Stranger Than Fiction

by Jeanine Hoffman

  We walked on, talking about books we’d both read and enjoyed until we reached Dena’s domain. She used a swipe card to enter and I followed. I stopped dead in my tracks as the door closed behind me. This. Was. Amazing.

  I expected a small room with shelves of books. Instead, there were several rooms’ worth of space with lines and lines of books. There were a couple of terminals set up for card catalogue access. A small desk was for the checking out of books and it also had instructions for self-checkout.

  “Dena, this is amazing. I pictured a tiny room crammed with rickety book shelves.”

  “Well, to be honest, that is what it was like before I took over. I asked for and got more space, and I started adding to the collection. I made it a mix of basic stuff people might like to read if they’re stuck here a while as well as things that our staff might enjoy. Also, since we function as a community center of sorts, I made sure to add variety plus things for all age levels.”

  “I’ve got to look around. May I? I just love to browse and see what I stumble upon.”

  “Feel free. I actually have some paperwork to do anyway so I’ll stay at the desk. Come see me when you’re ready and I’ll get you a card and show you how to check out.”

  I wandered through the stacks. I saw everything from the standard classics I read in high school to the more esoteric one that I found and read through college. I blushed when I realized every single one of my adventure series books were present, all but the last one. It was probably checked out since there was a gap in the shelving.

  I kept moving around and I found a sizable selection of lesbian and gay books, far more than in any library I’d ever seen before and more than most brick-and-mortar stores kept in stock. I slowly looked over the shelves, I found several of my favorite authors as well as most of my lesbian fiction books. I wondered if there were gaps in the collection or if some were simply checked out at the moment.

  I chose two lesbian fiction books and one biography I’d been meaning to read. I also noticed a huge supply of speculative fiction in both mainstream and LGBTQ reading. Apparently, shifters liked to read about shifters.

  I took my three selections to the front when I was done with my walkthrough. Dena noticed me approaching and waved me over.

  “I just need you to fill this out, Tori. It’s standard information stuff for your library card. Oh, and we do offer a selection of e-books so you can even check books out from home on your e-reader if you wish. It saves a drive in and the hassle of getting to us for some people, especially in winter.”

  I filled out the form and handed it back to Dena. She took it and did librarian things like entering the data and creating a card for me.

  “Here’s how self-checkout works. We can’t keep this place staffed all the time but there are people on a variety of shifts that use us. So, your card will activate the door scanner and give you access. You can then leave any returns on the cart and bring any books you choose to check out to the counter. This part is just like a grocery checkout. Scan the barcode that we put in the back cover, it will populate on the screen, and when you’ve scanned all your books, click done. The system then has you scan your card and green lights you. That’s all it takes.”

  “What’s to keep someone from walking off with the reference books?”

  “First, we use an honor system. Second, the reference books are kept in a separate room that only a select few have access to at the moment. If you want to see them, you make an appointment through our website and one of my staff will contact you to set up a time.”

  “Wait, your staff? You run this place?”

  “I’m the librarian in charge here, yes. But it's a small place and I have a great staff including some students who get service hours by working here and shelving books and doing extra things. It practically runs itself at this point. I have one person in charge of the website appointments, another for keeping the website up to date.”

  “Quite impressive, Dena. I do have to admit, I looked and found most of my books are in your collection. Is that something new?”

  “No, honestly, both of your brands have been popular in both this library and the human one for some time. Down here we see more of the lesbian works checked out but that is, in part, due to the less restrictive society we have as shifters.”

  “Explain that please. What do you mean less restrictive?”

  “As you know, many of the origins stories point to an evolution of shifters from the various native tribes around the globe. In many of those cultures, bisexual and homosexual people were respected and even revered in some cases as Twin Spirit or Two Spirited people. They became medicine men and women, shamans, and advisors to the tribal chieftains. As a result, our community has no real issues with the gay and lesbian community. We have methods in place to allow adoption and surrogate motherhood. The only discrimination for them comes from living amongst the humans.”

  “Huh. So, does that mean more people with the virus are homosexual or just that the communities are more accepting?”

  “From the last stats I saw, I think we run about twenty to twenty-five percent identified as somewhere in the LGBTQ spectrum. We do have a very low rate for transgender people but we have them and they are welcome to do what they need to be healthy and happy. We do have to function under federal and local jurisdictions but when someone in need lives somewhere unsafe for them, the Council assists in relocation to a safer place where treatment can be obtained.”

  “I think you just blew my mind more than Kerstin has since I got here.”

  “Good. Might help you move from anger and questioning to acceptance.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The five stages of grief. Everyone who is changed goes through them, even, to some degree, those who choose this life.”

  “Perhaps, I’ve been angry and depressed. Maybe, we’ll see. Do you mind getting me back to my room? I want to get a little more work done tonight before I start one of my new books.”

  “You bet, let me just close out of my work files and send a quick e-mail.”

  I ruminated on all that Dena had said while I waited and even as we walked back to my room. Was that what some of my seclusion was about? Did I just get tired of not fitting in so I hid from the world? I had to admit, to myself at least, more than one girlfriend had said as much as she ended things with me.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I WORKED WELL into the night. For everything else going on, my writing wasn’t suffering. It was past three in the morning by the time I powered down my laptop and went to bed. It felt like moments after I closed my eyes that the damned bedside telephone rang obnoxiously in my ear.

  “’Lo?”

  “Tori, it’s eight in the morning? Is it too early?”

  “Kinda early. I tend to write at night and sleep in. Breakfast will be here soon so I might as well get up.”

  “Okay but we can adjust the breakfast schedule. In fact, all meals that you’ll plan to take in your room can be ordered in advance and be delivered at whatever times you set. You can even use the system like room service and just order what you want when you want. Give them some leeway if you want it at a set time but the kitchen folks are pretty fast.”

  “Good to know. And is there a schedule that you and I are setting up? Plus, how much longer to I have to be here? I’m going to need to check on my place and do some laundry or at least get some more clothing if I have to be here much longer.”

  “We’ll talk about that when I see you. About nine thirty so you have a chance to eat and get a shower. Sound okay?”

  “That should work. See you then.” I hung up the phone and sighed. This was already shaping up to be another long day.

  THE SHOWER FELT amazing and I stayed under the warm, pulsating spray longer than normal. My breakfast cart had been rolled in and left for me. I was going to have to ask about how many people could gain access to my space when I wasn’t in it or not able to answer the door. Thankfully, breakfast was
wonderful and I was done long before Kerstin arrived.

  The doorbell sounded and I rose from the couch to answer the door. I’d been reading one of the books I’d borrowed the night before and was just getting involved in the characters’ lives when the bell rang.

  I opened the door only to find Janice standing there instead of Kerstin.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not exactly who I was expecting.”

  “I know,” she said as she slid her way past me and into the room.

  “Twenty questions or are you going to fill me in?”

  “Hmm, the game idea might be nice but not today. Today, I’ve been tasked with doing some work with you while the boss lady handles an emergency that just came in.”

  “Boss lady? Emergency?”

  “Well, yeah but don’t tell her I call her that. It’s kind of a joke. Because I’m not the most dominate of coyotes, but I’m not the most subservient, I fall mid-pack. At work, she is the boss and I make her wear it like a badge of honor. She’s always a bit self-conscious that she doesn’t shift.”

  “Makes sense in a way but you’re a coyote and she’s, well, she would have been a deer, right? Isn’t that just prey to you anyway?”

  “Not really, not in our culture because we wouldn’t attack fellow shifters. When we recognize a scent as shifter and not a natural deer, we might scent them as prey but we wouldn’t harm them.”

  “Gotcha. Okay, changing topics a bit. What are we supposed to do and what kind of an emergency was it?”

  “I’m taking you to meet a few people and we’re going to start teaching you about the shifting process. Also, we’ll do a little blood work to see where the Animus levels are now. As to the emergency, I’ve not a clue. I just got a call to get her someplace stat, so I did that and took over with you this morning.”

  “So, one day an admin and the next a shrink?”

  “Actually, sort of. I’m qualified to train our young in shifting. I assist at times when the caseload is high or when there are emergencies like today. Kerstin functions as a real shrink with our newbies and with some humans. I suspect that one of her humans had the emergency. I’m fully trained and I’ve assisted more than once with the process.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Janice walked me to the closest elevator and we headed up instead of down. She took me to one of the labs where the lab tech drew some blood and Janice verified they would call her cell as well as fax her office with the results.

  Next, we headed to the nature room. The difference from sterile boring industrial carpeted hallways was instant and fabulous. I was grateful to see trees, to feel wind, even if I knew it was manufactured, and seeing the grass made me happier than I thought it would.

  “So, you’ve been here before, right?” Janice asked.

  “Just the one time and I didn’t get to explore as much as I would have liked.”

  “Well, we’re meeting a couple of folks in a field a few minutes from here. We can walk around a bit too.”

  We walked and talked about nothing much. I just soaked in the feeling of outside even as part of me rebelled and reminded myself that this was a substitute for my actual freedom.

  “What happens if I just decide I’m done being here and want to go home? I miss being home. Can’t I do this as an outpatient? I live less than an hour from here.”

  “Right now that isn’t really possible. We still need to monitor the progress of the virus so we’ll be sure when you’re going to be ready for your First Shift. Also, just in case there are any issues, we really do need to be a call away. It shouldn’t take much longer, a week perhaps, and then you’ll be able to head home and pick up your life. Of course, there will still be times when you need to come in for various check-ins and such. Also, you’ll be able to use the facilities here and maybe you’ll decide to join one of the activities clubs or help out with the school classes. You’ll be able to commute for those things.”

  “I haven’t yet decided that I’ll be attending anything that isn’t made mandatory. I’m really a private person and I enjoy my quiet.”

  “I get that, I truly do. One thing you may not have considered is that your Other, when she appears, may require more socialization than living out in the middle of the woods. White-tails are social beings. At times, far more so than humans.”

  “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Hell, I haven’t decided yet if this is all for real or not. I’m reserving judgment.”

  “I think by the end of our time today, you’ll believe that shifting is something other than fiction.” Janice looked up and waved. “Our guest speakers are here. Let’s go over to the picnic tables and wait for them.”

  We waited by the tables but I remained standing. The two others joined us and I saw it was Joseph from the dinner and a woman I didn’t recognize. Janice took over introductions when they joined us.

  “Tori, this is Joe, the fox shifter you met last night. This is his lovely wife, Gail. I’m going to let her tell you their story before we do anything else.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gail. Hello again, Joe. Should we sit here or keep walking?”

  “Let’s sit. I want to make sure I have your focus and if you’re anything like Joe, you’ll get distracted as soon as a breeze blows.”

  I chuckled, conceded the point and sat.

  Once we were settled, I sat and waited. Gail looked at her husband and smiled gently at him. I could tell they loved each other and while it was heartwarming, it didn’t seem to make sense that someone felt I needed to meet a married couple who became foxes on occasion.

  Gail looked across the table at me, then took a deep breath before she spoke. “I want you to know that this is the first time I’ve been on this side of the table. About four months ago, I sat here and listened to someone telling me some of the same things I’m going to tell you. There are differences between us, however. I chose to be infected with Animus.”

  “Why? Isn’t it a huge risk or something?”

  “It can be but I was tested first. I had the markers that showed I would be able to accept the virus with few issues. I’d been aware of the shifter community for several years. I met Joe when we were in college together. He actually tried to get his roommate to date me so he could go out with my roommate. About halfway through the night, we left them at the bar and went for a walk together. We’ve been together five years now.”

  “Nice, but why risk the virus?” I couldn’t fathom making that choice.

  “Truthfully, I didn’t encourage it,” Joe said. “It never mattered to me that she couldn’t become a fox or run and play in fur. I love her no matter what and that’s why I never asked.”

  “No, he didn’t push or even suggest it. He did answer my questions and I spent time before we married with one of the therapists here. We did some pre-marital counseling. He got some advice on how to tell me before he asked me to marry him. We were together for almost two years before I learned about the fox thing. I have to admit, it made a lot of little things make sense after that admission.”

  “How did that go? I mean, were you shocked? Did you think about breaking up? I don’t mean to be nosy but I’m pretty unsettled about the whole thing.”

  “I admit, I was confused, but the more I read and learned, the more I understood that this was a good life. To be so connected to nature and a strong community is amazing. To be honest, one of the issues I have with today’s world is our constant need for additional technology and racing through life to the detriment of our environment and our inner peace.”

  “Let me guess, you do yoga and ride a bicycle?” I smiled as I said it to take out any sting, but I was starting to wonder about the point of this little meeting.

  “I‘ll admit to the bicycle. I tried yoga one time, fell over in some weird pose and decided I need to keep both feet on the ground.” Gail flashed a look at Joe before admitting, “I thought about calling things off at first. I mean, I thought he was nuts and making things up. Th
en, he showed me.”

  “Great, he showed you. I still haven’t seen anyone change into anything.”

  “You will, soon. Let me finish first. I accepted the reality and we did the sessions before we set a date. The only catch is that if a person with Animus mates with a human, the offspring, if they have any, will typically be human even if they have the gene for the survival of the virus. I wanted our entire family to be able to share in the aspects I’ve learned to love about this community. I wanted to be able to run with Joe. After some talking about it, research in the library here, and the mandatory therapy sessions, I was brought in for the infusion of Animus-vulpes-vulpes. It’s also known as Animus red fox and when the infusion was over and the physical aspects were complete, I was taught to shift and learned to control my transformation. I still have moments that are harder than others but I’ve handled it pretty well. By this time next year, we’re hoping to be pregnant.”

  “So, you chose this, you’re thrilled with it, and now you’re here to tell me how wonderful this life is for you and Joe. Awesome for you guys but he was born to it and you chose it. I didn’t choose. I simply hunted responsibly, made a mistake, and here I am.”

  “I understand that, but I also understand that it’s going to be really hard for you to learn what you need to learn and deal with this if you don’t have someone show you the truth. That’s my job today. I’m going to shift. We scheduled the whole room for a while so there is plenty of time. I’m going to shift right in front of you. For your comfort, Joe will go behind some trees just because we do strip first. Are you okay with this or would you prefer to see Joe shift as well?”

  “Actually, I’m good. You can keep you back turned if you want, I’m not interested in ogling. I don’t want anyone else to be uncomfortable so I’ll leave it up to Joe.”

  “I’ll head to the trees. I’m aware that men aren’t your cup of tea and I do still have some male ego to keep intact.” He walked off to a small stand of trees until we couldn’t see him.