Hawk

Chapter 1

I heard the far off ringing of the town clock as I scaled up a tree. One, two, three, four, I counted, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, suddenly the ringing stopped. Could it still be eleven? An abrupt dong ended my relief, Twelve. I finished counting as a searing pain ran through my body. I bellowed as I felt my arms transforming into something else. I glanced over at them, expecting black fur and paws. The sight that greeted me was something else entirely; where my arms used to be there was now billions of dark brown feathers, not at all what I expected. "What the hell?" I growled, "Wings? Seriously?"

A nearby chuckle ended my flurry of curses directed at nothing in particular, "What did you expect, boy?" I turned around, startled, before I felt the same searing pain as before encompass the rest of my body. Within seconds, I was a Red-Tailed Hawk. How I knew this, I had no idea. Suddenly, I remembered about the intruder, I shrieked at him, attempting communication.

"Nice try." I saw a young man smirk, "You're a bird right now, a red-tailed hawk, to be specific." I glared at him. Well, as much as a bird could glare. "Get on down here and I'll explain some things to you." I realized I had no choice so, screeching, I glided down to him, still not in much control of my wings. "You know when you shift you can talk with your mind, don't you?" I opened my beak, before remembering I couldn't speak, and shook my head. "Well, go on and talk to me, boy!"

I looked up at his face, Hi? I tried, unenthusiastically. Hello, boy, I heard a voice speak in my mind. I shrieked and flew up onto a tree, feeling his presence inside my head, Who are you? Get out of my head! I stuttered. Not going to happen. Now look, you must be wondering why you're a hawk, and you're parents are wolves, aren't you? I looked over at him, surprised. How do you know that? I retorted. I've got... Contacts, you could say, he said. Now do you want to shift back so we can speak normally? This is getting tiring. I glared at him again, before realizing I did not know how to shift back. Umm... I said hesitantly, How do I shift back? I felt his shock in my mind, and saw it in his face, You don't know? I shook my head, I wasn't supposed to shift this early. He shook his head, How old are you, boy? I thought back to my birthday, just yesterday, Just 15. He looked over at the woods, Shouldn't you be shifting when you're 18? I flew over to his shoulder, and said, Yes. He smirked, Well then, just imagine your human body. You should have learned this on your 15th birthday.

I thought of my human body, the way I moved, the way I was, and I felt the same searing pain as before fill my body, before finding myself falling off his shoulder, "Ow!" I yelped, "Damn it."

The young man smirked, "I should have warned you about that. Seriously? Shifting while on my shoulder?" He laughed.

I glared at him, before smirking and replying, "Yeah, stupid huh?"

He seemed surprised that I hadn't started insulting him, before saying, "Well, now that you are human again, how come you knew you were going to shift today?"

I looked at the moon, "Well..." I began, "I just got this feeling, you know?"

"No, I don't."

I grinned, "Its just... I felt like something special was going to happen today..."

"Elaborate." He ordered.

I glared at him before standing up and brushing myself off, "I began to feel this need to study animals, specifically hawks."

"So you knew you would be a hawk beforehand?" He inquired curiously.

"I guess I should have known... I didn't want to accept it. How am I going to tell my parents?" I said, changing the subject.

He smirked, and said, "Just tell them, boy. They're going to ask you to shift anyway."

I frowned, "Aren't I supposed to fly back home?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I should do that, then" I began getting ready to shift back.

"Boy, you can just walk back as a human now." He informed me.

"No thanks, I'd rather fly." I did not trust this man one bit.

He shrugged, "Your choice. Your not the strongest bird of prey right now, boy."

It was my turn to shrug, "I'll get home faster."

He looked back at me, "You're actually going to risk it?"

"Yeah, why not?"

The man rolled his eyes before waving his hand in the general direction of town, "Well then, town's that way."

I looked at him, "Thanks anyway."

"Anytime."

I shifted back and flew into the pitch-black night, heading for home.