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Humanity; Lost

Chapter Two

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

20th January, 2024

All Rights Reserved.

With his mother's comforting presence enveloping him, Alex continued to sob into her embrace. His emotions, raw, primal, savage, his grief over the loss of his humanity and the uncertainty of his new existence as a kangaroo, poured out of him in a torrent of tears and heartbroken sobs. His mother held him close, offering her strength and understanding.

Elara cradled Alex in her arms, his distress palpable against her fur. The dim light in the apartment cast a gentle glow, emphasizing the tender moment between mother and son.

“You're safe now, Alex," Elara whispered softly, her voice a gentle melody in the stillness.

As she looked down at his troubled expression, a quiet confession slipped from her lips, almost lost in the hush of the room, thankfully, lost to Alex, as he continued to sob helplessly.

"You're so much like your father," she murmured, the words a secret shared with the sleeping world around them.

After a while, when his initial wave of grief began to subside, Alex's mother, Elena, gently pulled back and looked into his tear-filled eyes. In the subdued lighting, she saw the pain they both shared reflected back at her.

“We'll get through this - “ Elena whispered, rushing a hand lightly across his cheeks. “I do not fully understand why it happened, but we will find a way forward, I promise. You won't be alone."

Alex, his throat still raw and unable to truly articulate his feelings, nodded in gratitude. Her love and compassion provided strength and hope, amidst the darkness of his unwilling transformation.

Elena stood up, giving him a moment to compose himself, and she walked into the kitchen. With a determined expression, she began preparing a simple meal, as if instinctively understanding that what little nourishment she had provided, would be insufficient.

As she moved around the kitchen Alex timidly crawled after her, a mix of conflicting emotions swirling within him. He was grateful for her presence and support, but a lingering sadness clung to him like a second fur. Memories of his past life, especially those with Becky, remained vivid in his mind.

*

Once the meal was ready, she set down a bowl of vegetables on the living room coffee table. Seating herself, she watched as he crawled over to the table, then began nervously eating – it wasn't like he wasn't hungry – far from it, but his sniffles and hooded eyes revealed the inner turmoil within him. His furtive gaze looked towards the mantle.

There, amongst nicknacks and trinkets, he'd collected, an old photograph, almost buried behind the treasures – its surface covered with dust. He hadn't looked at it in years – had even forgotten it was there.

“What's – are you okay?" Elara asked, placing a hand on his neck, feeling him tremble.

He looked away from the picture, then back to her, his gaze once more drawn to it – before he grunted and clucked, gesturing weakly with a paw towards what had piqued his curiosity before he trembled again and resumed eating. Setting aside her own meal, Elara approached and picked up the photograph. With a gentle puff of breath, she blew the dust off it, before she gasped – Alex's ears snapping forwards and a frightened grunt coming from him. Elara sniffed, then wiped a finger across her eyes, before she walked back and set it down before him.

It depicted Elara, much younger. Behind her, blurred and indistinct, was someone – no – something obscured by shadows. It had an uncanny resemblance to a kangaroo in its confusing, difficult-to-make-out shadowy appearance.

With a quiet and thoughtful series of grunts, growls, and gestures, Alex weakly reached out and tapped the picture with his claws on his right paw.

“This?" Elara asked, glancing between him and the picture. “It's..nothing my son. Do not worry about it, a memory from a long, long time ago – at a – a sanctuary I once visited..."

If Alex was more attuned to his instincts, his sense of smell would have detected Elara was lying to him...

*

After their meal, his mother sat on the floor, and Alex approached, then lay down, folding one long leg over the other and resting his head on her lap.

“We can't stay here. It's not – safe, nor is it sanitary. I suggested we headed to my mother's farmstead. It's secluded, and we'll have time to understand the situation without unwanted attention. Do you understand?"

Alex twitched, giving a nod of acceptance. He was torn – this place had been his life, his home – he and Becky had...

A deep shiver rippled through him, before his mother, perceptive and sensing the change, tenderly stroked his shoulder.

“I know my son, believe me, I know – I hurt too when your father left us – I know why he did... but it did not make the pain any less, than what you are suffering. If I could take it from you, I would – you know that. Becky is a good, strong, and wise girl – I'm proud to know her, and maybe... just maybe..."

Alex glanced up at her, lifting his head slightly.

“I can not promise you my son - “ Elena spoke soothingly. “We might be able... Oh gods, why is this so hard..."

He trembled, then lay his head back down, the barest hint of hope sparking in the depths of his grieving heart.

“You still got that hiking pack?" Elara asked, switching mental gears.

Alex flicked an ear and Elara nodded. “Good... I'll start foraging for supplies, just enough to tide us over a few days – until you're settled, then I'll go get some proper food for you, and myself."

With a shudder, Alex pulled himself back to his feet, dropping onto all fours, as he watched his mother retrieve the pack and go back into the kitchen. After what felt like well after midnight, the pack bulging with some warm blankets, non-perishable cans, and other food, she grunted and set it down next to the front door. Alex watched her, growing more and more pensive, as the reality of it all settled upon his already heavy heart.

Seeing his distress, Elara returned, knelt, and cuddled him, holding him tight and soothingly stroking his neck.

“A place doesn't make a home my love," She murmured. “it's the people we share it with, that make it a home."

He looked up at her, then grunted something she didn't understand, before giving her a tentative lick and nuzzle – his thoughts made clear through his gestures.

“Alright, you ready? It's a fair way, as I'm sure you remember – now, where's the keys..."

Alex took one last look at his apartment, before he and his mother, carrying the heavy pack on her back, walked out – the door closing and locking behind the black tip of his tail...

*

With a wide yawn, Elena squinted through the windshield, as she finally reached down and turned off her car. First beams of the rising sun, spread over the distant mountains, casting their golden fingers and lightening the sky, promising a magnificent day to come. Exiting the car, she stretched and twisted, trying to ease tight muscles, before she walked around behind it and unfastened the rear door, folding it down and lifting the clear glass upper door up.

Taking a moment, to gaze at the sleeping kangaroo buck, Elena smiled softly, before she gently reached out and laid a hand on the tip of his tail. With a sudden twitch, he went from sound asleep to wide awake, his upper body rising as he blinked and looked around in bewilderment before his still-sleepy mind caught up on his awareness.

“Good morning, how did you sleep?"

Alex's body rippled as he awkwardly crouched in the back of the station wagon, turning himself about then in one hop, his long feet landed on the ground, his tail following with a thud. He stretched, leaning back on his tail, and scratched himself with his claws, before he shuddered and dropped back into a more natural, relaxed pose.

Standing back up again, this time on the tips of his toes, he showed how the instincts from what he had become, were meshing with his human spirit. Gazing about, his ears rotating, he sniffed the air and seemingly satisfied and reassured, dropped back onto his front paws.

All around them, the clear, fresh air revitalized and invigorated them both. Sliding the pack out, Elena slipped it over her shoulders and grunted, before she made her way across the pathway's crushed stones and onto the porch. Dropping the pack, she sighed quietly, then turned about and rested her palms on the flaking paint of the railing.

Memories of childhood summers filled her heart and mind, before Alex, curious, began a cautious hopping, the soft pads of his feet making quiet thumping motions as he circled the farmstead, then came back and dropped onto his front paws, crawling cautiously up the two stairs to stand beside her on the porch.

“Now, where'd I put that..." Elena muttered as she pulled the screen door, its rusty hinges making a hellish screech.

Alex shrieked and cowered, his paws against his ears as he made a series of painful vocalizations. With a startled gasp, Elena moaned and winced, before she looked down at him.

“Honey, I – I'm sorry, I didn't realize that..."

With a quiet grunt, Alex shook his head and trembled.

“Your hearing must be something else entirely - “Elena murmured, as she found the right key, then slipped it into the lock, pausing and looking down at him. “Alright, here we go..."

*

As the days turned into the first week, Alex's adaptation to his new form – and his new life – brought about changes, both welcome – and unexpected. Beyond his adventures, another transformation was taking place within him. One evening, as he relaxed on the couch, he shook his head, working his furred throat with both paws and flexing his jaws.

Elena had just finished preparing a simple dinner, and they retired to the porch, the evening breeze carrying to them the scent of ripe grains in the nearby fields. Alex, usually expressive through his gestures and touches, began to rub at his throat before he began to cough – quietly at first, then dropping to all fours with great, hacking noises that sounded like he was choking. Elena rushed to his side, slapping him sharply between the shoulder blades – trying in her own way to dislodge what she thought was causing it.

Weakly, Alex waved a paw – then pushed her away, as he wheezed and shuddered.

“Al..." Come a gasp, interspersed with clicks and growls.

“Did..." Elena stared at him. “Did you..."

With frustration, Alex stamped a long hind foot on the porch, as he coughed and shook his head again and again – as if battling some internal inhibition locked within either his mind or body. Frustrated, he quivered and slapped his paws against the side of his head in a distinctly human-like gesture.

“...right - “ He finally growled, the words more animal-like than human. “Water..."

Elara fetched him a bowl of water from inside, which he drank down and shook his head again.

“Mmmm - “ He struggled, his marsupial tongue making it difficult. “Mmm..."

Hopeful, Elara clutched his paws, holding them and rubbing the back of them with her thumbs, trying to encourage him.

With an almost titanic struggle, he looked at her beseechingly, finally, finding the right way – slipping a paw from her grasp, he splayed his fingers out and pressed them against his throat.

“Mother - “ came a much clearer, but still difficult, whisper.

Elara was elated, quickly wrapping her arms around him and crushing him tight, Alex quivering and placing his forearms around her neck in the closest he could give to a hug.

“You..."

Her laughter, though it hurt his ears, was worth the pain. Hugging her close, tears started to trickle down his cheeks as he finally found his long-lost voice – a small step, to be sure, but a giant leap in his ability to communicate, even if it was more guttural and ill-structured, due to the limitations his new body put on him.

*

Elara watched him come ahead in leaps and bounds, as every day, she sat with him, giving him strength and comfort, as he struggled to speak. Each word seemed to bring him frustration, yet he persevered and pushed himself as far as he could.

“Elena - “ Elena smiled and touched her fingers to her chest.

Frustrated, Alex shook his head from side to side. “I – can - “

With a growl, he slammed his foot down on the porch, his fingers curling into his leathery paw pads as he tried to express the anger and frustration that boiled within him.

“Shhh, easy - “ Elena murmured, mindful of him, as she again, soothing, touched his forearm.

“Hard - “ He growled, then pressed his paw meaningfully against his throat, as he looked at her. “Not..."

Nodding, Elena gently petted his forearm. “I understand my love, it's – truly – its a miracle, you can speak at all!"

With a series of clucks and grunts, he dropped his shoulders, then down onto all fours, hanging his head.

“Rust - “

“Frustrated? Yes, I imagine you are my son... Now, that will do, you'll only end up hurting yourself. Please, drink some water – it seems to help."

He crawled a few paces away, then dipped his furred lips to the bowl, slurping up the water, before his head shot upwards – water streaming from his muzzle as his ears twitched too and fro, his body instantly becoming rigid, his whiskers twitching.

“What is it, Alex?" Elena asked, concern on her face.

“...ar - “ He grunted, then slammed his foot down again, shaking his head, before in exasperation, he pointed out where his mother's car was.

Moments later, a set of headlights appeared, rounding the bend in the driveway, momentarily highlighting Alex – who instantly shrieked in agony, feeling like his eyes were burned from his head as the bright spotlights struck like white-hot knives. He was frozen like a deer – unable to look away, his marsupial body stiff and rigid – helpless...

As the car headlights swept over the porch, Alex gasped, the paralysis dropping, but leaving him with brilliant and painful purple flashes.

“Alex - “ Elara gasped in surprise, not having expected a visitor. “Inside – now!"

Blinded, Alex stumbled into the cottage, his paws fumbling across familiar objects, the pain from the bright headlights still flashing across his vision like relentless strobes. Elara, momentarily dazed herself, rushed after him, her heart pounding with a mix of relief and worry. In the silence that followed, the distant hum of the cooling car engine underscored the gravity of the moment.

“Elara?" A voice shattered the stillness, and it was one she hadn't expected to hear.

Her eyes widened as she peered through the dissipating spots of light. 'Becky?'

“Elara – where's Alex?" Becky's voice trembled with a mix of fear and concern. “I've been worried sick! His apartment, it's... is he alright? What happened?"

Elara descended the stairs, her movements measured, and enveloped Becky in a tight hug. In that embrace, Becky's composure crumbled, and she sobbed uncontrollably, her words caught between gasps for breath.

“Hey, its... “

Elara, her own emotions boiling over, led the sobbing younger woman up the stairs and set her down on the love swing, sitting beside her and trying to stymie her own tears at this unexpected reunion.

“How... I mean - “ Elara began, her words failing her. “I never expected..."

“What happened to him!" Becky shrieked, overcome with her raw emotions and grief. “Please, tell me what happened to him - “

“He's - “ Elara's voice quavered before she shivered and sighed softly. “He's...inside - “

Her voice was a mixture of reassurance and lingering worries, Elara gripped Becky's wrist in a painful grasp, stopping her.

“It's.. a long story, and it's not one easily explained. Come inside, please – let's sit down and I'll explain everything... I promise. I'm sorry, we don't have a phone out here and - “

“Is he alright? Please...please tell me he's okay... Why didn't he call me, is he in some trouble with the law or - “

Elara sighed softly, not sure how to answer her, finally, settling on the truth. “He's...not the man he once was..."

Gently, Elara led Becky inside, the two of them settling on the worn couch, a space filled with memories of shared laughter and quiet, restful evenings. Elara gave Becky some tissues, taking some for herself. Becky wiped her eyes, then blew her nose as she struggled to rein in her fears.

As Elara began to recount the extraordinary events that led to Alex's transformation, a distant howl carried through the night, sending shivers down both Elara's and Becky's spines. The sound, haunting and unfamiliar, seemed to carry the weight of Alex's struggles and the eerie reality of his new existence. As the room fell silent, the only audible sounds were the tick-tock of the grandfather clock and the subtle creak and groan as the last of the day's warmth leeched from the old cottage.

Becky's eyes widened, her gaze darting around the room, searching frantically for any sign of her boyfriend. Elara paused, her own eyes downcast, as she reflected on the sorry and pain of the tale she was telling. Around them, the atmosphere grew thick and heavy with anticipation.

At that moment, Elena reached over and plucked a framed photograph from down the side of the couch, where she had hidden it all this time. Leaning forward, she set it on the rough coffee table.

Becky stared, her eyes widening, as she recognized it...

It was the picture from Alex's apartment...

Becky's tears fell anew, the weight of the weeks settling on her. Fearfully, like it'd vanish like a mirage, Becky reached forward and picked up the photograph, her vision swimming as she traced her fingers over the picture of the happy couple. Elara let the moment hang ponderously before she gave Becky new tissues, then gently took the picture and set it back on the coffee table.

Drying her eyes, Becky sniffled, then blew her nose, before a weak, exhausted laugh escaped her.

“This...this is all some cruel prank – isn't it..." Becky laughed her voice on the edge of hysteria. “Any second Alex is going to pop out of another room and scare me half to death – where is he? Is he..."

As the scrape of claws was heard, Becky's heart leaped up into her throat, then the heavy thump of something...

Her eyes widened in horror, as she watched a young kangaroo slowly crawl around the end of the couch, before he shook his head and keeping his posture hunched over, he lifted his muzzle and looked into Becky's eyes...

“No..." Becky shrieked in terror.

Alex flinched, his muzzle showing the pain her cry brought, tears streaming down his furred face, lost in his grief, grieving not only for his lover – but the human he once was – and the creature he had become...

TO BE CONTINUED...