TraumaGenic: A Therian Awakening

Disconnection

Another hour ticked by. Lost in a digital abyss, I flicked through video after video until one caught my eye. It was a compilation of those little therian creatures.

"The island gives us what we need," the audio echoed.

In a way, I felt a connection to the video, just as I had with the girl in the forest. They seemed happy, kind, and free.

"I can't be one..."

"DINNNNER!" Jennifer screeched, each letter drawn out as if she were deriving some sort of narcotic pleasure from the act. When she finally stopped, she started again, like a scam artist trying to extort a child on Roblox. "FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!" she continued.

I hurried downstairs only to find another one of my mom's culinary abominations. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for food, but every once in a while, I craved something resembling decent nutrition. Proper fruits and vegetables were hard to come by in my household. They were always 'not fresh and all we'd end up with was always microwaveable bags and the like. I often starved myself just to avoid eating another overly processed meal, even thinking about eating grass and tree leaves to enjoy the healthy aspect.

"I cut the capsicums extra small so you wouldn't be able to pick them out," Jennifer boasted, as if that was a good thing. The only veggie I couldn't stand and the only veggie Jennifer would actually buy.

No matter how small they were, I could still detect the pre-digested vomit texture. I tried to eat it, struggling with every agonized bite.

"Just eat it, Amelia," Jennifer whined, annoyed despite knowing I couldn't tolerate the texture. "You're being dramatic."

"I don't really like the texture," I said softly, calm and quiet.

"Just eat it."

"I am, it's the capsicum I'm struggling with."

"OH WELL, DON'T EAT IT THEN! I love it when you waste my good cooking!" Her words echoed through the room, leaving me speechless. How do you communicate with someone who refuses to listen?

"Come on, just eat it. It's not that bad. You need to stop being a rude little shit," Jennifer snarled, yanking my jaw and forcing me upright. She shoveled some 'food' onto her fork and shoved it down my throat, forcing my jaw shut. The world went black.

Did she even see me as human anymore? Was I just a prop in her grand performance? I had no reason to run away. Was I just being rude and dramatic? Maybe it truly was all my fault. Phrases echoed through my empty mind...

I don't remember what happened that night. It's hard to think about. I remember leaving. Just to clear my head.

It wasn't the first time I'd climbed out my second-story window, and it wouldn't be the last. I slid down the wall and headed into the darkened forest. The frogs were chirping, the river raging, and the leaves stagnant. The moonlight guided me deeper into the uncharted grounds, reviving my spirit and restoring my peace. I passed the spot where I had seen the girl...

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I whispered under my breath. I cupped my hands together and placed them firmly in front of my mouth as I lowered myself to the ground and let out a deformed howl. Nothing. I exhaled, perhaps she was right. Maybe I was just insane. The wind suddenly picked up. I could hear something large scurrying towards me. My heart pounded, pushing against my chest, struggling to stay in my body. Then, silence.

"HI!!!" An outburst of sound exploded from behind me.

"AHG!" I flung myself up, holding my hands in front of my face and my leg up to my chest. The creature rushed into a nearby bush, disappearing from sight. Curiosity dawned on me. I didn't even notice myself getting on all fours and carefully crawling toward the bush.

"Did I scare ya? Huh? Huh? Did I scare you? Hahaha!" The figure transformed into the same golden retriever girl from earlier, leaping out from the bush. She was equipped with a long hunting stick, holding it firmly by her side.

"Ummm..." I said, taken aback.

"Hahaha, you're funny! What's your name? Mine's Orion. Hahaha, what's yours?" she said, quickly rushing through her words with excitement.

"Erm... Harlow. I-is your house around here?" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Oh, I don't have a house!"

"So you're homeless?"

"No! Hahaha."

"Sooo where's your house?"

"Don't have one, silly, like I said hahahah! Gee, Harlow, you're crazy," Orion chuckled.

"But you said you were-"

"I'm not homeless, silly, the forest is my home! But I don't have a house, I'm houseless!" she exclaimed.

"That's not quite how it works..."

"So where's your home?"

"It's not much of a home," I said, thinking back to my mom and remembering the hellhole it was.

"So you're homeless?"

"No. I have a house. It's like a mansion."

"But not a home," Orion stated.

"I'm... so confused," I said, although she did have a point. I had a house, but it was hardly a home. "So, why are you dressed as a dog?" I asked. Orion took off her mask, revealing a dark face half covered in patches of peach-colored skin. She placed it on her bushy Afro.

"I'm a therian! Hahaha!"

"Therian?" I uttered. My brain flashed a slideshow: Orion's first sighting, my panic attack from school, my mom, tawny cats, the TikTok.

"Born and raised! HA! Wanna know something, Harlow?" Orion continued.

"Of course! I'd love to!" I responded, eager to listen to the rhythm of her voice.

Orion leaned in closer and closer. She paused for a second before letting out a proud dog-bark.

I chuckled and took a moment to enjoy this peaceful moment.

"I should get back. My mom's gonna kill me. Sorry. It's really nice to meet you," I smiled.

"Goodbye, little tawny cat. Stay safe out there! Hahaha!" Orion shouted as I faded into the distance. Tawny cat? How did she know?

I made the trek back home and climbed back in the window.

"Ahem."

Shit, this was going to hurt.

"What are you doing?" Jennifer questioned in a bratty, know-it-all tone.

"Clearing my head because you make me want to kill myself," I answered, testing if honesty would really get me anywhere. Anything to experiment, try new things, piss her off and gain knowledge.

"I don't like you talking like that. Don't ever say that again," she said, devoid of empathy. I knew if I took this too far, it would end up on Facebook, like everything I did. No privacy here. It makes me wonder did she really care about me or was she scared of loosing a slave?

"Phone." Jennifer slapped down her hand, and I did as she said, still shaking.

"Honestly, Amelia, you're better than this."

"It's Harlow," I muttered under my breath.

"Oh, we're doing this now? I named you Amelia, Amelia is a lovely name. Hurry up and get to bed. I'm not happy with you right now," she grumbled. I did as she said, rebelling would do me no good. It would only make things worse. Of course, sometimes I wished it were worse, so I'd have a proper reason to hate my mom instead of the fact that she couldn't cook. Although... maybe a little rebellion was good. No school, no phone, no freedom. I'd already lost it all. I snickered to myself.