Morph

Chapter Three: Training

"So, first you're just going to Morph into a fox and back into a human a couple times, then you'll complete the obstacle course in your Morph form." Dad said. "And then maybe we'll get into summoning fox abilities such as enhanced hearing in your human form, but that's challenging, so we'll just focus on this."

"I don't think I'm ready to start this, I've just discovered my animal yesterday-"

"Relax, Carrie, you got this." He said. "But we can rest for a few minutes before starting if it makes you feel better."

"Ok, thanks." We sat down on the steps to our back porch. Dad went in to get some lemonade and brought back two cups, one for each of us. I sipped my lemonade and asked, "Should I get that feeling every time I Morph?"

"What feeling?" Dad asked.

"The really uncomfortable one where it feels like I'm gonna puke, my stomach is uneasy and my bones ache." I described.

"Oh, no, that's only when you discover your animal. After that, you should just pop into your Morph. It'll be easy." Dad told me.

"Ok," I thought about it. Maybe the reason I got that feeling earlier is because I was discovering my animal- only a second animal, a wolf. Come to think of it, when I Morphed into a fox in my room, I just popped into my Morph form, like Dad said. "Have you heard of anyone having more than one Morph form?"

Dad shook his head. "No. I mean, there was this prophecy about a wonderful 'Salvator'-that's Latin for 'Savior'- but that's it. The prophecy was just saying that the Salvator could Morph into any animal, discovering more forms as time went by. It hasn't come true, though, not yet, at least."

"Savior? What would we need saving from?" I asked.

"Don't know. It's just an old prophecy." Dad shrugged. "But if you're interested, I could look it up for you. It's a fairly well-known one, predicted by famous Seer, Sylvia Trimmons."

"Never heard o' her." I frowned. "Did I miss a History lesson?"

Dad laughed. "No, I wouldn't expect you to have heard of her."

"Ok." I took the last sip of my lemonade.

"You ready to start?" He asked.

"Um, fine." I would just hope for the best. And he's bound to know sometime, sooner or later.

"Okay, just focus on Morphing." He said. "Morph into a fox and back five times."

I took a deep breath.

Fox. Fox fox fox fox fox. I will become a fox.

I popped into a fox.

Human. Human human human, Carrie, Carrie, Carrie.

I stayed a fox.

I will become a human again.

I popped into a human.

Maybe that's the trick...

I will become a fox.

I was a fox.

I will become a human.

I was Carrie.

I did it three more times, and then my dad smiled, "That's five times. Good. Now, Morph into a fox again and I'll time you doing the obstacle course."

I will become a fox.

Pop! I'm a fox.

"Good. Now... Go!"

I felt like a dog in an agility competition, but I was having fun. My eyesight was different than a human's, my hearing was better than a human's, and I was much faster on my fox legs, like I could outrun any human.

I sped through the course like a red orange, black, and white blur.

When I finished, my dad stopped the stopwatch. "Well done, Carrie! Only 30 seconds!"

If a fox could smile, I would've.

"Now Morph back." He said. "It's dinner time."

Popping into human form, I walked up the front porch and inside for dinner.