Nightbitch

A stay-at-home mother of a two-year-old child refers to herself as “Nightbitch,” and lives in a Midwestern American town. She starts noticing dark hair sprouting from her neck, and her teeth becoming more canine. As a result, Nightbitch worries that she is turning into a dog. When she expresses concern to her husband, he dismissively laughs it off, saying, “[Y]eah, you’re definitely a dog” (3). Nightbitch looks on the Internet for clues about her apparent condition, researching werewolves and “dog teeth,” but finds nothing.

Nightbitch describes her husband while lying in bed next to him, with their son. He is a good man, she says, but, as an engineer, he is highly rational and condescending toward anything that cannot be scientifically proven. Nightbitch becomes angry with her husband and leaves their bed to go and sleep in the guest bedroom.

Nightbitch reflects on the reasons for her anger. She explains she is angry about her life and work situation, where her husband is away throughout the week for work, leaving her to take care of their child for most of the time. She has had to give up her own career as the director of a community art gallery. At first, Nightbitch recounts, she tried to balance looking after her child with working.