The Transformation

He felt calm but could detect the rising nervous tension setting in amongst the others in the group. Their feelings threatened to drag him in and smother him, to turn him weak and giddy. As if this waiting wasn’t bad enough on its own. He smiled around coldly and then looked down at his watch. At least they had started on time for once.

Looking around him, his hard glare like a challenge, he noticed several of the others had averted their eyes. They knew him quite well by now. He fought the urge to smirk at the satisfying buzzing sensation this gave him. He always found intimidation to be the best medicine against the menacing sense of unease that so often claimed him. Mustn’t be too obvious about it though, he had a tendency to bully, and at times like these in particular; however,  he wasn’t nearly strong enough to withstand any direct accusations to this effect so he had to hold back the majority of the time, play the long game. He smiled icily “So, what’s it going to be then?” he murmured, looking expectantly about him.

He looked around at each of them, assessing them, weighing them up: Tall, short, obese, skinny, decrepit, mouldy. He scoffed and felt entirely stunned, each and every one of them was like some kind of sub-species. He smirked superiorly to himself before zoning in on Liz. She gazed up at him, their eyes met just as a crumb fell from her lip, she was halfway between frightened and delighted, unable to believe she was being addressed, sandwich-filled mouth falling slightly apart. Chewing forgotten.

“So what’s it going to be then? The way I see it is we can either stand around here and wait all night or we can reach a decision. A man’s life is at stake for God’s sake,” he whispered urgently. As he stepped closer, he could see her eyes glistening in the darkness and the pleasing rush returned as he swallowed yet another urge to laugh out loud. How could she possibly think for a single moment that he could possibly be interested in a wide-arsed, quivering mess like her. Him of all people. Liz didn’t even get a hint of these mean spirited, spiteful feelings, blatant as they were on his face, and this was just as well because for some reason she absolutely adored him. Or at least had convinced herself that she did. In her mind he was a hero, and his looks, his stunning looks were all she needed. She never registered the sneering, smug mouth and the hardness of his blue eyes. He had never cast a glance towards her before now and here he was, only inches away, for her time had stopped.

He backed away grimacing as the fumes of Liz’s sandwich, still languishing within her gaping mouth, hit his nostrils and turned his stomach. He swallowed down a gag, gave a spiteful laugh before stopping suddenly, turned his head to one side and listened closely to the nearby voices, his eyes peering around quizically. No, false alarm, still a while to go yet.

He got a sudden urge to pace but managed to stop himself and instead began glaring round for his next target. He briefly caught the eye of Erin who stared coolly back at him, entirely unmoved. His performance would not resonate with her. She was intelligent, sharp-witted and well-liked, everything he understood deep down within himself that he was not and she saw right through him. Her keen gaze pierced into his mean, small, scared little mind and perceived him for what he really was and this made him feel his real size for once which filled him with horror. His eyes drifted speedily past hers and he continued his search.

They came to rest on John. The moist lipped, nervous man, feeling eyes burning into his round head, peeped up from his book and, upon realisation of who it was, spluttered out a little cry and jumped, almost dropping his book. Perfect. He stepped in nearer, way too close for comfort, “Now listen to me, do you hear? We can’t stand around waiting all night! We need a plan” he hissed urgently, almost spitting in John’s eye. “We need a way to get to him and I think I know exactly how we’re going to do it” John’s fearful squinting eyes blinked back at him, arms lifted weakly, trembling slightly. He nodded unhappily whilst trying to writhe away, hoping to pacify him by demonstrating his humble agreement. Instead, the alarming presence got even closer, becoming ever more confident, unrelenting, slamming his fist into his hand to punctuate every hissed syllable. John cowered away but was up against a wall so had nowhere to go. John’s pitiful anxiety, on display in such an open manner brought out ever more tyrannical behaviour in him. He began to prod his finger into the man’s chest making him gasp in fear

“What. We. Must. Do. Is…”

When all of a sudden he halted, mid prod, ears pricking up as he made out the familiar words being spoken a short distance away. Flustered, he leapt away from John who was now in a terrible state. No time for further intimidation now, the time to practice was over. He tidied himself up, smoothed his hair hurriedly and carefully adjusted his Stetson to the correct angle. Liz, who had by this point finally recovered from their recent proximity gazed at the performance, whilst chewing on the remnants of her sandwich longingly. She smiled shyly and waved her feather boa at him encouragingly as he strode purposefully past her, his moment had finally arrived, the nerves and the waiting was over, everyone would finally see him for what he was truly capable of. He stepped onto the stage got himself into position and the lights went up, he looked out towards the audience and proclaimed “So what’s it going to be then? The way I see it we can either stand around here all night…”