Mnnnn, my head hurts…

A dull throbbing sensation was the first thing to fade in. The sheer discomfort, it was odd; almost alien in how it came to me. The sound of flowing air, of swaying trees, and flowing water. The only seemingly normal part was the headache, harsh, but realistic for the last thing I'd felt. 

What happened?

Before I could fully rouse myself, an uncharacteristically cool breeze rushed past my skin. It should have been the height of summer in Wyoming, the cooler winds of fall not coming for some time; it had to be one hundred degrees at the least. Strangest of all, I was in my truck with the air conditioning yet to be turned on.

Oh fuck, don't tell me someone robbed me. How could they hit me through the window without me realizing? Was I shot?

Next, the scent of the pine crept into my nose; a keen grasp of my senses returning to me. Birds chirping, an unfamiliar animal calling in the background, and the continuous flow of water, the hard gravely dirt I was laying in. Amongst all this, an unfamiliar feeling of something brushing against my face.

Fuck.

I rolled over, my hands planting into the soil as I was lifting myself up. My balance felt off, a lingering sense of nausea coming to a head just as I felt myself on my knees. My eyes snapped open as I attempted to void the contents of my stomach, forcing only water out and burning my throat with what little stomach acid accompanied it. 

Did I get blackout drunk? No, that doesn't-

I dry heaved, drool coming out as I whimpered.

-account for the pain. And that voice?

I attempted to catch my breath, staring at the pool of water that turned to mud. I clenched my eyes shut, giving myself a moment to recover. I leaned further forward, the feeling of something sliding over my shoulders and brushing against my exposed forearms.

Hmm?

I opened my eyes slowly, looking at the culprit.

"Hair?"

What?

It was hair, loose and now laying in the dirt by its ends. Alongside it, I now realized the top of my periphery was blurred. Adjusting my focus, the blur seemed to also be from loosely hanging bangs of the same color. An unnaturally purple tinted red color. 

What in the fuck?

My hair was a few inches at its longest, yet this hair appeared to be at least five at the shortest strand.

What the hell happened-

I sat up and reached my hands out, grabbing  the loose strands. Pulling on them, only to realize the hands I posted myself up with before did not look like my own. 

"Wha- how?"

My hands were small and frail in appearance. The hands of a child, covered in dried dirt and blood. I was stuck in a trance as I stared at the palms of my upturned hands before bringing them to my throat.

"My-..."

I felt frozen in place, staring at the dirt in front of me before a roar somewhere in the distance brought me back to the moment.

"Where- where am I?!"

My voice rang out from the shock alone, the scenery of the environment placing about as much fear into me as my alien features. A sense of fear I hadn't experienced in months came back to me as I slowly scanned my surroundings, deliberately looking for any potential danger. I was in the center of a dirt clearing, gravely and clearly used as some form of roundabout. The surrounding forest was thick, giving a line of sight of roughly forty feet before the trees themselves obstructed view alone. Oak and aspen, with a wide variety of undergrowth ranging from grass to firns nearly three feet in height. To one side of the clearing there was an unobstructed road, rutted by wheels and whatever else must have passed through; while the other end of the circle was flanked by a flowing river. A series of worn and barely maintained docks ran along the clearing to the river, showing its age and use. 

It was an environment that felt so far detached from where I'd been before that I could only think I was hallucinating. I was in a town before that should have been detached from this kind of environment, yet I was here. 

"Water."

An overwhelming thirst followed the revelation of the river, forcing me to even think past the jarring sight of my hands, hair, or the sound of my voice. I was overwhelmed by the need to drink before I could even think. I tried to raise my body, stumbling as I did my best to crawl towards the river. 

"Water! Water- oof!"

I attempted to stand, falling forward into the dirt; I was somehow unable to balance myself yet. I crawled into the water in desperation, the sensation of cold washing over my limbs. At first I couldn't process the reflections I saw, breaking them apart with each movement of my arms and legs as I pushed forward. When I was elbow deep within the water, I forced my face under its surface. I drank deeply, unable to do much else until my lungs screamed for air.

Splsh- cough-cough-

I threw my head back, the bow wet hair swinging back with the motion. I breathed deeply, my mind coming back into the moment with a greater sense of clarity. I sat back onto my shins as I splashed water up to my face; like I was trying to wash away a bad dream. No amount of mental prep would ready me for the next moment, for the sense of shock that followed.

“Ah- wha- aheh!”

I gasped and my breath caught in my throat as I stared at my own reflection. 

“What?”

My voice fully registered within my ears, a hand coming back to my throat. In place of a neck and jaw that should have been coated with a thin layer of hair, I found smooth skin. The reflection that stared back at me was clearly one of a girl, inhuman and terrified. 

“This is a dream, just a bad dream.”

The voice of the girl was clear, interrupted only by water.

“It has to be!”

A feeling of tension spread throughout my body, the sensation of shock running along my back, sending the feeling of sparks along every part of me as I entered fight or flight. 

It’s too real.

“Hah-hah-hah”

I stared at the sky for some time, my breath reminding me each time of reality. The changed voice that forced me to confront that reality refusing to change. 

What… happened to me?

Hesitantly, I looked down to confront the reflection; greeted by the same girl who breathed and gulped in the same manner as myself.

“What-“

I spoke slowly, watching my reflection with bated breath. I took in the visage. A girl, no more than seven or eight years old. 

“Who am I?”

I was hesitant about those words. However, not much could be said or thought to tell me what I saw was an illusion.

She's cute, she looks like my sister, Rosalie looked like this before.

I paused, maintaining my focus.

I’m Aidan, but who is this?

She was pale, with eyes as yellow as amber, and her hair a purple-tinted red. It was seemingly well kept, its clean layering showing even as it was soaked with water. A few strands of her bangs fell forward back into my own periphery, giving a better view of the shocking feature. 

Horns.

Black horns, clearly real and not ornamental as I gave them a small tug. They wrapped around the head from their base like a crown, pointing to the sky near their ends. It was at this moment the next change in feature presented itself, pointed ears.

That's less odd, but still odd.

 Not long into my inspection, something blurry passed in the background of the reflection. 

"Wha?!"

I turned around rapidly, the water splashing as I did. I stared into the clearing, no one or anything present. The rush of the river's current brought my attention back to it, but not for a change in pace; but for the strange new sensation of resistance on a foreign part of my body.

Is there something in the water?

I turned once more, the feeling of resistance greater ingredients as I did until I felt the cool breeze upon the same part.

No, it's… me?

I turned my head over my shoulder at that moment, unsure of why other than some instinct. And there it greeted me, shifting in the air; a tail, lithe and similar in color to my hair. Its arrow-shaped tip swung around as I willed it, hanging just in front of my face.

"No… what am I?"

The stimulus, the shock of the moment was overwhelming. Nausea from earlier returned with force at the next thought.

Is it there?

I looked to my groin, taking note that I lacked a particular sensation. I could have otherwise felt to check, but visual confirmation felt more prudent. It was a similarly terrifying experience, as if it was another rung of discovery in and of itself; given the revelation of voice and appearance.

Please… be there…

Splash!

I stood, stumbling back into the water thanks to the strange foreign balance. The tail righted itself from my own control as I tried once more, its weight shifting as it swayed. 

The tail is needed… but my feet are human. My legs?

I looked over myself as I slowly regained my composure. On second thought, had I not been so confused I would have considered the poor decision in going straight into the water. The boots I wore were a mix of hides and cloth, a poor combination given afterthought. The pants were a thin material, possibly made of stretched hide, whilst over them I was wearing a simple white dress ending at the mid-thigh that appeared to be more delicate. It was rather fanciful given where I'd woken, even considering the layers of dried blood stains and mud. Little thought came to it being my own since it looked as if nothing was punctured. 

Who exactly am I to have clothes like this? It seems… out of place. Hide pants… the boots… and this.

I looked back over my shoulder to the tail that raised the dress as it moved. 

Enough delay, I'm going to be anxious until I know.

I closed my eyes, lifting the front of the dress with one hand while prying the front of the pants open with the other. I opened my eyelids slowly, afraid to see the truth.

Ah… nothing there.

I released my grip on the pants and let the dress fall back down, falling to my knees immediately.

"I've been emasculated!"

I whimpered, my hands planted under the surface of the water as I stared at the same weeping girl.

What's happened? This isn't a dream! It's too real! What is this?!

I spiraled within my head for ten minutes, then twenty, then until my arms fell asleep. 

What do I even do? Am I not human? Is… is this some kind of mutation? But why not like the others?!

A glimpse of unwanted memories came back to me, the faces of humans disfigured and writhing in pain. The cold of the Colorado plateau in winter, backdropped with the confused screams of my brothers.

What If someone sees me? 

With my confusion and panic, a slow fog rolled over my thoughts. I shot my head up, glancing every which way in a sudden panic.

I'm unarmed! Will I have to fight? I can't-

I shook my head.

"No! No, now's not the time!"

Calm down Aidan! Do you want answers? Survive. Staying alive will give you answers. It can't be the cult virus, this isn't anything reminiscent. For fucks sake your cock is replaced too, the virus doesn't fucking do that! And it sure as shut doesn't give you clothes!

Stay calm Aidan, don't lose your head. 

I slowly stood once more, slowly approaching the shore.

"Well, where in the world am I?"