Grayson (Completed)

Eleven

My entire body was sore when I finally woke up from the encompassing darkness.  I was on a bed; I knew that much, but everything else was a mystery.  I could smell so many things.  I kept my eyes closed, unsure what I would encounter when I opened them.

"You can get up."  The words came from a deep voice I instantly recognized as Grayson's.  "There's no use in not doing it.  It'll be disconcerting at first but you'll get used to it."

Faking bravery, I opened my eyes the tiniest bit, unable to do it any more than that.  The light was really bright.

"Let your eyes get used to the light," Grayson said to me as I kept them in slits, trying to look around like that.  "It'll take a moment, but you will get there."

"How do you know this?" It was the first thing I had thought to ask, any other ideas flying out of my head at his words.

"Because I've been through it too."

I was finally able to open my eyes the entire way, and I realized how blurry my vision was.  "I can't see."

"What?" Grayson asked.  "That shouldn't... Wait.  You wear contacts, don't you?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"Take them out.  Put them in my hand."  I saw a blurry brown-ish object move into my line of sight, and I reached up to my eyes to take out my contacts.  I blinked in surprise when my vision cleared and everything was perfect.

"Why can I see?" I asked him, looking at Grayson.  I was taken aback when I noticed how horrible he looked.  He appeared like he hadn't slept in weeks, his hair was messed up everywhere — and not in the stylish way.  He looked as if he had slept in his clothes for multiple nights.  "What happened to you?"  I looked around, seeing that I was in my bedroom, except it looked a little demolished.  "What happened to my room?"

"You can see because you've been Changed.  I haven't slept because I've been taking care of you and worrying my ass off.  The room... I got a little pissed."

I didn't even know where to start.  What the hell was Changed?  How long had I been unconscious?  What had happened to me?  I was also still amazed at my new ability to see.  Everything was clearer than when I had needed contacts.  I could see the dust on top of the dresser from where I was on the bed — no small feat, I assure you.

"Let me explain everything to you," Grayson said in a calm voice, despite his frazzled appearance.  "Do you want me to break it easy, or just rip off the band aid?"

"Rip it off," I mumbled, sitting up in the bed.  "It'll be easier.  I don't like it when people add all the fluffy words in between.  It makes it more confusing."

"Okay," Grayson said as he sat on the edge of the bed.  He rubbed his hands down his black sweatpants, which were paired with a nearly tattered gray t-shirt; both looked like they had been almost shredded.  "You are no longer human."

Did I hear him right? 

"No... longer... human?"

"Yeah," he told me, looking me seriously in the eyes.  "You are now a... well, I guess the best description would be Shifter, or Werewolf."

"No damn way.  That cannot be possible!" I started to screech until I cringed at my won volume, not even near the highest decibel I could manage before I cut myself off.  "I can go way higher than that.  Why did it hurt my ears?"

Grayson tapped one of his own.  "Super sensitive hearing.  Really loud noises hurt.  I suggest speaking in a normal tone from now on."

"So that's why you speak so low all the time," I mused.