SHIFTING
999 Words
"You are going to feel some pain, Nora. Just try to relax, connect with your wolf again and let her take control."
"I can deal with pain, I've endured it my entire life."
My comment makes Patrick Growl. I smile and take his hand in mine.
"Don't worry about me. I was born for this, right?"
"Absolutely. I know you can do anything, Nora, I can feel your power and the power of your wolf."
I pull his head down to mine and kiss him softly on his lips. Patrick wraps his arms around my waist, holding me so tight that my feet dangle above the ground. He sets me down on my feet and I take a step back. I cautiously start to remove my clothes, conscious of Patrick's burning glare. Either I get naked now or I shred my clothes and walk back to the house naked. Here goes nothing. With a deep breath, I take off my shoes, my pants and finally my top. I decide to take my hair down, hoping it will provide some coverage. My long curls fall over my breasts and I finally look up at Patrick. He is looking at me in awe and I can feel the love pouring from his eyes.
"You're stunning, Nora, don't ever be ashamed of your body."
I smile then close my eyes, ready to become Celeste. The tingles come faster and stronger than last time and I hear her as clear as day.
"Are you ready, Nora?" She asks in my head.
"I'm ready." I reply.
My whole body tingles, my skin itches and I feel the urge to scratch. Then the pain comes. I feel my body twist and contort. I hear my bones popping and I swear I'm going to break in half. When I can take no more I fall to my knees, my hands gripping the earth below me. My body feels like it's on fire and I want to scream but I am unable to make a sound. Then suddenly, it all stops. It's quiet and the pain is gone. I can hear the soft breeze, I hear mice scattering in the forest, birds that must be miles away and I can hear Patrick beside me. I can hear his heart beating, the blood pumping through his veins and his erratic breathing.
I open my eyes to look at him. I can see perfectly through the darkness of the night. Patrick is looking at me like he has seen a ghost. I look down at the ground and where there was once hands, are two large paws. My fur is as white as snow.
"Moon Goddess. Celeste. You're amazing. You bear the mark of the blessed."
I try to talk but all the comes out is a whimper. I guess wolves can't talk. I just look at Patrick and wonder what to do next. He smiles at me, scratches my head then steps away from me. In a matter of seconds he shifts into his wolf. He is huge and jet black just like his hair. His eyes are piercing blue like his own. More blue, if that's possible. He walks towards me and rubs his muzzle against my neck then licks my nose. Even as a wolf he towers over me. He nods his head over his shoulder and takes off. I follow his lead and run to catch up to him. Having four legs instead of two feels weird, but this is Celeste's body and she soon gets control. I catch up to Patrick and we run. We run through the stream and through the forest dodging logs and branches. This is amazing. I've never felt so alive and yet it feels like I am watching this all unfold through a screen.
After what must have been hours, we stop running. We both sit quietly, panting to catch our breath. Patrick looks up to the moon and howls. Celeste immediately howls along, announcing to the world that she is here. She has finally been set free and she is here to stay.
We walk back to the field of flowers and Patrick shifts back to his human form, quickly putting on his shorts. How do I shift back? Patrick must have read the worried expression on my face because he scratches my head again and flashes that heart stopping smile at me.
"Just think of yourself, Nora, in your human form and take back control."
I did as he said and soon enough, I could feel my fur and my claws retracting. My body twisting again, bringing along the sound of popping. The pain was a lot less intense this time though, and it seemed quicker too. I quickly put my clothes back on and turn to Patrick.
"That was the most exhilarating experience of my life. I could do that all day. Celeste is amazing, I can't believe I never even knew she was there, a part of me that remained hidden."
"She may have been hidden for a reason, Nora. Celeste bears the mark of the blessed, a crescent moon on her chest, the colour of your beautiful hair."
"What does that mean?" I ask.
I can see that Patrick looks worried. If Celeste is "blessed" then why would that be a bad thing?
"It means that Celeste, that you Nora, are powerful. Chosen by the Moon Goddess to hold such power. Such wolves are few and far between. The last blessed wolf that we know of existed more than 500 years ago. My worry, Nora is that you will be a target. A target for those who seek to have your powers. You've been hidden your whole life, shielded from the world and I think that maybe that wasn't an accident. Whoever took you when you were born may have known what you were. My guess is that that person was Dorothy."
"This isn't good. Why would she hide me? What was in it for her?"
"I'm not sure, my love. Tomorrow we will go to Kylemore, and tomorrow Dorothy will talk, whether she likes it or not."
- Writer
