She had transformed. Her eyes became a pair of red slashes beneath her brows. White fangs jutted from her mouth. “Ma—yu—mi—” she growled. The inflection of her voice was completely different, her vocal cords having mutated as well. The carpenter wasn’t the only one availing himself of drugs for “improved” sexual performance. Only dabbling at first, the side effects hadn’t manifested themselves in the past, but were probably drawn to the surface by her elevated emotional state. In any case, it was hard to imagine how such a mother and such a daughter could share a life now. Mayumi screamed. She tried to kick free. Her mother held on like a vise. Mayumi abruptly turned cool and composed. She knew what she had to do. She and her mother would never see eye to eye again. The path ahead of her was crystal clear. She twisted her body, planted both hands on the edge of the sink and hoisted herself up.
