The Girl with the Wolf Features

Chapter 1

September 6th, 2019

I was awoken by the piercing yell of my alarm clock, groaning in pain as it seemed to be louder than it ever has. Reaching up I smack the alarm clock, sighing in relief from the noise turning off.

Another piercing sound, this time my Mom's voice. "Ami! Wake up, it's your birthday!" I groan in pain, grabbing at my soft ears to muffle the noise. Wait.... Soft? Why are my ears soft like a dog's fur?

The creaking of the stairs as someone walks up is loud in my ears, the knocking on the bedroom door is even louder. "Why is everything so loud this morning?"

The door swings open, the hinges screaming. "Ami? Are you awake? I made you pancakes."

I throw the covers off my body as I sit up immediately. "Pancakes!? I'm awake!" As I swing my feet to the floor I see myself in the mirror. My ears are gone, replaced by fluffy animal ears on the top of my head. I immediately panic, looking at Mom in my doorway. "Mom? Are you seeing this?" I gesture to the fluffy ears on my head, my normal ears nowhere to be seen.

She rushes over to my bed, grabbing my head. "Thomas, get in here, I need you!" She hugs me, rubbing my back as I start hyperventilating. "You are going to be fine baby, breathe. In... and out.... In... and out...."

My breaths even out as I breathe deeply, inhaling the smell of my Mom. Smell of my Mom? What the heck is going on? My panic attack returns, twice as strong this time.

"Rose, what's going on?" My Dads deep voice appears at my door, Mom tilts me in her hug, showing the top of my head. "Oh no, I hoped that this wouldn't happen since the twins didn't get it." Dad closes the door behind him, "Amelia, I need you to listen to my voice, nod if you can hear me."

I nod, panic overwhelming my voice. " Good, breathe in with me," he takes a deep breath with me. "Now, describe what you smell to me."

"I - I smell oranges and books." I breathe in again, "vanilla, and cinnamon." Another breath, "pine and campfire smoke." My panic attack is gone now, cheeks soaked with tears against Mom. "What is happening to me?"

Dad opens the door, "Noah, Nora, can you guys come up here?" My siblings run up the stairs and I groan at the noise, holding my ears tight. My siblings walk in, two sets of the same, but ever so subtly different smells, apples and black coffee.

Once we are all comfortably in my room Dad talks quietly, "do you guys remember the stories we told you as a kid? The people with animal features?" I nod at my Mom, "well I was one of those people. As was your Grammy."

"Sometimes, the features will skip generations, or specific children. We hoped, since Noah and Nora didn't get them, that it would skip Ami too." He sighed, "it seems we were hoping wrong. Ami, you will be staying home for the next month, Noah can you..."

"Get her homework for her daily. Yes I can."

"Ami, I won't lie, most of this town does not like these types of people, so you will have a hard time, but we will help you however we can."

Mom kissed my head, "can you three go get some breakfast for Ami? We need to talk to her alone for a minute." The stairs creak as they go to the kitchen. "Baby, I want you to stand up for me with your back to the mirror." I obey wordlessly, my mind still reeling with the sensory overload I have. "Look at the mirror for me."

I look at the mirror and stare at the fluffy tail, the same dark red of my hair, popping past the waistband of my sleep shorts. "I have... a tail?" I run my hand through the fur and giggle at the sensation I feel from it. "It's so fluffy, I love it!"