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[Somewhere in chapter two or three.]

I'm about an hour south of Dallas on I-45 when another wave hits me. And like the others before it, this one is a little stronger than the last and is coming on quicker.

"Damn it why in the hell is my skin itching?"

And it keeps getting worse, I'm starting to feel cold as well even though the heater is half way up in late February. I still can't think of anything that could be causing any of this, not the itching, low body temperature, or this damn voice in the back of my head. Though I can't complain about the enhanced sight and hearing I seem to have developed in the past few hours...and now someone wants to talk on the phone and I'm even more not in the mood than I usually am but decide to answer after seeing that it's Ryan.

"No I'm not dead yet, no you can't have MY car, yes it's still getting worse."

I say in a forced groan after hitting talk and before he could get a word in.

"Good to talk to you too ass hole...at least I can tell it hasn't killed your sarcasm or humor. I just wanted to make sure you were staying alert and were doing ok."

"Yeah...I think I'll be fine until I get back to Houston, I just hope this won't affect getting the car ready for a shakedown with the new set-up before we head to Memphis."

"Jim...I love you like a brother...I really do. But you spend way too much time thinking about the next race...what you really need to do is pull your fucking ass out of the driver's seat and worry about getting over what ever in the hell got a hold of you and back to normal before you even think about strapping into a car."

I stay silent for a moment, Ryan was right and that was one reason I kept him as a friend. We understood each other almost like we were brothers and he had a way of keeping my head in the game and on the matter at hand.

"You're right."

"I know I'm right...gotta bring you back to earth when you start talking all stupid and shit. I'll see you tomorrow sometime, call me if anything happens."

"You got it...and Ryan...thanks...."

"No problem...take care."

"You too, later."

I end the call and put the phone back in the cup holder then pull a joint from the cigarette pack on the passenger seat and light it, slowly drawing the smoke in and holding it for a few seconds before blowing it out. After a few more tokes and just as many minutes go by I start to feel the buzz and my mine no longer feels like it's going to explode from all the thoughts and sensations and the still unclear voice somewhere within. Strangely enough I start to realize that not all the thoughts are my own and some of the sensations are totally alien to this body. But at least now my skin seems to have stopped itching and I'm able to relax a bit and try to sort through everything that's going on in my head.

A several hours and another joint later I still haven't figured anything out except that for some reason my mind is no longer mine alone and it feels like I have a tail and something growing out of my back though nothing is visibly there. But at least I'll be home soon, then I can eat and try to get some sleep.

"Ten more miles."

I say to myself with a sigh of relief, this has been a long trip and an even longer ride home but it will all be behind me after tonight. At my home nothing has changed but for some reason which I can only attribute to my state of mind it doesn't feel like home. I remember I live here and that all the things inside are mine but it feels like part of me has never been here before. Regardless I pull my Trailblazer SS and open race car trailer loaded with my TransAm into the curved driveway and go inside.

Where am I?

"Who's...there?"

I ask as I spin around both relieved and disappointed at finding that the voice, though clear now is still only in my head. Nothing in the living room where I now stand is out of place but still I feel uneasy like someone or something is here and watching me. After a moment I dismiss what happened and head to the kitchen for a snack before bed.

"Now I have a craving for sirloin at one in the morning?"

I ask myself after finding that the thought of eating anything else made my stomach turn. None the less I grab a thawed steak and a pan then start to cook the meat as my mouth starts to water. A minute later I find that it feels like I'm starving then it's as if I blacked out, for about five minutes according to the clock on the back of the stove. On top of finding my left hand actually in the frying pan...I see that the steak is gone and my hands and shirt and part of the floor are covered in blood.

"Damn it all..."

I mutter as I turn the stove off and wipe up the floor before taking my shirt off and rinsing out the blood. I then walk to the laundry room and drop the shirt in the basket of clothes needing to be washed before heading to the shower. In my bathroom I strip off the rest of the way after turning the hot water on and pulling out a fresh towel. I am forced to pause however when I see myself in the mirror.

"No fucking way..."

I say to myself as I lean in and rest a hand on the vanity style lavatory for a closer look and am shocked at some of the changes I see, or think I see as I'm not sure of much of anything at this point of the night. My body seems to be more toned with even a bit more muscle around my chest and upper arms, but that's not what caught my eye. No, it was my eyes themselves that had me thinking that maybe I'm losing my mind. Putting aside whether this is real or not the orbs that stare back from the mirror are not my own of dark brown but instead have emerald green iris' with a slit pupil and gold sclera instead of white.

Not bad...for a human...the eyes helped a lot.

"Yeah the do look kinda coo...wait what the fuck? Who are you and what the fuck is going on?"

Calm down and don't yell...and like it or not I'm becoming you...or at least part of you.

"WHAT!"

I almost scream at the voice as I stand up and step back, cringing when the now burning hot gem around my neck hits the center of my chest. Stumbling forward onto one knee I am able to steady myself a little on the counter again as pain starts to radiate from my chest where the gem is now burning its way through my ribcage.

Don't fight it...it has to be this way...the pain shouldn't last long as long if you don't resist.

At this point the pain is too great for me to speak much less move without falling to the floor, reluctantly I give in and try to relax. I'm surprised when the pain starts to fade and is slowly replaced with a warmth and pulsing surge of energy.

Better...now...I don't have a name in your tongue...or at least I can't remember it. I am a dragon...well...the soul and mind and what's left of one at any rate. I've been stuck in my soul gem, the necklace you found...for the last several thousand years. Sadly I can't remember what happened to my body or how, but for now I think it best you clock out...this next part of the change might be a little rough.

Before I have a chance to attempt a reply I feel myself drifting off as if I were being put under, then after a moment...nothing.