Werewolf
“Gemma
“Yes, Mr. McCormack?” she asked timidly, shrinking in his presence.
“This statistical data that you calculated for the finance division is all wrong!” McCormack threw down a packet of papers at Gemma's feet. She gave a squeak and stepped backwards, stammering her apologies.
“I-I'm so so sorry, Mr. McCormack,” she said as she bent down to pick up her papers. “I w-will re-do them right away.”
Gemma scurried back to her cubicle and sat crouched in her chair, trying not to be seen from over the tops of the cubicle walls. She gnawed at her fingernails with worry as she looked over the statistics she had typed up. All her self-doubts and thoughts of failure were running through her mind as she read over her data.
“Gemma,” a warm voice came from behind her. “You shouldn't let McCormack walk all over you.”
“I can't help it, Meredith. He's my boss. There's nothing I can do about it.” Meredith was Gemma's best friend at work.
“I don't believe that, Gemma. You just need some confidence,” Meredith tried to reassure Gemma, but Gemma just rolled her eyes as if to say, “yeah right.”
“I'll tell you what we're gonna do. You, Ted, and I are going to take a small vacation. We could go backpacking in the woods to get away from all this. Come on, Gemma. It'll be great. What do you say?”
“Oh, alright. I guess I could go for a break from work,” Gemma resigned to Meredith's hopeful looks.
*****
They brought weather-proof tents, water bottles, large backpacks; they were prepared, but not for everything. The howling never came at any other time except that night. The howls seemed to get closer and closer, but Ted and Meredith never saw the animal making the noise. However, Gemma did.
One of the darker nights, when the stars were concealed by ominous clouds, Gemma went outside of the tent to get a drink of water. She walked through the darkness, barely making out the shapes of trees and bushes, towards where she knew the campsite picnic table was with the water bottles on it. She kept walking even though it seemed much farther away than in the sunlight. She kept walking until she couldn't see the light glow of the flashlight through the tent. Gemma walked around to see if the tent was just on the other side of a tree. The light did not reappear.
Before she could take another step she heard the ragged heavy breathing of a large animal. The growling and breathing became louder and louder, but Gemma did not make a sound. Only her eyes were straining and moving in the darkness, but those too became petrified when she felt hot breath swirling on her back.
If someone screams in the middle of the woods with no one to hear, does she make a sound? Streams of blood poured from torn, raw wounds. The wolf's teeth tore her flesh away, sometimes to the bone. The sound of ripping flesh and growling filled her ears and all Gemma saw was the wolf's yellow eyes as the wolf showed her what lay under her skin.
Most would have thought Gemma would be dead after the first bite tore at her, but she did not die. She could not die. Something within her had the drive to live on. She awoke in a pool of blood, but the wolf was gone. She did not move during the entire day, but she knew that something was different. She had changed.
Her sight was blurred and distorted and several colors were missing from her vision. However, she could hear sounds clearly, like the bird one hundred feet away on a branch. The smell of blood would have been overpowering to any other human, but Gemma reveled in its stench. She used up the whole day to grow accustomed to the unusual changes. At first she thought she was going mad when her thoughts turned to blood and meat. She sat in a ball, gripping at her arms and hair, trying to hold onto her sanity. Gemma wanted to hold onto any piece of herself, any part of her that would remind her that she was human. But soon all that was left was the animal instinct of a wolf driven by a once scared, meek woman who now had new-found strength.
When night came again, Gemma's fun began. Though she didn't know how her wounds had healed she was thankful that all that was left were small white scars. Her clothes gone and inhibitions vanished, Gemma prowled through the woods for her first meal. The forest was full of rabbits and deer, but Gemma was not hungry for such an easy kill. She wanted a sweeter meat. She wanted the most dangerous game—human.
Gemma realized that a human smelled different than any other animal. She sniffed out the sweat of two humans and tracked the scent through the woods. After only a few minutes the humans' smell was intoxicating her senses and driving her into a frenzy. She found a tent pitched with the delicious smell of her dinner inside. Although Gemma's new ears were very sensitive to the screams, she loved the sound of their screams dying when she ripped out their necks. Blood exploded into her mouth and slid down her throat. She had a newfound feeling surging through her as she devoured the steaming bodies that were once her friends Ted and Meredith. Gemma thought to herself that she should feel some sort of guilt, shame, or remorse when looking down at her former friends. All she felt was an immense satisfaction as her meal settled in her stomach. She stole new clothes and burned the tent and drove back to town with a new look on her face—power.
*****
Gemma walked into her boss's office and locked the door and closed the blinds that covered the window in the door. Darren McCormack hung up his phone and opened his mouth to confront Gemma's odd behavior, but she started speaking first.
“Here are the facts, Jack,” she said while lowering herself into the chair in front of his desk. “If you don't give me a promotion and a raise right now you are going to be in a world of pain.” Gemma drummed her long fingernails on the arm of her chair, which broke the silence in the small room.
Mr. McCormack could only sit and stare at the woman he thought he knew. Gemma looked like a completely different person with dark eyes and a sleek look. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do. His eyes darted to the phone and he started to reach for it.
“Before you do anything rash, McCormack,” Gemma interrupted. “I want to ask you this; do you know what it's like to have all your fingers broken?” Darren froze for a moment, but his instincts overcame his better judgments and he lunged for the phone. In a flurry of movement, almost impossible to follow, Gemma pinned Darren's head to his desk and held his arm twisted behind his back.
“You should have just given me what I wanted, McCormack, but I guess you don't realize what it's like to have people walk all over you. Since I'm going to use you to get to the top, now you have to learn some respect.” Gemma pulled back his index finger and with a resounding crack it broke.
“Oh my god! You are sick, Gemma, you're evil.”
“It's not about good or evil,” she looked down at his pitiful form as she broke another of Darren's fingers. “It's about power.” Another crack. “I have been at the same desk and the same cubicle for seven years. I have tried my hardest to do my job, but it was never enough, was it? You never even thought about giving me a promotion, did you?” Gemma laughed scornfully and Darren's face contorted with pain and fear, but she continued without mercy. “No. You were happy with me at the bottom of the ladder. I'm not at the bottom now though.”
“You're mad! Crazy!” Darren tried to struggle free, but Gemma broke a fourth finger.
“Argh, alright, alright,” Darren hurriedly said, trying to appease Gemma. “You can have the raise and the promotion!”
“How big a raise?”
“As big as you want!”
“And what new job position will I get?” Gemma asked coolly.
“You can have mine. I'll quit. And then you'll leave me alone?” Darren asked hopefully.
Gemma released McCormack's hand and head and he immediately held his deformed hand to his chest, shaking. She strode from the room while saying over her shoulder, “You should be gone by the time I get back from lunch, McCormack. Oh, and just so everyone knows, Ted and Meredith are on an extended leave of absence.”
*****
Gemma walked into the lobby of the St. Regis and stalked the suits sitting at the King Cole Bar. She was easily the youngest person in the room. She finally saw her target seated at the end of the bar having a drink. She had only seen him once before when she had first gotten her job at Horowitz Enterprising—John Horowitz, the CEO. She sashayed across the room and sat down next to him.
“Hello, Mr. Horowitz,” Gemma purred, trying to ignore her distaste and anger at his downward glance from her eyes. “My name is Gemma Lowell, I'm the new head of your Statistical Data department at Horowitz Enterprising.”
“I am so pleased to meet you, Ms. Lowell.” he said, grasping her outstretched hand. “I had no idea that the position was open.”
“There has been a slight rearrangement of positions, you see, Mr. McCormack, the former head of the department, decided it was time for a change of scenery. I was only too happy to take over for him.”
“Well, thank you, Ms. Lowell. I'm glad that someone as competent as yourself could fill the new opening.” Mr. Horowitz flexed his sore fingers as Gemma let go of their handshake.
“In fact, Mr. Horowitz, I was wondering if you would join me upstairs for lunch to go over some new changes I had in mind. I think my ideas would bring great profit to the company.”
“Really?” Mr. Horowitz asked, intrigued. He glanced downward again, thoughts about unbuttoning her blazer forming in his mind. “Yes, lead the way, Ms. Lowell.”
“Please, call me Gemma. After all, the CEO has all the power, right?”
Mr. Horowitz smirked and straightened his tie is a self-satisfied way, pleased with the flattering remarks.
Gemma opened the door to the suite and respectfully showed Mr. Horowitz to the couch. She poured him a glass of brandy and sat down beside him, resisting the urge to forcefully remove the hand he placed on her thigh.
“Truthfully, Mr. Horowitz. I don't think you'll be at all happy with the changes I want,” Gemma said while Mr. Horowitz's eyes widened with shock.
“Oh, why?” he asked.
“You see, I'm tired of people stepping all over me. It's time for me to claw my way up the ladder of success.”
“But, Gemma, why would I be unhappy with that?”
“Well, John, I'm going to kill you and take over your company.”
“What?” Mr. Horowitz asked angrily. He put down his drink to face Gemma, but she didn't let him continue any further. She smashed his face down onto the table, where, unfortunately, he had just placed his glass. His head broke the brandy glass, driving shards into his face and producing a strangled yell from Mr. Horowitz. Gemma stood slowly as Mr. Horowitz slid to the floor, moaning.
“I'm sorry, John. This isn't personal—It's just business.” She walked towards him and stopped next to Mr. Horowitz's head and stepped on it. The stiletto heel of her shoe broke through his skull and killed him.
“Thanks for the job opportunity, Mr. Horowitz. And now for lunch.”
Mr. Horowitz never had lunch that day, but Gemma had Mr. Horowitz for lunch.
*****
“Thank you all for coming to this brunch,” Gemma said to the crowdgathered in the banquet hall. “You are all probably wondering why this meeting has been called. I have a few announcements for the company. First, I am sorry to report that the search for Mr. Horowitz has not produced any results. We must accept by now that he will never be found. This brings me to announcement number two; I will be the new CEO of Horowitz Enterprising, now Lowell Enterprising.” Gemma stopped and waited for the applause to die down again. She basked in the gazes of all her new employees because she realized with complete certainty that she was the one in charge.
“I hope that everyone is pleased with the change of power in this company, and the great increase in profits. Thank you.” Gemma strode from the podium and hurried towards her town car where her driver was waiting. She grabbed the cup of coffee from her assistant and the folder describing her meeting at 11 o’clock. She slid into the leather seat of the car.
“I love the smell of fresh meat in the morning,” she said as she sipped her coffee mixed with the blood of Edward Johanson, the successful businessman of a rivalry enterprising company she had killed the night before. Her driver glanced in his rear view mirror as his passenger took a sip of her coffee. His eyes widened as he saw her lips stain red as she lowered her cup, but he was powerless to do anything except pull away from the curb.