Keeping it to myself

I thought about it for a moment, but I decided against it. I couldn't get close to someone before learning how to control these new desires and impulses. I was afraid that I would hurt her like I did to Sarah...

I smiled weakly as I served her the mozzarella sticks she ordered. "Thank you for the offer, but I think it's better if I deal with this on my own. I don't want to bother you with my problems."

"If that's your decision..." She simply said as she started eating. "I wish you luck."

"Thank you."

I let her eat and checked on other customers in the meantime. I called a cab for a regular who was completely wasted and could barely walk anymore. Aurora left an hour later, and I kept working until the end of my shift, always trying to ignore these desires pestering me.

I went back to my normal routine during the following two weeks, doing my best to act like nothing happened, even if my mind was always haunted by memories of my time as Sarah and these strange fantasies whenever my eyes landed on attractive women. The cravings and the cold hadn't really returned yet but, deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time. I had maybe another week or two of reprieve before the withdrawal symptoms would manifest themselves again.

Aurora didn't show up at the bar since our last conversation, something I was somewhat sad of. Maybe she didn't take my refusal to confide well, I didn't know. Things were fairly normal with Claire as well, even if she kept making sure that I would be back home every night, but I couldn't blame her for that. I haven't seen Dahlia once since our last meeting while I was still wearing Sarah, I was glad she respected my wish to be left alone. Although, maybe I met her in one shape or another without knowing. Considering what she wanted to do with Sarah, it wouldn't surprise me if I were to learn that she visited the bar once or twice under a different skin just to see if I was doing alright. As for Sarah herself, we texted once. She checked on me, asking if I was feeling better, and we then talked a bit about our lives and our plans for the future. I had to lie there, since I didn't really have a future anymore, but this conversation only made me miss Sarah more. I decided to avoid her from now on, I feared what I might do were I to meet her again.

I really didn't know what to do, I was completely lost, so I did what I've been doing since I was kicked out: going along with the flow without thinking about the future much. A few times, I also had the feeling of being watched, but I chalked it up to my slowly decreasing mental state. This whole situation left me very anxious and depressed, even if I tried not to show it.

I was currently finishing another shift, cleaning the bar with my boss and making sure everything was in order before closing. Once we were done, I wished him a good night and went on my way to my flat. As I was walking, I heard footsteps from behind me and turned around.

"Aurora? What are you doing here so late?"

She was standing in front of me, wearing the spiked leather jacket and leather pants I saw her in the last time we've met, alongside thick goth platform boots. She was smoking and looking at me cautiously.

"I wanted to see you, that's all." She said, taking a puff of her cigarette. "You're not human, aren't you?"

My eyes widened when she asked this. "W-what? W-what do you mean?"

"You can't hide it from me, Edward. What are you?"

I gulped as I stared at her. "I don't see what you're talking about..."

"If that's how you want to do it..."

She didn't say anything else, she just flicked her cigarette at me. I instinctively moved out of the way, not expecting this, but was met by a powerful kick to my stomach, forcing me to take a few steps back. I barely managed to dodge another kick that was aimed at my head and got into a more defensive stance.

"You have good reflexes, you must have been used to fighting. I had this impression when you dealt with that drunken customer last time." Aurora commented as she took out a dagger from under her jacket.

"W-why are you attacking me?" I asked, trying to ignore the pain from the kick she threw at me earlier.

"I'm simply doing my job, it's nothing personal. You look like you were a sympathetic guy before, but I just can't allow a monster to live."

"I... I'm not a monster!" I exclaimed, but quickly remembered what I did to Sarah.

This brief moment of remorse was enough for Aurora to dash towards me. Despite my best effort to dodge, her dagger managed to pierce my left side. I screamed in pain but my self-preservation instincts kicked in as I grabbed her arm with my left hand before she could remove her dagger. I let free the spines in my right hand and attempted to stab her forearm, trying to defend myself like a skinwalker would.

"Shit!"

Before I could skin her, Aurora swiftly kicked me and freed her arm, but my spines still managed to leave a deep wound.

"A skinwalker..." She commented as she took a few steps back.

Without thinking, I started to run away, my hand on my bleeding injury, the dagger still lodged there. I knew that removing it like this was a bad idea. Maybe I could have skinned Aurora, she was probably less dangerous with the wound I inflicted on her, but I didn't want to take that risk considering my own state. I hoped that she wouldn't pursue me with her injury.

As I was running along the road, I spotted a car that was driving by and quickly ran towards it, gesturing at it to stop. The driver apparently noticed my bloodied clothes and the injury, as they stopped immediately.

"H-help! Please!"

I leaned against the hood of the car and turned around. I briefly noticed Aurora hiding behind a corner, glaring at me. She was visibly fuming, she probably didn't want any witness. She retreated as the adrenaline was starting to fade, and I fully felt the pain from the wound. I was struggling to breath, I've never been injured that severely in the past. I faced **** for the first time in my life...

The driver got out of the car and approached me carefully. It was a young woman with short dark hair, probably around my age.

"I-I'm calling an ambulance!" She said, panicking, as I saw her take out her phone.

"I... I can't... go to the hospital..." I replied.

I had no idea how skinwalkers worked, but I feared that they would discover my true nature after an examination. I slowly started to pull out the dagger, pressing the tissue of my shirt against the wound as I did so to try to prevent it from bleeding too much. I grit my teeth, the pain becoming almost unbearable, but I had to continue. I dropped the dagger next to me, breathing heavily.

The woman rushed to her trunk and brought back a towel. "U-use this. I-It's not much, but that's all I have..."

"Thank you..."

I grabbed it and tied it tightly around my waist to cover my wound and try to stop the bleeding.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call an ambulance?" She hesitantly asked as she leaned closer. "It... looks pretty serious..."

She did seem genuinely worried and scared for me, judging from her tone.

"It... looks worse than it actually is..."

"I-is there anything I can do to help?"

I couldn't return to my flat, Aurora would probably expect it, and I didn't want to put Claire in danger by getting her involved. I didn't want to involve Sarah either, since I was trying to move on. I had to hide... I didn't have any other option...

I looked at the woman. She was pretty cute, with a slightly tan skin and wavy hair. She probably had Latino origins, as she also had a small accent when she spoke. My skinwalker side was getting excited at the prospect of slipping inside such a nice and comfy-looking skin and forget about my pain...

I'm sorry for what I'm about to do... But I don't have a choice...

"Could you... drive me home...?" I asked as I tried to stand up. "I can't walk like this..."

"O-of course!" She exclaimed as she helped me stand. "What happened?"

"Someone tried... to mug me..." I lied. "He fled after stabbing me... when I tried to defend myself..."

"This town is getting dangerous at night even for men, it seems..." She commented in a dejected tone.

"Yeah... It seems like it..." I replied as she helped me get in the passenger seat.

As soon as she sat in the driver's seat and closed the door, I freed the spines and stabbed her neck.

"I'm sorry... I need... to borrow your identity for a moment..." I whispered in an apologetic tone.

She let out a yielp of pain, but it only lasted a brief instant, as she soon became an empty husk. Meanwhile, her soul flowed inside me, and this time, I was fully conscious to experience how enjoyable it was. The warmth of her soul made me feel whole again.

I moved her skin in the back, switched seats, and quickly started to drive, looking for a secluded place to wear her, far from Aurora and other people's prying eyes. There was a mall with a large carpark a few minutes away, and it would be completely empty at this time of the night. I drove there and parked before starting to strip, still inside the car. I was lucky that it was an estate car, I had enough space to move around.

Once I was done, I grabbed the woman's skin and opened a hole in her back. I went in head first, slipping my face underneath hers. A few seconds later, her skin constricted around me, my vision whitening. I then opened my new pair of eyes, seeing my new face in the rearview mirror.

"It'll never cease to impress me..." I whispered, my voice so much softer.

I didn't have the time to dwell on this, though, so I hurried to wear the rest. I slipped my arms inside hers next, and, soon after, her generous chest became mine as well. I took a deep breath as I did the next step, remembering how it felt with Sarah. As I slid my legs inside hers and fully wore her, my genitals vanished within me, replaced by this woman's vagina and womb. I moaned in my pretty voice during the process, it being as intense and pleasurable as I recalled.

At the same time, her skin tightened even more all around me, and her memories started to flow inside my mind. I was Carmen Delgado, born twenty-one years ago in Mexico. I moved here with my parents when I was seventeen, and have been studying litterature and theater arts in college, as I always loved to act and to sing. I shared an apartment with my best friend from high-school, Rowana, and worked part-time as a waitress at a local restaurant.

A sense of pure relief and belonging washed over me as I opened my eyes again. The pain from the injury faded, and a feeling of peacefulness and calm replaced it.

"Carmen, I promise that I'll take good care of you while I'm wearing you." I said, my charming Mexican accent coming so naturally to me.

After remembered that I was currently naked, I grabbed Carmen's clothes and quickly got dressed, sliding inside her slim jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers.

I sent Claire a text, telling her that I wouldn't be back tonight. I had to think about this whole mess I got myself into, and what to do with Claire, but I was far too drained to do so right now. I checked myself with the phone's camera, making sure that everything was in order, and couldn't help but smile when I saw my reflection. I then started to drive towards my apartment, hoping that I'd have a good night of sleep. I needed it after what happened.