Shifter

Part 2
Gene Mikel Fogerty

Jerrold tried to remain very still even though the pain was tremendous. Through the little space of his closed eyes he could see it standing at the sink admiring itself. It looked its face over and touched, growing firmiliar with everything. Jerrold dared not moved a single muscle as he thought about what had just happened. He had been up the stairs in his room and heard a nasty exchange between Janet and ndrew and he had picked up the little pistol he bought years ago and doubled down stairs. The thing confirmed what they both suspected and when ndrew shot it Jerrold knew that was that, no turning back now. They had both fired into it, it fell to the floor, and like idiots they assumed it was dead, even though obviously there was actually nothing about tit that was human.

It had shot out a sharp piercing finger tip and stuck them both. ndrew appeared to be dead, but Jerrold lay motionless. He was scared out of his mind. This was not a human enemy, it was some kind of thing, and he had no idea how to stop it. If he moved he knew it would attack him again. There were about ten identification cards up the stairs and obviously this thing would go from person to person taking over then draining another one and taking them over, keeping the identification for whatever reason. It didnt matter. ll that mattered was staying alive and doing something about this parasite. s Jerrold was laying on the floor, it came over and looked at ndrew then got out his wallet and looked at his license. It was still wearing Janet!s clothes so it doubled up the stairs. Jerrold saw his chance and he got up and grabbed his gun, doubling out the door as fast as he could to his car. He knew no one was going to steal that piece of garbage car so he left the key under the seat lip. s he started it up he saw ndrew!s face at the window of the house, looking out at him. It would never make it down fast enough to attack again but Jerrold doubted it cared. He backed up and began to think. His neck was hurting, but the fact that he liked to wear leather collars had saved him. The thing had stabbed with the tentacle and while it made a wound, the tnetacle got stopped short by the buckle on the collar and it had

done no more than make a nasty poke. Jerrold would laugh later. "ight now he was putting some distance between himself and that thing and trying to figure out what to do. Jerrold looked next to him and saw the old house that had the two old ladies. He got out of his car and ran to their door. It was unlocked, so he went in. #o one was in sight. He picked up the phone and dialed the police. $%es, I want to report a possible murder. &'' #orth (earl. The killer is in the house and I!m keeping an eye on it.$ fter Jerrold got off the phone he walked out and watched the house. The thing still had the body of ndrew in it and if the police got here )uick enough they would find that ndrew was trying to get rid of ndrew. *nless he had an idential twin that looked younger, that would really be interesting. Jerrold ignored the pain from the wound. In minutes the police cars came up with their lights and sirens and Jerrold showed them to the house. They entered with their guns drawn. Jerrold waited behind them but he could see what was going on and felt angry at himself for being so stupid. %es they found ndrew, stuck through, but they also found...Janet. The stinking thing had changed back into the woman. The police cuffed her and led her out of the house as the medics showed up and the detective listened to what Jerrold had to say. Jerrold saw Janet look

at him with a sly grin. +he,it had been through this before, nothing new, just another idiot who called the police. The medics disinfected the wound, stitched Jerrold up and gave him medicines for the poke. The detective asked all the right )uestions but there were no honest answers. $How much do you know about this Janet woman- .id she have any problems with ndrew- .id you guys have an arguement-$ The erea was considered a crime scene, and so Jerrold could not go back into his room for a while. They took ndrew out of the house and went over it carefully, but they didn!t find any identification cards. Jerrold didn!t push the issue. s he waited to go back into the house and figure out what to do next, he laughed to himself. $*m well officer, this Janet woman isn!t a real woman, she!s a parasite that drains human energy, then she moves on to the next one and eventually she will shape shift into another person and vanish. %eah, she!s a shifter officer.$ +ure, that!ll work. Then the worst thing happened. The detective came up to Jerrold. $/e seem to have some problems here. 0et me lay this out for you. /e found a dead man laying in there with a puncture wound to his neck like yours. He was laying next to a gun that had been emptied. There were twelve spent bullets in the sink of two calibers with blood on them. #o

one was shot and Janet was in perfectly good health. +o we seem to be missing a body that had been shot and the bullets removed, you say you got out of the house and there was a perfectly healthy woman in there with the dead guy and no weapons. /e found an old gun that belongs to ndrew and the other gun is missing. +ee what kind of issue we have here- 0otsa )uestions and no answers. Think you can help us out-$ $%eah.$ Jerrold said. $1an you stick the blood on the bullets under a microscope-$ $/e!ll do that.$ $2ood, because chances are you will find that those bullets aren!t covered with normal blood. #ot unless she!s really good.$ $/hat kind of blood would they be covered by-$ Jerrold hesitated. The detective looked around. $Talk to me.$ $Janet isn!t a human being. +he!s a thing, and when ndrew found out he tried to protect himself when he confronted her. He shot her and she responded by stabbing both of us. I tried to help him out with my old gun, but bullets don!t do anything to that thing. .oes that make me guilty of attempted murder-$

$#o, not exactly. It means you stay in town and we stick the bullets under a scope because they had a very odd kind of thick sticky blood that would not flow through human veins. This isn!t television kid, where the detective won!t believe what he hears. I need you to come down to the station and make out a formal report.$ /ith a sigh of relief Jerrold joined the detective and they went to the station. Jerrold relaxed a little and talked to them about writing stories and how ndrew referred to him as Top Hat as opposed to using his name. The detective listened and was pleasant and finally gave permission for Jerrold to go home. $/hat!s going to happen next-$ Jerrold asked. $The house will be tied up for a bit while we investigate, and there will be an in)uiry to see who takes it over. %ou say you have a job and can sustain yourself for a while, so while we keep this thing under lock and key and work on the situation you will have some time to live in the house before needing to find a new home. I!d touch base with a doctor on that neck wound also.$ Jerrold was driven back to the house and he washed up and doctored his wound, then decided to do his own investigating. He went to It!s room, but was not overly surprised to find that everything It had with it was gone. The police had taken it. He wasn!t too surprised to find out

that they took him seriously. 3r at least he hoped that was the case. Jerrold made himself something to eat, and there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find 4r. .rumm there. $Thanks for knocking. /hat!s up$It!s our understanding that your home owner has deceased-$ Jerrold felt anger burn. $/hats on your mind .rumm-$ $/e were informed that the owner of this cracker box has been killed. *nder +tatute eleven chapter seven, sub section three, sub sub section your residency in this house is void since the place has been found sub standard and the owner is no longer living. %ou have three days to vacate the premises.$ Jerrold snapped. $0isten to me, you little sawed off fat nosed 5uddy Holly wanna be, my family wont have me because they dont like 2oth and they think the devil took me over, I have a piddly job at a grocery store and am flat broke thats why I live in this shitty cracker box to begin with6 I dont have a nice car like you and a title that takes a paragraph to say. %ou!re a meddling ass who is making my life alot harder and unless you want me to live with you, chapter one subsection two of sub sub sub section && says screw you, you!ll have to force me out, because I!m not

going, (inguin face6 How the deuce did you find out about ndrew anyhow- %ou a spy or something-$ $It was on the news. I don!t like being called (inguin face and the sheriff will have the final word on this. Have a nice day. 1apco is hiring and they pay good. %ou should check them out.$ 4r. .rumm turned and walked away and Jerrold shut the door behind him. $4aybe if you werent such a pain in the ass your pinguin face wouldnt matter.$ He heard .rumm call out from the sidewalk $that house really is not sound proof at all.$ 787# # irritation can be useful, so Jerrold called 1apco and found out they were indeed hiring so he cleaned his nail polish off, washed his face, changed into normal clothes and as he made his way to his car he commented to himself that he was a bit of a shape shifter too. Jerrold went to 1apco and drove into the front gate. He parked s far away from windows as he could with his old car and went into the office. The secretary referred him to a big man that looked so much like a bulldog it was ama9ing. His face was pushed in, almost to the point where his eyes faced each other, his moustache looked like a big wad of mold in the bottom of a cup and his mouth was shaped like an upside down letter 8. He reminded

Jerrold of his mother!s dog +mokey she had had years ago before the devil took over his mind. The big man stuck out his hand and nearly broke Jerrold!s hand with a stout handshake. :or a second, Jerrold!s left hand impulsively jerked to try and save the right hand from damage. $/hat can I do fer ya, fella-$ $Hi +moke,I mean sir, I was told that you are hiring.$ $%eah, /e!re lookin for a few people. /hat kinda !sperience you got-$ $/ell I mostly sack groceries, gather carts and throw out trash. +orry.$ $%ou got a brain and two good hands-$ $%eah.$ $2ood. Then if you got that I can sure use a guy who can sharpen bits each day. 2o up and fill out an apple cayshun and if you show up at seven and read what is on the drill head, set the grinder to it and don!t whine because it!s tedious and boring and we!ll get along fine. I see you got some left over paint on your nails. %ou one of them goth kids-$ $*h yeah.$ Jerrold figured that was the end of it. $Thats neat stuff. 4y niece is into that stuff and she!s

adorable in the little dresses and stuff, like a little victorian doll. +o you wanna give drill work a whirl, guy-$ Jerrold happily accepted the new job offer and said he would see +mokey in the morning. He got in his car and drove back to the house. t least that .rumm guy was good for something besides working hard to put people out of their houses. t the house, Jerrold got into the refrigerator to get something to eat and heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find a little old woman on the other side. +he was slightly hunched over and looked to be about seventy. $1an I help you miss-$ $3h, I havent been called 4iss in such a long time. I!m 7dna. I read your ad in the paper and I!m on a fixed income so I need just a small place.$ $*m, well the guy used to own the place had an accident this morning. I really don!t know how to handle renting rooms out since it isn!t mine.$ $3h. /ell I...I...$ $.o you want to come in and sit down for a minute-$ Jerrold suddenly felt awkward and guilty for refusing this little old lady. +ince he was the only one here, he wondered if there was anything he could do.

$/ell maybe for just a moment, I could just sit down for a minute.$ Jerrold brought 7dna in and she sat down in a chair and set her cane next to her. $#ow you say the guy who owned the house had an accident-$ $%eah, his name was ndrew and he had an accident this morning. They tell me that this house has to be vacated for various reasons and the sheriff is supposed to be coming by to let me know if I can stay here for a while. I really can!t rent it or do much of anything. $3h my. /ill you have friends or family you can stay with or something-$ $#o, my mom is a religious 9ealot and she thinks that my mentality is inspired by the devil. +he doesnt want me to come home till I fall down and repent.$ $3h my. That does sound tough. nd such a fine young man. 4aybe you should go to school and learn a trade.$ $I might do that later. I seem to have landed a good job at 1apco though, so I want to try that out. I write kid!s stories. $3h really, you!re an author-$ $+ort of, they all are copywritten and all that but not really

published.$ $ re they boring-$ Jerrold was stunned. $/hat-$ $I wondered if your stories were boring or something is why they weren!t published.$ $/ell I wouldn!t write them if I thought they would bore people.$ $%ou should try to write something a little more grown up, maybe about a guy surviving an accident or something.$ $/hat-$ $/ell, like you sruviving when ndrew didn!t.$ Jerrold just stared at 7dna. $I mean, how could you write anything inteesting stuck in that little room srrounded by junk all the time. %our life is boring, your stories must be.$ $:irst off you!re a rude old bitch and second how did you know...$ Jerrold felt his stomache knot in revelation as 7dna began to laugh. +he then stood up and her body began to change. In a moment, as he sat in shock, Janet stood before him. $%ou should never refer to an old lady as a bitch.$ $/hat the hell "7 you-6$

Janet got right in his face. I!m someone who hates being shot you stupid little idiot6 $ $How did you get out of jail, Jah,nit, or whatever your name is you mutant thing-6$ $ re you serious- Jail was a cake walk6 ll I need is a sample of someone, just a touch like when they cuffed me, and then, a cop walks out of the station. #o one notices a thing.$ Janet kicked over the chair Jerrold was in. +he was scoffing at him as he crawled backward. $%ou know you really caused me some trouble, you stupid loser. I was going to stay here long enough to figure out another specimen, but you and ndrew...$ $/hy did you copy ndrew-$ $ re you stupid- "eally really stupid- He owned this joint6 I could have had a place, done some repairs and no one would notice a thing, life goes on. He didn!t have a life.$ $%ou took his, you stupid parasite.$ Janet laughed. $(arasite. This from a creature that eats animals and anything it can kill. %ou eat cows, you eat birds, and then someone comes along and makes something out of you and you whine about it.$

$/hat are you, an alien or something-$ Janet grabbed Jerrold by the collar and pulled him close, looking into his eyes. $I!m not tellin6 I came back to get my paper work and have a little fun with you just like I did the last guy. 3f course, I have to finish what I started, because otherwise you!ll bring your friends and make things tough for me.$ Jerrold struggled to get away and Janet produced a long tentacle again, very sharp and scratched his face lightly. $This time I won!t be so clumsy like I was after you shot me.$ $:unny thing...$ Jerrod responded. $Humans dont like to be sucked dry then tossed like trash.$ Janet +neered in his face. $I knoooowwwwww6$ +uddenly there was a knock at the door and the sheriff was standing there. Janet stood up straight. $Ill take care of this.$ Janet struck Jerrold hard and he fell back. +he then walked toward the door, slowly becoming 7dna. 5y the time she reached the door she was complete and she took her cane and stepped out. $Hello +herf, I!m sorry, there was an incident here this morning and my nephew ndrew isn!t here. $I!m sorry for that miss, the thing is the *rban Housing people called, a 4r. .rumm, and said that this sub standard

house was occupied by renters and by law we have to give you three days to leave.$ $Three days6$ 7dna cried. $How can anyone find a home in three days-$ $/ell I!m sorry miss, I!m just doing my job issuing papers.$ $/hat about 4r. .rumm, is he going to give me a place to live-$ The sheriff walked away and 7dna threw the papers on the ground. +he then shut the door and commented $wow, that .rummie guy wastes no time.$ +he then noticed that Jerrold was missing from where she had left him. 7dna cursed and tore off her old lady clothes and ran up the stairs. +he had expected to find her clothing but the police had confiscated everything. +he yelled in anger and turned to the door and found Jerrold. He slammed an oil lamp in her face and the the flame cought the oil on fire. 7dna was still in the form of an old lady and she fell back fighting the flames. $ H ( " +IT7, +3 %3* .3#T 0I;7 :I"7 H*H-6$ Jerrold threw oil on 7dna and she fought harder then slammed into him and ran to the shower. +he kicked the door shut behind her as she screamed, and Jerrold slammed his weight into the door which held. It was an old plank door and was very strong. 7dna turned on the water and he

could hear her franticly putting out the flames as he thought hard. He ran back to his room and got an old shotgun he had hidden between his matresses. 5ullets might not work, let!s try buckshot. 7dna tore opend the door and Jerrold saw a horried sight. +he was burned badly but even toasted she still was alive and threatening. +he began stumbling angrily toward Jerrold, who leveled the shotgun and fired. The first round blew off her right arm and she slowed. He reali9ed that greter damage helped. He leveled it again and 7dna came toward him as he fired and blew a hole in her chest. 7dna turned to go down the stairs and Jerrold reloaded. He doubled after her and she went into ndrew!s bedroom and slammed the door. Jerrold could hear her and he could feel the energy in his body begin to drain suddenly. +he was trying to repair herself, and given time, she would do it. Jerrold looked at his hands and saw wrinkles appear. He saw his long hair develop gray streaks and he reali9ed he had little time. Jerrold reloaded the old shotgun and blasted the door latch and kicked the door open. His strength began to fail as he aimed the shotgun at the creature!s head and fired. There was a messy splatter and it fell on ndrew!s bed. Jerrold could see he was getting the best of the shape shifter and he dug out his remaining shell and put it in the gun. He felt his chest begin to strain as

7dna<Janet<whoever fought to drain his energy and he leveled the shotgun. He fired again and blew out a chunk of the thing out. The shifter wriggled on the floor and Jerrold tried to think what to do next. He stumbled out of the room and into the living room where ndrew had put a ratty old table over a rotted spot in the floor. He went to lean on the table and it fell apart. Jerrold hurt when he landed on the old wood and he cursed. ndrew and his stupid old rotting house, with the patch. He felt the wood under him crackle and he drug himself off the weak spot so he would not fall to the basement floor. 7dna the shape shifter, blown to pieces but still coming, roared at him in a garbled tone. %ou piece of human garbage6 %ou attacked me.$ Jerrold turned over, now too weak to stand. $%ou came here and began killing us to take our energies. /e fight for our lives you stupid mutant slime creature.$ $%ou humans think you!re so superior.$ 7dna formed one long sharp tentacle and began to move toward Jerrold. +he was slowly, slowly rejuvinating, but it was harder to do now that he had damaged her so badly. 7dna stepped on the patch in the floor and with a crunch the rotting wood gave out under her and she fell through the old rotting floor. s she fell, cursing in anger, she

threw her tentacle out to stop the fall and it went straight into the old fuse box, covered with webs and with the cover plate laying rusted on the floor. The tentacle connected with a large main fuse and electricity blasted through the creature, which began to writhe, smoke and curse. Jerrold watched and reali9ed the juice was burning it up. 7dna writhed and swore as the body of the shape shifter began to bubble and for a moment Jerrold wondered at how angry this creature was that the people it was sucking the life out of would fight back against it. t that moment it occured to him it might be unwise to watch this much and he backed away from the hole. There was a ripping, sick sounding explosion and the gooey mess that was 7dna<Janet<many others blew up from the electricution. Jerrold saw the splatters on the wall and for a moment he was glad it was not his house. J7""30. .I. not know he had fallen asleep. He found himself looking up at the detective. $Hey pal, you okay-$ $%eah. I just got in a nasty fight with a shape shifter that blew up in the basement. I hope it!s dead.$ $It!s all over the place. It!s dead. /e found it out escaped a bit ago and came straight here. I figured it would come

back and finish you off. 5esides me and a few others, you are one of the few that know what tha thing is and it can!t risk that. /e really need you removed from this place. .o you need a medic or anything-$

Jerrold struggled to his feet and looked at himself. He had recovered from his aging. The messy parts in the basement stunk horribly. $I feel fine, but could you tell me what that thing is-$ $I!m not at liberty to disclose that. (ardon the boys if they do some cleanup.$ $+o is this critter easier than the average bank robber$ $#ot really, with this thing you have to know how to kill it whereas bullets work on people. %ou guys really made a mess of this old dump.$ $%eah, seems like the old house had the last word.$ $/ell like I say, I really need you out of here.$ $/ell, I have a job offer. I!m going to clean myself up and go get a new shirt or two so I can show up looking proper tomorrow.$ $.o what you need to. I can hook you up with a place to stay Tonight, so if you go we can gather the bits of the jelly lady. %ou really shouldn!t be here with this going on.$

$I!d love to get out of this rotting dump.$ $2reat. I!ll have someone come pick you up this evening. 1all us when you get done shopping.$ $1ool. little food, a shower and I!m good. Is that thing gone for good-$ $%eah, but I!d still want to move out of this joint regardless if it was me.$ $#o doubt.$ Jerrold said. $Is there anything else you need- 4edical attention or whatever-$ $I!m good, but thanks.$ Jerrold got up and the police came in with a bunch of men in ha9 mat suits to collect the shape shifter. Jerrold went upstairs and got ready to shower. The shower was dirty, but it rinsed off well as he soaped down. He got dressed and went back to his room. He would be glad to go someplace else and put this mess behind him. He could hear the teams working down stairs. /hat a job. Jerrold got his car keys and was ready to go do a bit of shopping for the new job tomorrow and he walked past the working team out the front door of the old house. s he walked down the steps he ran into 4r. .rumm. $.o you just like this place or something-$

$#o, I came to deliver the papers for our firm that say you have one month to stay here since the death of ndrew is being investigated.$ $/ow, you work faster than anyone I!ve ever known to mess with people!s homes. That!s freakin nice.$ $+not nice actually, this old place should be torn down. 5ut that isn!t my worry.$ $%ou want to see snot, go look at what those men are collecting.$ Jerrold said. $Huh-$ 4r. .rumm asked. Jerrold chuckled and walked away.