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Tom grunted and clutched himself closer in pain. Grinding his teeth, he curled more into himself on his bed, some blood slowly trickling it's way out of his mouth. His eyes were screwed shut.
He hated this. He hated himself. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to change again. It hurt. It always hurt so, so much. He had no idea exactly why this fucking cycle had started, and when it would stop. If it would stop. Whenever he shifted it was excruciating, feeling every single one of his bones crack, break, and shift to create his monster form.
Monster form.
He really was a monster now, wasn't he?
Whenever this happened, he would get more aggressive throughout the week before the shifting, which meant more fights, arguments, and hangovers. It never compared to when he was a monster though.
Tom whimpered and thrashed on his bedsheets. Thinking about it never helped. He just had to ride it out. He had to shift into his alternate form for just one night every year. One night. Approximately 12 hours. But when he did it was horrible. It was always horrible. His friends understood and were supportive, but... Edd still flinches.
He wouldn't let it happen again.
A soft few knocks on his door slightly distracted him from his suppression. "Tom?" Edd's worried voice filtered through the door. All Tom could muster was a loud grunt.
"Tom, I'm worried," he continued. "You haven't left your room for eight hours. Are you alright?" Tom huffed, a sudden sharp claw of pain racing through his chest, causing him to gasp.
"F-fine." He huffed out. His voice broke in the middle of the single word, making him cringe more than he already was. There was a pause until the door knob started to turn. "Fuck- Don't come in Edd!" He whined. A headache sprouted, turning into a migraine as he reached and felt his forehead. Two small bumps had started to form. "Shit." He whispered, shoving his face into the sheets.
"Tom, I'm-" Edd started, walking into the dark room. Staring at Tom's writhing, he stopped. "Tom?" He asked, quietly. Tom growled, his control dissipating by the second. "Tom!" Edd yelled, running towards him. Tom shoved him away with a darkening hand.
"Leave." He growled out, his voice becoming rougher. Edd watched him, concern evident in his eyes. He tapped his foot in quick thought.
"Why the fuck is everyone yelling in there?" Tord yelled, thumping footsteps indicating his running towards them. "What are you doing, having sex?" Tord asked exasperatedly, leaning into the doorway. Immediately his eyes widened. Edd tried to shove him out immediately, yelling about how Tom needed space. Tom growled lowly, his hands turning a deep violet.
"Fuck, okay- MATT!" Edd yelled, trying desperately to get the ginger's attention upstairs. "Get off your ass and start the car!"
"Why?" Came the muffled response, to which Tom promptly shoved his hand in the wall, tears streaming down his face. Matt seemed to get the message as he raced down the stairs and out the front door.
Tord looked from Edd, to Tom, and back. "Is anyone going to explain to me what the ever loving fuck is happening?" He asked, starting to clench his hands into fists.
"Do you have tranquilizer's? Any kind?" Edd hurriedly asked.
"Pfft, do I have tranquilizers.." Tord huffed.
"Do you, or do you not, Tord!?"
He gave a curt nod and ran out of the room. Edd directed all his attention to the man rolling in agony.
Tom looked far worse than what he had appeared as a sparse minute ago. Horns had sprouted, sticking out of his spiked hair, his clothes stretching around the claws that were once his hands. A dark tail hit the edge of his bed aggressively. He growled and whimpered, biting his lip so hard blood had started flowing. His teeth had sharpened, and his face was coated in sweat.
Edd hesitantly took a step forward. "You just have last a little bit longer, Tom," He said calmly, trying to help his monstrous friend. "Then we'll drive you out somewhere safe where you can let go." Tom shook his head violently.
"'S never.. worked before. Just.. just get out." He huffed, words being punctuated with painful growls and gasps.
"You can do it, Tom." Edd said, calmness, sounding much more forced. He stepped forward, trying to figure out how to help drag him outside. "Just hold out a bit, then you can monster around."
Tom hit his breaking point.
He roared, back arching off the bed, the rest of his skin darkening. Clothes ripping as his size grew from being a scrawny, somewhat short man, to a large monstrous figure. His candy-like horns pierced the ceiling and his head reared back as he let out another roar, mixed with the painful screeching of his human form.
Edd stared back in absolute terror.
"Tom..?" He whispered.
That noise. Tom's head snapped around, glaring down at him. His two eyes had morphed into one, creating a large void in the center of his face. Edd went cold. They held tense eye contact for a cold second before a loud snap echoed through the room and the alcoholic demon threw himself off the bed towards Edd. Scrambling towards the doorway, Edd yelled for Tord as he sprinted through the house, Tom crashing behind him.
It was happening again. Every year something like this happened and someone got hurt. Edd cursed. They'd have to learn how to deal with this a different way. This was too dangerous.
Racing towards the front door, he grabbed onto the knob as a giant force tackled him. A cold, scaly hand clamped around his right side, while the left held his head into the dusty wood flooring. Panting, he cried out, praying that Tord was close enough to hear him. Tom leaned in close to his neck, breathing hot and heavy against his neck.
"Tom," Edd gasped, being pushed harder into the flooring. "Tom, please, get off m-" Edd's pleads broke off into ear splitting screeches as Tom sank his teeth into Edd's shoulder, right on the juncture between neck and shoulder. He cried, screaming for Tord, or Matt, to fucking stop Tom. The screeches urged Tom forward, biting down until he hit something hard, a bone. The screaming died down as Edd started to faint. Tom crushed his arm in his claw, licking the blood around his mouth.
"Hey, Jehovah's!"
Tom turned and stared straight at Tord, who held a pistol aimed at the monster's face. "Eat shit, assfuck." Tord seethed. Tom roared, but before he could even take a step forward, three gun shots lit up the air. Tom staggered to the side, three tranquilizer darts stuck into him. Growling, he tilted, and fell in a bloody, dark heap on the floor.
Tord heaved out a heavy sigh, looking up when the front door slowly opened. Poking his head out, Matt looked at the mess inside. "So, we're still going to need the car?" He asked Tord.
The norwegian dragged his hand over his face. "Yeah," he said quietly. "And on the way, you can explain to me what the fuck just happened."