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"Off the Beaten Path"

by The Dove

The luminous rays of the morning sun shone down through the dense emerald-green canopy of the northern coniferous forest in the Washington Mountains. The enormous western cedar trees, Douglas firs, and other species all stood tall like sentinels guarding the mysteries of the woods. All around, the calls and songs of the birds filled the air, while the rippling sounds of mountain streams nearby created a sublime atmosphere. It was a peaceful environment, an environment in which David Hunter found himself amongst all too often. A seasoned hiker and outdoorsman, the thirty-two-year-old man consistently found himself escaping into the backcountry woods of the Washington wilderness to test his limits, both physically and mentally. David loved a good challenge and a new experience, anything to break up the monotonous humdrum lifestyle of everyday living. As a store clerk in the city of Leavenworth, situated on the outskirts of the Wenatchee National Forest in northwest Washington, Hunter witnessed his fair share of urban living, even amidst the glory of nature itself. However, the true glory for David was always off the beaten path and exploring the trails that few had ever taken. Today, however, David would find himself traversing a familiar path within a location very dear to his heart. However, this route would shake the very foundation of his reality.

David was a tall and lanky man, built from the ground-up with a sinewy physique and a rugged face, his longer-than-average blond hair drooping down almost to his shoulders while a handsome, neatly trimmed beard sat on his chin. This spring morning, David dressed for the cold. His rugged plaid jacket, insulated cargo pants, industrial-grade hiking boots, and a portable knapsack filled with protein bars and a bottle of water, provided him a level of comfort and security amongst a landscape he knew all too well. He had traversed this path of the National Forest many times. It was truly a classic for him and in reality, held many a memory for him. He shared this trail with many friends and even led a handful of group tours with some children from a local nature center down in the city. He chuckled at the thought of how he decided to major in modern architectural design over something more aligned with his passion for the natural world and education. Perching a foot on top of a moss-covered boulder, David looked up toward the towering pines, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, his chest heaving in and out as the man breathed in the unique aroma of the forest. The forest became quiet, almost as if waiting for David to perform his next move. As he contemplated on his surroundings and the familiarity of this personal paradise, an image appeared in his mind. It was the visage of a man, his short auburn hair and warm smile grinning back at David from the recesses of his mind. David winced in pain as he recalled the person in question; the identity of a man he used to love.

"God, I miss you, Ethan."

David's solemn words broke the sudden silence of the forest as he spoke aloud, a frown forming on his face as he shook his head from side to side, trying to forget the painful memories of his best friend. You see, although this place was a paradise for David, it was also, in and of itself, a very painful and pertinent reminder of the past. It was about three years prior when David best friend, Ethan Cage, disappeared into the Wenatchee National Forest, never to be seen again. National Park Service officials and local law enforcement personnel searched the landscape for weeks, with David an active participant of the search and supervisor of the volunteer research team. Alas, no trace of Ethan Cage was to be found. Not a scrap of clothing, a hiking boot, or even any form of identification that could lead to its owner's whereabouts. Ethan's car was found parked at the trailhead, but no items found inside could trace back to his location. For all intents and purposes, he had disappeared without a trace, vanished from the very face of the Earth itself. However, there was one item that the young man left behind, a memento that signified the relationship between David and Ethan. It was a photograph that was found pinned to the sun visor in his car, depicting the two friends taking a selfie near a small cave situated alongside one of the many mountain streams, a favorite location that the two men would fish at as they passed the time in their brotherhood. David held that picture close and never let go. Even after all these years of grief.

David and Ethan had grown up in Leavenworth together, attending all the same schools and even going to the same community college for a while. Ethan was nothing less than David's best friend, the latter of whom was never truly much of a socializing individual to begin, relying on Ethan's company and presence in his life to fill David with purpose. As the two grew up with each other, David came to realize that he had feelings for Ethan, although they were never recognized by the latter, whether purposefully or not. If David possessed any single recurring regret in his life, it was that the man wished he had expressed his affection for his best friend before his disappearance. These woods, this beautiful untouched wilderness surrounding David, was a painful reminder of Ethan's disappearance. Yet David found himself returning almost weekly, to retrace the steps that he and his friend had traversed so many times prior, even traveling to their favorite fishing spot to sit and eat a prepared meal or sip from his thermos, reflecting on the times they had together in that sacred spot. It was all etched into his memory. He would hold on to that memory until the day he died. Was it possible that, within the very recesses of his mind, David hoped to find some trace of his friend, even after all these years? Perhaps it was a longing for a past that had all but transpired.

Lowering his head to the ground and opening his eyes, David reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out his wallet, unfolding it to reveal the picture he held so dear. There were the two friends, with Ethan's arm wrapped around David's shoulder, the two men exhibiting a warm smile as the sun's reflection glared against the stream behind them that lit up the dark recesses of the small cave prominently producing from the damp slope upon the upper embankment. David smiled, swallowing a large lump in his throat as he coughed, his emotions boiling to the surface as he remembered the sleepless nights of his desperate longing and grief. He would move on; he had to. It was what Ethan would have wanted. Life moves on with all trails eventually leading to their destination, no matter how riddled with thorns the journey may be. Folding the picture back into his jacket, David extended his arms overhead, swung his hips back and forth in an attempt at a wholesome stretch, and set forth on his way down the trail. He had no particular destination in mind, but he knew, somewhere within his mind, he would find himself once more perched over the rippling stream of his past, reflecting on golden memories.

David hiked further into the wilderness of the National Park, his boots sloshing against the soggy debris of the moss-covered forest, all but saturated from a recent heavy rain. The air was foggy, brisk and chilly, eliciting a shudder in the hiker as he gained elevation. Ascending a large hill in the forested path, David looked down the trail and out across the Washington landscape. The mountains and valleys were shrouded in a dense blanket of mist, the fog gently rolling and permeating throughout the canopies. Amidst the thickness, the haunting call of a loon echoed out, signifying its presence from a pond deep in the valley. He wasn't the only lonely soul amidst the majesty of nature. David continued, meandering around the bends of the forest and mountainous terrain, the sound of rushing water growing closer and closer as he pushed further into Mother's Nature grasp. A short time later, David branched off from the marked trail of the forest, opting instead to traverse down an embankment to his right, slipping and sliding down the muddy hillside of the trail as he headed towards a small watershed where his special location was. Reaching the bottom, David brushed his hands (callused and worn from his years of extensive hiking) along the back of his pants as he shook off the leaves clinging to his rear. Stepping forth, he clambered through the thick brush and pushed away the overhanging limbs as he followed the sound of the water. He was almost there.

Stepping out into a clearing, David looked around him as the familiar sight of the stream lay before him, twisting and turning out amongst the gap in the forest and extending down a slope and eventually merging with one of the main rivers traversing the park itself. The man let out a sigh as he took his place on the right side of a large boulder delicately situated next to the water, the favorite spot for him and his lost friend during their time together. David reminisced about the times he and Ethan shared countless stories of their youth, some good, and some bad. They flashed like scenes from an old black-and-white newsreel in his mind. There was the time Ethan was suspended from school in the 7th grade for pouring a heaping dose of powdered laxative into his homeroom teacher's coffee or even the time Ethan comforted David over the loss of his pet cat, Pogo, after she had been hit by a car in his neighborhood back during elementary school. As far as David could tell, there hadn't been a time in which Ethan wasn't there, supporting him during the tumultuous times of life and faithfully serving as encouragement and inspiration during the achievements and times deserving praise and admiration. It was only now, in the last three years, that David was beginning to understand life without someone who had spent their childhood together.

Trying to take his mind off Ethan, and instead, reflect on the beauty he was currently immersed in, David leaned over the boulder and down into the rippling water of the stream, intently watching the luminescent scales and flickering tails of the rainbow trout, seemingly dancing to an unknown tune in their aquatic habitat. It was so serene and peaceful in the way the trout moved through the water, the negativity and burdens of the human world lost on them only rekindling the longing for Ethan once more in David. He turned his head, glancing off into the woods at the other end of the brook, beyond which he could see the rustling of limbs and the emergence of a deer and her fawn beyond the foliage. They twisted and twitched their ears in silent recognition of the hiker's presence while the young fawn looked up at her mother in its reassurance of security. David smiled, reminiscing on the fact that life continued to persist even in the most remote environments, surrounded by nature and isolated from human touch. Casting his gaze out towards the water once more, David scanned the stream, up along the outer edge of the opposite bank, and up the incline of the slope as the frame of the little cavern loomed over the side, branching back into the side of the embankment itself. David looked at it longingly, staring deeply into the darkness of the small entrance, a long ray of light piercing deep into the black expanse and casting a soft glow on the ground inside, a litter of leaves and rocks scattered about towards the back. The more David stared into the gap of the cave, the more his eyes focused on the darkness and the ground within, the glare of a metallic artifact glinting back against the refracting sunlight.

David blinked his eyes a couple of times as he shook his head. Turning his head and lifting his chin up and down to test the light's reflectance, the hiker all but confirmed the glistening sparkle of whatever object was laying amidst the litter. Rubbing a hand under his beard amidst his perplexion, David slid off from the rock, placed his knapsack against the boulder, deftly leapt across the brook via some exposed rocks and headed up a short distance to the cavern on the opposite bank, his boot gently pressing into the soft mushy substrate of the ground. As he stood in front of it, himself balancing his feet against the sharp incline of the slope, David, peered inside to get a better look. Indeed, there was something in there, lying in a loose pile of debris in the back corner of the cave following a narrow gap that led to a smell chamber in the rear. The entrance was just big enough for an adult (although a young child would have no difficulty in squeezing their small frame through it) so David twisted and turned his body sideways to get by. He pressed on further, crouching low to the ground as he entered the cave and passing through the low ceiling at the gap as lowered himself to all fours. At this point, the sun was now casting a clear light into the cave, illuminating the back wall. As he reached the end, David looked down at the pile of plant matter before him. Pulling off his hiking gloves, he began to sift through the leaves and plant matter, exciting a couple of stray wolf spiders which quickly scattered towards the wall in their irritation of being disturbed from their home. As he continued to spread about the plant matter and rocks, David felt the cold metallic feel of metal between his fingers. His eyes widened at what he saw.

There, scattered in a pile, was a small lapel pin emblazoned with the insignia of his old high school, the surface of the brass coating covered in grime and rust from a plethora of years of abonnement. Taking the pin in his hand and turning it over, David observed two faded initials staring back at him, glowing against the sunlight entering the cave. They were the two small letters of "E.C.".

Ethan Cage.

David let out a gasp as he jerked his head sideways, banging it against the granite surface. Rubbing his head and wincing in pain, David recognized the emblem as the same one he had given to Ethan many, many years ago as a graduation gift to his best friend following their ascension from high school. David had it emblazoned with Ethan's initials as a memento. Among all the years that he knew him, Ethan never, not even once, left home without this lapel pin, always wearing it on his shirt or attaching it to his window visor in his car next to the precious photograph. Tears welled in David's eyes at the thought of knowing that his friend had been here, at one point in time or another. The hiker began to sob, his grief and sorrow returning to him tenfold as he clutched the pin to his breast, lowering his head as his tears dripped down the insignia and onto the soft ground.

"Where did you go, man? You left us all alone. You left me all alone. Why didn't you say something, anything at all? We looked for you for years. What happened to you, Ethan? I'd give anything to see you just one more time man. Just one more damn time!"

For a time, David sat there, cramped in the small confines of the cave and holding the lapel pin. After a while, David resolved himself to what he had found, telling himself to move forward with what he had found and head back to the car. David wiped off the grime and dirt (now wet and saturated with the man's tears) from the surface of the pin as he gently placed it inside his jacket pocket, patting it gently as if reassuring that it was safe and sound. As Ethan carried this token from his best friend, so too would David, a reminder of the memory of dear Ethan Cage. As he began to inch his way back out of the chamber and towards the sound of the rippling brook, David stopped, a feeling echoing throughout his mind, urging him to take just one glance at the cave, perhaps in hopes of finding more traces of his lost friend. David inched closer to the granite surface of the back wall and examined it in greater detail. There, etched into the surface and painstakingly carved, were a series of animalistic designs and runic-like motifs.

David narrowed his eyes as he thought back to the specific courses he took in college on the cultures and common symbols of many Native Americans tribes in the area (a history that fascinated the young hiker from a young age) such as the Nez Perce and Chinook. Amongst the customs he had learned about, nothing resembled the strange glyphs. They were a series of swirls and patterns, interwoven and interspersed across the surface of the wall. Craning his head, David realized the patterns twisted and spanned across the entirety of the enclosed chamber, reaching upwards and stopping at the small ceiling above. Intermingled throughout the designs were small "stick-figure-like" motifs of humans and animals, reminiscent of what one might portray as a stereotypical "caveman" drawing. It depicted both the human and animal figures standing side by side, their limbs nearly touching. In one particular area of the wall, a sequence of a human figure with long hair next to a canine-looking animal was erected. Another depiction directly next to the former displayed the same "person" looking more animal-like, with pointed ears and a tail while the canine animal now looked the same as the other figure, both resembling a blend of animal and person. Possibly some Neolithic "coming-of-age" hunting depiction or a lesser known Native American tribe that had escaped the annals of history textbooks? The relationship between man and beast as the center element of survival? Possibly even hikers or children? David only could only wonder at the origin and significance of these symbols. Reaching into his pants pocket, David pulled out his smartphone and turned on the camera feature to take a picture of the glyphs on the wall. As he focused in on the designs, his forefinger pressing down on the touch-sensitive snapshot button, the simple electronic click of the phone was heard, followed by the flash of the phone. However, as soon the light emitted from the device and hit the wall, the glyphs flared to life with a reflective glow and blinding flare, casting back the light towards David and intensifying it tenfold. In that brief moment, the walls of the cave shone with a translucent, glass-like surface before disappearing altogether, leaving the symbols seemingly floating in midair.

With a sharp grunt of surprise, David closed his eyes as a warm light enveloped him. And then, as quickly as the light sprung back at him, David felt the very ground beneath him dissolving into a million pieces as his feet fell out into open space, followed by the rest of his body. A loud yell escaped the man's throat as he tumbled through an endless black void, the fabric of reality bending, breaking, and distorting around him. Above him, he caught a glimpse of the interior of the cave as if he was looking at a small sphere of reality from far away, like pop-up frame akin to a children's storybook. It disappeared from view, only to be replaced with the emergence of those same enigmatic glyphs, dancing and radiating against the darkness. The man and beast David had observed earlier seemed to move and grow larger, moving ever closer to David as he continued to fall through the void. He screamed out again as the glyphs closed around him, sapping his consciousness as they passed through into him like some ethereal specter, filling his body with a warm sense of comfort and sanctity that rapidly eased his horror. Sleep began to overcome David as he continued to fall. His head fell back, his eyes closed as he drifted off to sleep, and his limbs grew weak as they fall to his sides, his frame continuing to pummel like a comet in a starless sky.

...

...

...

The nerves in David's body began to function and operate once more as his body twitched, his consciousness returning to his body. As David opened his eyes, he lifted his head from the ground and looked around him. Encased around him was the small cave he had wandered into, the many glyphs and designs scattered about in the same placement as before. David's first thought was that he must succumb to the bright flash of the phone and hit his head against the cavern wall in his shock. Crawling to his knees, delicately avoiding the low ceiling, David reached a hand to his head and felt for any lumps and bruises. Nothing. Not a scrape, wound, or even a gash.

"I must have let my emotions get to me. Finding Ethan's pin and seeing those... those hieroglyphics. I probably had a panic attack and passed out. Man, when was the last time I had some water? Dehydration probably. Could explain that weird-ass dream I had while I was conked out." David said aloud as he reached into his coat pocket to ensure the pin was still there.

David remembered the flash and the glow of the glyphs. As he did, he reached down, grasping for his phone which lay beside him, opened up the photo app and opened up the latest picture. It was completely normal, no glowing symbols, no blinding light, nothing at all. Truly it was just a panic attack. Turning off his phone, David cupped his hand to his forehead as he looked towards the aperture of the cave, the canopy of the trees outside visible with a golden orange glow cast against them.

"Must be in the evening. God, how long was I out?"

David rubbed his eyes as he crawled forth towards the opening of the cave. As he inched closer and closer, expecting to hear the rippling sound of the stream, he heard no sound of running water at all, just the rustling of the trees and the chirping of songbirds and an occasional cricket amidst its evening serenade. It was quite a peculiar circumstance. Narrowing his eyes, David reached the breadth of the cave as he peered through the opening, his hand placing itself on the outside exterior of the cave. He stood up, balancing himself on the slope where he entered and looked down onto a large open wooded lake sprawling out before him. David's eyes widened in shock.

"No, this is impossible! Dear God, I must be dreaming!"

David looked back towards the cave, ensuring that this was, indeed, the same structure he had entered into. He cast his glance up the slope and around the side, a row of beautiful aspen trees lining the forest edge. David seemed to be in a small valley of sorts, surrounded on all sides by dense green conifers, a beautiful azure-blue pond at the center of the area. The water looked as bright and pure as anything he had ever imagined, with the evening glow of the sun overhead creating a beautiful glare on the water's surface. Around him, the sounds of the woods were as vibrant as ever. Songbirds called out to the forest's new guest while grasshoppers pranced on the embankment, their lithe frames pouncing and leaping from one scattered boulder to another. Above him, the canopies of the trees danced and swayed in an evening breeze. As he took in all the beauty around him, David looked down towards the pond once more. At the very bottom of the slope, on his side of the water, was a tall figure hunched over the blue waters, moving their limbs back and forth, but obscured by their back. David squinted his eyes, trying to make out the person standing there. Alas, the light from the sun all but prevented David from distinguishing who it was.

David pressed on, delicately making his way down the slope of the embankment and towards the pond. As he drew closer and closer to the bottom, David soon realized that the person standing at the water's edge was not necessarily a "who," but more of a "what." David gasped as he examined the figure, their back still turned to him as they continued to work at something near the water. The first thing David noticed was a thick feline tail protruding from the rear of a tattered pair of blue jeans, slightly twisting and flicking along the grass of the bank. The black and white stripes patterning the tail ended in a black tuft at the end. Following the tail to its base, David looked down at two massive paws perched over the bank, two light gray, rough leathery paw pads arched upwards towards him. Casting his gaze up, David saw that the figure was wearing a tattered dark-green short-sleeved t-shirt. Large bulky dark orange and black furred arms jutted out from its sides. Beneath the beautiful luxuriant coat of fur were rippling layers of sinewy muscle. And finally, the head was what perhaps shocked the young hiker the most. Where a human head would be, was instead the outline of a tiger with two large white whiskers protruding from both sides of the face and two rounded black ears with a white patch on each perched atop his head. The ears moved and twitched like parabolic disks, the tiger-like being's sense of aural stimulation continuously active just like the predator it appeared to be.

David swallowed the massive lump of fear building in his already parched throat as he took another step closer to the beast. As he did so, the anthropomorphic animal made its move. Exhibiting a speed and agility that resembled that of a blur of orange and black, the humanoid figure spun around and dropped to all fours as it reacted to David's presence. There, facing the hiker, was a humanoid tiger in a predatory stance, his long fangs bared while a handsome, beautiful orange and black face, interspersed with patches of white tufts on the chin and rings of a similarly colored white circling the face, looked back at him. The beast's legged were pressed close to the ground, bent as if drawn into a running stance and ready to burst with speed at the start of a marathon. Massive paws with tufts of beautiful white fur between the digits dug into the ground, its extended razor-sharp nails indicating a feral ferocity that David could only hope to match. The seams of the blue jeans stretched and quivered as the fibrous muscles of the beast's legs quivered with anxiety and tension. The animal's eyes were captivating, two large golden orange spheres dilating and unblinking as they stared back at David, focusing in on him and measuring the human from head to toe. For what was the longest, most anxiety-inducing minute of the young man's life, the two stared at each other, locked in a gaze. Around them, the forest was silent, waiting with anxiety for their next action. David closed his eyes and held them firm, himself awaiting the fatal blow from this strange creature. In the far reaches of his mind, David could only hope that he was dreaming and would wake up soon.

And then the beastman spoke. Strangely enough, the voice from the gruff and muscular creature gave way to a gravely, but also soothing, voice. A voice that, in David's consciousness, triggered a lost memory, rekindling it and bringing it to the surface once more.

"David? Is that you?"

The hiker's eyes opened wide as he looked at the tiger before him. The bared fangs of the creature had now given way to an expression of surprise as the furred face of the beast began to shake and quiver with sudden emotion, its eyes rapidly tracing David's body up and down. David fell to his knees as his eyes began to water, realizing immediately that the voice of the tiger, if ever so faintly, was that of the man he loved so very much. Tears welled in his eyes as the tiger padded over to him, still on all fours, before crouching down and sitting next to the hiker on his haunches. Amidst his building emotions and rapid beating of his heart, David looked at the tiger and locked eyes with him. This couldn't possibly be happening.

"It can't be. I thought you were dead. Am I... dead? Ethan, is it really you? Please tell me!"

David began to shout, the longing in his voice reaching a climax, the pain, and fear of searching for his friend all but present in his agony. His face was wild and despair-driven as he shook his head forcefully in his disbelief, his long locks of blonde hair whipping in the breeze. The tiger put his large forepaws on David's shoulders and spoke to him in a soft, caring voice.

"Yes, it's me, David. It's me. Please, please don't cry. It really is me. I know what you see right now is unbelievable. Believe me, I couldn't believe it either, but you have to accept that this is real. This is truly me."

David stopped to contemplate the tiger's words for a moment before quickly shoving his massive paws away from his chest and stood up, backing away from the tiger with an expression of anger and also fear. The tiger gazed at David, his face filled with surprise at the man's reaction. Backing up towards the forest line, David yelled out to the creature.

"No! You aren't Ethan! I don't know who or what you are, but this isn't real! None of this is making any goddamn sense. I need to go... I need to get out of here!"

Without a second thought, David turned around to face the forest line and dashed towards the woods, screaming and yelling for help as he did so. The tiger shook his head as a tear dripped down his furry cheek and landing on the soft ground of the embankment. He extended his paws out to his face and stared at them, looking deep into the crevices of his calloused leathery pads and examining his fur, feeling the soft course undercoat between his nails. He closed his eyes.

"This is who I am David. I can't change who I am."

...

...

...

Adrenaline coursed through David's body as he sprinted through the woods, bounding over boulders and stumps to reach some highway or road, anywhere at all. He screamed out for help as he tumbled down hills and leaped across small streams to distance himself from whatever amalgamation of man and beast stood there at the pond. He had to get away. That creature, that monster who claimed to be his best friend, it was all a trick, a sheer ruse! Ethan disappeared three years ago. He was human, not some bestial monstrosity! As David raced through the thick foliage, he saw a breach in the forest in front of him. Between the bark of the conifers, David could make out what appeared to be a small rustic cabin, nestled in a small clearing ahead. Entering into the clearing, David raced towards the cabin without a moment of hesitation. It was a quaint little home, featuring a small glass window etched into the side of the building and a brick chimney erected overhead, some smoke billowing out. Near the iron frame of the door was a pile of logs neatly stacked in a pyramid-like fashion. David didn't even bother knocking on the small metal knob of the door, opting instead to thrust it open and barge right inside. The interior of the cabin was sparse but resembled that of a lodger's cabin. An oaken bed lay in the back corner of the cabin, next to a brick fireplace, a vibrant flame roaring within. Near the window was a small dining table with a bowl of fruit. However, the one thing that David wanted most was not there.

Help.

As David turned to leave, he looked out from the frame of the cabin and back towards the woods. There, emerging from the thicket, was the tiger. David backed up, further and further into the house and perched himself on the bed in a defensive stance, ready to fight back at whatever monstrosity this thing was. Outside, the tiger made his way to the cabin, a look of sadness portrayed on his face. The large feline paws of the creature crossed the threshold of the doorway as David covered his face with his hands to shut out the view of the animal. He began to sob, his head shaking violently as he screamed out into the small frame of the cabin.

"You aren't him! You aren't David! He promised me he'd never leave me!"

The tiger paused for a moment as he closed the door behind him. He cleared his throat and knelt down against the frame of the door, crossing his back legs in a crisscross fashion and gave the fearful hiker some space on the bed. His course voice spoke.

"I know I left you David, and for that, please accept my humblest apologies. I found myself in this world just like you have yourself. Alas, David, I waited for you. I've waited three years for you. I always hoped you'd find your way here and you have. I don't know where we are, why we were brought here or..."

The tiger known as Ethan looked down at his feline body and gave a small smile as he examined his beautiful physique, before turning his head up to David once more and narrowing his eyes.

"...Why I look like this. But David, you have to listen to me and listen to me well. The fact that you are here with me, this is, for all intents and purposes, a blessing. Something brought you here, and I know you would eventually come. And you did David, you did!"

Amidst his coughs and fits of tears, David looked up at Ethan as he spoke, his right fist clutched into a ball that quivered against his chest.

"If you are truly Ethan Cage. How can you prove it to me? How do I know it's you? I looked for you for years Ethan."

Ethan stood up upon his forepaws and walked over to the man on the bed, Ethan's massive digits pressing down on the wood of the cabin and eliciting a creaking noise with every step. Ethan kneeled down beside the bed and put his paws on Ethan's legs. He spoke softly once more.

"Because David, I remember something very special you gave to me a very long time ago. I see you clutching that very something in your right hand at this very moment. And believe me, I know exactly what it is."

David loosened his grip as his eyes widened, his palm extending as the brass lapel pin tumbled out onto the soft fabric of the bed. Ethan looked at it longingly and smiled as he too began to cry.

"You know something else, David? I also know something that I gave to you a long time ago as well. You remember the tattoo parlor down the street from the high school? You know the one, I know you do."

David looked up at Ethan as a smile began to form across his face. His eyes began to flare with life and excitement at what he was about to hear.

"That's right, David. You know the one right? And you remember how the two of us would go in there every Friday and flip through the design book in the lobby? I remember just how much you wanted a tattoo. Remember the look on your mom's face when she found out? She was so freaking pissed, wasn't she? However, you and I both knew, deep down, that when you finished high school, you were going to stroll right into that parlor and get yourself a tattoo, regardless of whatever the hell your old lady said. And not just any tattoo either, you wanted a lion's paw tattoo. I was there the day you got it too. It was my gift to you. And it was right here,"

Ethan leaned over onto the bed and reached for David's jacket and began to push the sleeve of his right arm up. At first, David's arm tensed with nervousness and amazement at the sight of an anthropomorphic tiger touching him, but his anxiety soon turned to comfort as he began to realize the words of truth being spoken to him. Despite the visage of a beast, there was no denying that this tiger was, in fact, the man he loved. There, etched into the upper portion of David's forearm, was a black outline of a lion's paw. Ethan smiled as he placed his paw around the outline.

"What did I tell you, David? I know you like the back of my hand. Well, paw I suppose."

Ethan elicited a chuckle at his remarks as David placed his hand over the paw and gently brushed the soft fibrous texture of his coat. He closed his eyes as he leaned forward and pressed his face into the massive paw. The smell of Ethan was there, but still distinct and blended with the musky scent of an animal. He breathed it in, inhaling Ethan's essence and all but losing his fear of this fantastical chance encounter. Taking a deep sigh, David leaned forward over the frame of the bed and reached his arms wide across the tiger's shoulders, embracing him.

"I missed you, Ethan. I never thought I would see you again. For three years I imagined that I never would never have you in my arms again. I thought of all the things I wanted to say to you Ethan; things I wanted to say for so long but never had the courage to do so. Ethan, Ethan I..."

"I love you."

The human and tiger simultaneously spoke aloud at the same time as they expressed their love. Their eyes opened wide for a moment before narrowing in comfort at the mutual expression of their bond. They both knew, deep down within their very essence that they were in love, one drawn across the very plains of reality and fabric of time in his search. Together, they leaned in close, the bare skin of the human brushing against the course fur of the tiger. David pressed his nose against the wet feline muzzle of his lover and touched his lips against the side of the tiger's face, kissing him passionately. Ethan ran an enormous paw over Ethan's beard as his whiskers tickled Ethan's face. They both laughed as David slid off the bed and fell right into Ethan's lap, clutching his furry chest tight. As the two lovers sat transfixed in their reunion, David became aware of a warmth tickling his chin. Placing his hands on his face, David felt hair billowing out from his beard to the rest of his forehead. Quickly casting his gaze down to his hands, they quivered nervously as the patches of his blond hair began to thicken and spread like a carpet across his arms, mixing with a twinge of a golden orange hue. David looked at the handsome tiger as a visage of shock spread across the hiker's face. Ethan leaned into David and brushed a nail against the back of his head ever so gently, whispering into his lover's ear.

"Don't be afraid David. Just let it happen. And uh, pro-tip, you may want to take your clothes off for this one. Let's just say it... "helps" with the transition."

Ethan leaned away and gave a sly wink with a golden eye. David smiled, letting the reassurance of his dearest friend wash away all the doubts and fears of whatever phenomena were affecting his body. Ethan stood up on shaking knees as he pulled off his hiking jacket and shirt and tossed them onto the bed, the tickling sensation of his skin blossoming into a rapidly increasing heat that began to permeate throughout his body. As David pulled off his shirt, he realized luxuriant coat of golden hair had already spread across his chest and face. Around his waistline, tufts of tawny hair were blooming around the seams of his pants as the fur down his legs, eliciting David to scratch at himself with rapidly elongating nails. Sliding off his hiking boots, pants, and socks, David looked down at his feet as they seemed to change before his very sight. His toes elongated and curved into sharp feline digits, his nails gently scraping against the polished flooring of the cabin as David tensed up. In reassurance, Ethan encouraged David, telling him that he would be there for him. David, now stripped down to just his boxers, exhibited a nervous expression as the man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he did so, he felt his nose pushing outward, firmly but slowly protruding in front of his vision as a feline muzzle emerged, swelling and flaring out as it widened, encompassing David's vision. He imagined himself feeling intense pain and agony as his entire body molded into something else. Instead, it was as if his body was being massaged, even being caressed, into a creature entirely different. The realm was changing him to match not only the environment but also the man, no, the tiger he loved so dear.

David felt the dense coat of fur around his face extend into a long mane that wrapped around his head and spread down his shoulders, replacing his previously blond unkempt locks of hair with handsome lion-like characteristics. Akin to his lover's, David's now-furred human ears rounded and shifted towards the sides of his head as tawny white tufts of fur filled the inner lining of the ear canal, poking out from the sides of his head. As his face continued to shift, David gazed down once more at his legs and feet. His legs were bending into a sharp digitigrade fashion, causing David to kneel down towards the floor and extend his arms out in front of him as he gained new balance and shifted into a satisfying stretch. As he did so, a sudden pressure built in his coccyx, reaching a climax and exploding out the back of his boxer's. Protruding from the newly formed hole was a long feline tail, a dark brown and golden tuft swaying at the end. David breathed out as he felt immense pleasure in the feelings growing inside of him. Although his humanity was still accounted for, he could not deny the primal strength and masculinity he felt surging throughout his body. His muscles quivered and flared as they began to stretch with tension, bulging into muscular rippling flesh. His feet now resembled giant lion paws, as did his hands. Reaching a paw underneath his feet, David felt the rough leathery patches of hardened flesh against the cabin floor. Sticking a nail between his toes and gently rubbing the fur and skin between them, David relished in the thought of what he was rapidly becoming. It was truly unbelievable. Furthermore, he was here with his most cherished person in the word to cherish it among.

It was evident Ethan was also enjoying this spectacular change in his lover's body and mind. Beneath the layer of Ethan's tattered blue jeans, a feline member was protruding from its sheath, arousal surging from seeing his lover become transformed before his eyes. Ethan closed his eyes as the sexual heat built. He leaned over to David, the lion-like man still looking over his body and paws as he knelt on the floor. Ethan stared intently at the front of David's groin. Wiry golden brown fur protruded from the edge of his boxers, seemingly tempting Ethan at what was underneath. Ethan reached a paw up to David's undergarments and gently slid them down his furry legs. Who could forget the very last change to this handsome man? There, seemingly staring back at the tiger, was a plump thick human cock, rapidly swelling in size as the changes overtook its host. Ethan's mouth watered, saliva dripping from sharp fangs and out the side of his lips. As much as he wanted to take it into his maw, Ethan knew that David needed to complete his change. What better way to christen his lover's welcome into his new life than with a little "encouragement"? David looked down at Ethan, the former gazing up at him with a questionable look of reassurance. David was silent as he nodded in agreement. In response, Ethan elicited an excited feline "chirp," his tail swaying across the floor in his happiness. And then, as Ethan placed a paw on David's penis and traced a nail softly under the head, eliciting a response in his lover's member as it gently lifted up in stimulation, something began to happen to David. A sensation of swelling arose from his groin, concentrated in his already-massive cock and pulsating as his member seemingly grew under his lover's touch. Ethan began to gently rub the penis as the already generous coat of fur spread across David's thighs and trickled across his shaft, covering the penis in a beautiful golden sheen of hair. His balls shared a similar fate as they too seemingly swelled and grew into two handsome venous furred orbs. Ethan rubbed harder, squeezing firmly and giving his member a shake as the penis expanded and inflated to a generous size, a small bit of precum dripping from the tip of his cock. David closed his eyes in pleasure as his the remainder of his human groin expanded and stretched, forming a tight sheath that neatly began to wrap around his penis as it began to reshape into a feline point. Opening his eyes to see the changes, he saw as his dick elongated into a sharp point at the end, small pointed barbs seemingly growing out from the many small pores in his skin. Staring back at him was a handsome lion-like cock. Ethan removed his paw and leaned in close to his shaft, gently kissing the underside of the head, the many small filament-like barbs prickling his chin.

The human known as David Hunter was no more. Standing tall amidst a pile of hastily discarded hiker's clothing was a muscular, sinewy, masculine anthropomorphic lion, his cock prominent and ready for more. David looked down at Ethan, now crouched at David's paws as he admired his lover's stature. Ethan looked up at David as he cast another glance at his shaft in a longing and needy way. A low rumble started in David's throat as it rose in pitch, ending in gentle purr as the lion laughed.

"I know you too well Ethan Cage. You never were one to stay out of my pants for too long now, were you? Well, before we get too carried away, what say you show me around? I am your houseguest after all."

Ethan rolled his eyes as he responded.

"As much as I'd like to catch up on old times, I do believe you are right. Well, what are we waiting for then? There's a lot to show you. Hell, you haven't even met the others yet! Granted, you may want to put your garments back on. That is if you can fit into them, big boy!"

David gave a quick look of surprise as he heard Ethan's words. Company and companionship alongside a fated reunion eh? He could get used to this. Leaning over the tiger, David extended a paw towards his lover as he pulled him to the ground. They embraced each other once more, relishing in the scent of each other's body, now a handsome mix between man and beast. As they clasped their paws together, the bonded tiger and lion strolled out into the clearing as they looked around them, breathing in the evening air as the sounds of the forest called to them. Beyond the tree line, the hazy outline of a campfire swayed against the sky. Ethan closed the door behind them, sealing the cabin once more in secluded isolation. On the small bed in the rear of the home lay a billfold that had tumbled out from the jacket as it lay on the bed. It was opened to a picture of two best friends, their smiles reflected in the brass coating of the lapel pin that lay beside it.