Marigold

Chapter 3 - Desmond

I open my eyes to find myself in a forest. At least this time I seem to be in an area that's void of people. Hopefully no one was hurt this time. 

Unfortunately for me, when I went too long without shifting, my animal took control and forced the change on me. He didn't care where I was or who was around. Even I chose to shift, which was rarely, he still normally pushed me down and I was stuck as a passenger to where ever he wanted to go. I'll admit it. The flying is cool, but the destruction of everything I touch and the incessant need to find something wasn't worth it. 

I listen for water, it at least gives me a direction to follow that would hopefully help me find a way out of the woods and back toward people. I didn't hear anything flowing and the leaves  blocked the sun from being visible. I could have climbed a tree that but would encourage him to come back out and who knows where he'd take us. One time I woke up on a ledge several hundred feet above the ground with no way down. Oh and he wouldn't come out again so I had to sit there for two days until he decided to come and save me. 

I turn toward my best guess of what is north and start walking. About ten minutes later, it looked like the trees were thinning and a trail of some kind appeared. Looks like I picked the right direction after all. I keep walking until I am standing in the middle of what on closer inspection could be a deer trail or maybe just a trail made by a few people,  but definitely wouldn't be listed on any park map. 

I follow the narrow gap, my shoulders hitting the trees that leaned over the path as I walked. This trail was starting to feel never ending, it had been close to an hour with no signs of other people or a break in the trees. Maybe I had picked the wrong way to walk on the trail. As I'm considering turning back, I hear a sound up ahead. I freeze wondering what it'll be before remembering I am basically indestructible and continuing to walk forward like the predator I can be. 

A woman comes around the bend in the trail. She catches sight of me and lets out a scream. I know I can be quite a sight as six foot four and covered in tattoos, but I wasn't moving toward her so I didn't understand the screaming. She finally started using words, "Your naked! Why are you naked in the park?! That's not right. Kids come here sometimes!" 

I pause to look down and sure enough when I shifted he apparently didn't think to save my clothes. I shrug, "Hmmm... It appears you are correct and I have lost my clothes. Do you happen to know where I can get some more? Or how to get out of these woods? You said I'm in a park..."

She turned sideways but cast her eyes away from me. Her cheeks were becoming redder by the second. "I have some of my friend's sweat pants she took from her mate in my car. You stay here and I'll go get them. Do you need me to call someone for you? Maybe the police can help..."

"No police just the pants and directions into town," I said gruffly. Talking wore me out after so many years trying to avoid people. 

"Okay," she started to walk back the way she came. "Just stay here so the kids don't find you," she called over her shoulder. I grunted back and watched her disappear into the woods. 

A few minutes later she reappeared with some black sweat pants in her hands. She stopped a good distance from me and finally made eye contact. "These should fit you, the guy who owned them is a similar size." She tossed the fabric and I caught it easily. 

I slipped into the pants then cleared my throat to gain her attention again. "The directions?" I asked. 

"Go around this bend and you are less than half a mile from the parking lot. This park is on the edge of town just follow the road and you'll end up downtown," she said the red fading now that I was wearing clothes, well pants. 

"Thanks," I mumbled taking off down the trail in the direction she had pointed. As I walked I came across an incredible scent that stirred the beast within me. I could feel his head pop up as he sniffed the air. I liked the smell and he really liked the smell. As I walked it faded some, whatever I was smelling having not followed the trail. 

When I reached the parking lot, the smell was back and stronger than ever. I nearly moaned at how good it smelled. I could stand here all day just breathing this in. I could have that is until He forced the shift and took control. "Ah shit!" I thought as I felt my body twisting and stretching into his, "I hope whoever this smell belongs to is ready for an exciting afternoon." As soon as the shift was complete he took off into the air after the source of the smell of home.