The sounds of explosions pierced through my burning ears. I coughed and covered my mouth with my arm, trying to get rid of the chemicals entering my body. 

BOOM!

Another explosion in the far distance, the ground shook, the flames enlarged. I coughed harshly then cursed; quickly crawling to the still body in the warmth. I touched the uniformed officer, "Cold," I said. I sat there for a minute with the flames burning brightly and tearing down the old shack. I pondered whether I should leave this authority to burn or to take their uniform and use it as my own; no one would know, I'm a shapeshifter, I could take their figure and thoughts.

I heard wood fall and crash behind me, time was running out. I knew the consequences of impersonating an officer, I knew the price was different than a human impersonating an authority figure. I dismissed the thoughts away, grabbed the officer and quickly dashed passed the flames. Making swift movements toward the back of the shack, coughing the smoke away, dodging the flames, the unstable areas, holding the dead officer in my arms carefully; even if they carried some weight.

I kicked down the unstable door in the back of the shack and rushed out through the small, dead, backyard. I hopped over the broken fence and zoomed deep into an alleyway where only trash, starving animals and bacteria thrived. 

I tossed the dead organism near the decaying wall of the enclosed alleyway; the flies immediately moved from the garbage to the human and began pecking their skin. I shooed them away as I sat close to the body, huffing and coughing from that adrenaline filled experience. I inhaled, gulped and leaned toward the corpse. 

"Here we go," I murmured as I closed my eyes and pressed against their dried lips. I pulled away, opened my eyes and noticed my arms and legs taking the form of the officer, but as soon as I morphed; the original turned to ash. I stood and swept the ash in different corners of the alleyway; standing in the quiet night and in need of clothing, I walked over to the garbage and started digging as I inhaled the nasty smell, "This smells like horse crap, but right now I need something to cover myself up because if I don't find something I could get arrested or worse..." I soon found a darkened raggedy cloth, pulled it out of the dump, flapped it and wrapped it snug around my chest. 

I strolled out of the alleyway and scrolled through the memories of this new form, so I could understand their dialogue, where they lived, their friends and family, what they have accomplished, their fears, and so on. While walking to the police station they worked at, I saw the large building in the distance with officers spread throughout the office. I strolled closer, toward the glass doors and my pulse began to increase as my anxiety went up with it. My mind screamed: Look! Look! I'm not the actual officer, I'm just a shapeshifter! The jig is up! I've been caught! Begin the persecution!

I opened one of the doors; one officer was sitting at his desk and talking to another who was facing the opposite direction. The officer who faced my direction, however, looked up from chatting and saw who was standing in front of the doorway. He paused, swiftly stood up and his ocean eyes sparkled. The officer he was talking to turned around, to possibly see what made his lips close. Soon other officers in the room stopped and turned my direction; I was sweating bullets. Finally, the officer with beautiful eyes rushed towards me and hugged me tightly. He softly breathed in my ear as if he was about to say something, except he didn't, which sent chills up my spine and made my blood pump even more. 

He pulled back and bombarded me with nonsense: What happened? You rushed into the fire, the station thought you died! I thought you died! Where are your clothes? Where's your gun? How are you not hurt from the fire? Are you OK? 

I blinked and responded how the original creature would, "What a lovely warm welcome." The officer chuckled nervously, "OK, don't answer anything I just vomited on you right now. You need a new badge, gun, clothes, a shower and some food, possibly; once that's done, then I'll continue with my questions, sorry." I smiled to let him know that it was alright, that any normal creature would act that way, especially if they loved them. 

He nodded and told me to wait exactly where I was. While he walked to his desk, I waved to the other officers to indicate that I was alright, to make it look like it was the original officer that turned to ash and not the shapeshifter, not a different species quelling their anxiety.

The officer returned, led me through the double doors and to his car. He opened the driver's side, turned the ignition, then opened passenger side for me. "What a gentleman," I thought while slipping in carefully. He shut the door, slipped into the seat on his side and shut the door once more. 

Before he put his hands on the wheel I asked, "Where are you taking me?" He locked the doors and his face turned grim. He spoke rigidly, "To the pits of hell, shapeshifter."

My anxiety spiked as my heart sank in fear; my mind began to race, a sea of words drowning out the noise of the ignition: Look at me! Look at me! Oh look you caught me! Yes, it's me! The shapeshifter! The jig is up! Oh yes, oh yes indeed! 

I quickly hissed, "Looks like it's time to begin the execution!"