NyBAtDg.png [https://i.imgur.com/NyBAtDg.png]

Scaredy Cat (conclusion)

With a good tug, I got the door open. But I didn't go through. The hallway wasn't there. Just another room cloaked in darkness. It didn't make any sense. The coats were behind me. Fur coats. Undulating, shifting fur coats with a little glint of eye showing.

I took my chances with the next room and sealed the door behind me. I wasn't feeling outright scared because it was all so completely ridiculous that I could just as well imagine I'd had that extra drink and passed out on the table while Victor laughed his little heart out.

I tended to have pretty decent drunk dreams. Never nightmares, but there's always a first time.

The next room wasn't the least bit brighter. The carpet was a soft, plush sort of shag, which didn't make me feel any better. My eyes had started to resolve pale outlines of walls. I clung to one of them and followed its stuccoed surface till I came to a mirror. A light overhead, barely brighter than a dying fridge lamp, bounced over the spot.

It wasn't much. But, compared to the rest of the apartment, it was like stepping out into the sun. My face looked fine. No worse than usual with a plastering of black fuzz across my features. My hair looked darker than its usual brown, but my light-blue shirt still had the charm of its random, cartoon happy face.

Not knowing what else to do, I fixed my hair and figured I'd probably wake up against porcelain because Mara had slipped me something.

I put my hands at my side. But my reflection... Well, he kept fixing his hair. I staggered back. And he didn't. The bastard just stayed there fixing his hair.

I shook my head. He gave a little flip of his locks, which started a cascade. Hair flowed over his shoulders, as dark as mine but silky and full. It stopped at his lower back.

He brushed his cheek and the fuzz smoothed away to silken skin. His eyebrows arched upwards and thinned. His pale lips pouted. What he had of manly shoulders narrowed and softened. Leaning forward cautiously, I could see his hips swelling.

It was the oddest thing that I didn't run. But darkness covered all points of escape. So, I watched my feminine double as his chest swelled out and his loose, blue top lightened to a snug, white one.

I really watched when the neckline lowered for a good view of…her cleavage. She was a bit smaller than me now. But she'd stopped fussing with her hair and turned her attention to me. More like a reflection, her eyes locked on me. She didn't move from her spot, but her gaze traced me relentlessly. I tried to dodge her. Nothing.

She brought her fists up and slammed them against the glass. I jumped back. She grinned in the dark and slammed it again. Her eyes, a pale grayish-blue like Mara's, warmed to bright red. From behind her, through a wave of her hair, a long flowing cat tail emerged and danced through the air.

She hissed and slammed the glass again. It cracked outward in a web of fissures.

I took my chances in the dark. I ran away till I couldn't hear the sound of breaking glass. When I turned back, shards erupted across the room like a burst of new, twinkling stars in an empty sky.

I kept running into the darkness, not sure why I couldn't feel anything around me when I reached out. There had to be walls. There had to be. But there was just a dark abyss on all sides.

My silent begging for something tangible to hold onto was soon answered by the shards pursuing me. It felt like they surrounded me. No matter where I tried to retreat to, they prodded me. It didn't take long till I realized they weren't fragments of glass but claws.

I screamed without holding back, hoping my cries made it through this terrible illusion. As I staggered, I couldn't dwell on how high-pitched my voice sounded. The claws tore at my clothes. They ripped them away but didn't pierce flesh.

I would gladly abandon my clothing so long as I could escape. I leaped and felt nothing underneath me. I was falling. And, in that, I feared that I'd taken a mistaken leap out Mara's window to my death. I looked down to see red eyes sprouting all over. And fanged teeth widening, ready to consume me.

My bladder, long stressed by my drinks, felt like it had finally lost all control. I sobbed a high squeak as the teeth overwhelmed and tore at me. I covered my eyes with my hands. I didn't want to see. I wanted to go home. I cried and cried, consumed by hot breath.

Then, a hand touched my head. I wasn't falling anymore. I pressed open a trembling eye to a flood of light. Fingers. An arm. I squeaked in terror.

A voice, Mara's voice, softly said, "It's okay. It's over now. You're okay."

I screamed, "Get away from me!"

Her touch receded.

I covered my gaze until the light didn't hurt. When I looked again, my eyes were clouded by tears. I wiped at them with strange, meager hands. I whimpered and wiped until I could resolve Mara sitting near me. I jumped back.

She urged me, "It's okay."

I clung to what was behind me. It was the furry couch. I squeaked again. Then I realized I'd peed myself. And I realized something even worse: I wasn't a man anymore.

My shirt barely stayed up. It dipped so low that I could see my pale-skinned cleavage. My bladder released again but not in any familiar way. Mara grimaced and responded, "You really need to get cleaned up. Come on."

I let her help me up as I trembled and caught quick sight of my pale limbs and a wave of long, dark hair I could feel across my back. She carried me through a hallway. I averted my eyes from a mirror. In the bathroom, I undressed and followed her instructions. I washed with quiet whimpering and my eyes closed half the time.

When I was done, she wrapped me in a towel and led me over to a closet. It was full of clothes in every size and style I could imagine. She held several things against me till she found a white dress which seemed to fit. I didn't like it at all. She showed some underwear and a bra, but I turned away from them.

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Mara urged me to sit on her bed. She sat beside me. Her room looked nice enough, a bit cluttered but not terrifying. For the moment.

She sighed and said, "I suspect you want to know what happened? Come here, Misto." Mara gave a whistle.

From around the corner, a cat the size of a dog walked through the doorway. I scooted back on the bed and felt my bladder twinge again. The cat was covered in fur largely black with strange, reddish patches. Its feline eyes were bright crimson and gazed at me unblinkingly.

I panted and watched helplessly as this cat approached and hopped onto the edge of the bed. I held onto Mara and edged away. It came closer and looked me over. I shivered.

Slowly, Misto found its way to my lap and settled down there. He curled up and rested his head. I felt frozen in place. Mara brushed Misto's head and explained, "Misto is a special kitty. And very talented."

As the cat sat there in my lap, I felt a strange sensation throughout my body. It was a little like being numbed. The cat was heavy enough that my legs could've been quickly going asleep. But it was more than that. It was like he was leeching something out of me. I asked Mara.

She flashed a little smile, followed by a frown. "First of all, I want to apologize for all this. But you asked for it. Really, I expected you to head off to the bathroom after you asked my name. Most don't get as far." She brushed back a lock of my still-wet hair and held a small mirror in front of me. I tried to look away, but I was too curious.

I looked so strange. So pale and frightened. Like a living ghost. And my eyes. I had those grayish-blue eyes. Looking down reminded me of the girlish shape of my chest. Below that, there was the dark, overwhelming Misto, who had begun to purr.

Mara continued, "What you're feeling is what Misto does. He absorbs masculinity. He drains it out of any man he's near. But he likes it blended with fear."

I repeated Mara's words, "Drains it out?"

She nodded and took back her mirror. "Every bit of manly energy and feeling. Just eats it all up. But don't worry, it's not permanent. So long as he's not around you all the time." Mara gave a little grin.

I found myself taking a deep breath. Relief. As the strange sensation continued, it didn't bother me so much. It almost felt good. I rubbed Misto's neck. He purred louder.

Mara giggled and said, "Be careful. He might decide to eat you all up."

My eyes widened and I asked, "What would happen then?"

"Well, you would vanish from the world as a man. As though you never existed. Completely and totally a woman to everyone. Deeply female, even in your soul. You'd still be a man again, eventually. But you'd be a woman at heart. I've known many men like that. All they remember are the fearful stories. Misto likes those too."

I swallowed. I couldn't bring the urge to push Misto away, but I also tried not to encourage him to stay. Still, he lingered on my lap. I breathed quietly.

Mara leaned over and poked Misto. He bent his head and gave a noise like a groan. Slowly, he crept from my lap to hers. While he didn't seem as eager for her lap, he stayed there without complaint.

Mara rubbed his head and informed me, "You should be okay. You might have some female...heterosexual feeling… for a while. But the physical effects should be gone by morning. Might take you a while to grow back your facial hair though."

Carefully, I stood up in that strange dress. My legs felt uneasy. I made my way over to the door before I turned back and asked, "What about the illusions?"

She lavished attention on Misto. "Another of his talents. Sorry he was a bit rough on you. But he's a cat."

I nodded to this. Behind me, I heard a very faint, curious 'meow'. Misto peered at me. Mara nudged him till he lost interest.

"Feel free to take a garbage bag for your clothes and things. I suppose I won't see you again. So long."

I ambled to the box of trash bags. My soiled clothes were set to the side with my wallet and everything else. I was tempted to take out my phone for some photographic proof. But if this monster cat could drain the manliness out of me and rewrite reality, I didn't want to tempt my luck. At the same time, I felt a nagging urge not to leave.

I didn't feel threatened anymore. I didn't feel completely safe either. The front door was there before me. I pulled it open to check. No extra rooms. Just the hallway to the elevator. I could leave, go home, and forget this ever happened. Sounded like a plan.

But I remembered the loneliness of Mara in the bar. She seemed different here with me and like this. I felt upset at her for leading me to become Misto's meal. But I had done it willingly, with all the drunk smarts I could muster.

I could imagine myself walking out. Take the elevator down and hope I could catch a train and no looks from anyone who passed me by. Then bed and back to normal. Another day of my constant editing with another night out drinking with my buds.

I pulled open the front door. Just leave. Why did I even want to stay? I could just leave. But, as I stood there, I let the door close without stepping through. Shaking my head a little, I walked back to the room.

Mara looked up from Misto. Misto didn't react. I rested my hand on the door frame and asked her, "What book were you reading in the bar?"

She said its name. I didn't recognize it, but I gave a nod. I could've left then. Just ran out and not looked back. Misto gave me a hungry little glance which sure encouraged me to dash away. But I didn't.

I walked back over to the bed. I sat down. And I brushed Misto's fur. Before long, he was in my lap again and I was talking softly to him. Mara looked on with a smile. Misto's purr radiated through my body. For a moment, it felt like an involuntary shiver. But the feeling softened to an enveloping massage.

I knew then that I would not be leaving that night...

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