by WL Flinn
I grabbed a pair of flip flops just in case, at least they were cheap, and we went out for our evening walk. I couldn’t afford to be paying for new running shoes every night.
I admit I walked into areas of town that I wouldn’t normally go, but I had my trusty partner with me. I knew we were safe.
We settled into a routine. Every evening, Penny would bring her leash in her mouth. She would wag her tail and occasionally add a quick woof just to look good. We would stroll the streets allegedly getting exercise, but really looking for bad guys. I think SallyAnn was beginning to worry her mom was going out so late, but I told her I was safe because Penny would take care of me.
One evening while we were out strolling, Penny looked up at me. Don’t you think you should practice?
“Practice what?” I asked.
You know, she panted. Getting all horsey.
“I am an alicorn,” I corrected.
Just a horse with feathers to me, she said. Can you do it on purpose? She got in front of me and sat down and stared. Go on, she urged. Make a horse.
“An alicorn,” I grumped. We had made it to the park. I looked around and didn’t see anyone around. Who else would be crazy enough to walk around at night? “Okay, I can do this.” I hesitated. The only times that I changed was when I was angry. I walked Penny over to the picnic table and sat down. I took off her leash. It wasn’t like she needed it.
“Time to stop stalling.” I held my hand out and stared at it. “Change,” I demanded. My arm had a fine layer of hair it usually had around Penny now, but that was it. My fingernails were still pale, cracked and I could still tell that I bit them. “May the horse be with you,” I laughed.
Hardee har, Penny said. Star Wars jokes aren’t going to help. Do not try. Do.
“That is what I am trying to do,” I whined. I closed my eyes and thought about hair growing out of my arms and my nails turning thick and black. I got down on all fours. Maybe that would help. Nothing.
Penny walked over and put her nose up my butt. Nope, not smelling any horse here, she said.
“Alicorn,” I corrected automatically. Her tongue lolled out. I am pretty sure that she was laughing at me. “Wait, I smell when I am an alicorn?”
You always smell.
I face palmed myself. Well, I walked into that one.
But you do smell different when you are shifted. You smell more wild—more sparkly.
I thought about that for a minute. I concentrated on the feel of being the alicorn. I thought about how the wind felt in my mane, even how the weight of the horn felt. I slowed my breathing and imagined the smell of grass and even how the smell of Penny became more “doggy”.
Slowly I could feel the world change. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I could feel things sliding into different. I cracked my eyes and saw that a heavier coating of hair had popped out on my arms and my nails darkened. Sweat slid down into my eyes and suddenly everything was back to normal. I was just me again.
Penny looked at me and smiled. You did good.
Frustrated I stood up. “It is only good if I can call on this alicorn when I want to,” I whined.
Penny snuffled my hand. Patience, grasshopper.
We went home and I got on the internet. I saw #youdontseeme had been on the board. I am telling you things are different after having the Sickness she had posted.
A man wrote back that he also seemed stronger and faster. I added to the thread that I just felt different, even my appetite had changed. #youdontseeme wrote back shortly that her appetite had changed as well. She was always looking for a practically raw steak. I told her that I was the exact opposite. If I could get a vegetarian dish, I would scarf it right down. I could barely even look at a piece of bacon.
Has anyone had a problem with hair color? I whined in the chat. I started dying my hair when I went prematurely gray. Since I have had the sickness, I can dye it, but in the morning it is back to being gray.
#youdontseeme wrote back. Sucks to be you.
Some other guy also wrote back. Hey I like grannies.
“Ew,” I said under my breath. I may be single, but I wasn’t a granny.
I really wanted to get to know more information on #youdontseeme. But there was no way to talk to her without everyone seeing all my information. As magicals, it wasn’t like we had computer access to special sites or anything I could find. Rusty was a wiz on the computer, but I couldn’t ask him about anything specific without telling him why. I just wasn’t ready for that.
So, I emailed a PI I knew from work. I gave him the little I knew on #youdontseeme and asked if he could find this woman. I told him it was not business related, but if there was any way to be gentle with the price I would appreciate it.
The next day at work I had an email from the PI. I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was reading my monitor.
I quickly opened the email which had as the subject line: Requested info. I opened it and the first line was. You owe me a beer and we are good. I loved this man. Jim said he found #youdontseeme. She didn’t live too far from me. I sent the email to my personal email on my phone and typed him a quick thank you and to name his favorite beer.
As soon as I left work, I programmed the address into my GPS. It would take me about a half-hour from home. I texted Rusty that I would be a little late and he should order dinner in. My hands were sweating as I pulled out of my parking space. My stomach started to tie up in knots at the thought of meeting someone else who might be magical. I looked down, and I noticed the fine hairs showing up on my arms.
“No, no, no!” I panicked. “This can’t be happening.” I closed my eyes and started to breathe as deeply as I could. What is it? In through the nose, out through the mouth? That is what they taught us in running. Slowly the world returned to normal. “So, it isn’t just anger that causes shifting, It must be any intense emotions.”
Trying to keep myself under control, I headed to #youdontseeme’s house. I practically flew through the traffic. I couldn’t wait to meet this new person. I pulled into the driveway of a smallish stucco home. There were palm trees in the front. Typical suburban Florida. I parked behind the Honda Civic and jumped out of the car. I practically ran to the front door, but then I froze.
What if she didn’t want to talk to me? What if she made all of this up? What if she didn’t make this up and she had magic? What if she didn’t believe me? What if she didn’t want strangers at her door? I finally lifted my hand to knock when it opened.
A woman in her late thirties with long, black hair stood in front of me. She was only about five foot three and had a chest I would kill for. She also had large hips and wore tight jeans. Her big, brown eyes took one look at me. “Yeah, along with speed and power, I got extra hearing. I could hear you mumbling to yourself. What do you want?”
I stammered about magic and the Sickness.
She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me inside. I should have been ready to fight back, but she was a lot stronger than me. She put her finger up to her lips and shushed me. “Not out there. Prying ears,” she admonished. She closed the door and looked out the window and shut the drapes. She was kind of freaking me out with her paranoia. “You can never be too careful.”
I stuck out my hand, “Sienna Jones. I saw your post online and I had to meet you. We might have something in common. Ummm,” I looked around the living room and didn’t see anyone. I asked in a lowered voice, “You had the sickness, right?”
She nodded.
“I did too. I got really sick. I think it changed me.” I snorted. “Who am I kidding? I know it changed me.”
She looked me over, “Wine or something stronger?”
“I need a B52 but I have to drive. So maybe just some water?” I followed her into the kitchen where she poured me a cup of coffee. She then added a healthy splash of Kahlua to it.
“I think we are going to need it.” She smirked as she poured one for herself. She sat on the sofa and I joined her. “My name is Ashe G
arcia. Sorry for the cloak and dagger stuff, but I have noticed people are getting weird out there.” She took a long drink of her coffee. “I got the sickness. They tell me I got really, really sick. I don’t remember any of it. I was so sick everything shut down. The doctors actually thought I died. They tried CPR and the drugs and nothing worked. My whole body just gave up. Then it was like someone just hit the reset button and my heart started beating again, just very slowly.
“So, they thought I was cured and they sent me home.” She took another long drink of coffee. “That is when I noticed things were different. I am stronger than before. I am also faster. I am pretty sure I could pick up a car now, and I am not even joking.”
She looked at me expectantly. I drank a couple gulps of my coffee. “My story is sort of the same,” I started. “I got sick and really wanted to die. I felt sooo bad. Everything hurt. I felt like giving up, but I have two kids, SallyAnn and Rusty. So, I can’t leave them. I didn’t have a choice. I had to get better.” She looked at me over her coffee and nodded.
“Well, I changed, too.” I admitted. I looked around even knowing no one else was in the house. “I haven’t talked about this with anyone, well with anyone but Penny. Anywho, I am different now too. I, uh, I grow hairier, and I…” I took a deep breath and blurted out, “I turn into an alicorn”
Ashe sat there frozen staring at me over her coffee.
“You know, a unicorn with wings?” I babbled. “I have a horn and everything.” I shut my mouth.
“No shit,” she said. “Seriously? Can you do it now?” Her brown skin flushed. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“I am working on being able to do it on command, but I can try,” I volunteered. Maybe it was the Kahlua talking, but I liked this woman. “Is your backyard private?”
She walked me out to her backyard. There was a wooden privacy fence surrounding it. “This is perfect,” I said. I took off my shoes and started to strip. Ashe looked at me quizzically, but kept her mouth shut. Naked, I tried to do this quickly, I hated anyone seeing my flab hanging down. Even walking with Penny wasn’t going to tighten my stomach after two babies stretched it out. I tried to focus. I thought about how angry I was the day my now ex came in and said he wanted a divorce. He told me he had fallen in love with some sweet little girl. I am sure she had perky little breasts and a nice smile and a flat stomach. A growl erupted from my throat.
The pain hit suddenly and I knew it worked. I shook out my mane and turned to look at Ashe. She had dropped her coffee on the tile porch and the mug shattered. Her jaw dropped open. “Holy crap. You’re a horse. A unicorn. A Pegasus thing.” She stuttered.
I tried to correct her but all she heard was an angry neigh.
She came over and touched me. What the heck! I stepped away from her and stomped my hoof. That was way too friendly. Not that she could understand me. But I am pretty sure the ears being flat back and the scowl got my point across, if I could actually scowl in this form.
She shook her head. “I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” She dropped her hand. “But you are just so dang beautiful!”
I thought calm thoughts and tried to turn back. For a change it worked on the first try. Woohoo, getting better at this thing, I thought. I put on my clothes, and we walked back inside.
“Okay, I can tell you my secret,” Ashe said pouring more Kahlua for us. “You might want to sit down. I think I am a vampire,” she said really quickly.
“I can still eat, but my tastebuds have changed. I like my steak rare, like really rare. If I could just get it bloody at a restaurant, I would. But you know, they won’t do that.” She laughed nervously. I watched as she started concentrating. Her skin practically glowed. Her eyes went from dark brown to almost black. “I am stronger, faster, I can hear better, I even have the teeth.” She smiled so her incisors were clearly visible. “Everything the books always talked about. The only things that are different are the sun makes my skin hurt, not kill me, and I looove bloody foods, but I can survive on other foods. They just don’t keep me satisfied.”
She looked at me. I saw her eyes drop to my neck where my pulse would be. I looked at her in the eye. “I believe you. If I can turn into an alicorn, why can’t you be a vampire?” Her shoulders relaxed as she saw I was telling her the truth.
“You aren’t afraid of me?” she asked.
“Are you afraid of me?” She shook her head. I walked over to her and gave her a big hug. She stiffened up at the contact, but relaxed into my hug and wrapped her arms around me. She quietly started crying onto my shoulder.
“I have been so afraid to tell anyone,” she said between sniffles.
“Me too,” I said. “I have two kids I can’t tell. Oh my God, I have two kids.” I gasped as I realized the time. “I have got to go. I told them I would be home right after work.” I made sure I had my clothes on and my phone—was I really saying that—and hurried to the car.
“Chica, call me!” she said to my retreating tail lights.
Ashe texted me at work. Wanna meet tonight?
I texted back, Do you like walking? If so, we can meet at the park at 8 p.m.
Definitely, let’s do it.”
I had dinner with the kids, grabbed Penny, and then drove to the park. Ashe was waiting there for us. She knelt down on the ground and Penny barreled into her arms almost knocking her over. She licked Ashe’s like a long lost friend.
“This is Penny.” I laughed. I gently tugged her leash. “Give her a chance to get her feet under her, girl.”
Ashe looked at her. “Goldens are my favorite!”
Penny puffed up and preened at all the love.
“Are you ready for a walk?” I asked Ashe. She smiled and put her hand out for Penny to run her head under.
“Let’s do this,” she said.
I hadn’t told Ashe about the walks Penny and I normally took. I didn’t want her to think I was too weird. I looked at Penny. What was I going to do if we ran across trouble? I know I wouldn’t be able to walk away. It wasn’t me. I couldn’t decide if I wanted it to be a quiet night or if I wanted to show Ashe what we could do.
It was totally dark as we made our way through the town. Penny’s ears perked up about the same time Ashe turned her head to the left. “I hear something.”
Her skin quickly became that pearly, glowing quality that means she was full vampire. I looked over and could just see the tips of her fangs sticking out between her lips. Penny wagged her tail. Yes, just what I ordered tonight.
Ashe quickly walked to the corner where there were two teens beating someone who was cowering on the ground. There was a faint golden glow coming from his stomach area.
“We don’t need no stinkin’ magical crap on our street,” the kid said as he kicked the person in the back. The other teen laughed and pulled his leg back. Two gnarled, wrinkled hands tried to cover the head. I could see now the victim was an old man. There was no way he could hold his own against these two.
That was all I could take. There was a small flash as I shifted to the alicorn and Penny and I took off to the perps. As I ran up Ashe flashed by me and gave the one who was about to kick the old man a strong right hook. I could see his head snap back at the force of her hit.
I looked at the teen in front of me. His mouth opened in shock at the sight of me. I struck out with my hoof and he jumped back. I tossed my head and he focused on my horn. I was going to smack it with him when Ashe came up behind him and bit him on the neck. He dropped like a rock.
I wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but I couldn’t ask her. She looked up at me with a bit of blood on her lips. She gave me a crooked smile and licked her lips.
There was a loan moan from the ground. Penny walked over and gently nuzzled the old man. He flinched away at first. When he realized she was just a dog, he put his hand out. She softly licked his hand and he smiled at her.
Ashe had closed her eyes and her skin wasn’t nearly as pearly. She crouched down to the man. �
�Are you all right? Do you feel well enough to stand?”
I thought she was pushing him. She looked around over her shoulders. “Sir, I know you are hurting, but I don’t think we should be out here on the street.” She kept sweeping the street with her eyes.
She helped the man to his feet. I stepped closer to him. He put his hand gingerly on my shoulder, my whither? Ashe smiled at him. “You lean up against her. She has plenty of muscle to hold you up, sir.” He put his arm over my back and he pointed down the street.
We limped down just a couple of buildings and he turned, “This is me,” he said. Or at least I think that is what he said. His lip was already swollen and his speech was garbled. I waited on the sidewalk while Penny and Ashe helped him inside.
“You should call the police.”
He looked at her. “Thank you for the help. There ain’t no call to get the police involved. They drove by when those thugs started beating me.” Tears filled his eyes. This guy had to be at least eighty years old. His hair was white and he had gray stubble on his chin. He wasn’t going to be hurting anyone. “The police did nothing when they saw I had magic.”
A woman who looked to be in her fifties came running down the hall. “Dad, what happened? Oh my God, let me help you!”
She looked up at Ashe. “Did you help him?”
Ashe nodded her head. The woman grabbed her dad and looked at the blood coming down his scalp. “Thank you. Thank you for caring.”
Ashe quickly stepped out and walked back to me. “Did you hear what he said?”
I nodded my head. She knew my hearing was better when I was shifted. “What would have happened to him if we hadn’t come along?”
A car drove by us and honked. “Great Halloween costume!” They cheered at me and drove on.
“Well, that is one way to explain you.” Ashe laughed. We had to walk back to the car hoping no one noticed the alicorn walking down the street.
