up in vain at the absent moon.
The shadows were catching up.
Sierra pushed her mind harder, trying to conjure up the exact feeling of being a bear. Something in her mind was holding her back, telling her not to change. Sierra screamed in frustration and drowned the little voice out, focused entirely on shifting.
Just as the shadows started to grasp her, the electric feeling started. She was going to shift! She could get away now! Sierra embraced the feeling, letting her body change as she fought back the shadows.
BAM!
The deafening bang woke Sierra with a start. Dazed from the dream, her mind spun wildly, trying to make sense of what had happened.
She was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling -- a ceiling which seemed somewhat further away than she expected it to be, with the chain on the ceiling fan dangling several inches out of reach instead of the usual grasping distance. The mattress beneath her was cocked at the strange angle and something was poking into her back. Coming out of her cloudy state now, she realized that the bed had collapsed underneath her.
It had collapsed underneath her because she had shifted into bear form in her sleep.
With dawning horror, she heard Molly running towards her room.
“Sierra?! What was that? Are you alright?” she shouted.
Molly tried the bedroom door. The handle rattled, but remained mercifully in place. Sierra took a moment to thank all the gods that she had remembered to lock her door last night.
On the other side of the locked door, Molly was frantic. She was banging on the door now and continuing to rattle the handle.
“Sierra? Are you okay? Answer me!”
Reflexively, Sierra tried to answer. Instead of reassurances, what came out of her mouth was a strangled sort of moan produced by her deep, bear vocal cords. Sierra cursed herself for trying as the noise sent Molly right over the edge into a tailspin of panic. The door banged on its hinges as Molly tried unsuccessfully to knock it down.
“Why is your door locked? So I spilled a can of paint on your laptop one time ! If you die
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“I’m calling 911!”
Molly ran off. Sierra could hear the muted sounds of her panicked phone call to 911, and some kind of crashing noise. Sierra tried to move off the wrecked bed. What little of the bed structure that remained, groaned beneath her weight. Her claws sunk into the bedding, shredding it beneath her.
Cursing and wondering how on earth she was going to explain all this, she tried to shift back into human form.
“ I need to picture my body .” She told herself. “ Picture my face, my hair, the way my hands do not usually shred things… ”
Nothing happened. Remembering the naughty thoughts that lead to her shift last time, she tried to think about Joe. But all that the memory of Joe brought up was a lot of righteous anger accompanied by the thought, “ Why didn’t he warn me about this? ”
That was when she heard the whir of the power drill. Molly was taking her door off the hinges.
“ SHIFT! ” she screamed internally. “ SHIFT NOW!”
Her frantic need to resume human form finally convinced her body to cooperate. Her body began to shift as she heard one screw after another drop to the floor with a faint clink .
Sierra felt her claws recede just as the door fell inward. It cracked as it hit the ground, revealing Molly framed behind it, drill in hand. Sierra was naked on all fours in the remains of the bed, now fully human. Molly rushed to her and knelt on the ruined bed.
“I’m fine!” Sierra insisted in a choked voice.
She sat up and looked around for something to put on. The ripped remains of her red satin nightgown were scattered around her. Sierra tried to tuck them surreptitiously away.
“What happened?” Molly asked. Her jaw dropped as she surveyed the wreckage.
“I…I don’t know.” Sierra stammered. “It broke. The bed must be faulty.”
“Why didn’t you answer me?” Molly demanded.
“I…uh…I don’t
The shadows were catching up.
Sierra pushed her mind harder, trying to conjure up the exact feeling of being a bear. Something in her mind was holding her back, telling her not to change. Sierra screamed in frustration and drowned the little voice out, focused entirely on shifting.
Just as the shadows started to grasp her, the electric feeling started. She was going to shift! She could get away now! Sierra embraced the feeling, letting her body change as she fought back the shadows.
BAM!
The deafening bang woke Sierra with a start. Dazed from the dream, her mind spun wildly, trying to make sense of what had happened.
She was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling -- a ceiling which seemed somewhat further away than she expected it to be, with the chain on the ceiling fan dangling several inches out of reach instead of the usual grasping distance. The mattress beneath her was cocked at the strange angle and something was poking into her back. Coming out of her cloudy state now, she realized that the bed had collapsed underneath her.
It had collapsed underneath her because she had shifted into bear form in her sleep.
With dawning horror, she heard Molly running towards her room.
“Sierra?! What was that? Are you alright?” she shouted.
Molly tried the bedroom door. The handle rattled, but remained mercifully in place. Sierra took a moment to thank all the gods that she had remembered to lock her door last night.
On the other side of the locked door, Molly was frantic. She was banging on the door now and continuing to rattle the handle.
“Sierra? Are you okay? Answer me!”
Reflexively, Sierra tried to answer. Instead of reassurances, what came out of her mouth was a strangled sort of moan produced by her deep, bear vocal cords. Sierra cursed herself for trying as the noise sent Molly right over the edge into a tailspin of panic. The door banged on its hinges as Molly tried unsuccessfully to knock it down.
“Why is your door locked? So I spilled a can of paint on your laptop one time ! If you die
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“I’m calling 911!”
Molly ran off. Sierra could hear the muted sounds of her panicked phone call to 911, and some kind of crashing noise. Sierra tried to move off the wrecked bed. What little of the bed structure that remained, groaned beneath her weight. Her claws sunk into the bedding, shredding it beneath her.
Cursing and wondering how on earth she was going to explain all this, she tried to shift back into human form.
“ I need to picture my body .” She told herself. “ Picture my face, my hair, the way my hands do not usually shred things… ”
Nothing happened. Remembering the naughty thoughts that lead to her shift last time, she tried to think about Joe. But all that the memory of Joe brought up was a lot of righteous anger accompanied by the thought, “ Why didn’t he warn me about this? ”
That was when she heard the whir of the power drill. Molly was taking her door off the hinges.
“ SHIFT! ” she screamed internally. “ SHIFT NOW!”
Her frantic need to resume human form finally convinced her body to cooperate. Her body began to shift as she heard one screw after another drop to the floor with a faint clink .
Sierra felt her claws recede just as the door fell inward. It cracked as it hit the ground, revealing Molly framed behind it, drill in hand. Sierra was naked on all fours in the remains of the bed, now fully human. Molly rushed to her and knelt on the ruined bed.
“I’m fine!” Sierra insisted in a choked voice.
She sat up and looked around for something to put on. The ripped remains of her red satin nightgown were scattered around her. Sierra tried to tuck them surreptitiously away.
“What happened?” Molly asked. Her jaw dropped as she surveyed the wreckage.
“I…I don’t know.” Sierra stammered. “It broke. The bed must be faulty.”
“Why didn’t you answer me?” Molly demanded.
“I…uh…I don’t
Similar Books
