I use the bus to get me back home.

There are still some blocks to go from the bus stop but I'm rather glad to get out there.

I noticed that the smoke's color of the people around me in general took a worrisome twist to the dark.

Not that I couldn't tell just by looking.

Dusk starts and twilight begins to color the world orange.

This isn't too important since I disturbingly am not bothered with seeing in the dark.

But what does concern me is that I believe to see things in the growing shadows while looking out the window.

Considering Zika's explanation this is not just my imagination and there might really be something.

Yet this line blurs as well.

And this makes me uneasy and I want to get even faster back home.

Unfortunately, the bus took far too long, so that it's almost dark when it arrives at my destination.

Luckily, my home is not too far away, so I hurriedly make my way back.

We live in an area that has rather large residential buildings.

But they're still far smaller than the skyscrapers downtown.

As there aren't too many businesses or other places of interest and it's already late, the streets are empty at this time.

This contributes to my growing distress.

"ExcusE me!"

I hear a woman calling out and turn around.

"Yes? Can I hel... EEEHHK!" (I)

A monster!

Some kind of horrific dark mass in front of me.

A big maw that reaches the height of my chest that I have no doubt can swallow me whole, carried around by hundreds of insectoid legs.

On its top, a woman's upper half is oddly protruding out like the lure of an angler fish and around four elongated arms are extending from the main mass.

I-Is this a ghost?

Or some other monster?

I don't know but it doesn't change that I almost freak out at this sight.

"YoU can sEe meeeeh?" (monster)

Deny everything!

"N-no. I've seen nothing!" (I)

W-wait? Seeing?

Wasn't there something like a rule that ghosts can't do you something if you don't acknowledge their existence?

But I can see!

It's part of my condition!

And my answer was some kind of acknowledgment!

"LIEEE! LIE! LIE! LIE! LIE!" (monster)

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This thing goes wild and jumps agitated around.

"Fine! I can see you! Now leave me in peace!" (I)

I take some steps backward, trying to get some distance from this creature.

"LIAR! Smell, smell!" (monster)

But it follows.

"Yes, I lied! But I really don't want to interact with you!" (I)

"Smells TASTYEEEEE!" (monster)

Why can't I have one peacefully solved encounter of this kind?

Three claws strike at me, so I dodge backward from my position.

Slightly disappointed I realize that my legs turned again into a cat's.

They feather me perfectly when I touch the ground with them.

But this monster doesn't seem to give up yet.

I start to ask myself why these monsters are all so stubborn on the matter of eating me.

Before this thing has reached me with its jump my back bursts out.

First I think that this could be some kind of wings, but as soon it forms spikes at its ends I realize that those are claws.

They spread exceedingly out there.

At this sudden growth, the monster stops for a moment.

"WHAM"

The claws squashed this thing like a bug in the middle.

Before I can think about this they draw the created mass to my torso, which opens up into tentacles and sucks everything in.

A moment later everything is finished.

Even my clothes are like before.

The only leftover of what just happened is a quivering mess on its knees, grasping its shoulders.

Me.

I cannot get used to this!

I don't want to get used to this!!!

I need a while before I can stand up again.

The biggest issue are the tears staining my face in black.

I manage to wipe it with my sleeve.

The one that certainly got ripped.

If this is just an extension of my body then this should work to absorb the liquid back in.

And it does somehow.

The only positive is that apparently, no one has seen.

Also, there are no remains I have to cover up.

Still, I want to get as fast as possible away from the crime scene.

Running as fast I can without having to transform my legs, something that truly started to happen, I reach my home.

I am not out of breath, which is probably linked to the fact that I don't need to.

Speaking of this, had this strange nightmare world even atmosphere?

I don't suppose dreams breathe.

Reaching our apartment I first take a moment to calm down before I open the door.

"Iori! You are back! Where were you?" (S)

"Sorry. Chiaki dragged me along on a city-tour and it seems I forgot to contact you." (I)

Mum looks intently at me.

I come in and try to make a reassuring expression.

"Everything alright? You don't look too well." (S)

"I... I had a hard day. This was all really straining." (I)

"The dream you told me about this morning? If you want we can talk now. I am there for you." (S)

I want to tell her!

All these things which happened to me!

What I'm going through!

That I don't want to be whatever I am!

That this all is just too much for me!

I want to be comforted and getting told that everything is going to be alright!

But I couldn't deal with the aftermath.

Telling my mother would lead to a situation that I couldn't handle.

Would she even believe me?

I don't mean proving that something supernatural happened, that would be easy.

I mean that I am me!

As Zika said, I could just be someone who skinned me.

Or replicated my body with the normal shapeshifting.

But even if not, telling her what happened to me would shake her deeply.

All this is something I cannot confront my mother with.

How would she be able to deal with this?

And so I stay quiet.

"It... It was just a nightmare. A dream. Nothing else. Could have been worse!" (I)

"If you say so... But you should calm down. Take a bath after dinner." (S)

Mother really has it with bathing.

During dinner, I tell mother the censored version of my day.

She scowls a little at the part with the pants.

While we aren't poor it's not like we can't afford to just waste money.

I mean dad is nearly always gone just to earn enough so we can live like this.

Yet eating feels at the moment like a waste too.

I simply don't feel anything by doing so.

Like I said, I don't have a hunger I need to still.

It's a completely neutral feel.

But that there isn't any impact is concerning as well.

I wonder what is necessary to make me feel full.

Like I've promised I go to take a bath after dinner.

This might help me to relax a little.