Forest's Call by [Amour0vue] (best summer reads TXT) 📕

It wasn't until after the crackle of gunshot that I finally snapped back into reality. I mean, Tumbling down a hill hitting tree after tree can take a lot out of a person. Standing up and feeling every one of my muscles ache at once, it's worse then shifting. Then another crackle erupted through the air, closer then the last. With that, I'm sure I should have been running, but I crouched down. Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale. I'm ready for a more painful experience then just a tumble. Closing my eyes I imagined a dark ferocious panther, with emerald eyes staring at it's prey in the pitch black ready to charge. “Begin.” My whisper completed everything, the pain, the snapping of bones as they began to reform in the creature's structure. I felt it when my tail bone elongated to complete a long slender tail, as the hair on my once human head shed to reveal short silky dark hairs that quickly spread like a disease down my entire body. Thick callus forming on my feet and hands while they still broke to form paws made for running, then my nails, thickening and sharpening themselves for attack. The hardest part of it all, is always the main bones; Skull, Arm and Legs bones. Spine and ribs stayed the same. Besides moving to create a firm structure, they almost never broke. Finally as my teeth set and my canines sharpened to a point the pain tapered off.
The first thing I always seem to notice it how I see different. Not as many colors hues and shades as my perfect human vision is, but it's always better then black and white. Prowling low to the ground I hear each foot step the hunter took. The crunching of each leaf under his massive booted foot. Crackle. The gunshot seemed more like lightening now, maybe that's why cats never understand guns. Breathing in steadily, I slowly made my way underbrush to the hunter, smirking on the inside. 'The Hunter becomes the Hunted.' His steps stopped a few feet away from me, easily in pouncing range, shooting off another bullet that makes bird fly from the trees above. I can feel his body relax, that's when I free myself from the shadows. Everything seemed to happen faster then I expected. Pushing myself off the ground and landing on the hunter, the crackle of gunshot, blood splattering on the surrounding plant life along with my silky coat. Then his body was a rag doll, his lifeless eyes staring up at me with fear. Even though I just killed him, I'm still human, please. Gently, I slowly rubbed my paw down his face to close his eyes before bounding off to the refreshing saltiness of a saltwater lake. Rolling around in water is always fun, I mostly enjoyed it when I housed as a pig owned by a farmer, until I overheard him wanting to slaughter me. I toke me a week to lose the fat I grew from that life.
The grumbling of my stomach broke my bliss. I know I have to hunt, but this isn't the place for a panther, And changing back into a human would be far to exhausting. I quickly scan the area, oh look what I find. A forest home lights still on. So of course I prance my beautiful self over to get a better look. On my way I couldn't help but notice burning in my chest, though I dismiss it, more worried about what this house homes. Quickly sitting at the edge of the forest I hear the laughing of two girls, accompanied by the voice of a male and female. A family of four, that's not to hard to breach, what do girls like? Cats. No, I'm not going up to their door as a panther, but more as my favorite animal growing up, when I lived in the city, pampered as a tea-cup Persian. White as snow with gray speckled blue eyes. With this thought I close my eyes and whisper the same word as before. The shift not as painful since it is of the same structure. Shrinking and feeling myself fluffy up my teeth become less of a threat and I am cutesy-fied. First, I have to look gross, finding some dirt and still a little wet from the water I roll around, my fluff clumping easily. Prancing up to the door, and begin my distress. Yowling but not like a screech small and kitten like but annoying enough to get some attention.
It didn't take long for the white door to open up and reveal two small girls that look almost completely the same. Twins, joy, double the trouble. The difference they have is their eyes, Both are blond and slightly tanned skin from playing outside but their eyes, one set of brown and one of blue. They brought me into the home and immediately asked in their childish tones to two adults. The male having black hair and brown eyes and the mother having the blond hair, blue eyes. Glancing at each other then back at the mess called me. They smile gently before the mother speaks with a sing-song like voice that they may keep me. But, I have to endure a bath. On the way upstairs I learn their names. The blue eyed one that is carrying me is named Chloe and the other is Jasmyne, which I also got from the baby blue door that had their names on it. But what catch my eye the most, was a dark forest green one at the end of the hall with one interesting name. 'Heath.' Dismissing the thought immediately I am placed into the sink, with warm water pouring out on me. It's actually not that bad until you have two girls that are probably around ten pulling at your hair, that is covering your entire body. I wanted to scream and claw their eyes out, but keeping calm like a good person, well cat, I am. It wasn't long until I was snow white, brushed and with a pink collar that held a bell around my neck. They must either have fake animals or had a cat before.
It was surprising that the time ran away so quickly. Being them ten year old’s, they were told to sleep at nine, while I was free to wander. My nose lead me to something tasty, only to find out the adults had made me b½uf liquide. After having human food for a while and then instantly getting cat taste buds, the taste is satisfying. Listening to laughter while I gobble down food isn't always an up but at least they didn't bother me with petting. With a full cat stomach and jumped up the stairs and hide in the twin's room until I knew the four were asleep. It was difficult to convince myself this was a good idea, but I needed to figure out the mild burning on my chest. Sneaking out to the bathroom and relaxed closed my eyes, not needing to picture myself to shift. I'll just skip all the gross facts about becoming human again. I'm sure you don't care for the lose of callus, the falling off of a tail and painful snapping of bones. But all that left me just always laid there for a moment before slowly fading away as if the particles came back to my body through the air. After I stood, my blue mixed green eyes starred in my mirror at my naked tanned body. Sometimes being a girl was rough, with the breasts and periods, though even if I'm an animal, I get the monthly gifts, I don't grow hair on my body except for my head, so no to shaving. But my breasts are normal, perky and light. No, they are not small. But they aren't big either. Last time I actually stayed human long enough to need a bra I was measured as a C cup and Thirty-two around. Yes, I'm fairly thin, mostly from shifting, but who wants to be a fat out of shape panther? My eyes went to my chest, not my breasts but at the rib cage, a long burn across the side that is pretty deep but no bullet stuck. So I did get hit. The burn from the barrel on my shoulder wasn't bad when he tried hitting me, but it still slightly hurt.
I looked around some, trying to find a first aid kit when my ears picked up on the turning of the door knob. It's not like I could have hid or shifted fast enough, or even hid my naked body. But the lack of a scream was interesting. I glanced over my shoulder to see a tall male, Tousled short-ish blonde hair and gemstone green eyes, with confusion and shock on his face. A guy, he wasn't the father and there was no other guys... 'Heath.' Thinking quick I grabbed his shirt pulled him in and shut the door as light as I could, turning my attention back to him and covering his mouth so he didn't speak. “Okay listen, I'm going to uncover your mouth and you are not going to scream or make any loud noise, got it?” There was silence for a second before he nodded slowly, still confused. I pinched the bridge of my nose thinking deep. How could I have forgotten about him, I mean I didn't see him the time I was here, but I saw the door, why didn't the thought accrue to me?
“Why are you naked?” His voice wasn't as deep as you would have thought, but it still swept me back into a reality where I was swimming in chocolate. Shaking my head my gaze met his, oddly enough he wasn't looking up and down. Hello?! Aren't you a guy? I am a naked girl standing in front of you! I mean yeah I'm attractive, and yeah it annoys me.. but it's weird he's not annoying me.
“That's a long story not meant for your ears.”
“Try me.” My eyes narrowed, there's the annoyance.
“I don't even know you.” A smirk pulled at his lips, he grabbed a towel and tossed it to me.
“Health Benedik, Senior in high school, Age seventeen, Favorite color is black, I was born March ninth. Anything else? If not, share your information.” Sighing, I toke the towel wrapping it around me and leaning against the door, I don't know what it is, but I just want to open up completely to him.
“Kamren Harley, I don't go to school, Last time I was told I'm sixteen, Forest green and coal black, Valentine's day.” My birth made him laugh, thought he cleared his throat to make himself stop.
“Love baby. Interesting. Now, Kamren, what are you doing in my house?” His question caught me of guard, how was I suppose to say I live here, but as a cat. I slightly rocked back and forth, gasping from the towel rubbing against the deepest wound I'd received.
“Do you have a first aid kit around here?”
“Will you answer my question?”
“Maybe if I get that first aid kit.” He smiled, reaching under the sink and pulling out a plastic box clearly marked 'First Aid' with a large label. Practically ripping the kit open I grabbed some healing creme and gauze, letting the towel fall and forgetting he was even sitting there. It wasn't until after I wrapped my wound up that he cleared his throat once more. My gaze finding him.
“Not that I don't like a beautiful women naked in front of me. Try to keep the towel on.” I