Vampire Residence

XI

The woman's words brought a flood of emotions to the surface: a rush of victory, a sense of pride, excitement... but with that came another, more unpleasant feeling.

Fear.

What had she become? She had transformed into a bat, something that was the stuff of nightmares. This wasn't normal, this wasn't human.

The thought was like a punch to her stomach. Until just a few days ago, she had been human. She had been normal. And now... and now she was something else entirely.

She tried to speak, tried to voice her fears, but only a small squeak issued from her tiny mouth.

The woman studied her for a few moments, reading her expression silently.

"Are you afraid?" she spoke finally, her voice a mix of softness and detachment.

Eleanor wanted to nod, wanted to acknowledge the fear coursing through her, but her new form kept her frozen, trapped in silence.

But the woman seemed to understand her silent protest, and her next words were almost gently spoken.

"There is no need to be afraid. Being a bat isn't something to be feared. It is simply a part of who you are now."

The woman took a small step forward, closing the distance between them.

"Look at yourself," she said, her voice still gentle.

Eleanor had no choice but to look down at herself. At her small, winged form, now hovering a few feet off of the ground.

Seeing her form only seemed to stir up her fear even more. Her heart- her little, fluttering bat heart- began beating even faster, and she made a small, involuntary squeak.

The woman made a small, almost amused sound, and took another step toward her.

"I know it is strange," she spoke, her voice still gentle. "To see yourself in such a different form after a lifetime in a human body. But the more you see yourself this way, the less shocking it will become."

As the woman spoke, she reached out and brushed her hand over Eleanor's head.

Eleanor wanted to pull away- the sensation of being touched in this form felt foreign and strange- but she couldn't move.

The woman's hand felt oddly soothing against the soft, velvety texture of her new hide, and after a few moments, she relaxed.

"You are still you." the woman spoke softly. "You're just... more. The bat is a part of you now. But it's not the totality of who you are."

The word 'totality' hit Eleanor like a punch. It was true; this bat form wasn't the totality of who she was. But the fact that it was a part of her now, even a small part... It was overwhelming.

"You can turn yourself back, yes?"

The question seemed to cut through the wave of fear and confusion that overwhelmed her. Yes, she could turn back. She just needed to remember what it was like... to be human.

She closed her eyes, trying to recall the feeling of being human, the feeling of being normal, being solid and flesh and bone. It was much more difficult than it had been to become the bat, but gradually, she felt the detached feeling begin to reverse.

It was not painful, but it was still unpleasant. The detachment that had felt like a release before now felt like a pressure, like the world was closing around her.

Finally, she felt her body solidify, the bat form fading away, leaving only normal, flesh-and-blood human limbs.

She opened her eyes to find that the woman was still watching her intently.

The woman's gaze was still calm and unreadable as ever, but this time, Eleanor could discern a hint of... something. Was it something that resembled admiration? Or was she imagining it?

"That was very good." the woman said finally. "For your first time, that was very good."

The praise from the woman caught Eleanor by surprise. She had expected something more... cold, more detached. But this was almost gentle.

She didn't know how to respond. She was still trying to process what had just happened, the transformation, the sensation... the feeling of flying.

The woman stepped back a bit, giving Eleanor a bit more space.

"Now you know how to do it," she said, her voice soft again. "The first time is always so confusing, so fearful. But you did it, and now you know how. The next time, it will be easier. You will feel more prepared, more confident."

The woman's words made sense, but they weren't comforting. She felt anything but confident. She felt... panicked.

"I don't..." she began, her voice hoarse. "I don't want to do it again. I don't like it. It's awful!"

There was another flicker of something in the woman's eyes, something that looked strangely like guilt - sadness, even.

But the expression was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared, and her voice was again almost painfully soft.

"I know. At first, it can feel... terrifying. But the more you do it, the less scary it will become. And soon, you won't even think about it anymore. It will be instinct, like breathing."

The thought of transforming into a bat being like breathing seemed almost unthinkable to her. It seemed unnatural, something so outside the bounds of normalcy that it made her head spin.

She let out a shaky breath, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could even think about them.

"I don't want to be a monster."