Tigergirl

by Daniel Arenson

"Tigergirl" was first published in Spinetingler in 2006.


“Hey, Thomson, you geek!” cried Elva Easley, her voice echoing in the gym.  “What are you dreaming about?”

Taylor realized she had missed the volleyball Elva had tossed her way.  She felt her cheeks flush, and she wanted the ground to swallow her.

"I’m not a geek!” she objected meekly.  She was lying, she supposed.  At seventeen, her only friends were the comics she secretly drew, and the only boy she liked didn’t know she existed.  Her hair was black and knotty, her cheeks freckled, her eyes always downcast behind huge glasses.  She owned every Monty Python movie and could recite “Uncle Buck” by heart.

“Taylor’s been dreaming again!” taunted Elva.  “Dreaming about dragons and knights.”

“I was not dreaming!” Taylor said, close to tears, too meek to even raise her head.  She was lying this time, too.  Her latest comic book told of dragons and knights, and she had been reflecting upon it, seeking escape from dreadful gym class.

Taylor hated gym more than any other class.  She was clumsy, could not catch or toss a ball, and often tripped over her shoelaces when she ran.  She was always the last one chosen for a team.  Elva, meanwhile, was the most athletic girl in school--not to mention the prettiest and most popular, too.

When the game resumed, Elva spiked the ball right at her.  It hit Taylor’s face and bounced away, drawing laughter from the other students.

“Thomson, you nerd,” Elva laughed, and the other students snickered.

“It’s not my fault,” Taylor whispered, too shy to speak any louder.

Taylor could not wait to graduate high school, so she could move to New York and become a professional comic book artist.  She loved comic books, especially the classic ones like Spiderman.  They always comforted her when her classmates taunted her.

Elva sighed and turned toward her boyfriend, Rob Rawland.  She leaned on his shoulder, mumbling, “That girl is so annoying, I swear to God.”

Taylor watched them wistfully, wishing she could lean on Rob’s shoulder instead.  She’d had a terrible crush on Rob for years.  Rob, however, was the most popular boy in school.  Of course he paid her no attention.  Of course his girlfriend was Elva.  Who else could it be?

Taylor sighed.  I wish I weren’t so clumsy and awkward, she thought.  I wish I were athletic like Elva, maybe then Rob would like me.  I wish I could play volleyball instead of drawing comics.

But what could she do?  Some girls were born pretty and popular.  Others were born freckled and geeky.  That’s just the way of the world, Taylor knew.

When school ended, Taylor headed toward Old Man Derwent’s costume shop, which was also her home.  When her parents had died years ago, Derwent--a distant, long-lost relative--had adopted her.  She had lived in his shop since.

Taylor often wished she had teachers like Derwent.  Derwent taught her more than any teacher at school.  He seemed to know everything, from science to philosophy to art.  He was the smartest person Taylor knew.

When she reached his costume shop, she felt better already.  The shop lay at the south end of Greenlawn, NJ, Taylor’s hometown.  Few customers visited it.  Few people even knew about it.  A cobble path led to the small, Victorian building which nestled behind three maples.  Bats flew between the branches of those trees even during the day.

When she opened the door, a bell rang, and Derwent turned from some costume he was sewing.  The old man had long white hair, round glasses, and a ridiculously long nose.  He looked like some wizard elf from the fantasy novels Taylor sometimes read.

“Good afternoon, Taylor,” he said, speaking around a long, mahogany pipe he smoked.

Costumes of all kind filled the shop:  fairies, gorillas, cowboys, clowns, ballerinas, monsters, and a hundred others.  Derwent hand-sewed them all.  He took pride that he prepared all the costumes himself, ordering none from factories.  The shop smelled of leather, fur, and tobacco, which Taylor thought the best smell in the world; it was the smell of home.

“Hey, Derwent,” she said glumly.

“What’s wrong, Taylor?  Elva Easley giving you a hard time?”

She nodded and told Derwent about gym class.  It seemed every day she had a glum story for him.

He tsked his tongue all through the story, and finally said, “Taylor, a girl your age... you shouldn’t just stay home drawing comics.  You should go out more, try at least to make friends.”

She sighed.  “If I could be popular like Elva Easley, I would.  But I can’t.  I’m Taylor Thomson, I was born that way, and I just have to accept it.  I’ll always be awkward and shy and weird.”

Derwent heaved a sigh.  He looked so sad, that Taylor sat beside him, put her arm around him, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“I’m all right,” she said.  “Don’t you worry about me.  Now, let me see the costume you’re making.”

It was a tiger-skin bodysuit, wonderfully sewn, flawless, its seams invisible.  Designed to cover the entire body, including the hands and feet, it radiated wonderment.  Taylor ran her fingers through the fur, marveling at how soft and smooth it felt.

Derwent leaned close to her and whispered into her ear as if there were others who might hear.  “It’s made of real tiger pelt.”

“Oh, gross!” Taylor said, but stared at the suit with more curiosity.  “A tiger died for this?”

Derwent shook his head.  “He died of natural causes.  I made sure of that.  I know how you feel about killing animals for fur.”

Taylor nodded sternly.  “Good.”

Derwent leaned back and took a long puff on his pipe.  “You know,” he said, “there’s an Indian legend about wearing tiger fur.  The legend says that if the tiger likes you, he’ll grant you his powers.”

Taylor laughed.  Derwent was always talking about ancient myths and magic.  She loved him all the more for it.  Sometimes, she thought he might be even kookier than she.

That night, Taylor could not sleep.  As she lay in bed, she kept thinking of the tiger suit, wondering how it would feel against her skin.  The tiger seemed to call her, to whisper her name in the darkness.

At midnight, when she tiptoed downstairs for a glass of water, she glanced into the workshop.  The tiger suit lay on the counter, beckoning.  Hey, why not? Taylor thought.  It’ll be fun.

Two minutes later, she wore the tiger suit, examining herself in the mirror.  It was skin tight, and Taylor felt naked.  It was not like wearing clothes; it was like wearing a second skin.  The tiger’s skin.  The tail, sewn onto the suit, hung to her knees behind her.

The costume had a hood.  It pulled right over her eyes; there were two holes to see through.  The hood left the bottom half of her face free, from nose to chin.  The fur covered everything else, expect for her fingertips, which fit through holes in the gloves.  Nobody would recognize me in this costume, Taylor thought.  She liked that.

Tiger ears protruded from the hood, and Taylor touched them thoughtfully.  Wearing this suit, hidden behind the mask, she hardly felt like Taylor Thomson.  She felt powerful.  Confident.  Funny how costumes can change you.

She yawned then, stretching her arms over the head, finally ready to sleep.  She removed the costume, climbed upstairs and into bed, and fell asleep instantly.

When she woke up, it was 8:00 in the morning.

“Yikes!” she cried, leaping up from bed.  “I’m late for the final!”

How could she have slept so much?  Taylor cursed herself.  Any other day, she’d have skipped school all together, but not today.  She could not miss her exam.

She slipped on a sweater and skirt and ran out the door.    School was a mile away, and Taylor often walked.  Today she ran.

I wonder why the cars are driving so slowly, she thought.  She was running faster than them.  She lowered her head and ran even faster.

“Oh, God, they’ll all make fun of me if I’m late...”

Finally she reached Greenlawn High School, and paused outside its entrance.  She wanted to catch her breath and fix her hair before stepping in.

Strangely, though, she was not out of breath.  When she ran a hand through her hair, it encountered no knots.  Weirdness...  Usually, her hair was frowzy and tangled, yet today it felt smooth and soft as the tiger suit.

As she ran her fingers over her ear, she felt something missing.  Taylor realized that she had, in her rush, forgotten her glasses.  But how--?  Without her glasses, she should be blind as a bat.  How could she see clearly now?

The bell rang.  There was no time to ponder.  Taylor rushed inside and toward her classroom.  When she opened the classroom door, everyone stared at her from their seats.

“Ooh, look, Thomson put highlights in,” Elva Easley said mockingly.  “She thinks she’s a hottie now.”

Everyone laughed.  What is she talking about? Taylor wondered.  She held up a strand from her hair and gazed at it.  She gasped.  Indeed, her black hair was now strewn with orange stripes.  Had somebody messed with her hair while she slept?  Had color from the tiger hood come off onto her head?  That must be it, Taylor decided.

“Ms. Thomson, please don’t stand there like a scarecrow,” said Mrs. Lobby, drawing more laughs.  “Go to your seat.”

“Daydreaming again!” said Elva.  “Daydreaming about knights in silver armor!”

Everybody laughed.  Taylor stepped toward her seat, her face hot, tears stinging her eyes.  She hated to be embarrassed in front of Rob.  As she sat down, she glanced furtively toward him, smiling hesitantly.  He did not spare her a glance.

Suddenly, Taylor felt something wet hit the back of her neck.  Elva had spat a spitball onto her, Taylor realized; this was an old prank.  As usual, she ignored it.  As usual, she ignored the giggles that followed.  What else could she do?

Throughout the exam, Elva kept spitting spitballs at her.  Taylor could not concentrate, could not remember any of the answers.  I cannot fail this exam! she thought.  Derwent would be too disappointed.  Suddenly, anger flared inside Taylor.  Usually when this happened, Taylor simply swallowed that anger, letting herself be pushed over.  After all, whenever she tried fighting back, everyone just laughed at her.

Today, however, was different.  Before she could control herself, she spun around to face Elva.

The words hissed through her lips.  “Stop.  It.”

Elva stared at her, her face blanching.  Taylor was shocked, both at herself, and at how pale Elva suddenly seemed.

“Your eyes...” Elva whispered, before shaking her head as if to clear it.  She seemed to force a smile onto her face.  “It wasn’t me,” she said, and her own eyes burned balefully.

“Taylor Thomson!” Mrs. Lobby said.  “Are you cheating?  Eyes on your own paper!”

Taylor returned her eyes to her exam quickly.  She could feel the other students staring at her.  Elva snickered, but the others seemed uneasy.

After the exam came dreaded gym class.

Elva and Rob were the captains of opposing teams.  Coach Wortley always chose them to be captains; they were the most athletic students in Greenlawn High School.  They each chose players in turn.  As usual, Taylor was the last one picked.

“Heh, Rob!” Elva said, laughing, her hands on her hips.  “You get stuck with the geek this time.”

Taylor looked at her toes.  She wished she could play well and impress Rob.  She knew, however, that she would only humiliate herself as usual.

As Taylor walked toward Rob’s team, she thought he might be watching her.  She dared not check to see.  When she glanced at Elva, however, she found the girl staring at her with a strange, dangerous fire in her eyes.  Elva’s perfect eyebrows were pushed down, and her lips were a narrow line.

They started to play.  Elva ran forward, a snarl on her pretty face, her eyes malevolent.  She spiked the ball right at Taylor, so hard it could break one’s nose.

Taylor ran forward, leapt up, and slammed the ball right back over the net.

The ball hit the ground at Elva’s feet.

Silence fell.  Everybody stood still, staring at Taylor, and the only movement was the volleyball rolling slowly away.  Taylor felt her face burn, her heart flutter.  Had she really done this?

It was Rob who finally broke the silence.  “Hey, good work, Taylor.”

Taylor’s heart fluttered faster than before.  She thought she might die with happiness.  Rob had spoken her name!  It was the first time Rob had ever talked to her

Taylor looked at Elva, and actually took a step back in apprehension.  Elva’s face looked... evil.  Her eyes burned with hatred.

“It was luck,” Elva spat out.  Her fists were clenched.  She walked toward the ball, and when she picked it up, she gasped.

“Jesus...” she said.

The students all gathered around, and Taylor felt her blood freeze.

Four long slashes had been cut into the ball, depleting it of air.  They looked like claw marks.

Taylor stared at her hands.  Her fingernails, once bitten, were long and sharp.  They didn’t even look like human fingernails.  While her fingers remained slim as always, the nails now looked like claws.

It was too much.  Taylor turned and fled the gym.

She ran through the hallways, fear nipping her ankles.  What had happened to her?  The fingernails had not been there an hour ago; Taylor was sure of it.  How had they grown so quickly?

Something felt wrong in her mouth.  As Taylor passed by a mirror in the hallway, she paused, panting.  She bared her teeth at her reflection.  In her mouth glistened large, white fangs.  Her hair was nearly completely orange; only a few thin, black stripes remained.  It flared out from her head, thick and wavy.

The most shocking, however, were her eyes.

Her eyes had always been gray.  Now, they shone a bright, startling green.

What’s going on here?

Feeling faint, she ran all the way home.

***

When she reached the costume shop, she stood outside, panting with fear.  Her head spun.  What had happened back there?  Taylor could not guess.  Was this a dream?

She shut her eyes and took deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down.  Everything will be all right, she told herself.  Just calm down and think clearly.  Slowly, her hands stopped trembling and her heart slowed.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that her claws were gone.  Her fingernails still seemed harder and sharper than usual, though.  She focused on them a moment, and--she gasped when it happened--the claws sprang out again.  She pulled them back in.  They retracted at her command.

Retractable claws.  God...

Taylor knew of no disease that gave you tiger symptoms.  Had the tiger suit cursed her?

“I can’t tell anybody about this,” she said shakily.  Everybody thought her a freak already.  If they knew she had fangs and claws, well... they’d put her away, study her in some laboratory.

Most importantly, Rob would never love her if he knew.  He had spoken her name today for the first time.  If he knew of her claws and fangs, he would be disgusted, and all hope would shatter.

Taylor vowed to tell no one of her transformation, not even Derwent.  She would keep her claws retracted, her fangs hidden behind her lips.  And as for her eyes and hair?  Well, she’d just tell everybody she got highlights and contacts.  They needed to know no more.

“God, I’m a creature...” she whispered, hating herself more than ever.  But nobody had to know of it.  Maybe the symptoms would just disappear on their own.  Taylor prayed they would.

***

Over the next few days, Taylor discovered new powers.

Her senses were incredibly sharper.  She could see in the dark.  She could hear the bats fluttering in the maple trees.  She could smell apple pies cooling on window ledges all the way down the street.  Even more astoundingly, she could now run thirty-five miles an hour, leap ten feet upwards and thirty feet across, and move silent as a ghost.  She was strong, too; inhumanly strong.  Once, when nobody watched, she lifted the sofa over her head.

These new powers frightened her, though Taylor would be lying if she said she didn’t, deep inside her, also like them.  Who wouldn’t?  Of course, she kept them just as secret as the claws and fangs.

Whenever anybody asked Taylor about her new hair and eyes, she lied.  I put in contacts, she said, and highlighted my hair.  And have you been working out? they would ask, and she’d nod shyly.

Only two people seemed to suspect anything.

One was Derwent.  When she lied to him, he only smiled knowingly and nodded.  “Sure, Taylor, you look good this way.”  When she turned away, Taylor could swear she caught him shaking his head and stifling a grin.  Does he know? Taylor wondered.  If he did, he gave no sign, and Taylor was content never to discuss matters further.

In fact, she was content to forget about this whole tiger business all together.  She had never wanted any special powers, just to graduate quickly and devote her time to her comics.

The second suspicious person was Elva Easley.  Since that day in the gym, Elva grew even crueler, something Taylor had thought impossible.  Sometimes, she felt like Elva was stalking her.  The girl watched her constantly.  “Something’s up with you,” Elva said.  “You be careful, Thomson.  I’m watching you.”

Derwent, of course, claimed that Elva was just jealous, because Taylor was becoming “such a beautiful young woman”.  Taylor laughed at this.  “You must be blind,” she told him.

A week since first trying on the tiger suit, Taylor thought she could safely forget the whole issue.

Then, her world collapsed around her.

***

She returned from school that day with a good mood.  She had received an A for her final, that same exam Elva had tried ruining for her.  Skipping down the road, light and agile as a feline, she approached the costume shop with a grin.  When she stepped in, she found Derwent in the living room behind the workshop.

“Taylor, dear,” he said.  “Come sit down, we must talk.”

Taylor frowned.  Derwent sounded strange, too serious, unlike his usual, jovial self.  The wind leaving her sails, Taylor tiptoed to the couch and sat before him.

“Do not be alarmed,” he said and, with a long sigh, changed.

Taylor screamed when it happened, leapt and hit her head against the ceiling.  Before her, Derwent melted, bubbled, then reformed into the shape of--Taylor nearly fainted--Elva Easly.

Trembling, her claws whooshing out, Taylor pushed herself back against the wall.  Grimacing, she whispered, “How--?  Derwent, what--?

“There is no Derwent,” Elva replied, sitting neatly with her hands on her knees. 

“There never has been.  Nor is there an Elva.”

Elva shifted, melting and bubbling, and finally became a gray, hairless creature.  Taylor bit her fist, struggling to keep her lunch.  Her head spun, and she wanted to flee, but forced herself to stay.  She must understand this nightmare.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“My name is Doppel,” the creature replied, its voice soft, androgynous.  Its mouth was only a slit in its leathery face, its eyes large, black orbs.  It had no nose, only nostrils.  “I am the first supersapien.  You are the second.  Please, Taylor, sit down.  You’ve lived with me for years; you have no reason to fear me now.”

Gingerly, Taylor sat down, curiosity overpowering her terror.  She kept her claws drawn.  “Why are you here?”  Her voice trembled.  “What do you want from me?”

Doppel folded his wide, long hands in his lap.  He was so thin, Taylor could see his ribs under the gray skin.  Somehow, she thought of Doppel as a ‘he’, though she could spot no signs of gender.  “I am creating a race of beings like myself,” he said.  “I’ve been nursing you for years.  As Derwent, I taught you knowledge, compassion.  As Elva, I taught you to live as an outsider--something you had to know, to survive as a supersapien.”  Doppel smiled.  “We are the first of a new race, a super race to rule this world.”

Taylor could not understand, and fear pulsed through her.  Surely, this was a dream.  Surely, no such shapeshifters could exist.  But then... if tiger magic existed, maybe anything was possible.

“What have you done to Derwent?  To Elva?” she asked.

The creature sighed.  “Still you don’t understand?  Elva never existed.  She was me all along.  Derwent never existed, either.  I became Derwent after killing your parents, so that I may adopt you, mold you before granting you powers.”

Taylor’s mouth fell open.  She rose from the couch.  “You... killed my parents?”

Doppel nodded.  “I’m sorry, Taylor.  In time you will forgive me, I promise.  It was a necessary sacrifice.  They were mere homo sapiens, expendable.  But you and I, Taylor... we--"

Taylor could listen to no more.  Rage filled her, exploded through her, spilled tears from her eyes.  With a roar, she leapt forward, slashing her claws at the creature.

Doppel leapt aside, shifted into a vulture, and landed on the mantelpiece.  “I am not your enemy!” the vulture shrieked.  “I am the only friend you have.  To humans you are a freak now.”

Taylor was weeping, tears flowing into her mouth.  “You are lying!” she screamed.  “You are not Derwent!”

“No, I am not,” the vulture agreed.  “And now that you’ve gained and explored your powers, I will teach you to use them.”  The vulture took flight, and before fleeing the window, it screeched, “To save your beloved, you will have to show the world your might.”

The vulture flew away, shrieking horribly.

***

For long moments, Taylor lay stunned, sprawled on the rug.  Still, she could not believe this was real.  When she pinched herself, it hurt, but surely, this was just an intense nightmare.  It had to be.

What was that gray, ugly creature?  Had he really murdered her parents, so that he might turn her into some “supersapien”, or whatever he called it?

Real or not, soon Taylor noticed that the television was on, her own school on the screen.  On the bottom of the screen, a caption appeared:  “BREAKING NEWS:  School Coach Holds Gun to Student’s Head.”

Indeed, Coach Wortley stood on Greenlawn High School’s roof, holding a gun to somebody’s head.  The cameras zoomed in, and Taylor leapt up.

It was Rob!  Wortley was pointing a gun at Rob!  As Taylor watched, Wortley turned toward the camera.  His eyes seemed to stare into hers, and his mouth worded, “Come stop me.”

Taylor bit her lip.  Cops surrounded the place, but dared not approach.  Only I can save Rob, Taylor knew.  Only I, with my tiger powers, can sneak up on Wortley.

But no, she could not reveal her powers!  She had sworn to keep them secret.  Suddenly it hit her:  the costume.  The costume would hide her identity.

Ten minutes later, Taylor was at school, dressed in the tiger suit.  The hood was over her eyes.  Her tail swished behind.  The only parts uncovered with fur were the bottom half of her face, and her fingertips.

Nobody will recognize me.

As she walked through the school, everyone stared in shock.  They mumbled among themselves and pointed at the strange, costumed girl.

She entered a classroom below the roof, then stepped onto the windowsill.  She tried to ignore the distant, dizzying ground.  It’s the only way.  Only I can creep up on Wortley.

Effortlessly, she leapt ten feet into the air, landing on the roof behind Wortley.  She landed silently; he did not notice her.  She crept behind him.  He was still clutching Rob, holding the gun to his head.

Rob saw her.  His eyes locked onto hers.  “No, run...” he whispered.

Wortley turned around at once.

Taylor pounced.

She grabbed his arm, pulling him down.  The gun went off.  Taylor slashed her claws, and the gun came free from Wortley’s hand.

Wortley, lying on the ground, smiled at her.  “Good work, Taylor,” he said, then shifted into Doppel’s gray and gangly form.  “I’ve trained you well.”

The policemen were running forward.

“Freeze, girl!” they shouted, and Taylor watched them in horror.  Leaving Doppel, she leapt back, then jumped off the roof.  She landed on the cafeteria roof below, ran across it, and leapt onto a parked car.

The cops were still shouting from above.  Taylor turned to face them.  The wind caught her tail, flapping it behind her.  She looked up toward Rob, then turned and ran.

***

She spent the night in the park.

When hunger filled her, she scented a rabbit, pounced onto it, and devoured it raw, ripping the flesh with her fangs, covering her face with blood.  When lovers strolled in her direction, she growled in the darkness, sending them fleeing from her territory.

All night, fear pulsed through her.  Where could she go now?  Not back to the costume shop, not back to Doppel...  Helplessness filled her and brought tears to her eyes.

The next morning, it covered front pages across the nation.  Masked Heroine Saves Student, or Real Life Superheroine, or Tigergirl Saves The Day.

Tigergirl, Taylor thought, feeling sick.  She had never wanted such attention.  They must never know it’s me.  I can’t allow that.

She snuck into school before the first bell, climbing through the window, silent as a ghost.  She dressed in gym clothes from her locker and stashed the tiger suit into a plastic bag.

I must flee Greenlawn.  I will not join Doppel.  The shapeshifter had murdered her parents, wanted to rule the world.  Taylor would never join such a creature.  This was her last day in Greenlawn.

Students began entering the school.  Dressed in her gym clothes, Taylor walked down the hall, heading toward the exit.  She was about to leave, when she bumped into Rob.

“Taylor,” he said.  “Hi there.”

Taylor tried to steady herself.  Her fingers trembled.  “Hey, Rob,” she said quietly.  She had never spoken to him before.  Even with all her troubles, it was exciting, wonderful, and terrifying.  Her heart raced.  “Hey, are you all right?  I heard about yesterday.”

“Wasn’t it amazing?” he said.  “Did you see Elva in that tiger suit?”

Taylor frowned and took a step back.  “Elva... is the girl who saved you?”

“Isn’t she the greatest?  She told me this morning; she was at a costume party, when she turned on the TV and saw me.  What a girlfriend!”

Taylor’s heart sank to her feet.  She turned her head away, feeling the tears gather.  She wanted to tell Rob the truth, but bit her lip.  Doppel wanted her to reveal her identity.  She would not fall for the trick.  “Yeah, Elva’s some girl,” was all she said.

“What’s in the bag?” Rob asked, and before she could stop him, he had reached toward it and peeked in.

Taylor leapt back, but Rob had seen the tiger fur.  They stood, staring at one another.  For a moment, they were silent.

“Taylor...” Rob finally whispered.  “What...?”

She lowered her head.  “Be careful, Rob,” was all she said.  “Just be careful.”

As she fled the school, tears blurred her vision.  Doppel had nearly killed Rob, just because she loved him.  I must never see Rob again.  Otherwise, Doppel might try to harm him again.

She hitchhiked across the river into Manhattan, slunk into Central Park, and walked along the paths until night fell.

In the moonlight, she devoured two pigeons, then lay huddled under a bench.  She shuddered about what she had become, a clawed freak who hunted animals and ate them raw.  She shuddered about the life she now lived, an outcast in hiding.  She shuddered about Rob, left alone with Doppel for a girlfriend.

I will never serve Doppel.  I will never use my powers for his goals.

When morning came, Taylor bought paper and a pen, and began drawing a new comic book.  It was about a shy girl who, instead of joining her evil master, used her special powers to help people.  She named it Tigergirl.

Copyright ©  Daniel Arenson