Crissa's Mate

Chapter Sixty-Five

Both David and Crissa were stunned to see Julie, though it had not been many days since the troubled girl left Crissa's room to disappear, settling back in Alaska, as learned from Brad. Much had happened in her absence, and most, due to David's time away on the boat, he had not been aware of. Crissa's plan was to fill him in on those details, including the violent death of Professor Dekker, later that evening.

"Well, hey there stranger!" David shouted, as they stepped into the room. His friendly exuberance was immediately threatening to Crissa as Julie jumped off Crissa's bed and ran to him for a longing embrace.

"Oh my God, David, it's so good to see you!"

"Yeah, so look . . . don't get too close, OK Julie? This smell of fish has got even me crazy."

They all laughed but due to Trisha's presence in the room, the three of them could not say much about more important or pending matters.

"David . . . you remember Trisha," Crissa said, trying to keep things under control and get David's eyes and mind off Julie.

Trisha did not miss the opportunity to make herself more visually obvious to him as she stood up and walked closer. As usual, she was wearing a pair of skin-tight lycra pants and a tube top, showing off her shapely breasts and a tan, fit stomach.

"'I keep hearing  great things about this guy," Trisha said, casually nodding to Crissa and reaching out to take his hand.

"Hello again," David said, shyly, pulling his hand away and stepping self-consciously away from both girls.

"Crissa . . . I really need to get into the shower right now before all of you  throw me out to the cats."

Trisha laughed loudly and made a point of smiling directly at his candor before walking back to her bed. Her graceful gate, mimicking that of a bathing suit model did not go unnoticed by Crissa or Julie for that matter, who had already taken the chair at Trisha's desk.

"And these clothes," he said apologetically. "I guess we should probably burn them, huh?"

"No way," Crissa said, smiling. "I'll run them down to the laundry room while you shower. The dryers here actually work pretty well."

"Great, sweetheart," David said unashamedly, and walked purposely into bathroom.

Suddenly, there was an awkward silence as neither Julie nor Crissa could say much with Trisha still very much in alert attendance. While David was preparing the water for his shower, Crissa waited momentarily outside the door for his soiled clothing to appear. Putting the unsavory articles in a laundry bag, she shut the door and took a box of laundry soap with her in the direction of the dorm room door.

While Crissa left and David was in the shower, Trisha showed some obvious signs that she disapproved of Julie's presence there in the room again.

"You know . . . you're not going to be able to sleep here," Trish told her rather firmly.

"Why?  Why do you say that?" Julie replied.

"Because they have rules here. About people just coming to stay all night . . . like it's some kind of hotel or something."

"OK. But like before, Trisha. I've come here with a lot of trouble behind me. You just need to know that. Crissa and David are the only friends I have down here. There's just no other place for me right now. At least for tonight."

"Well, you left before . . . You'll just have to leave again . . . this time before the night."

"You don't understand . . . It's already night! I don't have a place to go right now!"

Julie stood up and walked toward Trisha's bed. 

Trisha, on the other hand, was now sitting up. Prepared to verbally defend her territory.

"You're just going to have to put up with me . . . for one more night, OK? 

Julie's stance and body language was unexpectedly threatening.

"What are you . . . deaf? Or retarded, girl? I said you can't stay here tonight!"

"And I'm telling you . . . I need to be here! Just for tonight. Tomorrow night's a totally different subject! Trust me!"

"Look, bitch . . . I'm telling you to get out! Out of my room! Now! It's mine also, you know. Just cause you're Crissa' s friend doesn't mean I can't tell you to leave!"

Julie suddenly and stressfully put her hands over her ears. "Shut up! Just Shut up!" she screamed. "You don't understand anything!" 

She then closed her eyes tightly, revealing an expression of sheer revulsion and frustration.

At that moment, Crissa entered the room from the laundry area where David's clothes were still washing. She had heard the girls shouting even as she approached the door.

"Crissa! Tell your friend here . . . Julie . . . she can't stay here anymore! We were told that by the RA! I want this stupid bitch out of here. Now!"

Crissa was shocked at Trisha's sudden and intense anger. Her intolerance.

Julie, without warning, unexpectedly charged Trisha's bed. Grabbing her arm, she pulled the girl brutally off the mattress and onto the floor.

"Julie! No!" Crissa screamed. She ran forward and pulled the girl back, away from Trisha.

"What's wrong with her?" Trisha screamed. "Is she crazy!"

At that point, David, hearing the disturbance, opened the bathroom door with a bath towel around him. "What's going on out  here, Crissa?"

"It's Julie, David . . . she's . . ."

There was an eerie silence as Julie was now slumped on the floor with her hands covering her face. Her shoulders were heaving backward, then forward in spasms as she seemed to be having trouble breathing.

A low, steady growl was now emanating from her covered mouth. To everyone in the room it did not sound human.

"What's wrong with this girl, Crissa?" Trisha said in a subdued voice as she slowly and fearfully got back to her feet and moved away.

The two girls watched helplessly as Julie' body continued to show erratic jerks while she continued to keep her face covered. Again, the growling came from behind her hands, louder, and again disturbingly not a familiar in any human sense.

Crissa ran up to her. From her close inspection she could see the fair, once almost imperceptible hair on Julie's arms was darkening. Becoming just noticeably coarser and longer.

"Oh my God, David . . . It's happening . . . the change!"

"It can't be," he said, still standing motionlessly in his towel. He obviously was attempting to remain discrete and calm for Trisha's sake.

Crissa quickly glanced at David, still beautifully human and half-naked in the bathroom light. She instantly assessed he had none of the signs. It had to be Julie's emotions which had triggered the mutation. She obviously felt threatened. Much as the professor had made her feel.

Sensing that Julie's more obvious changes and her potential for lethal violence were very close, Crissa quickly took her by the arm and dragged her to the doorway and out of the room, beyond Trisha's sight. Once in the hallway with the door shut, the girl was already beginning to arch over into a semi-crawling stance. And from there, Crissa managed with all her strength, to pull her down the stairs and directly out through the dorm lobby to the cool exterior. There was, fortunately, no one in the area at the time when Crissa pushed her out of the building and onto the sidewalk. There she witnessed the rare sight of Julie dropping onto all fours, ripping and tearing off her jeans and sweatshirt. She then half-ran, half-trotted away from the pathway in the direction of the thick campus foliage.

"Run, Julie!" Crissa called out, her eyes filling with tears. "Run for the mountains!"

By then, the half-wolf, half-girl had already disappeared into the darkness.

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