The Changeling Princess

by Jackie Shirley

  The next thing I heard was a loud rattling sound. It sounded like a rattlesnake, but this creature was much too big to be a rattle snake. I turned up the power of my searchlight and scanned the area. What I saw made my skin crawl.

  Coming toward me at a slow pace was a humanoid creature with the body of a worm. The body was about twelve feet long with the front portion of the body in an upright position. The upright portion had a head and two arms. It had human-shaped hands, but they were hideous looking because they had two-inch long fingernails. The tail portion of the worm had eight large rattles, continually swinging back and forth in a threatening manner.

  The ugliest portion of the worm was the head. It had a withered human face with green eyes and a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. The most unusual part of the head was the tiny live snakes that had replaced the hair. This was the ugliest creature I’d ever laid eyes on.

  There was little doubt that this was Gensa, the she-creature, but she reminded me of a creature from Greek mythology. Are you related to the Medusa? I asked.

  Medusa was my half-sister. I am Gensa . . . And who might you be? You’re dressed in a toga and sandals. The women on this island haven’t dressed like that for thousands of years.

  The snake suddenly woke up, rising upward and facing Gensa. Gensa reached out and sliced the snake’s throat with one quick slash of her fingernails. The poor snake was dead before it hit the ground. That was uncalled for, I scolded.

  That stupid snake had no business laying its eggs in my domain. It will make a tasty snack, but not as tasty as you are going to be.

  I thought your kind turned living creatures into stone?

  That was Medusa’s thing, not mine. I immobilize humans with my mind and eat them alive. There is nothing more pleasant then chewing on live flesh and listening to the victim scream.

  It was obvious that most Demons liked to hear their victims scream. What a sickening trait.

  Gensa’s hypnotic eyes began glowing brighter. The snakes on her head were slithering about in a frenzy at the thought of being fed. I held my ground and smiled.

  Your little mind trick doesn’t work on me, Gensa. I don’t think you’re going to like what I have in store for you.

  As always, I had to hold back my temper. I had images of morphing into a giant and squashing Gensa like the worm she was.

  Gensa slashed out with her long fingernails. When they made contact with my toga, it was like scratching fingernails on a chalkboard. Gensa made a loud screeching sound because she’d broken several of her fingernails. She was still screeching as I stepped back and began building a force field around her. When I was finished, I smacked Gensa between the eyes with Wade’s ring. I left Gensa in the cave for safe keeping and headed for the exit.

  I exited the cave, dragging the sea snake over my shoulder. Several of the villagers had stayed close to the cave, waiting for me to return.

  “This is the monster that dwells in the cave,” I shouted. “As you can see, it is nothing but an overgrown sea snake. The curse had been lifted and now we can all live in peace. Spread the word that you’ll no longer have to live in fear.”

  I was a hero and everyone was cheering. I had a young maiden on each arm and I was really popular. I felt like a phony, but I continued acting the part.

  When I was finally alone, I made myself invisible and made my way back to the cave. I decided to stash Gensa away and take a short tour of the surrounding islands. It was such a beautiful part of the world and there was so much to see.

  After a week of sightseeing, I flew Gensa to the Mariana Trench and deposited her with the rest of the captured creatures. As always, I had a sense of satisfaction as I headed for home. I had another remarkable report to file with my Grandma Pauline.

  CHAPTER 42

  Pauline’s eyes always lit up when I showed up on her doorstep. We’d sit down and chat for a while and then go over the details of my written report. This session was different because Pauline looked worried. “Janis, I have a concern that needs to be discussed.”

  I nodded my head and leaned back on the sofa to hear what Grandma had to say.

  “I’m getting along in years and I’ve been giving some thought as to what to do with my years of research when I’m no longer here. I don’t know anyone other than you who can carry on in my place.”

  I sighed because I knew this day was coming. “You’re right, Grandma. Your life’s work can’t be discarded because it’s too important. I promise you here and now that your research will be kept intact.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Now give me the details of your last adventure. They are more exciting than any of the shows on television.”

  I spent the rest of the afternoon with Pauline. I wanted it to be quality time because I knew she wouldn’t always be around for me. I was going to go out of my way to enjoy the pleasure of her company whenever I could.

  * * *

  The next creature I had to capture was Hensha, a cat demon that lives in Paris, France. I wasn’t sure if I’d be chasing after a house cat or a leopard. I’d find out soon enough.

  When I arrived in Paris, I passed myself off as a writer who spoke perfect French. I was still amazed that no one ever questions the motives of a writer who goes snooping around a newspaper office. I guess they figure that writers are always digging for information.

  I loved Paris, but I wasn’t crazy about eating in the fancy restaurants. I had a big appetite and gourmet French food is served in petite portions. When I shopped at the local deli, I stocked up on ham, sausage, French bread, and a good bottle of wine. I also found out that I have a weakness for French pastries. My favorite snacks were cream-filled donuts and chocolate éclairs.

  The newspaper stories that interested me were reports about single women who were torn to pieces by some a wild animal. The killings always took place in the victim’s home and the victim’s heart was always missing. I was particularly interested in the fact that the killings took place approximately two months apart. The local police were stymied. There were no wild animals in the area, not even a zoo.

  I visited one of the death scenes to see if I could come up with anything new. I picked up an unusual scent that definitely belonged to a Demon. My suspicious nature went into overdrive when I picked up the same scent at other death scene. The deaths were definitely connected.

  I had a hard time following the scent because it ran in several directions at once. This didn’t make sense. When I finally caught up with the scent, I was looking at a stray house cat I had cornered in an alley. Could this be my Demon? I asked myself.

  I used my power of telekinesis to hold the cat in place. I gave it a thorough examination, but it was nothing but a simple alley cat with no unusual powers. Nothing made sense. This cat carried the same scent I had picked up at the death scenes.

  I’d followed so many false leads that I was now the one who was chasing my tail. What I needed was a fresh approach. I asked myself a simple question. How could so many different cats have the same scent? I jumped up from my chair because the answer was so simple. If the cat is a Demon, all she has to do is rub her body against other cats to spread her scent. Now I needed a way to use this knowledge to my advantage.

  I reexamined my observations. First, the dead women were murdered by some kind of a cat. Second, the dead women were not known to have had a pet cat. This told me that the women must have picked up a stray cat and brought it home the night they were murdered. Now it all made sense. The Demon cat pretends to be a cute little stray kitty, waiting for some nice little old lady to take it home with them. What a disgusting animal.

  I went through the newspaper files and marked off the areas where the recent murders had taken place. Thankfully, the last four murders were limited to a four square mile area. I rented a small studio apartment right in the middle of the area.

  I morphed into an invisible Changeling Princess and began covering the area. I was flying at a height of one hundred feet so I could keep the st
reets in plain view. I had my senses tuned to the max as I searched the area for any stray cats with the right scent.

  I encountered a lot of stray cats with the right scent, but they weren’t the one I was looking for. I was about to retire for the evening when I picked up a scent that was overwhelming. I flew closer to the ground and saw a cute little kitty sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. It was so cute and cuddly that you wanted to pick it up and cuddle it. I loved cats, but this cute little kitten reeked with the smell of death. I had no doubt whatsoever that I was looking at Hensha, the cat Demon.

  I flew around the corner and morphed into an elderly woman carrying a shopping bag. When I walked up to the little kitty, she looked up at me with her sad little face as if to say, “I don’t have a home.”

  “My, but aren’t you a sweet little kitty,” I said.

  The little kitty walked up to me and rubbed my leg. “Meow.”

  I picked up the kitty and gave her a real big hug. She meowed again as I nestled her in my arms and walked toward my apartment.

  The kitty was still making the cute little meows when we entered my apartment. I placed her on the floor and watched as she sat perfectly still, staring up at me. “I bet you’re hungry?” I said.

  I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a can of cat food. I opened it and put the contents into a small bowl. I placed the bowl on the floor and backed away. The little kitty walked over to bowl and began eating as if it hadn’t had anything to eat for a month.

  I was standing on the far side of the kitchen when the transformation began. The kitty grew larger and larger and her fur turned pitch black. In a period of five seconds, the cute little kitty had transformed into a full grown black panther. Her eyes were glowing and her evil snarl matched the long fangs that were dripping with saliva. I spoke through my thoughts. Good heavens, they must have put an extra dose of vitamins in that can of cat food.

  I morphed into the Changeling Princess and watched as Hensha backed up against the wall. You’re not a human, I heard her say.

  I’m very much human, Hensha. And I’m the human who’s going to see to it that you never hurt anyone again.

  I heard Hensha scream. You’re an Ivarr.

  Out of instinct, Hensha lunged at me with claws bared. I grabbed her by the throat and held her at arm’s length. Her hind claws were scratching at my toga like a dog digging a hole. My first instinct was to crush Hensha’s throat with my bare hands. As I always did, I resisted the temptation and slung her across the room, slamming her against the living room wall. When she showed her fangs again, I slapped her head and knocked her unconscious. I had to admit that Hensha was a beautiful animal. It was a shame her heart was filled with so much evil.

  I wrapped my force field around Hensha and placed my special “W” between her eyes. I was about to embark to the Mariana Trench when I remembered something really important. I opened the refrigerator and pulled out my last chocolate éclair. I had no intentions of letting the delicious éclair go to waste.

  * * *

  I returned home to find that my grandmother, Pauline French had passed away. It broke my heart that I wasn’t at her funeral. She was very precious to me and I was going to miss her. It was only a matter of time until everyone I loved would be passing on. Grandma and Grandpa Greer were in their seventies and my parents weren’t getting any younger. I had to keep forging ahead because that’s what was expected of me. I had no other choice.

  CHAPTER 43

  It was 1971 and Missy and Izzy were getting along in years. They still liked to play, but they tired easily. Flying was their favorite game because they didn’t have to exert any energy. Our cute little game of “chase the mouse” was only good for five to ten minutes before they were both exhausted.

  There was nothing I liked better than spending time in my room with the kitties and reminiscing about the past. I had the Prom pictures of me and Wade, plus I had the trophy we’d won in the dance contest. I couldn’t help giggling as I recalled being passed off as Wade’s cousin Darcy. A smile crossed my face when I recalled the time that Wade made it snow for Christmas. That was a very special memory I would always cherish.

  I still had the large ruby we acquired from the evil Warlock in Chicago. I always took the ruby with me when I went to visit Wade’s gravesite. It was something we’d shared together and that made it extra special. I never left Wade’s gravesite without kissing his ring and renewing my pledge. “Wade, I will always be your girl and I will always love you.” I was sure Wade could hear me and it warmed my heart. It was only a matter of time until we would be together again.

  * * *

  I spent an entire morning at the shopping mall. When I returned home, my mother was waiting for me in the living room. The look on her face told me that something was terribly wrong. “Honey, I hate to be the messenger of bad news, but Izzy just died.”

  I was all choked up and began crying. My sweet little Izzy was the first member of my family to be taken from me. My thoughts turned to Missy and how much pain she must be in at the moment. “I’m going upstairs,” I told my mom.

  Missy was lying motionless on the foot of the bed. I picked her up and cuddled her in my arms. I’m so sorry to hear about Izzy. She was the sweetest kitty in the whole world.

  Missy lifted her head and looked up at me. Izzy was like my little sister and we were best friends. I really miss her.

  We buried Izzy in the back yard next to the flower garden—her favorite spot in the yard. I placed Izzy’s red cape around her little neck and wrapped her in a blanket. Everyone said their farewells and we returned to the house.

  Missy was never the same after Izzy died. All she did was lie in front of the bedroom window and stare into the backyard. I had all the powers of the ancient Ivarrs, but I couldn’t bring little Izzy back to life.

  Missy still spent most of her time lying in front of the bedroom window. I was positive she was thinking about Izzy, but I never listened in on her thoughts. That would have been prying and I respected Missy’s privacy. Would you like to fly around the room for a while, Missy?

  Missy lifted her head. I guess not. It wouldn’t be the same without Izzy.

  I had to hold back the tears because my little kitty was in such pain. Missy was fading fast and I knew she didn’t have much longer to live. The next afternoon when I walked into my bedroom I found Missy lying motionless in front of the bedroom window. I knew in an instant that she had passed away.

  I buried Missy in the back yard next to Izzy. I was filled with grief, but it warmed my heart to know that my little kitties were still together. I just hoped they had a magic carpet so they could go flying together.

  * * *

  I turned my attention to Idos, a snow Demon that lives in the Himalayas in south central Asia. I’d read reports of the Yeti, who was also called the Abominable Snowman. Could the Yeti be Idos?

  I spent months and months flying over the Himalayas as the Changeling Princess. I found a way to adjust my energy beam so it would pick up shades of energy in the snow. I spent most of my time hunting down animals like black bears, snow leopards, and tahrs, an animal that resembles a goat. I wasn’t discouraged. Biding my time was the norm and not the unusual.

  I was flying over the side of a mountain when I saw a creature walking upright in the snow. As I got closer, the creature looked like an eight-foot tall white gorilla. The creature stopped dead in his tracks when I confronted him. I sensed immediately that the creature was not vicious. What did surprise me was that he could speak.

  “What kind of a human are you? How can you survive in this weather with no fur?”

  “I have special powers that allow me to weather the cold.”

  “Are you a god?”

  “No, I’m far from it. Are you a Yeti?”

  The creature paused. “Yes, I am what the humans call the Yeti.”

  “I don’t sense any aggression from you, yet you have a terrible reputation.”

  “That is because h
umans fear what they do not understand. We are also mistaken for an intruder who first appeared on these mountains five hundred years ago. The intruder kills Yetis for food and he will kill humans if they trespass into his domain.”

  “Who is this intruder?”

  “He calls himself Idos. He doesn’t speak, but we can hear his thoughts. Idos is evil because he commands everyone he comes in contact with to do his bidding.”

  It sounded to me as if Idos was capable of using hypnotism. I wanted to know more about the Yetis.

  “How did you come to live in the mountains?”

  “Our species developed many thousands of years ago. We were feared by humans because of our size and we were always attacked if we tried to make contact. We don’t like warm weather and we eventually made our way to the mountains. Over time our hair grew longer and we adapted to the high altitude. We’ve always kept our distance from the outside world because we want to live in peace.”

  “And then Idos showed up?”

  “Yes. Some of us escaped to the forests of your world and tried to hide.”

  “That would explain the sighting of a creature we call ‘Big Foot.’ Do you know where Idos is now?”

  “Yes, there is a large cave in the hillside he calls his home.”

  “Good, let’s go pay him a visit.”

  “We can’t do that. He will capture us and eat us.”

  I fired off an energy bolt at a large boulder. The Yeti couldn’t believe his eyes when the boulder exploded.

  “That’s just a taste of what I have in store for Idos.”

  I stood next to the Yeti and tried to place my arms around his huge waist. When that didn’t work, I doubled my height to twelve feet. “I also have powers that allow me to fly like an eagle. I’m going to pick you up and we’re going to fly to Idos’ cave. When we rise into the air, I want you to point the way.”

  I sensed the Yeti’s nervousness as we lifted off the ground. He pointed north and we picked up speed. I’m not sure, but I think the Yeti held his breath until we were back on the ground.