Shift

First Shift

Eira lay in bed as another spasm of pain course through her entire being. She cried out as what felt like needles poked their way through her skin, bringing blood up as well. Suddenly, she felt an odd sensation as the fur pulled back into her skin. The only trace it left behind was the thousands of pinpricks of blood forming.

Another wave of pain washed over her as sharp curved blades pushed through her skin next, momentarily interlocking before disappearing under her skin once again. The pain was like no other she had ever experienced. Eira cried out once again as another bone breaking wave of pain tore through her body. Literally. She heard a terrible cracking sound and felt a pain she would never be able to describe as her bones broke and repositioned themselves countless times.

By this time, she had woken her family up with her howls of pain and terror. They stood in the doorway, horrified, as Eira turned into a monster before their own eyes. Her mother, Claudia Queenston, was sobbing and couldn't think at all, let alone think straight. Her father, Edmund Queenston, watched in horror as he scrambled to find a whistle to alert the police in earshot of the whistle-which was extremely loud. Her brother Matthew was trying to get to her, but her sister Jaden was holding him back; they were both also crying.

The door burst open, followed by the sound of shouts. Finally, Eira felt no more pain. She looked up, not knowing what was happening what she heard the shouts of police. Eira looked around her family, terrified, and saw her father had a guilty look on his face. She got up, limping from the pain in her bones, and jumped out of the sixth floor window.

The fall should have killed the small child, but her body went into 'flight' mode, literally and figuratively. She turned into a night owl simply by instinct and flew away. After the initial shock left, she couldn't figure out how to fly; which muscles to use. She nearly ran into a tree, crash landing and turning back into her human self. She let her body rest, her muscles hurt and she didn't know what was going on. 'Maybe it'll make more sense in the morning' she thought, her kind quickly slipping into unconsciousness.

Eira woke up to a cold harsh light. She was cold and didn't know where she was. She was also hungry. Her stomach growled, showing her incapabilaties at surviving in a harsh habitat; she was a daughter of the Duke and Dutchess of Azovia, and therefore lived a pampered life.

Eira looked up again, second guessing the harsh light being of natural circumstances. She saw a shaggy old man with an uneven beard, a mean, round face, unremarkable brown eyes, and a sneering mouth missing half of the teeth. He was wearing a ratty grey tunic and brown trousers. Compared to her one silver eye and one amber eye, perfectly shaped face, beautifully intact teeth and obviously expensive, if not dirty and bloodstained silk night gown, he was a wreck.

"I'll get a lot of money for you, girly" he rasped out, trying to grab her and walk away. "No! Stop!" Eira cried out, kicking and struggling until her knee found its way to his groin. The man's knees gave way as he buckled over and fell to the dirt.

After recovering himself, he looked up to see the girl had left. And there was now a cobra lying on the ground in front of him. He looked down, horrified, and tried to scream, but the cobra had already lunged, sinking its fangs into his shoulder and slithering away. Later that night, a groundskeeper stumbled upon his body, looking at the chilling sight in front of him.