Gargoyle Costume

Mark had always had a fascination with gargoyles, ever since he had been taken to a gothic cathedral as a small child. Since then he had researched them immensely, fascinated by the idea of these mythical guardians. Slowly his fascination had spread into his room, which was covered with pictures and filled with gargoyle trinkets. He had grown since then, and was now at university, but still he held his child like fascination. There was one thing, however, that he still hadn't managed to find, a gargoyle costume. Ever since he was allowed to go trick or treating at Halloween, he had wanted to dress up as a gargoyle, but he could never find anything remotely distant.

That had changed recently. A few weeks ago, he just happened to come across a shop filled with costumes. The shop was decidedly odd, the shop keeper even more so, but the costumes were of the highest quality. He hadn't managed to find a gargoyle costume then, but had managed to get a special order from the shop keeper, to his exact specifications and size, he knew he would not be disappointed. Over the next few weeks his excitement rose, until the day it was due to be delivered finally arrived. He stood near the door, anxiously waiting, dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, his dull brown hair hanging in front of his misty grey eyes.

The door bell rang, and Mark fumbled a little with the keys in his excitement. As quickly as he could, he signed for the package and took it inside. Locking the door, he hurried up the stairs to his room. He opened the package, and reverently took the costume out and laid it out on his bed. It was perfect. The material was an odd grey and rough plastic, yet it looked like stone would. Even flat it was impressive, even though the features were distorted and flat. As he looked at it a few thoughts occurred to him, firstly, how do you put it on? He was then worried it may not even fit, or it would at least be awkward with only three fingers and three toes. But he was sure it would fit, it must do after all to be a costume.

Whilst he was anxious to try it on, he decided to wait until night-time, when he would have less chance of being disturbed. The day progressed very quickly, and after his dinner he settled down to try on his now favourite possession. He stripped off all his clothes, hoping it would help the fit, and lifted it up. On closer inspection he found a small seem running down of costume's front, despite no obvious fastening, it seemed to stick together. Static perhaps? He pulled the front open all the way from neck to the base of the tail and felt inside, surprisingly smooth and comfortable. Like a pair of trousers, he slipped his legs down into the costume. He was slightly disappointed, not only could his feet not fit into the costume's, but the material hung loose around his legs.

He was about to take it off when he felt a tingling from his feet. It felt as if the costume was shrinking onto his feet, but he soon realised it was his feet expanding! He could feel them enlarging to fill the costume, his toes merging into three which soon grew to fill the costume. He looked down at his feet, which now looked like sculpted claws, it also felt like his skin was tougher. Like stone, as if the costume was now his skin! A similar feeling seemed to travel up his legs, as they filled the sculpted muscles of the costume. His first instinct told him to fight the changes, but why? He'd always wanted to dress up as a gargoyle, why not feel what it was like to be one?

As this finished, the costume seemed to come alive, and it split into tendrils which began to snake their way around his body whilst the lower back of the costume seemed to merge with his back. The felt his legs get pushed apart slightly as his spine lengthened, expanding into the tail of the costume. As the costume spread further up his back, he felt an odd feeling as new muscles and bones formed painfully, and he felt the weight of his new, bat-like wings.

The changes rapidly progressed as the costume wrapped its way around his arms and hands, mark feeling the familiar sensation as his little finger shrunk completely whilst the others expanded into claws. The costume's tendrils finally seemed to progress up his chest. He felt his muscles seem to harden and become stronger to suit his changing form.

Soon only his head was left, the costume's hanging limply from the back of his neck. He felt it seem to lift itself up, and pull down over his face. At first he could see nothing, the limp head blocking his view, until he felt the neck seal at the front. The feeling in his head was the most intense, as his face stretched out to fill the slightly canine muzzle. Finally he could see again, but his vision was obstructed by the stone in front of him. His could feel his mouth was different, as he probed his sharp teeth with his forked tongue. His ears seemed to slip into small pockets, and he could feel them flatten and spread out into a frill. The final change occurred as he felt twin protrusions rise up from his head, filling the last bit of costume, it was now truly his skin now.

He felt his new body, his skin now seemingly some kind of living stone. He felt more powerful, and a strange urge to fly, but his room was far too small. He went over to the window, and managed to open it and climb out, his claws easily making their own hand and foot holds. Soon he was on the roof, and finally had a chance to spread his wings. He surveyed the town around him, and though it was almost midnight, he could see clearly. The costume had clearly improved his eyesight, as well as his hearing and sense of smell. He gave into the urge to fly, and jumped from the roof, quickly and instinctively following through with a down beat from his wings. As he soared through the sky, he realised he had to find a way to take the costume off; but than again, what was the rush?