by Rushell Ann
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A tongue was licking my face. I hate the smell of his dog breath. Wet dog breath, gross.
“Logan, I’m ok, I was just resting my eyes. You don’t have to lick my face, I know you care about me, but that is really disgusting,” I said as I wiped the slobber off my face.
I was just saying hi, sorry if I am disgusting to you.
“Logan, please don’t be mad, I’m just not feeling well, and I feel very hot,” I said as I realized that I was sweating.
Jayden, what’s going on, you are sweating all over and I smell something in the air. Did something happen while I was gone, where’s Thornton?
“Thornton’s upstairs trying to find something to wear,” I said as I realized it was getting harder to talk.
Something to wear, he’s has fur, what would he need to put clothes on for……oh, did you….did he talk about his curse….Jayden, did you touch him while you were feeling bad?
“Of course I touched him, you should have heard how he was feeling, how could I not touch him,” I said as my vision started to get blurry.
Sully walked into the house with bags of groceries in her hands and a smile that soon turned to a frown on her face.
“Hey Jayden, I got you some of those pink ball things that have cream in the middle, I wasn’t sure what else you really like so we pretty much got one of everything,” Sully said as she put the bags down.
Sully, go get some towels out of the closet in the hall, wet them down with cold water, bring them and put them on Jayden’s forehead, then I need you to see if there is any ice in the freezer, if there is put it in the tube and fill the tube with cold water.
“Logan, what’s up, is Jayden not feeling well again?” Sully asked as she just stood there.
GO, NOW Sully….please!
Logan yelled in my head as loud as he did in Sully’s, that didn’t feel any better.
“Logan, what’s happening to me, I’ve felt tired before, but this….this is different,” I said as I started to drift off.
Jayden, you need to stay awake, I do not want you doing this from a sleep stage.
“Do what?” I said as my head started to pound like it’s never pounded before.
Thornton, you need to come down here quick, bring something to use as tie downs if you can find it, I don’t think we have much time.
“I already felt it, I’m on my way down now,” Thornton said as he came jumping down the stairs in his newly acquired human legs. One’s I bet that he hasn’t seen in many moons.
“Here are the towels Logan,” Sully said as she tried to hand the towels to Logan.
Sully, I need you to stop freaking out, I can’t help her in this form, you need to put those towels on her head before her brain fries up.
“Her brain fries up, do you mean that she could die,” Sully said as she finally realized what it might be like to lose her best friend.
Yes, she could die, she isn’t ready to do this yet, but she took Thornton’s form from him and now we have to help her ease into the change or she will die, now put those towels on her and go get the COLD bath water ready.
“Do you want to tie her down first or let her get in the tub?” Thornton said as she took the extra towels and started to put them on her body.
I think we can do both, doesn’t the tub in that bathroom have legs on it?
“Yes it does, I see where you’re going with this, and I’ll go tie this down on the legs so we’re ready for her, I’ll be right back.” Thornton said as she stumbled on the way down the hall.
I guess when you haven’t walked on just two legs for a while it might be a little awkward.
Sully came running out of the bathroom and fell next to the couch where I was laying.
“Jayden, can you walk?” she asked me.
I didn’t respond, I couldn’t even open my eyes. I think I heard what she said, but it was like a muffled sound from a distance.
Sully, you need to help Thornton pick her up and carry her into the bathroom and put her in the tub.
“Are you sure that water won’t freeze her brain, it really cold?” Sully said as she took one of the towels and wiped the sweat from my face.
Anything is better than her burning alive.
Thornton came into the living room and walked straight over to me and picked me up with one swoop. It was like he was still in animal form and had all that strength, but I didn’t mind, I just wanted the pain to go away. I was starting to ache all over, and the pounding in my brain was getting worse.
Thornton carried me into the bathroom and placed me into the tub like I was a fragile egg that would break.
I screamed out in pain as my body hit the water. It felt like knives dancing along my skin. It helped me come back to reality for a minute, but only a minute.
“Logan, what is happening to me, I feel like my skin is ripping and my head is going to explode?” I said.
"Make it stop, please!" I begged.
Jayden, I’m not totally sure, but I think that when you touched Thornton you took away his curse and brought it into yourself.
“Oh my god, I didn’t even notice that you’re human again,” Sully said as she took a step back from Thornton.
“I was human before you twit, just part animal too,” Thornton said as he gave Sully a look like she was the stupidest girl he had even met.
Jayden, your people are shape shifters, and I think that is what is going to happen to you, but you aren’t ready, if you can, you need to try to hold this back. Do whatever you can to make this not happen now.
“I can’t stop it, I can barley talk to you right now,” I said as I tried to open my eyes and focus. The ice bath was helping but not much.
“Jayden, its Thornton, please just give it back to me, if anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. I was living with my curse, but if you die, our existence is in jeopardy.” Thornton said as he bent down to rub my face.
Thornton, she wouldn’t know how to give this back to you, please tie her down, now before it’s too late and she rips herself apart.
“Logan, what is happening, this is really starting to freak me out, maybe we should call for an ambulance. She doesn’t look well,” Sully said as she just stared at me.
Sully, I know this is a lot to take in with such a small amount of time to absorb it, but what you are going to see will be shocking, if you want to be of any help, try to stay calm. The more freaked out you get the worse this will be on her. She is going to feed off everyone’s energy here and if you can’t chill, I will have to ask you to leave.
Sully didn’t say anything; she just stared at me with blank eyes.
SULLY, are you listening to me?
“Yes, yes I heard you. I will try to stay freaking calm, but don’t tell me to leave, because you don’t want me to go commando on your ass,” Sully said as she glared at Logan.
Ok, ok, let’s talk her through this, Thornton and Sully you both need to tie her arms and legs down.
Before they had a chance to grab my arms and legs something started to happen, and it happened so fast that it took me by surprise.
Sully tried to grab my left leg and she couldn’t, Thornton tried to grab my left arm and he couldn’t. It was like they were hitting a wall about three inches from me.
Grab her arms and legs!
“Logan we can’t, she put up some short of shield around herself.” Thornton said as he tried one more time to get past the shield. He rammed himself towards me and hit the shield hard, it threw him back a few feet and he landed on his butt.
“I don’t think we are getting past that, she’s going to have to do this by herself. Should I contact her grandfather?” Thornton asked.
No, it too risky, someone else might hear you. We’ll just have to wait this one out.
“Something is happening Logan,” Sully said as she stood with a look of shock on her face.
Small sparkling lights started to appear around my body and just like a cloud I started to float
into the air. The light started to move faster and faster around my body, almost naturally my body started to change from human to some sort of animal.
“Logan….what….is…. happening....to…. me?” I asked as I tried to open my eyes.
Try not to talk, you took in Thornton’s curse into yourself, it was a very big thing that you did and now your body is transforming into it.
Before I could respond, the lights around my body exploded, and I with them.
It was a few minutes before I could talk, I felt like my body had just been run over and drug through the mud. I could tell I was still in the tub, but I felt much better. Almost completely better.
“That was weird, I’m still alive though and I feel ok, other than having my body feel like it just was ripped apart,” I said as I realized I was in the tub.
“Jayden, you are alive and you did make it through it, but I would say that your body was ripped apart,” Sully said as she put her hand over her mouth.
“What do you mean?” I said as I looked around for Logan.
This isn’t permanent Jayden, it’s just until you can figure out how to turn yourself back.
“What are you talking about I feel fine,” I said as I tried to stand up and look down at my feet.
“Logan is right, it won’t last forever and you’ll enjoy being a dog for a while, the way you can run is amazing.” Thornton said as he took a few steps back.
"A dog, I'm a dog?" I screamed.
“Why are my feet fury and why do I have four legs, please tell me I’m not a dog,” I said as I looked at my feet closer.
“Yep, you’re a mutt alright, wow, this is going to be interesting,” Sully said as she bent down to get closer to me.
Growling “I will bite you if you continue to call me a mutt,” I said as I growled and showed me teeth.
I jumped out of the tub and went over to the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. I was a dog, a medium length red dog, or reddish brown.
“What are you doing Jayden, checking yourself out?” Sully laughed.
“Yes I am, if I have to be a dog for awhile I want to see what I look like. I’m not a bad looking dog,” I said as I turned to look at Logan, Thornton and Sully.
I thought about it for a minute. I could totally freak out, but really what good would that do.
“So what now?” I asked.
We’ll we wait and see what happens, but now you can feel what’s it like in my shoes every day.
“Great, just what I always wanted, to be a dog, but you know, I do feel really good, almost like I have more energy,” I said as I sat down. That’s a weird feeling, sitting on your butt with a tail behind you.
“Are we going to have to put flea treatment on you too?” Sully asked as she bent down to feel my new body.
“Be nice Sully or I‘ll turn you into a dog too,” I said as I looked at her.
“You wouldn’t,” Sully said with a horror on her face.
“I might, don’t push your luck,” I said as I laughed.
“Well at least you’re laughing, that’s a good sign,” Thornton said.
“I just thought about something, what about lunch tomorrow at Grandmother’s. I can’t go like this,” I said.
“Well you could go like that and she wouldn’t even know it was you,” Sully said as she laughed, "And pee all over her house."
I glared at her, but she was right, no one I know would recognize me.
Let’s not worry about that right now, I think being a dog is worry enough. Sully and Thornton, why don’t both of you go and make some dinner and I am going to take Jayden outside so she can stretch her legs.
“You mean stretch her paws,” Sully said as she walked away giggling.
“Sully, your pushing your luck,” I said as I walked to the front door with Logan.
Thornton came and opened the front door for us, but he stopped me and just stared into my eyes. I was almost sure what the look was for, it said “Thank you” and “I’m sorry” all in the same look. I was glad that I helped him, but I didn’t know that I would be turned into a dog because of it. I’m sure that is a way to fix this, I just need to figure out how.
Logan trotted down the steps onto the gravel driveway and just starred at the woods around us, he was so still he looked almost like a statue.
This is the weirdest feeling; it’s almost like it really isn’t happening. How am I able to walk on four legs when I only have two in human form?
It’s because you were born for this, it’s in your blood. Haven’t you ever wondered why you were so comfortable with animals, or any living thing, or how they were always around when you were outside?
“I never really thought about it, but I guess I thought I was just an animal lover and loved the outdoors,” I said as I took a deep breath. It smells so good out here, and my senses seem a lot stronger. I can smell flowers that I can’t even see, and other things, it’s almost overwhelming.
“Do you smell like this all the time?” I asked Logan
You get use to it, but you need to always be aware of it just in case.
“Jayden, are you ready to see who’s faster?” Logan said with a chuckle.
“That’s not fair; I’ve been a dog for all of 5 minutes,” I said as I realized I could run, I just didn’t want him to beat me.
“So we can practice first, just to give your legs a chance,” Logan said.
“Ok, first we practice,” I said knowing that I would try my hardest to beat him. It's what we did when we were together, always trying to one up the other.
I knew that I really didn’t need to practice much, but I wanted to feel out my new legs. If I didn’t give myself a chance to practice, Logan would take advantage of that and make sure that I slipped up somewhere.
I remember a time when we were at the Lake and Logan wanted to race me after I had won the 50 meters, he thought that he could take me, seeing that I am just a girl.
We agreed to count to three and go, but Logan started on two and was ahead of me for about 30 seconds. I didn’t crush him that day, but let’s just say that he would disagree that I won. Logan has always been very competitive, and he never let up even with us being best friends. I guess that taught me to be less sensitive and a little more competitive myself. Sometimes, I let Logan win, because I don’t want him to be in a mood, which can happen sometimes when he loses.
“Are you ready, let’s head south through the woods here, and just follow me for awhile, until you get the feel of your new body,” Logan said as he starting to run before I had a chance to respond.
“Right behind you,” I said as I cursed him out under my breath.
“You don’t know much about dogs, do you? Logan asked me.
“Not really, why? “ I asked.
“Dogs have great hearing, Jayden. Remember that,” he said as he sped up through the brush.
There is so much to learn about animals, but I need to, because shape shifters come in all shapes and lots of different animals. I wonder if there are any limits to what we can turn into.
As I was thinking, I realized that I was running faster than I could as a human. I looked down and the ground was just zooming by. The wind felt so refreshing; I felt so free, just running, and not getting tired. It’s like a self generating body, what I would of wished for this while in school, especially swimming as my sport of choice.
I looked up and saw the back end of Logan dart around a tree, but couldn’t see past him.
“Logan, wait up, we haven’t started racing yet, have we?” I said as I tried to run faster.
If I could only see where he was, I don’t like not knowing where I’m going.
“I can see you.” I called out to him, even though I wasn’t sure exactly where he was. When we would compete in swimming, I couldn’t ever let him know that he was winning, or that I wasn’t sure of the distance between us.
I could see him coming through some bushes and into an open field, but I�
��m not close to where he’s at.
As I’m running, it feels like my feet aren’t even touching the ground. I’ve never been flying, but I would imagine that it feels this way. I tried to focus on my running but I couldn’t see anything but the green foliage flying past me.
The feeling starting to make me nauseas, the more it seemed like I was flying the more my stomach felt upset. The ground started getting farther and farther from me and the clouds started to get closer, but how could this be, I’m supposed to be running, not flying. Is this what it feels like to fly?
“Jayden, where are you? I know I can run faster than you, but man your being a slow poke,” he said as I could see him in the field, he was walking back the way he came, waiting for me.
“Logan, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I said as I realized that I was flying, but I wasn’t in my dog form. Did I morph into another form? I couldn’t see any legs or paws. I decided that I would follow Logan, he might have some answers.
I watched Logan pick up speed running back through the forest trying to find me, but if I’m up here, he wouldn’t find me.
“Logan it’s alright, I’m fine,” I said, knowing that he was getting really worked up. I didn’t want him to panic. I decided to try and fly down towards Logan, to be as close as possible to Logan. I didn’t want anything to happen to my animal form, seeing that it is my actually body, just in the shape of a dog. As I started to dive, I got scared, this feeling of almost falling.
I realized that I enjoyed being up here, I felt like I had the upper hand, like there was something that I could do that Logan couldn’t. I think I’m still a little upset with Logan for not telling me about what was happing, and letting me believe that he was dead. Just thinking about when I thought he was dead, brought pure anger into my mind. How could he think that not telling me was better? Did he understand how sad I was, how empty, to never see my best friend again.
“Jayden, you need to control your thoughts more, you letting your private feelings slip out into the air. I can feel how angry you are, or were. What is making you feel this right now, and how come I can’t find you?” he said as he was darting back and forth trying to find my animal form, if there was one left.
“Logan, look up?” I said not really wanting to tell him where I was, it was nice keeping something from him.
Logan looked up but didn’t seem to see me.
“Ok, I’m looking, what would I be looking up into the sky, it’s not like you’re a bird,” he said as he continued the search in the woods.
He finally came across my canine form.
“Jayden, can you hear me? Logan said as he nudged me with his muzzle.
“Yes, Logan I can hear you, it’s ok...”I started to tell him when a loud noise came from the right of where my body was.
I didn’t like not being next to Logan when there’s trouble around, something about him always put me at ease.
“Jayden, someone’s out here with us, you need to wake up!” Logan said as I heard a small growl come from him.
“Logan, I am awake, I’m just not in my body right now,” I said as I tried to see beyond where Logan was, to see if I could see what was making the noise.
I had always thought that birds had great vision, but it was like having a built in zoom lens. I could see all around Logan and didn’t seem to see anything, but it was awkward having to turn my head to see certain things, I miss having both my eyes closer together.
“Jayden, you might be able to talk to me, but your just laying on the ground,” he said as I could feel his anger like it was mine.
“Logan, calm down, look up into the tree, on the branch closest to the ground,” I said as I started to feel a little out of control.
“Ok, I’m looking, but I don’t see anything except a falcon,” he said.
“Cool, I’m a falcon, wow, I wouldn’t have guessed that,” I said as I tried to picture in my head what a falcon looks like.
“What do you mean, you’re in the body of that falcon, Jayden, get back down here and into your body, this isn’t funny anymore. I have no control over what happens to your body if something happens to me. How did you get into that falcon’s body? You know what, I don’t care how it happened, but you need to fix it. I can smell something coming, and I need you,” he said as I could see the anger in his eyes.
“Logan, I thought that’s what you were here for, protection. Hasn’t that been your purpose since you were born, to protect me, not ordering me around?” I asked as I realized that probably wasn’t the wisest thing to say to him right now, but my anger was coming out and I couldn't stop it.
“Jayden, don’t push my limits, you have never seen me really angry, and if you get hurt, you will see me get very angry,” he said.
“Ok, ok, don’t get your boxers in a bunch, let me try to figure this out. Do you have any suggestions?” I asked.
“You’re asking me for suggestions; you’ve got to be kidding me. Are you saying that you don’t know how to get back? Well that’s just great, how am I supposed to take care of her when she continues to change her appearance and she can’t even control it?” he asked himself.
“Are you talking to yourself?” I laughed.
“Yes I am,” he said as he started to pace.
I was about to respond with a comment that would probably have gotten me into more trouble when we both heard a rustling noise coming from the bush that was just a few feet from Logan and my dog form.
“I don’t understand why that didn’t work, I mixed the right stuff, what could I have forgotten, or maybe it could be…..no that would only work if I mixed that with gogona root,” a voice said as it came out of the bushes.
As the figure popped out of the bushes, Logan took a defensive position in front of my body and starting growling just to warn the person to stay back.
“What have we here?” It was an older lady, at least I think it was a lady, the voice sounded more feminine than male, but it was scratchy and hard to understand. She was tall and lean, but she was wearing what looked like a fisherman’s hat, and a scarf wrapped around her neck. She was also wearing a long coat, almost like a trench coat, that what made me wonder if this person was a he, not a she.
She started to approach Logan and my limp body, when Logan took a step back and growled deeper than I’ve ever heard. It even sent a chill down my back.
“I won’t hurt you, but it looks like you could use some help with your lady friend,” she said as she took a step closer.
“Jayden, you need to help me out here, we don’t know her, she could be our enemy,” he pleaded.
“What do you expect me to do, I’m in a bird’s body. And the bird is starting to get irritated,” I said as I looked down at the lady and at that moment I knew she had heard me, because she tilted her head and below the rim of her hat I saw he eyes staring at me and then the smile came.
I leaped off the branch and dove straight down at the lady and made her duck while squawking the best I could. I landed on a branch just a foot above the ground next to Logan.
“Jayden, you have to remember you’re a bird, you can’t just hang out on ground level. You have a lot more predators than you did as a dog.”
“I’m sorry, but that lady she looked at me, like she heard me,” I said as I kept one eye on her.
“Ok, ok I can see that you want to be left alone. I’ll just leave as I came,” she said as she turned to leave.
She made it back to the bush she came out from, and right before she walked through it, she turned and said, “If you don’t want any help getting back into your canine body, Jayden, then I will leave you alone.”
“Wait, you know who I am?” I asked her.
“I wouldn’t say that I know who you are, exactly,” she said as she started to turn back towards us.
“But you said my name?” I asked her.
“I heard you two talking, you can thank your friend that’s growling at me for that,” she said.
“Logan, how is she able to hear us?” I asked realizing that I just gave her Logan’s name as well.
“I’m not sure Jayden, but just because she can hear us, doesn’t mean that she’s here to help us,” Logan said.
“I am not here to hurt you, except I might hurt myself if I can’t get my mixtures right,” she said as she rubbed the side of her head.
“Jayden, I think we should try to get you back by ourselves, we don’t know her and you’re not at your best right now. If something happens to this body, I don’t think you could ever be in human form again.
The thought of never having two arms, and two legs back again about killed me. Never being able to lay on my bed and listen to my favorite music while nibbling on my Mom’s recipe of chocolate chip cookies.
“Logan, I’m not sure that I can get back into my body, I’ve been trying, but the longer I stay in this falcon’s body the better control he starts to gain, and he doesn’t seem to like the sharing of minds, which I admit isn’t the greatest feeling,” I said as I tried to get a feeling on this seemingly harmless woman standing in front of me.
“Jayden, I will leave this decision up to you, because I would never forgive myself if we pass it up and can’t get you back. Just be cautious with what I told you earlier, don’t say too much, or feel too much,” he said as he started to relax his stance a little.
“I will state again, I am not here to hurt you, I might hurt myself, which does happen often, my abilities aren’t what they use to be, not since the princess left us and the woman left in charge has been….well anyway. If you want the help let me know, just follow my scent and it will lead you to my house,” she said as she turned and walked back through the bush.
Before either one of us could say anything, she was gone.
“Logan, what was that?” I asked him.
“I’m not sure, but I’ve some stories about a woman that lives out here, but Jayden, I didn’t grow up around here, my family had to follow yours, so it’s as unfamiliar to me as it is to you. I do remember my father talking about a medicine woman that lived out her in the woods, maybe that’s who she is.
“I did get a good vibe from her, she didn’t seem like she wanted to harm us. She can’t know who I am?” I asked as I tried to listen to see if she was still near, but I didn’t hear anything except the trees blowing in the wind.
“I’m not sure that we should let anyone know who you are yet, that might be dangerous, and who knows maybe she’s a good liar, and besides, even if we decide to ask her to help, how would we get your body through the woods. I can’t carry you like this,” he said as he whipped his head back towards the bush.
He had a good point, how would we get my canine body to that lady that was here, she left before we could discuss this.
“Jayden, you need to concentrate and get yourself back in this dog body, before a real predator comes,” Logan said as he sighed deeply.
I could tell that Logan felt helpless, he was born to be my protector and how can he protect me like this. I wonder if this is how my Grandfather felt about my mother, not being able to protect her from his own wife. I only got a split second of time with him, and I wanted desperately to be back next to him, listening of him talk about my Mother and what kind of child she was, and the way he loved and adored her.
I snapped back and thought about being back in the canine body, but when I opened my eyes, I could tell I was still inside the bird. Ok, Jayden, you can do this “I want to be back in my body, I want to be back in my body,” I said to myself as I took slow deep breaths, of course those deep breaths were only in my head.
“Anything, are you feeling anything?” he asked me.
“No, and I’m really trying to focus. Logan, did you hear that, someone or something is coming,” I said.
I could hear more rustling of leaves, and few braches breaking under the weight of something. Whatever it is, it wasn’t trying to hide the fact that it was coming.
“I hear it too, this isn’t good Jayden, if you have any control, you need to use it now!” Logan said as he crept closer to the bush, with his hackles up, standing ready to defend me at any moment.
The noises stopped and all I could hear was a breeze and then BAM, through the air came a horse, it had jumped over the bush that Logan was standing in front of. It landed a few feet from him.
“Logan, are you ok?” I asked.
“Uh, yeah, just a little shocked. I didn’t know they had wild horses around here anymore.”
Before I could say anything, the horse walked up to my body and knelt down until it was on its belly. This horse was so beautiful, it had large blotches of white and brown and its mane was all white. I remember my mother use to take me riding right before she died, and I loved it. She used to tell me that she grew up on horses and how free it felt to ride them. She taught me to respect the horse, and it will respect you as the rider. I miss my Mother telling me things like that.
“Logan, I think the horse wants to help transport my body to that lady.”
“I don’t know about this, maybe we should just wait until you figure it out.”
“That’s a great idea, and what if I don’t figure it out. I do like to fly, but I do now want to be stuck in this bird’s body forever. No offense birdie,” I said hoping that I didn’t hurt its feelings. I couldn’t really read the thoughts of the falcon that I had taken over, but I could feel its fear in a strange way, almost like a panicked feeling I guess it the only way I can describe it.
“Ok, but this might leave your neck feeling a little sore, but it’s the only way to get your body onto the back of this horse,” Logan said as he bent down and bit the back of my neck and started to drag my body onto the back of the horse. Watching him struggle was frustrating but the strength that had to take was amazing, how was pulling my body by his teeth. Plus the trust that horse was showing Logan, allowing him to drag my canine body over its back, which had to be uncomfortable.
“That's going to a leave a mark,” I grimaced.
As soon as Logan had my body placed across it’s back, the horse stood up and started to walk towards the trees the way that lady had went.
“Alright, well I guess we better follow him, or we could lose your body,” he said with what have been a smile if he was in human form.
“You better stay with him, please don’t lose my body, Logan, I’ve become accustomed to it over the years,” I said as I dove off the branch and started my ascent into the sky.
I took off up into the trees, up until I couldn’t see the path anymore. Now this, this was fun.
“Logan, I can’t see you anymore, I’m going to come back down so I can get a little closer.”
“Jayden, we are still walking in the same direction, but I’m looking up and can’t see you either.”
I flew back down to the place that they had left and couldn’t see them. I tried flying up about 20 feet into the air and scoured the area and still no Logan and horse. What if I can’t find them, where would I go? It’s not like I could go home, Dad wouldn’t even recognize me, or be able to understand me.
That made me laugh thinking about it.
“Jayden, I can still hear you, so we must still be in the area, try flying low to the ground through the bushes that we went through, if she really is a medicine woman she might have some spell put on the path so that her house location is hidden.
I did what Logan said as soon as I went through the bushes I could see Logan and the horse walking through the forest.
I stayed closer to the ground during our walk, I had the urge several times to take off and fly high in the sky, but I didn’t want to lose them again. As good as the feeling was completely indescribable of being in the air soaring with just air underneath you. But the thought of never being in my body again, kept me close to the ground and what I held dear. My body.
“Jayden, what do you see ahead of us?” Logan asked.
“It looks clear, I do see something, it might be that lady’s
place. I do see a house a ways up,” I said.
“Jayden, you stay close please, be patient,” Logan said as he looked up and could tell that I was getting ready to fly high again.
“Ok, Ok, sorry, it’s just so wonderful and free up here, Logan, you would love it, it’s the most free feeling I’ve ever had,” I said as I started to fly lower so I wouldn’t stress out Logan.
“Maybe that’s why you can’t get back into your body, because you’re liking it too much.”
“Spoil sport,” I said as I turned back around to get back in the line with the direction of the house. Before I was fully turned around, I lost control of the falcon and it went flying off in the opposite direction and dove faster than I knew that I could.
“Logan, I’ve lost control, I don’t know what to do,” I yelled, knowing that Logan was helpless to help me.
“Jayden, I can’t leave your body, try to talk to the falcon, see if you can reason with it.”
I started to try to talk to the falcon and it dove for the ground, I thought that we were going to crash, at the last minute the feet went out and grabbed a small mouse that was running towards a tree. We flew up to a branch on a tree and like a flash the bird was eating the mouse, fur and all. Well mostly eating it all, it was like a peck fest.
“Ewe, this is disgusting, I’m eating a mouse. This is something I never thought I would be eating.”
Logan was laughing. “Well you did say how much you liked being a falcon, and that’s one of their dishes, so you might want to think about that before you decide to take permanent residence.”
After the bird was done dissecting its meal, I kept getting after tastes, but this isn’t my body how am I able to taste the food?
“I can taste what it eats, how is that possible?” I asked wishing I could down a swig of mountain dew right now.
“When we take animal form we have all of their senses, taste, touch, sense, smell, and site. It can be very helpful, unless like you, you’re sharing the birds’ body and I doubt that you would want to eat a mouse for dinner,” he said as he checked on my dog form to make sure that it was still stable on the horses back.
I noticed that when the bird was done eating, I was able to take off again with no resistance.
“Ok, I’m ready to get back to being human again.” I with desperation as I closer to the house.
The house sat in a clearing with a dirt road leading who knows where. The house was small and quaint, one storey with wood siding that looked like it needed a few boards replaced, and a new coat of paint; I think at one time it used to be blue. The front porch ran the width of the house, with a rocking chair and small table towards the front door. In the chair sat that strange woman we met in the woods.
She looked like she was sleeping, but as soon as we got close her eyes popped open and she stood up with a very warming smile.
“Thank you so much my friend, I didn’t have the strength to do it myself. I appreciate your help. I have some food in the barn if you’re hungry? Again, thank you my friend let me know if there is anything I can do for you,” she said as she bowed to the horse.
She walked over to the horse and pulled my canine body off the back and carried it into the house with Logan close behind. What is this woman the incredible hulk?
“Are you coming Jayden, I can’t help you if stay outside,” she said as she left the door open. "Us shifters have more strength than normal humans, but I've never been green."
I had flew in and perched myself on the railing of the porch. Part of me and part of the falcon were a little hesitant to go inside. Once I’m inside she has a better chance of hurting me, but if I’m outside I could fly away easily. I decided to fly in and see if she could help me, watching the horse walk over to the barn that sat off to the left of the house made me think that she wasn’t a bad person. The horse seemed to trust her and it was a free horse, unless the horse was evil... Are there evil horses in the world? That was a question I would have to get answered inside and not out here.
“The bird is having issues with going into the house; it feels like it will be trapped,” I told Logan.
“Then you need to make it feel at ease and help it understand the sooner you come in the sooner it gets it body back,” he said as she stared at me from the door way.
“If you want your body back you need to let this lady help me, then you’ll be free. I can’t do this by myself and I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck with me,” I told the bird. I didn’t expect the bird to talk back, but I was hoping that he understood.
Without notice the bird flew swiftly into the house and landed on the back of a couch that was against the wall.
I saw my canine body laying limp on the couch. It gave me a strange feeling to see it laying there, even though it was me in the form of a dog, under there was my true form.
I watched the lady go into the kitchen, which you could see from the living room and get something out of a cupboard and walk back over to the table next to the couch and put the bowl of mixture next to me.
“Now, if you want to start this process, you need to come eat some of this,” she said as she walked back into the kitchen. It looked like she was boiling some water on the stove.
“What is this stuff,” I asked. It looked like a mixture of nuts and berries, but with a wiry looking weed of some sort.
“Oh, that’s just a little something to help the process along. There’s nothing in there that will hurt you or the bird, just start eating so you can be on your way,” she said with a little irritation in her voice.
“So that bowing thing you did with the horse, why do you do that, my mom use to do that with animals, I never understood it?” I asked as I tried the protein mixture. It actually doesn’t taste that bad, a little earthy.
“All living beings are equal and deserve the respect that we all ask for. They are not our slaves, but our working partners. Most people don’t treat them right, and think of them as their pets or slaves to do their work,” she said as she put something in the water that was coming to a boil.
I didn’t know what to say, but I was glad that I found someone to help us, what would my father say if I didn’t call him to check in. Would he try to find me?
“Did you say that your mother use to bow to animals?” she asked as she peeked out from the kitchen.
“Yes, she use to ride horses when I was little and she would always talk so soft to them and bow before she got on and after she got off. I think I asked her once why she did that, but I can’t remember what she said.
“Jayden, don’t say anything else, please,” Logan said as he looked up from his position on the floor next to my canine form.
“So we have secrets and enemies, hum, your mother must be someone of importance,” she said as she came with a bowl of that water that she had been boiling.
“My mother was important to me,” I said as I realized that Logan had asked me not say anything.
“You miss her very much, I can tell,” she said as she waved her hand for me to drink from the bowl.
“Jayden, that’s enough, please,” Logan pleaded as he put his head back down on his paws.
“If your friend here thinks it’s such a bad idea to tell me anything, I understand, so be it,” she said as she seems to really not care that we didn’t want to give her any information.
“Jayden, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to drink some of this tonic and think about the scariest memory you have ever had, and really remember it like you are there now,” she told me.
She held the bowl up to my beak and I drank what I could, it tasted a little bitter, but not as bad as the mouse. Anything is better than chewed up mouse.
The day my mother died. I hated thinking about this memory, it made my stomach feel like it was flipping over, but with this memory comes my fear.
I remember sitting at my desk knowing that something wasn’t right, because my Mom had not shown up like she was scheduled to. That just wasn’t like her to
miss her class time, and not call the office for them to leave me a note. Then my Dad walked into the classroom, I was so scared, not knowing, but knowing that something was horribly wrong, and then my teacher with that look in her eye, and my dad not talking to me all the way home.
As I started to think about those feelings again, I felt a pulling sensation in my body, or soul, was it my soul? I could see that I was moving away from the falcon and into my canine body, but this didn’t feel like when I switched earlier. This felt more like an out of body experience that I hear people talk about. I realized that I was hovering over my body, but not going into it.
“Jayden, can you hear me…Jayden.” I could hear Logan talking to me, but I couldn’t respond.
The lady that was helping us, started to move closer to my canine body.
Logan jumped up, crouched in front of my limp body and growled as if he was ready to take this woman out.
“Now, now, easy fella, I’m just trying to get your friend Jayden back in her canine body. I promise you I will not hurt her, but if she stays in limbo to long it won’t be good. Can’t you feel her essence around us? She hasn’t finished the process, and I need for you to stay calm or this could go very badly,” she said as she bent down to pet the top of Logan’s head.
What are they saying? What does she mean this could all go bad? Why am I not in my body? What is the problem?
“Jayden, I need you listen to my voice and focus. You need to stay calm and think about your memory again.” She was focusing her energy towards the ceiling where I was hovering.
I remember getting back to our house and my Dad wouldn’t tell me anything, I asked all the way into the house and finally he sat me down. My Dad was never quiet with me, he always had a smile and never ignored me, so for him to be silent for so long I knew that this was a very bad day.
As I was finishing my memory, my mind went blank.
“I think she’s made the transition, you might want to give her a few minutes, she’s in like a sleeping mode now, and she might sleep for a few hours, it's exhausting moving around like she did today. I know that you’re anxious to get going on your way, but since she will sleep for awhile, I have stew on the stove, would you like some?” she asked me as she made her way to the kitchen.
“I am hungry. I don’t remember when the last time was that I had something to eat,” Logan said as he followed her into the kitchen.
“That does tend to happen when you’re protecting a princess!” she said as she reached for a bowl to put some stew in.
“Princess, but how did you know?” Logan asked the medicine woman.
“I’m not a new shape shifter, I’ve been around longer than you can imagine, and there haven’t been any new shape shifters in years, it’s one of the reasons that my powers don’t work like they use to,” she said as she put the bowl down on the floor in front of the stove.
“Please forgive my rudeness, but are you Sydney the clan healer?” Logan asked as he took a bite of the meaty stew.
“So, you’ve heard of me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been called the healer, but yes, I am Sydney. I don’t recognize you, are you from around here?” She asked.
“No, I was born and raised in a small town north of Seattle, but my parents were born and raised here and told me stories,” he said as he realized that he had told her the secret that he was never to repeat. Talking to the woman made you feel at ease and made you want to answer any questions she asked. Was this a spell or some sort?
“So, she is the princess that was to return to us, I knew that my reading wasn’t off. I might be old, but I still have some juice left,” she said as she drank from the tea that she had poured herself.
“You knew that she was coming?” Logan asked her.
“I wasn’t positive, but I did have a feeling. Logan, does she know about her families past and what she is expected to do here?” Sydney asked.
“She knows some, but I don’t have all the answers for her and I can’t go against the laws and tell her. Wait, I didn’t tell you my name, how did you know?”
“I saw her with her protector, when I had the vision, I couldn’t see it all that clear, but I knew that her mother’s protector would have a son to take care of her daughter. It was destiny.” Sydney said.
“We’ve been gone for a long time; Sully and Thornton are going to start getting concerned,” said Logan.
“You look like you need some rest; I can take care of your friend’s worries. Falcon, could you do us one more favor before you go. Could you take a note to our friends? Sydney asked the falcon. The falcon bowed its head in agreement.
Sydney walked over and wrote something on a piece of paper, rolled it up and tied it to the falcons leg. She explained where the cabin was and the Falcon flew away. Logan must have been tired because he was asleep before the falcon was high in the sky.
“You rest, protector, you will feel much better when you wake.” She ran her hand down his soft coat.