Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 6-1

- 'Unfortunately, I don't have that pleasure, no!' I replied in the same tone. 'There is something I don't understand. From what you explained to me, this community is made up of several species of shapeshifters? So what could I do better than you in your animal form?'

- 'I already told you we did it, in vain!'

Despite his growling voice, he made an obvious and visible effort to control his anger. After a break, and a clear audible inspiration, he resumed his explanations.

- 'We were able to track them while they were in human form and then... nothing. All three trails stop in a meadow in the forest starting behind our property. This is where we hunt and relax in our animal form. The problem is that we have not found any of their personal belongings, which should have been the case after their transformation. They simply disappeared, vanished into thin air. We don't know if it's due to a kidnapping, or if they were killed by accident. Although three is a lot for a coincidence, even if they are of the same species. Not to mention that our woods are quite well guarded.'

- 'I don't quite follow you anymore,' I said a little lost.

- 'The three missing shapeshifters are from the reptile family and we all know how humans hate snakes. They could have been caught by surprise. Although this is highly unlikely. In addition, they emit few exploitable odours for us, most of whom are carnivores, and Martha has the power to completely mask her smell. But the question is... why would she do it?'

I process this for a few seconds. My mind was already having trouble conceiving the idea of men turning into animals, but I had unconsciously thought that they were exclusively mammals. Bears, wolves, like in the movies. Imagining human beings turning into snakes, brrr... It was totally creepy.

- 'Don't you have a dog to spare?' I said, more as a joke than anything else.

- 'We have a she-wolf. She tried, unfortunately without success.'

Okay, so much for the humor. Anyway, and on second thought, it was no wonder Charles was insensitive to any kind of joke. It was time to act, all these speeches were starting to weigh me down and my headache was not getting any better.

- 'Okay, how am I supposed to proceed?'

- 'I will take you to the meadow where all the tracks end and explain once there.'

Without another word and without giving me the slightest glance, he stood up and waved at me to follow him. Having neither the desire nor the energy to point out his blatant lack of politeness, I simply followed in his footsteps in silence.

Once outside, we headed for one of the buildings closest to the forest. As we approached, I realized that what I had far and away mistaken for a cottage was actually a kind of large chalet divided into four apartments. Two on the ground floor and two on the first floor, which were accessible by an outside staircase.

Charles signaled to me to wait for him and knocked on the door of one of the two ground floor apartments where he talked for a few minutes on the doorstep and in a low voice with someone I couldn't see. Then, still without a word, we entered the forest. After an exhausting walk of over an hour where I cursed my heel boots, we arrived at the meadow.

It was relatively small and surrounded by large trees whose leaves gathered at the tops to form a green canopy. The autumnal light that filtered through the foliage gave the place a calm and soothing atmosphere that did me good. Charles suddenly brought me back to reality with his cold, authoritative voice.

- 'All right, close your eyes. Learn to feel your environment and above all... relax. I'll be right back.'

Then he stood me up there!

- 'No, but wait a minute!'

I turned around suddenly, panicked, but he was already gone. He wasn't going to leave me there, alone, in the middle of nowhere? I was about to follow in his footsteps, determined not to obey him, when I realized with horror that I had no clear idea of the path by which we had arrived. I turned around, restless, and tried to spot the path by which we had entered this meadow; but all the trees and bushes looked the same.

Feeling my panic grow worse, I forced myself to close my eyes, calm down and think things through. Charles' goal was certainly not to lose me in the woods, he was bound to come back at some point.

God, I felt so stupid, standing and alone in the middle of this forest. As time went by, I had a feeling it was a bad joke. No, I saw Charles' hand transform. I began to lose track of what to believe and the panic tried to make a strong comeback, which I ferociously forced while closing my eyes again to concentrate.

When suddenly, I felt my hair rise on my arms and unpleasant tingling all over my body. I was no longer alone in this glade and my instinct was screaming that I had to get out of there as soon as possible. Something or someone was sneaking around, and it wasn't Charles. Even though I couldn't explain how I knew it, I felt it in my gut.

I began to gather myself up in the event that I had to sprint for my life and opened my eyes slowly so as not to show the intruder too quickly that I had spotted them. When the pervasive undergrowth smell subtly changed to a feeling of fresh and... warm air! Curious and pleasant at the same time. Then a soft voice whispered in my ear. I jumped violently and almost had a heart attack.

- 'Don't open your eyes. Breathe deeply and try to feel what is around you.'

Yeah, right! Like I'm gonna stand there quietly, with my eyes closed, with a stranger on my back.

- 'Who are you...' I tried to ask when I started turning around.

- 'Shhh. I'm here to help you,' he told me. 'Go ahead, try it.'

- 'But this is ridiculous...'

He silenced me effectively by suddenly placing his hands on my shoulders.

It was spectacular! Like when you find the light after hours in the dark. Dazzling and violent. I felt like I could feel and sense absolutely everything around me. The woody scents of the trees dominated, especially the more spicy scents of the white pines that predominated in this region. Added to this were the milder scents of the few flowers that managed to survive in the shade of the tall trees, as well as many other things that I could not have named precisely.

The most amazing thing was the transformation of my perceptions. It was as if a dam had given way, letting all the emotions of the living beings around me crash into me. Even if it was invasive and extremely violent, it was above all revealing. Revealing of who I was and what I had always been.

I could see a squirrel in a nearby tree, a whole bunch of birds in the branches of the different trees and so many other things that I didn't know where to look. Charles' comparison with a sonar suddenly came to mind and seemed very appropriate.

I felt a smile on my lips and tears start to run down my cheeks without being able to stop them. Tears of joy and relief this time. I wasn't crazy, I've never been crazy at all. It was then that I realized that I had always had this fear deep inside me, fear that they were right. I had carried it as a burden all these years and now that I was free of this weight, I felt light. It was so intense that I wavered on my legs and would have fallen if my mysterious companion hadn't held me back.