Body that is Not My Own How I Love Thee

[Alarice]

There were so many things happening, so many people talking ... It was crazy! There were new sights and sounds, so many that Vince was having trouble keeping focus. Everyone was talking and laughing and then that weird guy showed up and everyone went ballistic. His mind kept wandering though he was so sure, that everything was fine. He didn't feel different, he hadn't felt anything happening to him ...

Vince yawned but what happened confused him. He didn't just yawn--the mask yawned, moved with him! He moved his tongue around and it was heavier, bigger, longer than normal! It moved out of his mouth and touched the fur on his muzzle! His muzzle! Oh, what was that smell?! He blinked. Colors looked weird, muted. Sort of like that time he watched the Animal Planet documentary on wolves and how they saw the world or possibly saw the world ...

Oohh, itchy! He made a soft growl and dropped to the floor. Without hesitation, he tilted his head to one side and his back leg--his back leg!--came up and began scratching the back of his ear. Oohh ... oohh, that hit the spot! His other leg began thumping onto the floor in contentment and for awhile, the world disappeared and it was just Vince the Werewolf enjoying a damn, good scratching.

 

[Zen]

Mason looked at every one of his friends with his lizard mouth hanging open. There was a werewolf, a vampire, a cat thing, a puny fairy and a ghost. It finally clicked and when Mason finally looked down at himself, it took every ounce of willpower to ensure that he didn't shit his pants.

"Now wait... Lets not panic. Lets think this through. There was a man right?"

The others agreed, saying that there was indeed a strange and mysterious man who entered the room. And also exited it. Manson feebly pointed to the blue portal.

"And he said something about going through the portal to get our human forms back?"

Again they all nodded in agreement.

Like Clara said, they really had no choice. Mason awkwardly rose to his feet, trying not to claw into the flooring of his parent's home. His tail kept twitching and flipping into random things until Mason finally got it to settle down. Now, as he slowly absorbed his surroundings he realized that everything looked far more pristine than normal. Perhaps it had something to do with this spell affecting his eyesight.

"I-I'm not going in there by myself. So we're all going, together. On the count of three okay?

One...

Two...

THREE!"

Mason grabbed a hold of Vincent's and Violet's hands, hoping the others would do the same. He pushed with his mighty lizard legs, felt the zap of the portal as it touched his scaly skin and then fell into a long winding blue tunnel. They spun dizzily in its vortex before they were spewed out onto a field of wheat. Up above them was a giant golden moon with numerous clouds dotting the night sky. A faint breeze carried the smell of the wheat, but as Mason sniffed further he identified smoke, ash and meats cooking.

"Is everyone okay?" He said, lifting himself from the dirt. Another inhale told him that he landed in a pile of cow dung.

Once everyone regained their bearings, they'd notice a small village in the distance. The largest of the buildings had smoke rising out of its chimney, filling the air with savory scents.

"You guys smell that? Oh man, that smells good."

 

[Jae- The nonexistant]

Violet held Mason's hand tightly until they made it through the portal. She coughed and stood up, flexing her wings painfully a moment. "I-I'm okay." She stuttered, looking around. She looked up. Maybe I could...no. I won't try. She pulled her wings close to her. "Yeah. I smell it." She said in response to his question. She watched the city for a moment before turning and watching the others.

 

[Falcon]

"Smell what?" Sarah asked wondering what it was the others were noticing. The portal hadn't phased her any more the the concept of being dead had. That was to say she was sufficiently weirded out already.

She could see the wheat field and the moon, she could hear the others talking, she could even tell that there was a light breeze blowing by the way the wheat stalks bent slightly with it's motion, but she felt nothing, and she could smell nothing. It seemed the only senses of her's that were working were those related to perception. Sight and sound, if they could be called that. Everything she heard seemed as if it has a faint echo to it, as if she were hearing things from a distance, and everything she saw seemed to have a faint outline to it. Almost like a heat signature on the scope she'd once been aloud to experiment with during a science class. Yet somehow Sarah was sure she'd be able to pick out any one of her friends based on that heat, light, whatever it was, alone.

Sighing slightly she walked to the front of the group to stand on the other side of Mason in an attempt to see what he and Violet were looking at. Or rather she tried to walk and stand. Her feet moved but they passed though the wheat without causing any change what-so-ever, and when she tried to stand she simply sank into the ground. After a few seconds she gave up and hovered a bare quarter inch above the ground. But even that didn't make her too happy. Watching the wind apparently breeze through her to move the wheat stalks, which should have been trampled firmly under her feet, was just too disturbing, so after a another few seconds she cursed slightly.

"Drat it all," Sarah grumbled tucking her legs up under her body. The rest of her didn't move, Just her feet. She hovered where she was in a kneeling position, head at the same height it had been previously.

 

[Harper]

Riley Croft

There was a great deal of commotion in Mason's bedroom, everyone was in a panic and chattering nervously. If you asked her, Riley wouldn't have been able to recount any of what was said and done during that time. She was thoroughly transfixed by her reflection and the delicate, thin wings sprouted from her back. She could feel them there, not just the weight on her back but the soft draft caressing them. The more she thought about them the more frustrated they made her, she could feel them but had no idea how to move them. She tried moving around and shrugging her shoulders, flexing her back seemed to work a little but only allowed her wings to jerk and twitch in a disorganized manner. She huffed a sigh and glanced back around, turning her attention back to the others.

Mason had taken the lead, as Riley had known he would, while she had been mesmerized by her reflection. She was tempted to voice her concerns over just leaping into a strange portal made by a man who had just completely altered them but everyone seemed already on board. There really was no point in arguing anyway, she knew they really didn't have a choice. She couldn't just rejoin the party in her current state could she? No, she doubted Mason's mother would approve of a fairy boozing it up in her dining room. Though this did implant the delicious fantasy of literally diving into a glass of shiraz.

Lined up with the others, Riley glanced up at the humongous portal before her. She would have appreciated a hand to hold as well but the back of her mind wondered how much force it would really take to crush her tiny limbs. Instead, she climbed up onto Vince's pant leg and held on for dear life so she would not be left behind. As the group surged forward, Riley took a large gulp of air and held her breath, bracing herself for what was to come.

It felt like jumping from a ledge. One moment they were walking and everything was right with the world and the next they were plummeting. The vortex spun around them, a swirl of blue that left Riley wondering where her skin ended and the portal began. She had become dislodged from Vince in the free fall, her tiny form buffeted by the winds. She hardly noticed that her wings were beating, keeping her as steady as possible in the vortex before it spit them all out in a heap. Luckily, she fell into a wheat stalk, her arms and legs wrapping around the stalk as it swayed hazardously back and forth. She glanced around anxiously at her friends, silently counting heads as if they were all on a field trip and she was the chaperone.


"I'm fine," Riley called out to Mason as she carefully flexed her wings. Now that she knew the trick behind it, it was not so hard. She beat them quickly and carefully removed her arms from the wheat stalk. Encouraged that she did not immediately fall backwards, she unwrapped her legs as well and hovered in the air. It would have been thrilling had she not been scared to death. She flew slowly over to the others, occasionally dropping out of the air as different air currents blew past her wings. She landed lightly on Violet's shoulder, grabbing a fistful of her hair to steady herself. Riley surveyed the land from her new vantage point and really, was very unimpressed. "You know, this is not at all what I was expecting..."

 

[Ochalla]

The blue swirling light, the portal, what laid on the other side. It was too late, far too late, to worry about what it could be, but Clara wish they had some knowledge, something to prepare them for what was to come. And Vince, why of all things did he have to be a canine? It bothered her in a level that she could barely comprehend.

The other side of the portal was not what Clara thought, it was quant, quiet, and by all reasonng not someplace to be fearful. Was it a false sense of comfort that was given them? Who knew.

"We need to be careful. We do not know who, or what might be in that village. We do not want to just walk in there," Clara pointed out to the others. She started to pace. "What we need to do is get a better look around. Sneak in. Listen. See if the people there will even be friendly. Even if they are, they might not think we are!" Clara looked down at her hands, her nails now like claws. "We look like monsters after all." Well almost all of them did, but a ghost wasn't inspiring of hope and a fairy, well, there were two types.

 

[Zen]

Mason got down on his stomach, the cool soil calming his beating heart. He made a conscious effort to avoid the pile of dung nearby, although for some reason his nose told him this wasn't made by any normal bovine. He tried to part the wheat stalks, but his claws were so sharp that he hacked a handful to the ground. Laughing nervously he shimmied forward several feet, gesturing for the others to follow.

"Clara's right, we need to figure out where we are." Talking was a weird sensation. Every now and then his tongue would slip out, tasting the air. Whatever that meat was, Mason definitely would loved to try it out himself. Mason looked at the others, scratching his head in thought. "Maybe we should all go scout ahead... Unless one of you wants to volunteer?"

Mason supposed the rest of them would wait here. It wasn't like anything could sneak up on them right? They were out in the open, with wheat fields for cover.

 

[Jae- The nonexistant]

Violet stepped forward. "Umm..I-I'll volunteer." She said, crossing her arms loosely from habit. The wings on her back flexed a little, causing a weird shiver down her back. If she was going to be like this, she'd have to get used to the wings. Definitely.. She thought to herself. "I'll help scout." She said, a little less stuttering in her voice. Her red eyes flicked lightly over everyone before resting again on Mason.

 

[Falcon]

"No," Sarah objected as Violet volunteered, "It's better I go." She looked around at the others. "Technically I'm dead so . . . Well, if anything goes wrong I can't be harmed, right?
It was not exactly a comforting thought, but it was a logical one, and with her new "ability" to pass through solid matter getting out of sight should be easy shouldn't it? if someone looked to be about to see her she could just sink into the ground, become invisible as it were.

Almost as if responding to her thoughts of remaining hidden, Sarah's form shimmered slightly, becoming nearly completely transparent before shifting back to it's original ghostly opacity.

 

[Jae- The nonexistant]

Violet looked a little sore at that, but shrugged. "Whatever you two decide." she said, stepping back again, flexing her wings again, tempted to take flight, even if for only a moment.

 

[Zen]

Mason looked awkwardly between the two girls, scratching his chin with his claws; the sound was almost like nails on a chalk board. He was slightly hesitant to speak his mind, considering all that had happened tonight, and he didn't want to be the one who set everyone's nerves on fire.

"I appreciate your bravery Violet, but Sarah's right. If she's really a um, ghost, Sarah won't be harmed if something attacks her. I mean," he chuckled nervously to break the tension, "the wheat stalks are passing right through her. What's a sword gonna do?"

Perhaps that wasn't the most tactical thing Mason could say. To be honest he was expecting Sarah to smack him... Luckily the blow would pass right through him. He wasn't being his usual self, both inside and out.

"Right so, we'll wait here. You can give us a signal if it's safe to come out or run back here if there's trouble."

***​

When you think 'village', you probably think of something homely, perhaps something out of Beauty and Beast where the towns people pop out of their shutters and start singing cheerfully about the days to come. There are bakers selling their wares, the farmer selling his produce and the domestic animals baying at any passerby. There are carts filled with milk to be delivered and the shoppers going from store to store asking each other how they are doing.

Now take those images and incinerate them. It's not what this village looks like.

Ambriel - the name of the village is written on a flapping piece of wooden panel - is a rather unfortunate settlement. True, it used to be a grand and cheerful place. The fountain in the center used to actually work and there was clean water for everyone to drink or do their laundry. It's now become dry and is a perfect nesting ground for rats and mice alike. The crows have taken to roosting in its buildings, whose shingles and boards constantly fall off on a daily basis; one can see evidence of this one the ground. And the streets - which used to be lovingly swept - are covered with a layer of filth and grime. When it rains, the filth turns into rivulets of muck.

And there are bodies littering the ground. Child, adults, teenagers, animals - they all lay decaying on the ground. But every single of them are on their backs, mouths open in an eternal scream.

Luckily there are a few alive villagers remaining and they are tucked into one large building that is their church. It is a large stone building whose door is fortified with chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture. The occupants are huddled together in the kitchen where their dinner roasts on a fire in the hearth. (No doubt this is what the others in the wheat field were smelling.) It is a boar that has four tusks - how peculiar - and it's speared through the mouth and the end of the stick comes out of its ass.

As the animal's grease drips and hisses upon the fire, the oldest occupant - a man with a grizzly beard and gaunt eyes - speaks to the other three who are with him.

"We can't stay here. That, that thing is going to get us sooner or later. It's gotten everyone else."

"Where can we go Martin?" hissed an older woman who looked to be the man's age. The shawl wrapped around her neck used to be a bright red color but it has since faded. She too looks gaunt and her black hair is greying quickly.

"I don't know, but staying here is going to kill us."

The third occupant was a dog, a bloodhound to be precise, who whimpered pitifully on the ground. The family of two got out alive because of their precious dog and thus refused to eat him for dinner. He also had other uses like hunting for prey. He was the one who got the boar after all.

"We'll have to run for it Martha." He clutched her hand in his and kissed it. "We'll head for the hills come sun up. It's the best chance we got. It never comes out at night."

 

[Jae- The nonexistant]

Violet looked a little defeated, but nodded dully. "Okay Mason." She said, stepping back. She stretched her wings a little to keep the muscles from cramping before she sat down on her knees and looked around the group, wondering what their next decision would be. She wanted back to her human form. She wanted to go back home. But she couldn't yet, they had to find the answer before this could happen. The thought made her clasp her hands together silently.

 

[Falcon]

Sarah nodded and . . . sailed . . . forward towards the village swiftly leaving the others behind in the wheat field.
What she saw . . .
Well, it was not what she was expecting. She was not expecting the decrepit state of things, the flapping wooden sign baring the name of the village, the dry well, the falling apart houses. She was not expecting the utter silence that filled the place or the eerie loneliness that seemed to surround her. She was not expecting the dead.

Her first thought upon seeing the first body, a male, was that she was glad it had been her to explore the village and and not one of the others.
And there were bodies everywhere Men women children . . . even the children!
"God!, Oh God, oh God, Oh God!" she whispered.
If she had been human she would have lost every meal she had eaten in the last forty-eight hours, but she was no longer human, she no longer had any stomach with which she could be sick. All she cold do was cry and continue onward. Ghostly tears streamed down her cheeks and evaporated into mist as she took one step after another deeper into the village knowing that before she returned to convince the others to go around she had to find out, if she could, what had happened in this place.

Perhaps it was lucky she was a ghost in this one instance. The light she had noticed earlier around her friends, there seemed to be a trace of it in a building up head, what appeared to have once been a church. She zeroed in on it like a moth to light, hurrying her pace. There where only two possibilities that crossed her mind, either what still lived in this place was a survivor of some terrible catastrophe, or the thing responsible for it.

She reached the church's nearest wall and taking a deep breath, as if she still had lungs with which to breath, she stepped right through it into what she expected had once been the sanctuary. Whatever was there she would find her way to that life force, and one way or another get the answers she needed before whatever had happened here threatened her friends.

 

[Harper]

Riley Croft

In truth, Riley was about to volunteer her services as well for scouting. She was small after all and could probably do a decent job of staying out of sight and could always fly out of harm's reach. She had just started to clear her throat to speak when Sarah had voiced her plan and Riley could see the wisdom in it. She hated to think of her friend as a dead thing but it was sadly the truth in the circumstance and in this, it was very useful. Still, Riley hoped beyond hope that her friend's current separation from her body was only temporary and would be easily fixed once this whole situation was settled.

"Good luck Sarah," Riley said with a hesitant wave of her tiny hand. She tried to give her most encouraging smile, the one she used on her students, but she imagined the effect was lost in her pitch black eyes and sharp, pointy teeth. After she watched Sarah float away in the direction of the village, Riley turned her attention to her friends that remained. "Well then, how shall we pass the time?" She asked, more to fill the silence than anything. She stretched out her wings a bit before taking flight once more, this time directing herself to a rather large boulder close to the group. It was large enough to keep her at waist height of most of the group, while still being below the tops of the surrounding wheat field.

From her new vantage point, Riley studied her friends once again, marveling at their new bodies. Herself, Mason, and Vincent were perhaps the most drastic changes in appearance, though Sarah certainly took the prize for most unsettling. As far as Riley was concerned, Violet was perhaps the luckiest as she was mostly unchanged apart from her eyes and the new set of wings she had. And what was that Riley had seen Violet do earlier at the house? Set fire to her hand? Did they all have new abilities to match their current bodies? Riley thought about that carefully, clearly she wasn't like the Blue Fairy from Pinnochio but she was a fairy none the less. She tried to think what sorts of things fairies could do in lore but all that came to mind was fairy dust.

Riley glanced around at the group cautiously, trying to gauge how many of them were watching her. When she was satisfied she wasn't being watched, she flung her hands out in front of her. She wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting to happen but was sorely disappointed when all she accomplished was making a fool of herself. Fairy dust, fairy dust, fairy dust...How do I make fairy dust? She asked herself, scratching her chin lightly as she mulled it over. The more she thought about the words, the stranger she began to feel, as if some sort of film was coating her skin. She made a face and brushed her hand over her arm, startled when the contact resulted in small glowing particles to flake from her skin.


Encouraged by this new discovery, Riley pressed the palms of her hands together, or at least she tried to. No matter how hard she tried they would not touch, as if they were magnets repelling one another. Fairy dust, fairy dust, fairy dust! She chanted in her mind as she ground her hands together. She gave a delighted chirp as dust fell in a continuous stream to the boulder at her feet. She was very pleased with herself for her findings, right up until the rock she stood on started to shift. She cried out softly as she took to the air, watching in shock as the monstrous boulder began to float as if it weighed no more than a dandelion seed.

 

[Falcon]

The sanctuary was empty. Sarah hadn't really expected anybody to be there anyway, the life source had seemed to be coming from the back of the building. Probably an office area or . . . Sarah's mind briefly flashed back to the others discussing the smell of something and watching smoke rise. Smoke, meant there must be a fire and she hadn't seen any, and a scent that made her friend look like that, well they may have no longer been human, but Sarah had been around the restaurant business long enough to know the look on someone's face when they smelled soothing delicious. That implied that this church had a kitchen, and that someone was cooking in it.

She moved through the sanctuary towards the rear of the building not even bothering to go around the dilapidated pews. As disconcerting as passing though solid matter was she was beginning to get used to it. It took her bare minutes to reach the back where she passed straight through a solid wood door, a table, and what looked like an old bookshelf stacked against it. In fact now that she thought about it the church's main door had been barred in a very similar fashion. Whoever was here was obviously very much afraid of something, or themselves.

She was now in a short hallway and glancing down it she could seen a light underneath a door at the far end. Cautiously she approached and tried to press her ear against the door, but only succeeded in passing her head partway through. It was fortunate none of the rooms occupants were looking in her direction because it gave Sarah a moment to collect her thoughts. Thinking quickly and remembering what had happened in the field when she had been musing on not being seen, Sarah tried to focus her thoughts, attempting to will herself into invisibility. She stuck her hand through the door and was relieved to find she couldn't see it.

There were two people in the room, and elderly couple who seemed to be arguing, and on the floor was a dog. Some kind of hound Sarah guessed. She had never been very good at telling one breed from another. It was the couple's argument that caught her attention. "Where can we go Martin?" hissed the woman to whom her husband replied,

"I don't know, but staying here is going to kill us. We'll have to run for it Martha." He clutched her hand in his and kissed it. "We'll head for the hills come sun up. It's the best chance we got. It never comes out at night."

The urgency of the statement alone was enough to shock an already stunned Sarah to the core. She had to find out what was going on quickly, before whatever this thing they were discussing attacked her friends. And so, raking her brain for the right words, Sarah stepped forward through the door into the room allowing herself to become visible to the couple, and spoke.

"Excuse me, please . . . please don't be frightened. I won't hurt you. But I would like to know – What . . . what happened here?"