# Sam's Story: Changes

Author: jimkoyot
Tags: Gender Shifting, Story Progression, Story Series, Transformation, Wings, rewrite

Pain.  That was the first sensation.  It flashed for but a moment but it was certainly memorable.  Next came nausea, hot flashes, then cold flashes.  Finally awareness came to him as the beep of a heart monitor came through the haze.  The weight of an elephant was keeping his eyes shut.  The haze was starting to lift, though, and with it his eyelids slowly rose.  Darkness veiled the room but the outlines were still visible.  The dim screen of the monitor was reading out boring information and he could just make out an automatic drip machine.  Suddenly it cycled and darkness claimed him once again.

 

He didn't know how long he was out but the sun was starting to peek in through the window.  The haze was lighter this time and dissipating quickly.  A glance around told him he was alone and the room was silent aside from the heart monitor's steady beep.  Strange cloth covered half of his face and draped over parts of his limbs.  It was easier to move now and he pulled off the strange cloth.

 

Moving around made a certain body part of his pull.  A quick glance confirmed that they had catheterized him.  That was not something he wanted to deal with at the moment.  A pull, tug, and a cringe later and the dreaded device was free.  With the tube gone, a sudden and fierce urge struck him and his priority changed to number one.  Sam slid out of the bed and grabbed the rack holding bags of fluids.  Having those pull out of his arm did not sound like a good idea for the moment.  Why they were there, he was unsure of, though.

 

Pulling the gown aside, Sam sat down and reflected on the past 24 hours to figure out what was going on.  He had been out with friends, taking care of their sound equipment while they performed in a bar.  They weren't very good but when you're playing songs the group of drunks like, it didn't matter.  As per California rules, they didn't shut down the bar until almost 2AM.  Not that bad of a deal unless you'd been up since 4AM and had a rough day at work.  Clean up took another two hours since he had to do the job himself; the band had gotten completely wasted by the end of their show and could hardly stand, let alone handle thousand dollar equipment.  The band members had to go home to their respective loved ones and Sam hauled the equipment to the singer's house for storage.  By 5AM he was finally on his way home when he slowed down in a dense patch of fog.  Sam almost stood up mid stream when he remembered getting in the accident.  He was rammed from behind by a truck.  Shaken but not stirred, he had gotten out to make sure the truck driver had been okay since both vehicles took some good damage.  That was the last he could remember.  That and a bright flash of light.

 

That bright flash of light confused Sam.  What had happened that caused that? The only thing he could think of was an explosion but at that range he should be dead or at least severely injured.  Last he checked there were just a few sore spots on his body.  Oddly enough he actually looked a little thinner than he had before.  Ok so he wasn't thin by a long shot.  He was actually obese.  But fat and happy was fine with him.  Better to enjoy that Twinkie than suffer trying to lose the weight.  No one would agree with him though.

 

Sam realized he'd been sitting there thinking for a while and was still going a steady stream.  It was unnerving.  How full had his bladder been?  Finally after a solid six minutes his stream tapered off.  Suddenly he felt more exhausted than any time in his life.  His eyes started to close but he forced them open and stood up.  He was wobbly on his feet and started to lean over on a couple occasions and it was only five feet to his bed.  He crawled into the bed face down but couldn't keep his eyes open long enough to turn over.  He promptly passed back into the oblivion he had woken from not long ago.  A few minutes later a nurse came in to check on him only to be thoroughly confused by him being face down and with his catheter out.  She called for help to flip him back over and get him situated since she was never going to be able to move the 450 pound man her self.

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

 

The next time Sam woke up, the same beep of the heart monitor was going off but it was like waking from a restful sleep rather than a drugged hell.  Everything felt light and airy though.  He wasn't sure if it was drugs or he'd been out long enough to be completely thrown off balance.  His eyes opened to a bright room and daylight outside through the window.  A glance around showed it was still the same room he was in before which meant he couldn't have been there that long.  A nurse walked in and jumped when she noticed Sam looking around.  Before Sam could even get a word in she had run out and started calling for the doctor.

 

"Well that was weird!"  Sam clapped his hands over his mouth, aghast at what he heard.  Was that really his voice?  He sounded like a girl!  He tested his voice a little to see if it was a fluke but his voice was high pitched.  In fact even his hands were small now!  In a panic he ripped off the bed sheets and saw a tiny body in place where his used to be.  Tiny!  Where did his weight go?  Why did he have boobs?!  Ok to be fair they're still smaller than they were when he was fat but that's besides the point.  

 

Before he could continue his examination the doctor walked in with a couple nurses behind him, "awake at last I see!  How are you feeling?"

 

"Don't start with me! What the hell happened?!  I'm skinny, I sound like a girl, actually," he shifted the hospital gown over not caring who was in the room, "I am a girl!!  Explain!!"

 

"Ok first, we don't know.  From what we've been told you should be dead, not a girl.  That explosion was bad enough but the chemicals on that truck are supposedly classified.  The FBI wouldn't tell me what they were. As it is, you're also under investigation in regards to the "send them home" act of 1991."

 

"Whoa whoa whoa!  I'm being investigated as an alien?  This is bull crap!"

 

"Sorry sir.... ma'am?  Anyways, I'm just letting you know.  We would love to hold you for testing but that is up to you."

 

"In that case, can I get some clothes?  I can't walk around like this."

 

"Technically you shouldn't be walking around at all.  Just a week ago you had 5 broken ribs, three shattered vertebrae, broken arm, broken leg, multiple fractures in your skull, a concussion, and serious burns from both chemical and fire. Like I said, you should have been dead, if not bedridden for the rest of your life.   Just yesterday I pulled out the stitches that had covered the lacerations from flying debris.  I also took X-rays and every broken bone was healed, if not reshaped to fit your current physique."

 

"I'm just going to nod my head and smile since I'm at a loss.  First thing is first though.  I feel the catheter.... can someone take it out?"

 

"First we need to make sure you're mobile--"

 

Sam didn't need any convincing.  He immediately sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, hopping to his feet before the nurse could reach him to stop him, "what?  I have a brown belt in jiu jitsu.  I know when my body is too frail to get up.  Now can you take out the tube?"

 

The doctor just sighed, "fine fine.  I guess you probably want to leave soon, right?  I'll see what we can arrange as far as clothes then."

 

"Thank you. Oh and one last request.  Seeing as how I'm no longer the same gender.  Could you make a video with me for my phone so I can show people that I'm not stealing my identity?"

 

"That's... actually a good idea given the circumstances.  Sure."

 

A nurse helped them record the video as well as take a couple selfies since Sam was a bit of a celebrity in the ward.  How often do you meet someone who changes gender without surgery?  The hospital supplied a set of scrubs so he could go home but he had to go commando and still didn't have shoes.  He at least had money in his account and could shop for new clothes.  Speaking of, he was going to have to call an Uber to get home and go shopping.  Small problem but at least he had his phone and wallet on him.

 

The trip home was uneventful and neither was the trip to kohls.  Once inside the store, however, he noticed a problem.  He couldn't wear guys clothes any more.  Well, he COULD but he shouldn't if he wanted to blend in.  And blending in is exactly what he wanted to do right now.  Especially with the government eye on him.  He was 30 years old.  He shouldn't be having this problem right now.  That is only something that young kids go through.  Progeny of aliens and human mothers.

 

Picking out some clothes was easy enough.  Tshirts, jeans, socks, and a wind breaker.  Then came the hard part: Underwear.  Sam really didn't want to wear panties but he knew they were designed to fit around his new and lack thereof junk.  And everything had to be in pastel or white!  Why couldn't girls wear blue or green.  The only darker colors were thongs and that was not going to fly with him.

 

With a sigh he picked up the pack of bikini cuts and headed towards bras.  That was when Sam knew he was screwed.  He didn't know his dimensions.  That was when his luck went up and dropped at the same time.

 

"Hey there kiddo.  Looking for your first bra?"

 

The very obviously gay attendant thankfully had a tape measure around his neck but thought Sam was just a kid.  What a drag.

 

"Something like that.  I don't know my size."

 

"Not a problem!  Let's set down your stack right here and lift your arms so I can measure."

 

Sam handed off his stack of clothes and raised an eyebrow at the attendants slight struggle to handle it but kept it to himself.  Lifting his arms, he allowed the attendant to get his measurements.  And he was not impressed.

 

"Looks like you're a 32 A.  Don't worry sweetie you'll fill out eventually."

 

Sam grumbled to himself as the attendant walked away to help other customers and picked a couple nude colored bras from the rack.  Jeez he was tiny!  A mere 32 and an A?  He knew his boobs were tiny but not that bad.  "Wait, why do I even care about my bust size?!"

 

Slightly mortified about his line of thought he headed to the checkout to head home.  Thankfully he had enough cash on him to cover the wardrobe so he didn't have to bother with credit cards and showing his ID.  That just would not have gone well.  Crisis averted thanks to paper money though.  Now just to wait for the uber to come take him home.

 

Sam opened the door to his apartment cautiously.  It's been a week since he's been home.  The air smelled old and stale.  He locked the door behind him, dumped the clothes on the couch, and quickly did a sweep of his place.  Everything was where he left it and nothing looked disturbed.  With a little peace of mind, Sam started working on a little peace of spirit.  In each of the three rooms he lit sandalwood incense, breathing in the smoke as they started.  He felt tension leaving his body as he relaxed into the smell.  His couch was inviting him in so he plopped down into the cushions for a rest.  Unfortunately the moment he relaxed, there was a knock at his door.

 

Begrudgingly he got up to check the door.  An unknown woman was standing there with an irritated expression.  She pulled back to knock on the door again so Sam opened the door before she could, "can I help you?"

 

Looking a little out of sorts, she straightened her jacket before addressing Sam, "uh, hi.  I'm looking for Sam Pedersen.  I am told this is his apartment?"

 

"You're looking at him.  So what do you need?"

 

"Oh.  According to your file, I was expecting someone a little... more?  And male."

 

"Yeah well, shit happens.  Again, what do you want?"

 

"Alright, well, I'm Agent Woodrow with the FBI.  I'm here to initiate an extraterrestrial investigation into you.  Seeing as how you no longer look like you did a week ago according to your photos from the band performance, I can assume that you are not human.  There will be an extraction team sent in soon to take you where you need to go."

 

"Whoa whoa whoa!  Just like that you are going to strip me away from my life?  I'm human!  I've been human my whole life!  My parents are human, and I even have the video of my birth!  There has to be some mistake!"

 

"Nope.  No mistaking.  That chemical you were exposed to kills humans.  Dissolves them really.  So again.  You are being investigated.  If you play nice and don't attract too much attention to yourself, we can allow you to say goodbye to your friends and such before you go."

 

"This is such bullshit!" Sam punched the door frame, splintering the wood.  Surprised by his own strength, he gawked at the spot his fist was imprinted into the frame.  Unnerved, the agent started backing away, "I'm going to need backup at my location.  Individual being assessed is enhanced, I repeat, they are enhanced!"

 

"Wait!  No no no.  hold on.  Just... just give me a couple weeks to set my affairs in order before you haul me off.  I need to tell everyone something.  Just.... I'll be good, I promise."

 

Agent Woodrow paused, seeing the crestfallen look on Sam.  She lifted her collar and spoke into it, "cancel that backup.  Reconvene in three weeks per 'Last Goodbyes' initiative."  She took a deep breath and looked at Sam gravely, "You have three weeks.  After that we are coming to get you.  Try to stay under the radar."

 

Sam walked tiredly back to the spot on the couch.  Three weeks.  He had three weeks left then who knows what was going to happen.  Flopping down in the couch, he figured a nap before tackling his problems was in order.

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

 

The nap was only partially refreshing but at least he knew better what he needed to do.  First thing was first, he needed to text his boss, then his parents.  His parents had some explaining to do.

 

Sam: just got out of the hospital. I have some bad news.

Boss: about time I heard from you. I already sent out your final check and cobra forms

Sam: wait what?  I've been in a coma and you fire me?

Boss: you know the no call no show rules.  You haven't been in and no calls either.  So yes you're fired.

Sam: this is bullshit.  Not that I was coming in anymore anyways.  I just got told I have 3 weeks to live. I'm sure as hell not spending it at work.

 

Sam didn't even read any replies after that and just called his mom.  Her chipper voice picked up on the second ring, "hello dearest son of mine!  What can I do for you?"

 

"Hi mom.  I'm having a rough week."

 

"Is your phone broken?  You sound like you've been inhaling helium."

 

"That's one of the things I called about.  So apparently I'm an alien now and I have no idea why.  I remember everything from age 4 and up but nothing adds up.  Did anything happen to me when I was a toddler?"

 

Sam heard some expletives he's never heard from his mother's mouth before she turned the cursing on his father.  Sam could hear him on the other end trying to calm her down but it wasn't working.  Finally Sam heard his mother throw the phone and stomp off into another room.  His dad picked up the phone.

 

"Samuel?"

 

"Hey dad"

 

"What happened to your voice?  And for that matter, what got into your mom?  She just threatened to divorce me over "my dumb idea"."

 

"Voice is a long story, but, I asked mom if anything happened to me as a toddler that would make me now an alien?"  He hadn't meant to phrase it as a question but his uncertainty made it happen.

 

His father for his part sucked in his breath and held it for a bit before sighing and finally answering, "when you were born, you were weak.  Bad heart, arthritis already, brittle bones.  It was a mess.  Doctors told us that you wouldn't make it past 2 years old so we started looking for alternative medicines that could help.  And some of them did, but it wasn't enough.  You were dying.  Then we heard of someone scouring the globe for a dying child whose spirit they would strengthen.  We immediately sought them out and brought you before them.  They were huge.  8 feet tall in a big heavy cloak.  They held you and turned you this way and that before saying you would be perfect.  They brought you into a room with this big black and silver egg.  We were so entranced by the egg and room that we didn't see him pull out a long glowing blade.  He leaned you against that egg and rammed the blade through your heart and into the egg.  We thought you were dead!  But you didn't make a sound.  You and the egg glowed together but the glow moved from the egg to only you.  The man said something in a foreign language, yanked the blade out and threw you at us.  "It failed! Take your abomination with you" is what he said.  But after that you started healing.  Arthritis went away, bones strengthened, heart beat strong. Whatever he did it worked but I feel isn't what he intended."

 

Sam could almost hear his father shrugging on the other end of the phone, "so what you're saying is something alien made me strong enough to get better?"

 

"That about sums it up.  Yeah."

 

"Well apparently that alien shit made things worse for me now because I'm being shipped off planet in 3 weeks anyways."

 

There was a long pause, "run that by me again?"

 

"Yeah... apparently I'm alien and I fall into the "send them home" bullshit now.  It doesn't matter that I was born here.  I have to leave."

 

"That's fucking bullshit!"

 

"That's literally what I said!"

 

"Sooo. What now?"

 

"Well, I could come visit but more has changed than my voice."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Well, you remember how mom always wanted a daughter?"

 

Another long pause, "no way.  You're a girl now?"

 

"Yep!  Full package.  Tiny too. I'm only five twoish."

 

"Well that's inconvenient.  How much do you weigh?"

 

"I don't know. I'd guess somewhere around 90 pounds.  I'm shredded too.  Muscle everywhere!"

 

"How do I know this isn't just some sick joke one of your friends is playing on us?  Huh? It certainly wouldn't be hard."

 

"Believe me, I wish this was a joke.  Come over to my apartment and I'll show you a video I got the doctor at the hospital to make to show you what happened."

 

"I'll see if I can convince your mother.  You going to make anything for dinner?"

 

"Sure. I'll see what I have in the freezer that I can cook up for you guys.  Anything in particular sound good?"

 

"You know me. I'm not picky.  I'll see you in an hour though."

 

"See you."

 

Sam hung up and put his phone on the armrest.  He really should at least text his friends and girlfriend but he was too stressed at the moment. He may have had only three weeks but that's still a long time for how small his social circle was.  A thought came to mind about someone he should pay a visit to for some possible answers: a psychic he's heard a lot about.

 

Pushing the thought aside, Sam got up and pulled out some steaks to cook for his parents.  Add in some grilled corn and mashed potatoes and it was a great but simple dinner.  He set the steaks in some water to defrost and started a pot to boil on the stove for the potatoes.  The corn was easy enough, just place them in the husks straight on the grill.  Those took a while though so he headed out to his patio to start up the grill.  He technically wasn't supposed to have a grill in the apartment but since he was on the 4th floor and a corner plot, no one cared.  Not that it would make much of a difference any more considering he only had 3 weeks left.  He still couldn't wrap his head around that idea.

 

With the corn on the grill and the potatoes boiling, it gave Sam a chance to contemplate on what he wanted to do.  There was always the option of running from the FBI to stay on planet but what kind of life was that?  Turned into a pariah and on the run constantly.  No that didn't sound like a life he could live.  Especially when you have to drive everywhere.  It's too hard to evade people when you're limited to the roads.

 

The doorbell ringing broke him from his reverie.  He opened the door to be greeted by both of his parents.  So his father got her to come after all.

 

"Is Sam home?"  This was his mother.  Boy was she in for a shock.

 

"Hi mom, Hi dad."

 

Sam's dad just whistled.  His mother, however, just stared in shock.  Apparently she was not informed of the situation or anything for that matter.  A lot of expressions seemed to pass over her face as she stared at Sam including confusion, excitement, and anger.  She finally settled on excitement, "I thought your voice was high pitched now!  Yay, we can do spa dates together!"

 

"Whoa whoa whoa!  Hell no!  I'm still a guy at heart.  No way I'm getting into this girly stuff!"

 

"Oh good, you are my son.  I was just checking, though, that would be nice.  Anyways, can we come in?  It looks like it's going to rain out here."

 

"Yeah, come on in!  I'm just getting some dinner cooked up.  How does steak and potatoes sound?"

 

"You always did love the simple but hearty meals.  Not that that's a bad thing.  Just an observation."

 

"Yeah well I didn't have much time to prepare for anything elaborate.  I had one hour to defrost food and cook it.  Next time I'll make something a little more flavorful."

 

Sam's dad threw out the one thing he was afraid of saying, "if there is a next time."

 

Sam's mother frowned at her husband but when she noticed Sam crestfallen, she needed to know what he meant, "Sam.  What does he mean?  What is going on?"

 

"Dad told me what you guys did to try to fix me when I was a toddler.  I don't blame you guys.  You were just trying to save your baby, but whatever happened mixed me up with alien blood.  Now I'm a girl and I have three weeks left on Earth."  His mom looked confused for a minute so Sam added some information, "the FBI thinks I'm an alien now and are coming to ship me off.  The "send them home" act from when I was a child.  There is nothing I can do about it."

 

"Oh.  Oh no. No no no no.  No I can't lose my baby again!  No one comes back from that!  I'll never see you again!  No you can't go!"

 

She wrapped her arms around Sam and held him tight.  Sam could feel her shaking and tried to comfort her.  He knew there was nothing he could say that would make her feel better.  She was losing her child.

 

"Come on guys.  I will be gone for a week starting tomorrow anyways.  Remember that convention I told you about?"

 

Sam's dad was the only one able to talk, "yeah, I remember.  You think it'll be okay you go?"

 

"I don't see why not?  I mean, hell, I only changed gender.  What more could happen to me?"

 

"Famous last words, Sam.  Just be careful.  I've heard there is more than the FBI out looking for aliens."

 

"I'll be fine, Dad.  Besides, I still have my training in Jiu Jitsu and Karate.  I can defend myself.  Now let me go throw these steaks on the grill before the corn over cooks."

 

Sam tried to extricate himself from his mother's grip but it wasn't working.  He wound up having to move around with her still wrapped around him.  It was inconvenient, particularly considering his mother was five foot nine and over two hundred pounds.  Sam still finished cooking and they enjoyed the meal together, each parent sitting on either side of Sam and close enough to be crowding him.  Sam enjoyed it though.  He loved his parents.  They were his life and kept him going even if they always did give him a hard time about his weight.  They didn't want him getting a heart attack or diabetes.  He understood their concern but he just wanted to be happy, even if that meant being fat.

 

After feeding his parents and talking for a couple hours, setting their nerves at ease, Sam closed up his apartment to go visit the psychic he had heard about.  Her little store front was only open during the evenings and never on weekends.  It also seemed to be attached to her house which was quite nice.  He went up and rang the doorbell.

 

"Go away!"

 

Well that wasn't the greeting he was expecting from a psychic.  Maybe he could convince her to see him?  "Wait, I just had some questions about my past!  I'll pay for your services!"

 

The door cracked open a little bit, "your past?  That's all?"

 

"Yes.  Please!  I need to make sense of some things.  I heard you're good at that."

 

"Well I am a psychic.  Come on in.  We can get started.  I usually charge 40$ for a session."

 

"That's fine.  Here you go."

 

"Okay.  What is your first question?"

 

They sat down at a small table.  There were no cards or crystal balls anywhere around.  There was however a small tea pot steaming away in the center with a few cups on the side, "it's not so much a question as I just need to understand what happened to me when I was a toddler.  My parents did something to save my life when I was two but it has negatively affected my life this past week."

 

"Well tell me about what you know so I don't repeat what you've been told.  Have some tea while you're at it.  It'll help keep you relaxed."

 

Sam relayed the story as best he could about what his father told him.  For her part, the psychic only raised an eyebrow and nodded when she needed to.

 

"Okay that is definitely different.  And you say you just need to know what actually happened?"

 

"Yeah, pretty much.  I basically need to know why I'm no longer considered human and what happened."

 

She stood up and stepped behind Sam, "just sip your tea and relax.  I'm going to reach into your mind and pull out what happened.  It will probably be a little unnerving and may make you queasy.  If you need to throw up, there is a bucket to your left.  Now, just relax."

 

Sam felt her place her fingers on a few places on his head.  He closed his eyes and relaxed into the chair and suddenly he was spiraling through his past until he reached the day his parents took him to see the mysterious being.  The images slowed down the moment they stepped into the room with the egg and went at normal speed.  Sam got to watch from a third person view as the blade was rammed through his chest.  He felt heat in his chest when the blade went through but no pain.  Then everything slowed down as he felt his soul conversing with another soul.  It was the essence of the egg.  It was weak, but oh so old.  He couldn't fathom just how old it actually was.  How old SHE was.  There was an exchange, the egg asking his soul for help.  Instead of his soul going to the egg, he invited the egg into his body.  He promised she could strengthen herself until she was ready to start her own life.  She knew it would take years, decades even, but agreed, leaving her shell and joining with Sam.  The souls cohabited but did not mix.

 

The vision ended and Sam opened his eyes.  Surprisingly he felt fine, "whoa.... That was intense!  So I have two souls?"

 

"Wait, you saw that too? Huh.  You have some psychic strengths too then.  I guess I don't need to explain what I saw then."

 

"I guess not, but then why did I turn into a girl when I was exposed to that chemical?"

 

"How long ago was that?"

 

"About a week?  I was unconscious for the majority of it."

 

"Alright then.  Same deal, relax and let me in."

 

Sam relaxed again and this time the images didn't move through so much time.  They actually went too far to the week before he was at the bar with his friends but moved back forwards to the night of the accident.  Again Sam watched from a third person view as he got into the accident but felt everything all over again.  This time it hurt.  Those air bags are vicious.  Then the explosion hit.  Shards flew through the air, slicing and piercing his body as he flew backwards.  Then the chemical, burning from the heat, splattered across his body.  Everywhere he woke up to cloth on his body was splattered with burning chemical that melted skin off.  He felt another exchange between the souls.  His soul was in danger and knew it.  He reached to the resting soul from the egg within his body and woke her.  This time he asked for help.  There was nothing that soul could do though.  She couldn't heal the body since she wasn't the main host.  He made a compromise though.  A joining.  He was about to die but if they joined together and she took over the body from here out but maintained his memories then they could survive.  She knew that the joining would complete her and allow her to become reality, but the memories would cause issues.  She agreed even though it wouldn't be right.  Agreed knowing that if the body died, so would she.  She got to work the moment they joined, changing the DNA to that of what she should have been.  Starting in the areas where the chemical burned away flesh and started to dissolve the body.

 

"Whoa.  All of that happened in the time span of a minute?"

 

"It seems so.  God this is so nice not having to explain what I saw.  That would have been so confusing to anyone else who didn't see it happen.  So that is why you survived the accident and are now a girl.  I saw the soul though.  I do not think you are done changing."

 

"What do you mean?  I never saw it.  Just felt it."

 

"She was... interesting.  Giant wings, horns spiraling into the sky, tail with a fan of feathers, and eyes of the purest gold.  She was fascinating.  You'll have to come visit me once you find her.  I'd love to meet her in person!"

 

"I... guess?  I'll try.  The FBI wants to ship me off planet in the next 3 weeks so I don't know if I'd be able to do that."

 

"Ah, bummer.  Didn't know the FBI already got hold of you."

 

"Yeah, well... better than the alternative, no?"

 

"Probably.  I've heard of some horrible things happening to people.  So any other questions?"

 

"I guess I just have one last question: what now?"

 

"What now?  What am I, a fortune teller?  I just deal in people's pasts.  You want advice, go to one of them.  I just help figure out what happened in people's pasts and help them."

 

"Sorry sorry.  I guess it's more rhetorical.  I just don't know what to do with what I now know."

 

"Yeah well you have plenty of time to figure that out.  That soul that is now inhabiting you is around 15000 years old.  That egg has been around for a very long time, and you will probably also be around for a very long time."

 

"You mean, like, I will probably outlive everyone I know?"

 

"Like you will probably outlive the entirety of the human species.  Assuming no one tries to kill you.  Anyways, go.  You need to process over all of this and I can't answer any of the questions you will have."

 

Sam just nodded as he was guided back outside.  The psychic gave him an apologetic smile before waving him off.  He really only had one question now that he was outside and it was eating at him.  Why did souls operate on their own?  Sam didn't even pay attention his whole way home.  The next thing he knew he was going through the paces and lighting incense in his apartment.  He finally snapped out of his thoughts when his phone rang.  He picked it up and looked at who was calling: Lacy, his best friend.

 

"Hello, Lacy."

 

"Oh.  I didn't know Sam got a new girlfriend.  Can you put him on?"

 

"Lacy.  It's me, Sam.  A lot has happened in the past week."

 

"Sam? But you sound like a girl!"

 

"Yeah.  Like I said, a lot has happened."

 

"You want to talk about it?"

 

Sam didn't even hesitate.  He went straight into everything that happened including his recent visit to the psychic that brought the memories to the forefront.  Lacy listened patiently through the whole spiel and never questioned him.  At the end, she didn't even have much to say, "Good thing you're coming up to me tomorrow!  I'll be able to hug you and say everything is going to be alright in person."

 

"Thanks.  That would make me so happy right now.  I've just had so much dumped on me lately.  I don't even know how to deal with it!  There is so much involved."

 

"What are you going to do about them making you leave the planet?"

 

"I don't think there is anything I could do.  I'll be an outlaw if I don't go and I wouldn't be able to see anyone anymore anyways.  So what's the point?  Anyways, I'm just trying to make the most of the time I have left."

 

"Totally agree.  So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

 

"Disaster pending, most definitely!"

 

"Alright.  You take care then!  I don't want to hear you didn't make it for some reason."

 

"Enough has happened already.  How bad could my karma be that more disasters would hit me?"

 

"Famous last words, Sam." \*click\*

 

Sam looked at the phone and mumbled to himself, "huh.  Dad said the same exact thing.  Maybe my karma is unbalanced.  Oh this can't be good."

 

Sam settled in to sleep but knew it wasn't going to come easy tonight. Too much had happened in a short time.  He reached for the sleeping pills he kept for emergencies and popped two for good measure.  He settled in and set an alarm to make sure he was up early to get ready for his train ride.  Quicker than expected his eyes started to close and he was asleep.

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

 

Strange dreams of great star battles plagued his mind.  Things he should not have known but they were all in vain as his morning alarm woke him.  Groggy, he tried to sit up.  Something didn't feel right so he decided to roll to the side to check.  Sure enough, there on his backside was the beginnings of a tail.  Yep, definitely not human any more.  Great.  Well, gotta get ready to take the train anyways.

 

Sam got changed, checking once he had jeans on that the tail didn't show through, and packed everything he would need.  He didn't have any body hair so it wasn't necessary to bring any shavers which he only thought about because of his own dislike of body hair on women.  Normal things like toothbrush and body wash went in the bag though as well as enough clothes for just over a week.  The trip was for six days but it's always good to have a few extra sets of clothing.  You never know what'll happen.

 

A quick uber trip down to the train station and he was waiting for his train.  There is always delays on this line but he prefered to be early just in case.  He looked over and saw some kid staring at him.  He thought it odd until he remembered how young his appearance was now, coupled with his new gender.  He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and ignored the kid who couldn't have been more than 13 years old.  If he had young teens and preteens hitting on him now because of how young he appeared then hell wouldn't stop him from screaming.

 

Hours later, he was sitting in the dining car, munching on some snacks he had purchased.  These trips were boring and he needed something to keep his mind occupied.  Food just felt like a good option, particularly considering how thin he was now and needed to put at least a couple pounds on.  Muscles were not attractive in this much detail on anyone.  He went to flex his forearm just to prove a point to himself but wound up poking his palm with something sharp.  It was then that he noticed his nails were thicker, black, and pointed, taking the shape of rough claws.  He wished there was nail trimmers and files in his bag at this point.  Those nails were dangerous.

 

Sam noticed someone walk up behind him who seemed to be looking at his hair.  He looked up at the person with a question in his eyes.  At least it wasn't the kid from the platform earlier, but judging by their hair, they were either a stylist or saw one frequently.

 

"Can I help you?"

 

The person gestured to Sam's head, "sorry, I don't mean to intrude.  I just noticed your hair and I needed to know how you got the feathered look down so perfectly!  I mean it is perfect!  Not a hair out of place but it doesn't look to be gelled in place."

 

"I assure you, this is completely by accident.  I didn't even think to style it this morning when I got up."  Sam ran a hand through his hair to try to straighten it out since he had actually forgotten to style it or at least slick it back with everything else on his mind.  Something didn't feel right though.  It felt like he had clumps of gel left over but he remembered washing everything out of his hair this morning in the shower.  "Wait... you wouldn't happen to have a mirror would you?"

 

"Oh, always!  Here you go."

 

It was a small compact but it served the purposes just fine.  Opening it he noticed there was still makeup in it.  The stranger seemed to be more interesting than he originally thought.  His hair was more important than chatting it up with this guy about the finer points of alternative life styles.  Sure enough, it had that perfect feathered look.  Strangely though, he could actually feel the bones of the feathers in each clump.  It wasn't just feathered, it was feathers.  It formed a crest of sorts between his ears and down his neck partially.

 

"Huh.  That is pretty cool that it did that.  I wish my hair cooperated like this more often."

 

"So sad.  I had hoped you had the secret to the style to share with me.  I still love your hair though, girl.  Thank you for your time."

 

He walked off and Sam just nervously chuckled to himself.  Sure he did have the secret but that is rather impossible to replicate with anyone human without implanting actual feathers in their head.  Sam's stomach rumbled inconveniently then so he headed over to the restroom off to the side of the car.  The moment he locked the door and sat down he felt the brakes on the train lock up, nearly throwing him to the floor of the small cubby.  There was some shouting while he did his business but he paid it little mind since he was preoccupied at the moment.  After finishing he cracked open the door to see practically everyone from the train now standing in the car.  Since his way out of the room was blocked, he just stood there looking out into the crowd to see what was going on.

 

The wall of the train ripped away and everyone leapt away from it, packing people closer in where Sam was.  Now he really was trapped.  A couple guys in hazmat suits stepped through the hole holding a big black hose each.  They opened the nozzles without ceremony or warning and sprayed the crowds.  The screams reached Sam's ears first as he saw people's features melting and burning where the spray landed on their skins.  This was really bad.  Just in front of the doorway was the kid from the train station that had stared at him.  Sam pulled him into the bathroom and behind the door right before a spray went through the crowd right in front of him.  Sam got an up close and personal view of the effects of this chemical they were spraying as a person turned around right in front of him with their face boiling and melting off.  Quickly fading to bone and even that started to melt but at a slower rate.  It was then that Sam noticed he had caught some of the spray but it was not burning his skin or anything.  He realized it must have been the same chemical that he was hit with in the explosion.

 

A zip then a huge explosion rocked just outside of the train car and the men in hazmat suits left in a hurry, dragging the hoses with them.  Gunfire and more explosions followed them out of the train as one knocked over the train car they were in.  The body of one of the victims fell into Sam as he was trying to protect him and the boy.  He fell to the back of the cubby and hit his head on the handicapped railing around the toilet.  He saw the kid getting up and staying away from Sam and the body as his eyes closed and unconsciousness claimed him.

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

 

Sam awoke to the sound of a heart monitor for the third time now since the explosion.  At least this time he wasn't drugged.  That just meant that he felt the full pain of hitting his head on a metal railing as hard as he did.  With a groan he sat up and looked around.  The room was bright though it didn't look like the lights were on.  It was strange since he could look up at the lights in the ceiling and not see them glowing like they should have.  Off to the side though he saw Lacy sitting in a chair.  She looked like she had been crying since her mascara streaked down from either eye.

 

"Lacy?  Are you awake?"

 

Lacy groaned and looked around, probably thinking she had heard a voice but wasn't sure what it was.

 

"Lacy?"

 

"Sam? Is that you?  I'm going to turn on the light.  I can't see anything."

 

Sam watched Lacy stumble her way to the doorway and click on a light.  The light from the overhead lighting was almost blinding for Sam but his eyes adjusted and he could see fine again.

 

"Gawd that hurt.  Almost as bad as hitting my head.  Hey Lacy.  How're you doing?"

 

Lacy just stared at Sam for a bit, taking in his new appearance now that he was sitting up and coherent, "you look different."

 

"Hah! Understatement of the century right there.  There are more changes you probably can't even see either.  What time is it anyways?"

 

She pulled out her phone to check, "midnight.  You've been out for six hours.  At least that's what they say.  The FBI is here.  You saved that kid's life on the train, you know?  They're saying you're a hero."

 

"I wish I could have saved more.  Everything happened so fast.  They almost got him too.  I couldn't believe what I saw on that train.  It's going to give me nightmares for years.  I saw people dissolve!  Gawd it was disgusting."

 

"Eeew.  That does sound pretty gross.  I couldn't imagine either.  But you didn't dissolve from the stuff!  Small blessings?"

 

"Yeah well I think that chemical is why I turned into a girl and why I'm still changing.  Lacy, I'm growing a tail.  A freaking tail!  How weird is that?"

 

"Really?  Can I see it!?"

 

With a laugh, Sam got up from the hospital bed.  He noticed he was wearing a hospital gown again which meant his clothes had been soaked in the stuff as well.  He turned around and showed Lacy the foot and a half long tail that was hanging from his back side, "see?  Growing a tail."

 

Lacy laughed and almost seemed excited about the idea of Sam getting extra appendages, "nice butt by the way.  That is soo cool though!  What else is changing?"

 

"Well my hair is now a crest of feathers.  I have no body hair whatsoever.  Aside from the tail I don't know about anything else."

 

"Here, take off the gown and I'll give you an inspection."

 

Sam, having been friends with her for years, didn't care in the slightest.  He just pulled off the gown and let Lacy get to the inspection.  Right away he noticed the white splotches across his chest and legs, "well that is new."

 

Lacy walked up and started looking at the splotches.  Sam noticed as she touched them that there was fur in the middle of the splotch about an inch in from the edges.  She touched a few of them, playing with the fur in the larger splotches a bit before moving behind Sam.  She grabbed hold of the tail and got a closer look at it, a few splotches and fur growing on that as well.  It was tapered, around 4 inches across at the spine and almost pointed at the end.  Lacy moved to the front again and looked at Sam's feet.  She noticed the toes were deforming and shaping differently as well as Sam's heel was smaller than it should have been.  The last place she looked was Sam's crotch.  A big white splotch was covering it so there was fur that made it to where she couldn't see the slit, but she moved it aside much to Sam's dismay.  She spread the lips and everything before Sam moved backwards to avoid any more... intimate probing.

 

"Well I wasn't expecting that intrusion!  Did you really need to look there?"

 

"Yeah actually.  You know you don't have a clit?"

 

"Well I'm an alien.  It makes sense that my equipment would be different.  And no you can't look again.  You lost privileges going into that area.  You could have at least asked first."

 

She stood up and looked Sam in the eyes intensely, "your eyes are purple and like a jade green.  I think the pupil is slit too. Hang on."  She leaned in and got up in Sam's face to take a better look, "yep.  Slit pupils. Very reactive to light too!"

 

"That's nice.  Can you back up a couple feet?  I'm feeling like a piece of meat now."  Sam pushed lacy to arms length to have some breathing room.  He knew she was fascinated by this stuff but it's a whole different game being the one being examined.  Thankfully the door opened and a doctor walked in followed by a guy who looked like he was dressed like an agent a while ago but was now disheveled and tired looking.

 

The doctor spoke first, "well we definitely can confirm that you are not human and as such we have no idea what to do with you.  Blood tests do not work and our scans show nothing wrong with you.  We are going to release you into FBI custody so they can appropriately deal with you."

 

"Whoa! Slow down there. I was given 3 weeks to say goodbye and set my affairs in order. Why am I going straight to the FBI now?"

 

The FBI agent spoke up this time, "because you're starting to not look human.  We don't want to cause any panic among the civilians and seeing something with white fur and a tail running around will do just that.  Unfortunately I can't get anyone out here to pick you up for several hours so I'll need you to stay in the hospital until then."

 

"Nuh uh.  Screw that.  I was given three weeks, I don't want to leave yet.  If you must, come get me in a week and I'll go but I have things I really don't want to miss coming up.  I'll stay low if I start looking less human and wait for pickup but I don't want to miss things I've had planned for a year."

 

The agent held up a hand, "you will stay in this hospital and await pickup."

 

"No. I won't.  I'm going to see my friends."

 

The agent looked taken aback.  Surprised even, "that should have worked.  Oh god, you're immune."

 

"Whatever.  I'm going to get dressed then in leaving."

 

Sam grabbed his luggage he noticed in the corner and pulled out some clothes.  As he was slipping it on he could hear the agent talking to Lacy outside the door, "look, apparently she's stubborn but you can't let her leave!  There is too much at risk.  She could be captured!"

 

"Look, Terry, I understand your concern.  Sam may seem rash but HE is actually one of the smartest guys I know.  He won't go down without a fight whether that's you or someone else. Just let him have his peace before he goes with you."

 

"I don't like this one bit.  Fine.  But anything happens, here's my number."

 

Sam heard him walking off right as he was walking through the door.  Lacy gave him a nervous smile and pocketed the phone number.  This was going to be an interesting day.

 

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

 

The next day after waking up on Lacy's couch, Sam noticed the changes were getting more pronounced.  Thankfully it was cool out so he could get away with wearing a windbreaker to cover his arms.  His tail was getting harder to cover though since now it went all the way to his knee.  There was a couple of bumps near the base of his ribs that were growing too.  He was still going to the convention this weekend whatever happened though.

 

Lacy woke up after a little while and they headed out for some brunch.  Sam's leg looked funny from behind with the tail going down the pant leg but at least it wasn't in plain view.  That wasn't the issue so much as the dark feathers growing on the backs of his ears and the fact they were starting to point.  Sam still insisted on getting brunch at the cafe up in Portland.  They both knew the weird stares would be worth it though.

 

Sam saw people changing their stares from him to a few vehicles passing by.  It wasn't that often one saw military grade vehicles on the streets of Portland.  Sam was hoping it wasn't the FBI there to collect him since they said they were going to.  The last of the six vehicles stopped next to the cafe as the rest continued on, the passenger climbing out.  This man was huge, easily six foot five and built like a linebacker.  He glanced around then locked eyes with Sam.  It was then Sam noticed the artificial eye before the man stomped right over to Sam.

 

"Alien, you are coming with us."

 

This guy was definitely not FBI.  He was dressed in fatigues and carried a patch for the known terrorist group out to catch the aliens the FBI misses.  This really wasn't going to go down well.

 

"How about not.  I haven't finished my panini yet!  Why don't you go back in your truck and wait."

 

Sam was waving the meat head off when he snatched Sam's wrist.  Sam tried to pull his wrist back but the man's grip was like a vise!  Sam tried pulling harder and was just picked up by his arm instead.  The man started walking back to his truck but Sam was having none of that.  Sam swung his legs up and planted them in the man's armpit.

 

"Let go or you're getting a dislocated arm."

 

Sam wondered if he could follow through with his threat considering he just noticed the arm was mechanical.  Since the man never hesitated in his steps, Sam figured it was time to check.  Gripping the large wrist with one hand and bracing the other, Sam pressed with his feet hard.  Immediately he heard cracking and the sound of alarms going off in the man's headset.  The panic in his eyes was genuine as Sam ripped the arm from his body, doing a backflip back onto the sidewalk with the arm still in hand.  The grip was still tight but Sam worked his arm loose before swinging the metal arm at the man who came back for a second round.  It connected with his head and he was down for the count.  Sam was about to teabag him when he noticed more meat heads coming his way.  Now was the time to run.  And run Sam did, with traffic, and kept up with them.  Sam could actually run faster but currently he was going with the 40mph traffic down the street.  A few people saw him running and checked their speedometers thinking they were going slow.

 

Sam turned down an alley to avoid being caught and kept running.  Crossing streets and making turns, he kept going for an hour or so.  Then he started to get tired.  As exhilarating as it had been to run for so long, it apparently wore him out.  He ducked down a small alley and sat down behind a dumpster.  It wasn't the most pleasant place to rest but it would have to do for now.  Then again, the wave of fatigue that hit him caused him to pass out on the spot.

 

 

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/1189394