Dad's Chains

Liam was surprised his father left him with his chains after passing. The two had never gotten along, almost always at odds with each other. His dad an aggressive powerhouse who always threw their weight around, always trying to make Liam more like him. Liam wanted nothing more than to be different, even taking steps to avoid looking anything alike.

His dad had been built and strong, the epitome of masculinity with a huge beard, hair covering every inch of their body. Liam made sure to keep himself svelte, eradicating every hint of hair that could grow on his body. Liam recalled the two chains worn around his father's neck every day, but never really put any thought into it. Even though the jewelry had been part of his father's appearance, Liam at least wanted to show a little respect, deciding to wear them after all.

Liam was surprised by how he felt with the necklaces around his neck. He felt he had more energy as he started his morning, almost like he was on top of the world. He couldn't help but notice his shirt begin to feel a little scratchy as the day went on, finding himself pulling at it more and more the later it got. It wasn't until he pulled it off before bed that he saw the tiny stubs of hair evenly spread out across him.

He groaned, figuring it was time to shave his body again. He didn't notice just how widespread across his body it was however, the stubs of hair growing in places he'd never had it before. He hopped into bed, unaware, putting the worry off til tomorrow and forgetting to take off the two necklaces.

Liam opened his eyes the next morning, noticing his room brighter than it usually was. He looked at his clock, realizing he had slept in well past his alarm.

"Shit" He said, pushing himself out of bed beginning to panic. He had never slept past his alarm before, only ever staying in if he was sick. Even then, he'd always make sure to call in for work if that was the case. Memories came up of how his dad used to always sleep in, barely making it up on time for work. He could never let himself be like that.

Liam looked in the mirror again, recognizing the short strands of hair that he'd seen on his body last night. Except at this point, they were longer than they should have been, already beginning to curl on his skin. He was shocked to see them even on his arms and shoulders, but what made it worse was the stubble on his face. He'd never grown this much stubble before, a good 5 o'clock shadow wrapping around his entire jaw and mouth. He was about to grab his razor when his mind skipped a beat.

Liam looked back over himself again, trying to remember what he was just thinking. He had been worried about his body, right? He tried to focus and remember what it was as his eyes trailed his figure and face, but nothing stood out to him anymore. He barely had time to think about how strange that was before he remembered work, quickly grabbing his shirt and making it out of his place.

Liam was surprised at how differently everyone treated him that day, almost like they were meeting him for the first time. His boss was even confused why Liam had just barely arrived on time. Liam had no answer. Why shouldn't he be arriving when work started? Something felt off about the situation though, Liam remembering the times he was usually there early. Liam shook his head dismissing the thought. Arriving early to work seemed like a stupid thing to do, he wasn't getting paid to be there.

Liam felt his body itching under his wear all throughout the morning this time. His shift felt tighter than usual, scratching him from the amount of hair sandwiched beneath it. Some strands were even making it through the fabric. Liam wasn't surprised though. Seeing the dense fur that wrapped his forearms, it was only natural for it to do that.

He continued work ignoring the sensation, leaving the minute he was off the clock. He smiled, forgetting about his job. Wanting to spend no extra thought on it, he headed home to finally have some alone time, even thinking about picking up some beer. As he walked into his place however he felt like a stranger, everything seeming a little too clean and less homely. He was sure that'd be fixed eventually, he thought, taking off his shirt and throwing it on the couch.

He did a double take when he passed the mirror to his room. He turned to it, thinking it was his dad in the reflection. It took his brain a second to alter, re-adjusting to recognize himself. His brow furrowed once it did, wondering how he could ever mistake his strong hirsute  self standing before him. He smiled looking at his dense beard, weeks of growth and care on display.

He chuckled remembering what his current profile picture online looked like, realizing that he hadn't changed in a while. He pulled it up, laughing at how the smooth face barely resembled hiself anymore. It was about time to take a new one, he thought, opening the camera on his phone and taking a picture right there. In a second it was uploaded, his mind forgetting the man he had ever been a moment later.