Brother

*One of the first short stories I ever wrote a couple years ago, slightly updated*

Tom walked into his house and the telephone began to ring. It was his sister calling him to ask for a ride back from a party.

She’s so irresponsible, why didn’t she let me know she’d need a ride before, he thought.

But, being her older brother he had no choice but to go and get her. He told her to stay put (she had a tendency to to be impatient), and that he would be there shortly.

The sky was turning dark, and it was starting to get cold so he threw on a jacket and a few seconds later began pulling out of the driveway. About an hour later he pulls up to the house, and finds his sister waiting outside for him.

“Thanks for picking me up” Lisa said as she hopped in the car. Halfway back to their house she complained that she was hungry so Tom stopped by their favorite fast-food place to get her something.

“I didn’t realize you were THAT hungry” Tom said to Lisa as he watched her tear into her food as they drove off.

“Oh hush up, and pay attention to the road” she said back with a laugh.

That’s when the car started to slow down, though Tom wasn’t releasing the gas pedal. A terrible noise started creeping out from under the hood. He pulled over to the side of the road and got out to check the car. Under the hood he couldn’t find anything visibly wrong, so he got back in and tried to restart the car. No matter how many times he tried though it just wouldn’t.

Lisa could see him getting visibly agitated, and knowing what came next on nights like this she told him everything would be fine.

“Goddammit, you’re not helping” he said as he slammed a hairy paw down onto the dashboard.

Lisa pleaded with him to calm down, but it was to no avail.

“Lisa, you need to run now” he told her as fur started to sprout from every part of his body and his eyes started to turn yellow.

Her eyes pleaded with him, but they had no effect. She tried to think of something to save him, but she knew once he was fully transformed there was no stopping him until he released his anger on  something or someone. Tom aware of the terrible fury he was about to unleash told her he was sorry and urged her to start running. Lisa halfheartedly started running into the woods, crying as she looked back to see Tom’s transformation completing itself.

Unfortunately for Lisa, he was not only now really angry and full wolf, but also suddenly aware of his need to eat. Lisa ran, wishing she could save him, but she couldn’t. And she couldn’t save herself. As he caught up to her she begged for her brother to come back. But he couldn’t hear her, she was no one of importance to him anymore, just something with which to quiet his hunger. He quickly devoured her as she pleaded for her life, as the moonlight shone over the grizzly scene.

In the morning Tom awoke dazed and confused. He wondered where he was, how he had gotten there, and what happened to his sister. The last thing he remembered was stopping at the fast-food restaurant. So he began walking around the forest calling Lisa’s name, hoping to find his sister, and that wherever she was, she was safe.