heated up some lentil soup from the fridge for ma dinner with some stale bread ah baked intae garlic croutons. It usually hit the spot and wis often all ah needed tae turn a bad mood good. Tonight wis different, though. Along with more watery vision flashes o' grey-skinned breasts and warm blue lips, more intrusive thoughts aboot Stu and Yvonne spiked ma adrenaline. He wis laughing at ma webbed digits and grey skin, but Yvonne wis entranced as she stroked it.

Ah swallowed two drams o' some Islay single malt and drifted tae sleep on the couch.

When ah woke, ah wis on ma bed. It wisnae the first time ah had woken somewhere different tae where ah fell asleep, but ah usually remembered the in-between. This time there wis a blank, and a strange smell—a wrong, strong smell o' death filled ma lungs as ma head banged on the inside. Reaching for the bedside lamp, ah wis terrified tae find the savaged remains o' a huge salmon.

Ah dragged mysel' oot o' the bed—ah'd say cos o' the smell, but revulsion wis taking longer tae hit ma olfactory senses than ah suspected it should. Stumbling tae the bathroom in case ah threw up, tho in truth ah didnae feel nauseous at all, ah gazed with hazy eyes at ma reflection and saw blood dried around ma lips and a tooth caught between ma back teeth that ah didnae even feel.

Ah grabbed a couple o' paracetamol from a packet under the sink and slurped at water from the tap. Whit the fuck wis happening tae me? Why did it no feel as bad as ah would have thought it might?

That wis no all that wis different, as ah felt a piece o' ma t-shirt's fabric get caught on ma chest. When ah pulled the t-shirt off, there were lesions all over ma chest and frayed skin. Instead o' revulsion, along with a little shock, ah felt curious and stripped naked. As ah suspected, it wis all over ma body.

Ah peeled a small section o' skin gently below ma left nipple. It tore away in one clean move down tae the top o' ma pelvis, like old wallpaper you're sick and tired o' looking at. Much like ma hand, there wis no bared flesh, no blood, just a toughened, smooth, and almost silky layer. Distinctively grey. Ah peeled at ma flesh from the other side below ma left nipple and felt a relief, like ma body could breathe and didnae feel constricted. Ah stood there breathing and watching ma new slippery, silky skin move as ma lungs contracted. It felt more exhilarating than any hit o' speed, cocaine, or ecstasy ah had when ah wis younger and trying tae get with the in-crowd.

Ah pulled at the skin on ma shoulders and ripped it, feeling it pull away from ma body like large pieces o' sellotape or wrap unveiling a healed tattoo. These large pieces removed the tired old skin o' the me that wis before. Carefully, as ah worked it off ma chest and arms, ah left a little o' the old me from the wrist tae ma fingers, as ah didnae feel comfortable everyone seeing the new me just yet.

As ma body shifted and vibrated in front o' me, ma belly hung down lower, but ma arms had gained considerable muscle mass. Ah flexed all ma new muscles, and without even thinking aboot it, ah grunted, hissed, then roared intae the mirror as whiskers shot free from ma nostrils. If anyone were tae get close enough, they might arouse suspicion, but from a distance, they just looked like a flamboyant moustache.

As ah continued tae flex and grunt some more, only just realising the animal ah wis becoming, the image o' the grey woman with her silky breasts flashed in ma mind's eye. She blew me a kiss and ah felt the pull tae the ocean.

...

The hours passed in a blur. Ah had stumbled down in the dark tae the water's edge where ah had washed up that fateful morning after, and ah crouched onto all fours and hissed at the sea, naked and feral. No response came for hours, when suddenly a call from far away sounded.

Then darkness.

When ah woke, ah wis back in ma bed with blood dripping from ma teeth. Ah sat and felt discomfort between ma back teeth. Poking around, ah found a small sliver o' skin—animal-like, well, like ma own. Ah felt an incredible rush o'... something akin tae the afterglow o' sex. Ma dick wis on fire and as ah roused mysel', ah smelled the sex, the sea, the fish.

Grabbing ma phone, ah quickly checked on Google, feeling a little insane but knowing ah wisnae imagining it: "do seals bite during mating?"

Oh shit. Apparently they do, tae maintain their grip on their mate. The male seal will often hold the female down, bite her neck, and then the magic happens.

Did ah?

Ah wisnae prepared tae face that reality, even if a wicked smirk came across ma face at the thought and ma dick seemed certain it wanted a reprise.

Unfortunately, the alarm chimed. As some kind o' taunt or whatever, the radio wis playing Human Behaviour by Björk. "There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic to human behaviour!"

When ah walked intae the restaurant, Stu wis being a pest as usual. He had Yvonne cornered behind the counter, and from whit ah gathered having just arrived, he wis just asking for a little kiss. She wis upset. And ah felt a strange pang overcome me. A hiss left ma mouth as ah loomed over the counter.

"Hey, Stu. Leave her the fuck alone!"

"O—"

Ah didnae give him time tae finish his reply, gripping him by the throat and throwing him tae the floor.

"Get in the fucking kitchen and behave yersel', dickhead."

He didnae say much else.

Ah felt ma body relax and ah reached for Yvonne tae stroke her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I am now, uhm thanks. Where did that come from?"

"He deserved it. Listen, ah want tae take you oot tonight. Ah won't accept no for an answer. If you don't have a good time, that's fine... ah just want a chance."

Ah don't think ah've ever seen her look at me or respond tae one o' ma requests for a date like that before.

"Sure. I'd... I'd like that. Is that a new cologne you're wearing? It's different... smells wild."

"Something ah'm trying oot," ah smiled.

...

There werenae many places tae go for an evening oot, except for one little bar that sat on the edge o' the promenade and offered alfresco dining that overlooked the sea.

Normally ah'd have been nervous, but tonight ah felt confident. Ah ordered a mojito for Yvonne as ah knew that wis her favourite drink, but made sure they were light on the alcohol. Ah stuck with ma usual tipple, a dram o' 30-year-old single malt.

Even with ma newfound confidence, ah almost choked on ma drink as ah smelled the intoxicating bouquet o' floral notes, breathmints, and sweat. Ah turned and saw Yvonne as ah never had before. She wore a cute pair o' red shoes, a black pair o' leggings, and a loose-fitting woollen cardigan. Her hair wis down and she had redone her red highlights that contrasted between her blonde tresses. Only a light amount o' makeup highlighted her delicious mouth and her enchanting pools as blue as the... You get the picture. She wis as beautiful as she ever had been since ah first met her.

"You look fantastic," ah said as ah pulled her close for a cuddle, sniffing her neck and then handing her her drink.

"You don't clean up half bad yerself, pal."

Ah had worn a turtleneck jumper tae cover the new skin and flesh that part o' me so desperately wanted tae bare tae her.

"You seem bigger..." She trailed off with a nervous laugh. "That came oot wrong... ah meant..."

Ah brushed ma hand against the back o' hers as it rested on the table. "Ah know whit ye meant. Ah feel like a new person.”

‘Ah'm all aboot growth. Something Stu would never understand,” she said, without understanding why I truly meant.

"He'll never trouble you again," ah said, stroking her hand then pulling away so as no tae come on too strongly.

"Well, can you blame him? Mr Andrew The Rock."

Ah chuckled. A brief flash o' Stu's mangled corpse being thrown intae the ocean meant she really never would be troubled by him again.

He was a light workout after all that pretense o’ bein’ some kinda alpha. His wee spine cracked after a good whack and I bit into his neck and perforated his throat. Then I separated and ripped his balls off as he screamed in horror. Well he tried to anyway.

We had a few more drinks and sat on the wall lookin' over the ocean. She laid her shoulder on mine and it felt like some kind o' magical dream.

"Andrew?" she whispered, as ma head tilted tae meet hers lookin' up at me.

Ah didnae reply... no with ma voice anyway, as ah pressed ma mouth tae hers and felt her body press against mine. It wis a slow and measured kiss, our lips dancin' against the other's as ma tongue darted intae her mouth tae stroke and caress her. Ah grunted as she gasped.

Then the haziness set in again and we went back tae mine. Fortunately, ah had disposed o' ma old skin. Very little wis said until ah laid her on the bed and took off ma top. Her pupils dilated and she almost let oot a scream before ah kissed her and she sank intae the bed, embracin' me. We shifted positions and ah stroked her back with ma webbed hands fully exposed.

"That feels... different. But a nice different," she whispered, her breathin' strugglin' as we became one.

Ah dinna remember bitin' at her shoulder. Ah do remember the climax. And how she thought she smelled rotten flesh, but didnae care.

The haze ascended as ah lay on ma back with her against me.

"We should go tae the ocean."

"It's too early. It's dark."

"That's when it's best. Peaceful. Might even see a seal or twa. Come with me, Yvonne... please."

Ma voice sounded less human with every line, every syllable. Charming enough, but more bestial.

"Okay."

We dressed quickly, and left ma house, holdin' hands like teenagers headin' tae the beach.

"You've changed, Andrew. Ah've noticed. And no just confidence. Something's happened."

Ah just smiled. "For the better, of course."

"Ah think so."

We stood at the water's edge and without warnin' her, ah stripped ma t-shirt and jeans off and dived intae the water, ma more muscular, bloated body freely exposed tae the cold morning air and then the chill o' the Scottish water.

"Join me, Yvonne. Ah'll keep ye warm and safe."

Ah could see she thought ah wis crazy, but that didnae stop her strippin' down, her beautiful body on display tae just me, the gulls, and the inhabitants o' the ocean. She stepped intae the water then dived intae the deep section where ah wis, and ah embraced her, kissin' her deeply, takin' her breath away—almost quite literally. Ah could feel her body and mind fight the distress it wis experiencin' and the magnetic hold ah had over her that made her feel safe.

Then ah heard—we both heard—the most beautiful sound ever. The song o' her. The grey woman that had saved me or made me that morning.

"She will help you, Yvonne," ah spoke in the water.

The beautiful grey creature, with the facial beauty o' a woman and the muscular, blubber-coated majesty o' a seal, swam close tae Yvonne, inspectin' her, circlin' her before frownin' and hissing bytes. She wrapped her fins around Yvonne and dived deeper intae the water. Ah tried tae go after her, but wis attacked by a male seal.

A loud, long, violent shrill made ma head spin as the seal gripped me around ma abdomen. As ah tried tae focus on the vortex the seal woman had caused, all ah could see wis twa bodies wrestlin'—one larger, less human one overpowerin' the pale, weaker figure o' Yvonne—and then twa fins snapped her head and let her float towards me.

Yvonne's lifeless face wis the last human ah ever looked upon before I swam off with my new family. 

*

Thanks for reading.

This is my Selkie-inspired entry into S.A. Crawford's awesome The Human Animal :An Unofficial Spooktober Challenge.