Filth Ch. 02

Her hair in a mess and still in the same clothes and panties she'd worn the day before, Abigail ran to class. Her feet nearly screamed with each step but the young girl ignored them. Finally, she arrived at her classroom. Standing outside the door, she licked at her hand to rub against her hair, settling the loose bits while calming herself. A few students walked by, eyeing her curiously as she fought to control her breathing. Her fur stood erect at her stress.

The young woman quietly opened the door to slip in. The teacher had her back turned to the door and Abigail crouched, scurrying to an open seat in the back. Only when she sat did she realize she completely forgot her books and backpack.

"Where in the world is your mind today, Abigail Young," she chastised herself in a whisper. She asked a girl next to her for a pen and some paper, giving thanks when the girl spared both. Abigail tried to focus on the lecture. Her heart still seemed to beat too fast and it made her feel jittery. On edge. She took few notes and, instead, tried to run through her nighttime prayers to help her relax. She could count on both hands the number of times she'd forgotten to say her prayers before bed and now she could add another to the short list.

"Hey," a voice said to her right. Abigail turned with a start. The girl that had given her the paper was looking at her. "I like your tattoo. Really clean lines. Where'd you get it?"

"My? I'm sorry," Abigail said in confusion. "My tattoo?"

"Uh, yeah. Your tattoo. Is it Chinese? What's it mean?" she asked. The other girl pointed at Abigail's right hand.

Still confused, Abigail turned her hand over and stared. A large black symbol nearly covered the back of her right hand. Her mouth opened in stunned confusion, jaw working as she tried to say that, of course she didn't have a tattoo; nobody in her community had one. Her body was her temple. Stupidly, she rubbed at the mark, convinced that it was just ink that had somehow spattered into a perfect pattern.

"Hey, uhh, are you okay?" the other girl asked.

"I- I-" Abigail stuttered. She rubbed harder but the ink wouldn't smudge; it moved with the skin of her hand. Her eyes opened wide in horror as small brown hairs sprouted from around her wrist. Tiny and sparse, the hairs pushed through her skin. Abigail pulled her sleeve back to watch as more hairs grew forth. The little hairs stirred as she broke out in goosebumps, her teeth suddenly chattering loudly. She could see the faint black lines of another tattoo around her arm.

Abigail jumped up and her desk crashed backwards. She squeaked loudly as everyone in the room turned to see what had happened. The young woman shoved her hands into her armpits and ran, dashing through the open door. She felt a horrible urge to drop to all fours as she made her way to the bathroom. Heart thumping loudly in her chest. She shoved the heavy door open with her shoulder and then locked herself in an empty stall.

"Something's wrong something's wrong something's wrong," she repeated quietly, rocking on the toilet seat. Sweat broke out along her hairline and she gasped, turning her long neck slowly. It felt like her feet were on fire. She looked down to see them bulging in the simple flats she wore. She reached down, picking up her left foot while taking off her shoe.

The bathroom door creaked open and a voice called out. It was the same girl from the classroom.

"E-excuse me? Are you okay?" Concern dripped from the other girl's voice. "Do you- do you need anything? I could... I could call the nurse's off-"

"I'm fine!" Abigail called out, her voice breaking. "I'm, I'm sorry I'm just... I'm fine! Thank you! I'll be out in a minute! I just need a minute!"

"O- okay! Sorry! For... whatever!" The door closed behind the girl.

Tears ran down Abigail's face. Tears of shame and pain. She massaged her foot but the pain wouldn't diminish. Her black pantyhose strained against her foot. Her sensitive ears caught a high pitched whining noise beneath a quiet popping sound and she bit back a cry. Bones cracked in her feet. Her right foot burst through her shoe with a loud pop, the sole separating from the top.

Gray lines appeared in the black pantyhose around her left foot. Her toes were bulging while her foot widened. Another cracking sound filled the air and her ears vibrated at the horrible sound of bone scraping against bone. Her feet elongated; her smallest toe receding as the others pushed further out. Finally, the fabric tore. Abigail watched in terror as four, sharp translucent points sliced through her pantyhose. Tipped with blood, her claws grew hard and thick and sharp, curving to nearly cover the fronts of her now wide toes. The smaller claw from her little toe barely poked through the material.

Abigail's heart thudded in her chest. She knew she was awake. She could see what was happening; she just couldn't comprehend it. Thick brown hairs pushed through the pantyhose still covering her changed feet. She could feel the hairs growing and sliding against her skin as most were flattened beneath the fabric. With building dread, she pulled the ruined pantyhose back to uncover her feet. Silky fur lined the enlarged knuckles of her new paws. The hairs grew down to small tufts in between her toes. The hand holding her foot rasped against roughened skin beneath the ball of her foot and she twisted it. In place of her calloused pink skin as a thick, dull gray skin covering the pads of her toes and feet.

Slowly, carefully, Abigail touched one of her claws. It was sharp and, with a slight pull, she could feel it anchored to the bone in some way.

The young woman dropped her foot and cried, chest heaving silently with her hands covering her face. She curled up on the toilet sobbing until the tears would no longer come. Her sweater was wet with her tears and she noticed the few spots where she'd pulled threads loose last night. She hiccuped quietly as her face burned with emotions.

I... I have to... do something, she told herself. There has to be something I can do. There has to be- Her eyes focused on the strange mark on her right hand. Marked. Oh Lord in Heaven, I've been marked for my sin, haven't I? For the base thoughts and my animalistic urges. I couldn't hold myself back and this is my punishment. Isn't it, Lord? This is my punishment for my sins? I understand now. I understand.

Abigail sniffed, wiping at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater. A fourth whisker slipped through her skin as she did and the girl unconsciously groomed her hair and face while she made her plans.

The bathroom remained blessedly empty for nearly thirty minutes. Abigail hugged her knees to her chest to hide her paws from anyone accidentally seeing them under the stall door. Twice, a group of girls came in but only used the bathroom mirrors to touch up makeup and hair. They all spoke excitedly about their weekend plans - some going home and some going to nearby parties or bars. Abigail waited until they all left before she relaxed. Her ears twitched and she nearly started crying again and she realized how far gone she was. Her vision and hearing and sense of smell were all different and now she knew why. She was changing. Becoming the animal she deserved to be.

All around the building, doors closed and voices faded. The light from frosted windows high along the bathroom walls was fading as night came. Abigail pulled at the tips of her pantyhose, tying the stretched fabric in a small knot in order to hide her paws. It was uncomfortable but not terribly so. She prayed that with night falling, nobody would notice how she looked.

Gently, the young woman put her feet down and stood. Her claws clicked loudly on the bathroom floor through the tights. She swayed on her new, unsteady feet but used the stall to stay upright. She couldn't feel the cold tile through the rough pads. Her knees were bent and her thigh muscles complained about the position. Carefully, she straightened her legs but caught herself as she began to fall forward.

Tears threatened to overwhelm Abigail as she fought to stand like a proper human. She tried again but, again fell forward. Taking deep breaths, she lowered herself, bending her knee slightly and adjusting her position in order to stand on the pads of her paws. Her balance seemed proper with her knees bent and, unnoticed, her small tail wriggled back and forth under her skirt and sweater. A very, very tiny part of her was pleased for adapting so quickly to the changes. She rubbed at her belly, shivering as she brushed one of the many tiny nipples lining her frame.

Abigail closed her eyes to listen. Her ears twitched and swiveled. The building was nearly completely silent as everyone left for the weekend. She opened the stall door and took a few tentative steps. Her claws clacked on the tiles but she ignored them, focusing on each step. By the time she reached the bathroom door, she was walking easily. The young woman opened the door and peeked around the corner but she knew she'd find the hallway empty.

Without hesitation, Abigail hurried down the hall. As she did, her small tail uselessly moved to try to counter her shifted center of balance. Once outside, she gasped, not realizing she'd held her breath the entire walk from the bathroom. Abigail raised her nose, sniffing the air while her stomach rumbled. Cloying scents wafted from nearby garbage cans and her mouth watered at the half finished foods students had thrown away. She stepped toward the nearest one before realizing what was happening.

"No. NO," she told herself firmly. "I will NOT give in. I WILL fix this and find His favor again." Her ears swiveled, catching threads of far off conversations. With a quick glance, she righted herself and began walking towards the library. The young woman stopped at the first pool of blue-ish light from the lamps. Her short, fine whiskers twitched as she looked around nervously. Being in the light made her anxious. She was easier to see. Easier for people to see how monstrous she'd become.

The young woman's claws dug into the soft ground when she stepped off of the path. The claws anchored her and gave her purchase. She kicked back a small bit of dirt and grass with every step.

Pain lanced through Abigail's legs when she was halfway to the library. She cried out, falling to her hands and knees. Muscles within her thighs tore and regrew over and over. Her skirt tightened against her growing bulk until, finally, a sharp ripping sound filled the air. Abigail grit her teeth and stretched her legs, hissing as bones cracked and moved. She gasped, hyperventilating and nearly vomited when bones in her hips broke and reformed. Lines streaked through her tights to contain her size. New nerves grew deep within her body until she felt something completely alien moving on her lower back.

Gasping with tears falling freely and snot dripping to the ground, Abigail reached back to touch her tail for the first time. It was warm and thick and smooth with a single ridge above the furred base of it. She felt her cold hands against the warmth of her tail. Her stomach heaved but she clenched down, sharp incisors scraping against each other until the feeling passed.

Her changes had stopped at some point. Abigail kneeled to look at herself. Her calf muscles bulged. She touched them lightly and could feel thick veins beneath the pantyhose. Above them, her thigh muscles had doubled in size and seemed to be made out of marble. She traced the front of them and watched as small gray hairs pushed through the strained fabric.

"My fur," she said with a near sob. The hairs grew down the inside of her thighs and up around to the front before stopping. Her ass was larger and soft against the hard, thickened heels of her paws. Thankfully, her skirt was still in one piece. There was a large rip on the left side from the bottom to nearly the band but it held together. She stood, wobbling on her thick, heavily muscled legs and the skirt bulged around her sides. She contemplated going back to her room but she worried that every second counted.

Holding her skirt together with one hand, the young woman continued on her way. She was amazed at how strong she was now. Where before, her legs had groaned to keep her upright with bent knees, she now felt as if she could run miles without tiring. The tail, though- Her tail. Now she felt it moving slightly, shifting counter to each step.

The library loomed in the distance, blurred and foreboding but Abigail pushed herself forward.