Taper Shark

It started with the tongue. It always does. The tongue is always the first thing to go. The tip of the tongue in the most susceptible, and that area shows the earliest signs. Before long, the entire muscle has fallen to the influence of the transformation, and things start to happen unbidden.

The first thing to die was my smile. My rebellious tongue took over the function, and weaseled out from between my lips whenever a hint of a smile came to my face. I don’t know what people thought of me when I was always sticking out my tongue, but that became the least of my worries.

My lips fell next, and with both them and my tongue out of commission, my language skills noticeably dropped. Instead of words, I began to make inarticulate sounds that babbled from my mouth like an inane brook. And when the sounds failed, spitting followed. There is actually quite a lot one can say with only water and the nerve to spit it at people. Even spitting it at nobody can make quite a statement—it’s all in the tone and delivery. Still, I was worried that I had resorted to such primitive tactics so early. The vibrating energy wriggled under my skin, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I wouldn’t be able to hold it in.

The most frightening of the transformations began with my teeth. Before I knew what I was thinking, I was gnawing on the lump of hair that stuck out from the back of my friend’s head. A bun, I believe it is called. When covered with latex, the structure makes an excellent chew toy—the texture is marvelous. Slowly, the compulsions became stronger, and I nearly bit my friend’s leg. But I stopped myself before I actually closed my teeth on the flesh of her shank; I only touched her skin before letting her pull away.

I suppose this is something like how a werewolf feels. He knows the transformation is coming, he knows what it means. Yet there is nothing he can do to stop it, nothing to do but to watch, and wait for the deep insanity to take hold of his consciousness.

At least this doesn’t happen every month. It’s only once a year, even if it is for a few weeks at a time.

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Taper is driving me extra-insane this year. Next week is going to be craaaaaazy.