 Horror/Scary: April 29, 2015 Issue [#6958] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Shapeshifting horrors Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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If I could have any supernatural ability, it would be shapeshifting. I would love to be able to dive through the waves as a dolphin, soar like a bird, or run across the plains of Africa as a cheetah. But what if a truly evil being had this power? An evil shapeshifter could be anywhere and take the form of any other person or animal. You might even be sitting next to one right now...
Werewolves are probably the most common type of shapeshifting being in horror stories. In some stories, werewolves are able to transform into a wolf at will. In others, they are totally at the mercy of the full moon. Some werewolves are able to control their actions while in wolf form, while the animal side takes over in others. They may not even remember anything that happened to them during the transformation.
Vampires, in many stories, are also capable of transformation. The vampire turning into a bat has become a cliché, so if you write about a vampire shapeshifter, you might want to give it a different alter ego. It might be fun if it would turn into something that wouldn't be expected to be a bloodsucker, such as a hummingbird. Imagine the damage that pointy beak could do!
Some creatures of mythology are shapeshifters. The selkie lives as a seal in the water, but can become a human to walk on land. A kelpie is a water demon or spirit that can take the shape of a horse. The Japanese kitsune is a fox that is able to transform into a human. In mythology, these creatures are not always evil, but a bad one might be a formidable enemy.
The most difficult type of evil shapeshifter to deal with would be one who has the power to become anything at all. You might want to limit this character's power slightly, just to keep it interesting For example, if he becomes an animal or person who is much bigger or smaller than his normal size, how does he gain or lose weight? You could just explain this phenomenon as magic, but maybe you could allow the shifter to only become something of roughly his own size.
The best person to fight an evil shapeshifter might be a good one. Many myths include a transformation chase, in which two characters become different animals as one pursues the other. For example, one might become a rabbit and the other might become a fox. Then the first character becomes a dove, and the pursuer becomes a hawk, and so on.
Something to try: Write a story in which the villain, or the hero is a shapeshifter.
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| Question for next time: If you could have a supernatural power, what would it be? |
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