Claws of Rage

Chapter 24 - Weakness

Monday 7.00PM

[It's evening when Richard and Nicole are sitting at Mr. Yoshida's desk. They just put all proof of the situation on the table and wait for his response. He's in deep thoughts and slowly clicks his pen. Richard is sweating out of fear while he lets Nicole squeeze his paw. Nicole's ears and shoulders are low and she feels sick again. The ambience in the room is freaky as there's low lighting and very dark shadows. Nicole looks down at the floor while her eyes are still yellowish. She is holding Richard's paw with one of hers and holds her head with the other. She is wearing a brand-new uniform and most of her body has gone back to normal for now, but her fur is still rough and her demons haven't left her... She is still very shocked about the two murders from shortly ago and her sickness gets worse as her stomach aches. Richard sees that she's broken and worries more than ever. After a few minutes which felt like hours, Yoshida share his words.]

Yoshida: Well, I can fully see that it wasn't fully on you, Nicole. It's absolutely horrific what you've done, but I think you've had enough punishment now.

Nicole: [In a raspy voice] S-so... What do I do now?

Yoshida: I can offer you your job back after your recovery, but on a few conditions.

Nicole: I'm listening.

Yoshida: You need to revisit your therapist as soon as possible and we must take some safety precautions when you work in these offices again. For example, you will have to wear a muzzle during your shift.

Nicole: [Sighs] I completely understand.

Yoshida: All right. Now if you excuse me, I need to be at my next appointment.

[Nicole and Richard nod, then leave the office after respectfully greeting the Rainbow Factory founder.]

[The scene cuts to when the couple is in the car. Richard starts the engine, but doesn't leave yet. Tears flow down Nicole's cheeks as she feels terrible.]

Nicole: I- I'm such a mess, Richard!

[Richard turns to her and rubs her back with his paw.]

Nicole: I just... I don't want to bring you and the kids into danger again. What if I snap again?

Richard: Look honey, I hate to say it, but I'm afraid we're gonna have to treat it like a disease.

[Nicole wipes away her tears and looks him in the eye.]

Richard: I am the one who will keep you calm, dear. I know how, but you need to trust me.

[Nicole nods and Richard hugs her. She buries her face in his shoulder and he continues rubbing her back. He then hushes her while caressing her ears.]

Richard: [Whispers while tearing up a bit] It's okay, honey. I'm here for you. Things are gonna get better...

[Nicole sniffs a few times and it seems like she's calming down, but her heartbeat suddenly speeds up. Her claws unsheathe and as she was hugging Richard, they dig into his back. Richard shrieks and wants to look at his wife's face, but she only tightens her grip on him. Serious scars appear on the pink bunny's back.]

Richard: H-honey? What a-are you doing?

[Richard's eyes widen out of fear when he hears his wife growling and panting. She has her eyes closed and bares her teeth out of agony. The beast within is restless and it messes with her body, as her back crackles painfully. Richard starts feeling genuinely endangered and then hears her meowing deeply and hissing. He tries to ignore the pain by her claws and continues caressing her, hoping to calm her down.]

Richard: [Whispers] P-please honey... Stay calm... It's okay now.

Nicole: [Growls and speaks in a deep voice] The medicine stopped working, Richard.

[Richard gasps and grabs Nicole by her waist when she loosens her grip. She calms down and almost passes out. Richard carefully puts her back in the passenger seat and glares at her shocking appearance. Her bleak fur, her visible exhaustion and the drool by her mouth indicate that she's feeling more unwell. Richard then drives her home and immediately tucks her in when they returned. He joins her for a while and strokes her ears until she falls asleep. Richard then gets up and calls for another appointment at the therapist. After hanging up, he starts to feel extreme grief and fear. He misses the old Nicole, 'his Nicole'! Who he remembers from his childhood. The badass fighting Nicole, not the monstrous murdering one. She turned into a beast... and now? What is he supposed to do? Will he become the next prey of this predator? No, he thinks. Time to stop these nonsense thoughts. She might be vicious, but oh boy, he's still in love with this 'monster'. He then realizes he can ask the therapist for advice in a few days. Why am I so worried, he thinks and calms a bit down. He sighs and settles in the living room.

Nicole lies in deep slumber while a cold breeze makes its way through the room. It starts raining heavily outside and water floods down the windows. It's too dark to clearly see anything, but Nicole's silhouette is fully visible as her limbs start jerking a bit. Her nose twitches and she frowns sometimes. She starts sweating heavily as she experiences the worst nightmare in her life...]

Only darkness. Then. A white flash...

Nicole opens her eyes and looks around. She's standing in the middle of the living room and she's on her own. No signs of her husband or three kids, as they are asleep. It's dark and probably midnight, she thinks. She starts to feel a bit tired and decides to go to bed. She first gets a glass of water from the kitchen and makes her way into the living room. She sits down on the couch for a while.

Suddenly, her attention goes to the mirror next to the staircase. She gets up and walks towards it, while finishing her water. She sees her reflection and sighs when she wonders why it caught her attention. But then something rather strange starts to happen. Nicole wants to turn around, but suddenly sees her reflection change. It doesn't move like how she does and seems like it's living its own life. She gasps and freaks out a little. Her reflection starts to terrifyingly morph until she sees the 'Upper Limit' version of herself. But way worse. Its teeth are even more horribly sharp and its fur is rough and covered in blood. The glowing yellow pupils inspect her and a broad grin appears on its face. Nicole takes a step back and cowers a bit. "W-what is happening?" she stutters. The monstrous Nicole grabs hold onto the sides of the mirror with its claws and crawls out of it.

It gets closer to her and calls her in a deep, terrifying voice: "Niicoooole... Dooon't be so scared..."

"W-who are you?! What d-do you want f-from me?!"...