[Spirit]: 726.~*Spirit*~.Alone

Today is a lot better than yesterday. Or so I thought... I walked along the forest floor trying to reason with myself. I didn't know what was happening to me. I keep changing. The changes had stopped for a month and then last night they had started up again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!?! I begin to run through the forest trying to forget the deformed face that had stared back at me in the bathroom mirror. Part human and part something else. My mom said I was special but she didn't know how special I was.
 I began to feel the changes come again as I am running through the forest. "NO!!!! STOP!!! please! I don't want to change! I want to stay me!" My bones begin to crack my body lengthening. I stop running and fall to the ground as my tendons in my feet stretch and change. My muscles grow powerful and built. My teeth grow sharp and fur sprouts all over my body. I try to scream but it comes out as a muffled growl. My jaw is no longer there but in its place is a muzzle meant for beasts. My fingernails grow long and sharp like the talons of an eagle. My ears jut out and grow long and thin. My eyes turn gold and my clothes rip. My backbone cracks and my tailbone grows out. I writhe and shake trying to make the pain stop. My feet grow pads on the bottom and turn to paws. I lay there for a moment letting the change complete itself. Then I slowly rise to my feet. I look around the forest with heightened senses. I hear a rabbit dash for its hole and smell the mouse before i see it. I look around trying to figure out where I am. I have never been this far into the forest. My muscles tense as the smell of gunpowder fills my nostrils. I smell humans. I dash off into the thicket of trees so as not to be seen. I run and run as far as my new powerfully built legs can take me.
 I come to a small clearing where the sun streams down onto the forest floor. Flowers are everywhere and a small fall stirs the small river nearby. A weeping willow sits just a swim length away from the shore. Leaves blow in the light wind and new scents arise. The sound of dogs barking snap me out of my paralysis and I dash to the waters edge. I run in and dive down deep and swim towards the willow. I crawl onto the small patch of land surrounding the willow and look around. No place for me to hide! I'm trapped! One of the mongrel mutts stops at the waters edge and howls as it catches a glimpse of me. I glare at it and then jump into the water. I dive down deep again and look for a hole or a place to hide. I find a small opening just barely big enough for a creature of my size. I swim down, down deep to the hole and try to slip inside. Halfway through I get stuck. I hear the small sound of water being tampered with and realize they have jumped in. I thrash trying to get through the small hole but with no avail. I writhe and struggle trying to get inside when I feel the jaws of one of the dogs clamp down on my hind leg. I growl and kick it with my free leg and struggle more in trying to get into the hole. With my breath running short and my lungs demanding air I begin to feel weakened. Finally when I feel that all hope is lost I push through the hole. I swim up to the small surface for air. I take in big gulps and look back down. One of the mutts had made it through and were swimming towards me. I didn't want to hurt it but my wolfish senses kicked in and I dove back down to take the animal out.
  When I get down there I see a man peering through the hole. I growl and bare my teeth and go after the dog while the man struggles to get into the hole. I grab the dog by its collar and swim back up to the surface. I take a breath of air and turn my attention back to the dog. I growl and it yelps. It digs its canines into my sleek neck and I howl in pain. I cock my head and bite down hard on the dogs shoulder. It releases me and tries to kick me off with its hind legs. I clamp down harder and release. I go for the mutts neck when I feel a searing pain go through my left hind quarter. I look down to see that the man had shot me with his gun. I crack the dogs neck and dive down to the man. I see that he's struggling to get through now for air. I grin a toothy grin and snatch his gun away. I look once more at him and sink my canines into his chubby neck, tasting the coppery taste of his blood. I push him back out and watch as he sinks to the bottom. I swim back up to take a breath and look for a place to rest.
 I saw some roots thick enough to hold me and swim towards them. I crawl out of the water and into the tangle of roots. I hide within the spindly twists of the roots. I slowly fall asleep as the water drips from my fur.