Day 247 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a character who flips from harmless to dangerous.
Erin: My least favorite part of having Chris as a brother was the fact that no one ever trusted me. When I told them that he was a terror, all they could think was the time he volunteered at the school fundraiser. When I told them he scratched me, they remembered when he carried his hurt teammate off the field. They didn’t know about the force field of our front door. Chris at home was a beast completely disconnected from the angel he was to the public.
Shannon: “Calm down, you don’t have to do this. You’re not this person,” I reminded Eric as I watched him pace around the room, clutching his head. He was trying to stop himself, but I could see his claws growing and his teeth sharpening. He was already transforming, and I couldn’t stop him now.
I’d usually leave, lock the door, and pretend that would keep him from hurting anyone. Not this time. I had to face him, even if I was scared of getting hurt. I had to learn how to wake him up when he turned into this monster who couldn’t see what he was doing. Not just because he was terrorizing other people, but because it was haunting the good side of him too. That side didn’t deserve that kind of pain.
I watched his head turn slowly to focus on me with his red eyes. He let out a roar, and when I didn’t react he came running over to me. My heart was racing, but I’d fight him if I had to. “It’s me, it’s Amber. I’m you’re best friend,” I kept my voice steady as his breathing got heavier and he continued to growl.
“We used to walk home from school together everyday, do remember that Eric?” He lunged forward and I stepped aside. “I was there when this first started happening to you, and you were scared, but you got through it,” I spoke a little faster this time. He raised his hand, as if he was going to slap me. “You won’t hurt me Eric,” I kept eye contact. “Because you love me and I love you, and you’ll get through this too, because I know you’re in there. I know you can hear me.”
He lowered his hand and looked to the side. Though he flinched once to raise his hand again, he made eye contact and stopped himself. He was there, I was right.
Flip your character’s switch.
Pelky Sisters 
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“Anything we should know about Jacey’s ability?” Josh asks.
“We think -so it’s not certain,” Chris adds quickly, “it could get triggered by her… emotions.”
“Emotions?”
“Yeah.”
***
Josh learned what that meant when Jacey came for training one day. She had walked there, as she had before. But when she came in, she was fuming. “What’s wrong, Jacey?”
“Those jerks down the corner!” She yells, “they don’t know when to keep their mouths shut!”
Josh was about to comment, but then he saw her face start to change. He backs away as she turns into a mountain lion. ‘Okay… emotions,’ he realizes, ‘very intense emotions, like anger.’
Jacey paces across the room, growling like she’s mulling over something.
“Uhh… Jacey?” She growls a little louder. “How about we sit down, and you can tell me about it.”
Jacey doesn’t seem to hear him the second time, then stops stock still.
“I think you need to calm down in order to change back-”
He receives a hiss in his direction. He backs up a little.
‘Where’s August when you need-’ he then stops and is glad August isn’t down there; the idea of their friend as a lion would not help the situation. “Jacey, please. Yes, whoever they are were jerks. But don’t let them dictate how the rest of your day will go.”
Jacey is still for a little more. Then she sits down on her hind legs. Slowly, she comes out of the form, back into her fiery headed self. Josh can tell she’s still angry, so he treads carefully as they sit at the kitchen counter and talk for a little.
Later in the day, Josh and August are at their personal routine when he decides to bring it up, “So, apparently Jacey has anger issues.”
August stops mid-move, “What…?”
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