Smile

"Hey, sweetheart, smile!"

She stopped walking and turned, an expression of polite puzzlement in her eyes, toward the two men lounging like flies at the front of the alley.

"Got a pretty face but you're lookin' all mean."

"C'mon, babe, don't be shy!"

Slowly, sweetly, her lips began to curve until a flawless hunting bow of a smile graced her face. The two men whooped.

"That's it, gorgeous, knew you'd look good!"

Most women didn't smile. Those that would usually kept walking, a little faster than before. But this one stood directly in front of them, and she continued smiling, wider and wider.

"You need something else, honey?"

Her smile was still growing. It looked almost grotesque now, her lips stretched as far as they could go, teeth shining in the morning sun.

"Hey, man," one of them said to the other. "I think something's wrong with this chick."

Then the corners of her mouth split backwards to the hinge of her jaw and her teeth fell into points like a cat's claws unsheathing.

"Holy shit--"

She pounced.