Prolouge
#1 of Shifties
Annabelle, aged five, lay in bed as her mother pulled the ruffled sheets up around her. "Tell me a story, Mommy," she whispered. "Tell me about the Shifties."
"All right," her mother said, in a hurry to get back to Fresh Prince. "Once upon a time, there was a witch. The witch lived in a little cottage in a small town, and the people of the town respected her. Then, one day, an inconsiderate youing man threw mud on her, and he set his dog on her. The witch, defiled and humiliated, descended to the darkest, dankest corner of her basement, and took her most vile book of spells. So great was her ire, that she chose the most terrible spell in the book, the one which would cleave together two beings into one flesh, and turn their mind to that of the basest animal, thinking only of food and the rut."
"And then what happened?" asked Anna, though she knew the story well.
"The witch, still furious, paid a visit to the boy, whose parents had informed him of the ways and practices of witches in the intervening time, leaving him trembling with fear, and his dog trembling sympathetically. The parents offered repatriations, apoligies, but the witch was jealous and vengeful, caring only for her revenge, and not overmuch concerned about sparing his parents, should they bar her. Eventually, they stood aside, and let her have at their son. All were weeping; the parents with impending loss, the witch with rage, and the young man with fear and regret. The witch spoke the words, plumbed on the depths of her power, and found them sufficient, barely, for her great working."
Annabelle had bit her lower lip, and pulled the sheets up to her chin.
"She miscalculated" said her mother with a wry smile. "The spell was made to cleave together two male or two female creatures. The dog was female. The resulting being was neither man nor bitch, but an infernal mix of the two, with a female figure, and a male's prong in addition to its own black lips. As the witch, weakened, thought for the first time about the consequences of her actions, the creature rose from the floor. It turned and leaped upon what had been its parents with savage lust. It tore the cloth from its once-mother's hips and forced itself upon her. Before the witch's horrified eyes, the woman grew fur, emitting a hideous keening laugh as her head grew, lengthened, and was human no more. Adding horror to horror, a massive length grew from just above the woman's own moist sex. She was now a creature somewhat identical to her son, barring the graying hairs, and slightly more lupine shape. Wasting no time they both turned on the man shrinking from them in the corner, moisture dripping from their lips onto him. He looked into their eyes, and where he had once seen love, he saw only overpowering, infectious lust. He began to scream.
"The witch fled.
"Returning to her house, she sought desperately for some way to change what she had done. There was none. This was a situation unprecedented in written history, and she found herself at a loss. The only thing she could do was send word to the ones who had trained her, asking for all possible aid, and cast a spell which should hopefolly protect her from any infection, should they manage to overpower her. Sadly, there was scarcely any magical barrier which could stop them; the only thing which could harm creatures born of magic was cold iron, and the only barrier that they could not cross would be that made of iron, or running water. Arming herself with her sword, a pencil, and paper, she made her way, cursing her impetuousness, to roof of the town baths.
"The town was an orgy.
"As far as she could see, there was naught but coupling. Maidens being bent rudely over fences, children, even the clergy seemed to be vunerable to the strange creatures.
"What have I done? she asked herself.
"She began to take notes. Children, even babies, once violated violated would mature in minutes; she saw one fleeing mother pounced upon by a wolf, changed into a strange cat-creature, and then drive herself into her baby. The baby stopped crying and instead screamed with pain, and then...something else. Its limbs shot out, and it was covered in fur, becoming some sort of maneless lion. It then reciprocated it's mother's twisted affections, to be joined minutes later by the wolf. The witch turned her head away, unable to bear watching such perversion. Unfortunately, this was the least of what her horrified eyes saw. Eventually, she simply fell asleep.
"The mages' council arrived by air the next day, to find their most promising student sleeping on a rooftop, with hundreds of the creatures staring up at her with hungry eyes. A quick vote was taken, and it was agreed to try a spell which had been, previously, a myth. The necessary materials were procured from the area, not without some difficulty. A portal, requiring the strength of all present, was opened. The magic of the spell was such that it would only draw the creatures in. So prodigious was the effort, that the magicians were nearly killed."
"And?"
"I'll tell you when you're older." said her mother, with a remarkable amount of irony. She kissed Annabelle on the forehead, crossed to the door, and turned off the light."Good night, honey."
Years later, Anna would realize that the story was totally inappropriate for a five-year old.