A Creepshow Shapeshifters Anonymous

Caroline Mae

2 min read

·

04-01-2025

6

0

Share

The air hung thick with the scent of stale beer and desperation. Flickering fluorescent lights cast long shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor of the abandoned community center. Tonight, wasn't about AA or NA. Tonight was for the Shapeshifters Anonymous meeting.

The Usual Suspects

They filed in, a motley crew of the seemingly ordinary. A nervous librarian clutching a well-worn copy of Practical Metamorphosis, a burly construction worker shifting uncomfortably in his too-small chair, a glamorous actress with eyes that held a disconcerting flicker of something reptilian. Each carried their own burden, their own secret – the terrifying truth of their ever-changing forms.

The Rules of Engagement (and Transformation)

The meeting followed a rigid structure, a desperate attempt to maintain order amidst the inherent chaos of their condition. No transformations during the meeting (except for accidental ones, of course, which always seemed to involve someone turning into a particularly aggressive houseplant). Confidentiality was paramount. What happened in the Shapeshifters Anonymous meeting, stayed in the Shapeshifters Anonymous meeting. Except for the occasional, inexplicable incident involving a flock of pigeons mysteriously spelling out confessions on a nearby billboard.

Tonight's Confessions

Tonight's confessions were as varied as the shapeshifters themselves. There was the usual tale of accidental transformation during a particularly stressful yoga class (resulting in a rather embarrassing incident involving a flock of geese and a town square fountain). A particularly heartbreaking story of a young man who transformed into a potted fern during a crucial job interview. And, most shocking of all, the revelation of a high-ranking government official who, despite maintaining a meticulously crafted human facade, secretly spent his weekends as a particularly grumpy badger.

The Unseen Dangers

The Shapeshifters Anonymous meeting wasn't just about support; it was about survival. They faced dangers both internal and external. The fear of discovery, the constant threat of accidental transformations at inopportune moments, and the ever-present threat of the “Collectors”—a shadowy organization rumored to hunt and experiment on shapeshifters.

A Glimmer of Hope

Despite the grim realities they faced, a sense of community, a fragile hope, flickered in the room. In the shared experience, in the mutual understanding of their condition, they found solace. For tonight, at least, they were not alone. As the meeting ended, and the shapeshifters dispersed back into the night, each carrying their secrets and their anxieties, the question remained: would their anonymity last? Or would their transformations, both internal and external, eventually reveal their true selves to the world?

The answer, like the shapeshifters themselves, remained elusive, ever-shifting, ever-changing. And that, perhaps, was the most terrifying truth of all.