The Shape-Shifter

Chapter 4

I turn around to find myself face to face with Luke. “What do you want?” I spit out, my confusion and surprise turing to anger. He looks a bit taken aback by my outburst but quickly regains his neutral expression.

“I-I just wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been treating you lately,” he told me while nervously looking at the ground. His grip is still firm on my arm. 

“Luke, do you honestly think after years of being ignored I’m going to just forgive you that easily? I’d like to say I’m that kind of person but I can’t forget all you’ve done to me so quickly.” I tell him matter-of-factly. 

“I didn’t expect you to, no worries. But could you at least give it some thought? I’d really like to be friends again.” I really really wanted to forgive him. I honestly did. I’ve missed his companionship over these last few years. But I can’t come off as a push-over or anything like that. So I did something I didn’t think I was capable of doing with him. I yank my hand out of his grasp and say, 

“Listen, I’m not gonna guarantee anything to you because what you did to me was wrong and uncalled for.” After shooting him a glare I run out behind the school where there are a few trees. I need to escape from the human world for a while. 

“Hawk,” I whisper and imagine myself taking the form of a small brown hawk. A few seconds pass and I’m soaring. The good thing about being an animal is that I can’t really cry. I mean, sure I’ve got tear ducts and all but animals can’t feel emotion. While I still have my brain and all my thoughts, my emotions are detached in animal form. It’s much easier to think and make smart decisions while being an animal. 

So I do what Luke wants, and think about forgiving him. Since no emotions are involved, it makes the decision easier but also less realistic. I’m a very emotional person so whatever decision I make, may not seem like something I would actually do since I act on my emotions. But I’m always open to try something new.

Now, I can’t feel emotions, however; my brain does know what I’ve felt before. I know the names of the feelings I’ve felt based on a situation and can define them. I just can’t feel them. It’s a bit confusing but I’ve gotten very used to it.

I think I’ll wait a week or two and see how school goes and then give the ‘Luke situation’ some serious thought. It’s what makes the most sense after all.

I start to fly back towards the school when another, bigger hawk comes flying towards me at a rapid pace. This hawk does not look too happy. Once he gets near me he starts circling around me. I try flying different directions to get away, but he’s too fast for me. 

Suddenly, he swoops down, digging his talons into my wing. I cry out in pain and start spiraling down the 30 foot fall. I try flapping my wings but the injured one won’t work. My mind is racing, trying to figure out what to do. Should I transform into a different animal? Is there an animal that wouldn’t be as hurt from this fall? Will I survive? As I’m thinking about all of these things, the hawk comes back for more. 

He grabs my shoulder area with his sharp talons, effectively stopping my fall but also driving the pointed end of his claws into my back. I’m losing blood rapidly and I don’t have any inkling of what to do. My mind starts to fade and my vision gets blurry. 

I hear the beating of heavy wings, and then everything goes black.

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When I wake up, the first thing I notice is I have no idea where I am or how I got here. I’m in a sort of cave except it’s made of branches and leaves instead of rock. The second thing I notice is that I’m human. Which means I’m dressed in fall attire. You see, when I change back to a human from an animal, I automatically am clothed in a dress based on the season. Since it’s fall, I have a dress made of woven leaves of many bright colors that hits mid thigh and is strapless with a sort of V neck. The leaves don’t fall off of me because they’re sort of part of me. It’s a bit hard to explain. When I put clothes on over them, they’ll disappear. I also get a crown sometimes but I always take it off, not needing it. I slowly sit up and, by using the sun’s position, estimate that it’s around 9:30. I could probably still make it to class.

That’s when I realize that the ground I’ve been laying on is coated in blood and a sharp pain shoots through me. My arm has a giant gash and there are shallow holes in my back. I must’ve passed out from blood loss. I’m still able to stand up and hobble out of the makeshift cave. I can see the school building from where I am, it doesn’t look too far away, probably only a mile. I groan in pain as I start to make my way towards the school. I find a stick to help me walk that I use to lean on. 

I make it halfway before I hear a sound. It’s almost like snarling. But that can’t be. I’m so close to the school! No wild animals would be this close to humans. Turns out I’m wrong. A bobcat comes stalking out from behind a grouping of bushes, teeth bared, growing softly. 

I’d have to be an idiot to try and run away since I can barely walk, so that’s not an option. But maybe if I transform into a wolf, it could be. So I do. “Wolf,” I say silently and imagine myself changing to wolf form. After a brief shot of pain, it’s done. I take a deep breath through my nose. Huh. That’s weird. This bobcat sort of smells like....no, it can’t be. That isn’t possible!! ...is it?

I shouldn’t be standing here thinking! I take one last look at the snarling bobcat who looks like he’s about to pounce, then I dart off, favoring my injured leg. It only takes me 10 minutes of navigating through the trees to make it to the edge of the forest. My back wounds are almost healed by now, since I heal quicker as an animal. My arm (or in this form, leg) though, is still very painful and hasn’t healed at all. 

I switch back into a human and walk around, trying to find my clothes that came off me when I switched into a hawk an hour or so ago. I finally see my uniform tucked behind a tree. I pick it up and start putting it on when I realize there’s a tear in the shirt, on the side. That’s odd. When I shift, my clothes have always just dropped where I shifted, with no tears or rips or anything. Maybe it caught on a branch or something. I shrug and pull it on, hoping no one will notice. I hurry and put my skirt and shoes on and look around for something to do with my injured arm which is now bleeding again. Sighing and realizing there’s no other option, I rip off the bottom of my skirt and create a make-shift sling from it.

I’m facing the back of the school so I make my way around to the front. When I turn the corner, I see the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life. He looks about my age, maybe older. He has shaggy brown hair and stunning light blue eyes. He’s very tall, probably about 5’10” or 5’11”. But his attractiveness isn’t what makes my jaw drop. It’s the fact that he’s wearing shorts made of leaves. Just like my leaf dress when I shift back into a human. What does this mean?? Does it mean he’s like me? 

As I’m going crazy in my mind, he sees me. He breaks out into the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my life and says, “Hi there. I’m Will. You must be Aspen. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

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This was 1,400 words. I hope you’re pleased ;D so, what do you think? Leave a comment for me and tell me if you liked it or not. All comments are very much appreciated. Shoutout to my homegirl, @Jaiismyname. I’m missing you like crazy chica!  hehe, Will’s a hottie<3 byee~