I felt my heart pounding when we got back in the car. I had many questions and worries about what we might find. But at the same time, I was grateful to have Lucina by my side. She always seemed to know what to say and do, and I couldn’t imagine going on this journey without her.

As we drove down the highway, I felt a strange sensation in my ears and on top of my head again. It was like they were itching from the inside, and before I knew it, I reached up to scratch them. But what I felt wasn’t what I expected at all. Instead of touching my ears, it was completely flat. My ears were gone entirely, but I could still hear.

I reached to the top of my head, as it was itching there as well, and I felt something soft and furry. I quickly pulled my hand back, not sure what was happening.

“What’s wrong?” Lucina asked, briefly glancing over at me.

“My ears,” I said, pointing at them.

Lucina’s eyes widened in surprise. “They’re… They’re fox ears,” she said, her voice filled with wonder.

I reached up to touch them again, still in shock. They felt so real, so soft and furry. But how could this be happening to me?

“Is it as painful as the tail?” Lucina asked.

“No, not at all,” I said, relieved. “It’s just a little strange.”

Lucina smiled at me. “Well, you look cute with them,” she said, making me blush.

But as cute as my ears looked, I knew we still had a job to do. We needed to find the ex-member of the Fox cult and figure out what had happened to my Grandmother. After all, time was running out for me, as the subtle itch and weird feeling had not stopped with my ears either. This time I could feel a slight tingle and tugging on my nose and face. As well as a tiny itch in my legs.

We stopped at a gas station to buy a cap for me, and as we got out of the car, I noticed something else. My hearing had become much more sensitive, and I could hear things I never could before, like the rustling of leaves on the trees and birds in the distance. It was like my new fox ears had unlocked a new world of sounds.

Once we were back on the road, we headed to the address where the ex-member supposedly lived. But when we arrived, we discovered the house had been sold a couple of years ago.

Confused and disheartened, we asked… Or more like Lucina asked the new owner if she knew where the previous owner had gone. She told us the previous owner had moved away to live in seclusion outside the city.

With no other leads, we drove to the small-ish forest that occupied the space outside the city. The lady didn’t tell us exactly where the house was, and since the roads in this general direction stopped right before the forest, we had to walk.

As we walked through the forest, my ears picked up every sound around us. The crunching of leaves under our feet, birds chirping, and animals' distant rustling. It was overwhelming initially, but I soon realized it was also amazing. My hearing had never been this sharp before.

“Are you okay?” Lucina asked, noticing my wide-eyed expression.

“I’m fine,” I replied, grinning. “It’s just that my hearing has gotten so much better. I can hear everything!”

Lucina chuckled. “That’s great. Maybe you’ll hear something that’ll lead us to the ex-member.”

We continued walking until we reached a small clearing where a cottage stood at the forest's edge. It was secluded, just as we were told.

As we approached the cottage, I felt a strange sensation. The tingle in my nose had turned into a full-on itch, and my legs felt like they were being pulled in different directions. It was like my body was trying to change again, but it was too fast. The time between my tail and my ears was much longer than this.

I stumbled, and Lucina quickly caught me.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, concern etched on her face.

“I don’t know,” I said, trying to steady myself. “It’s like the curse is accelerating.”

Lucina looked worried. “We need to find the ex-member quickly, and maybe she can help us.”

We knocked on the door of the cottage, and a woman answered. She was older, with greying hair and a kind face.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

“We’re looking for the ex-member of the Fox cult,” I said, showing her my Grandmother’s journal. “We were told she lived here, please. We only want to ask a few questions.”

The woman’s eyes widened briefly as she saw the journal, then her expression softened. “I see,” She said. “Please, come in.”

We entered the cottage, and the woman led us to a small sitting room. There, we saw an older woman sitting in a rocking chair, her eyes closed and her breathing calm and slow. She was breathing in a rhythmic pattern.

“Excuse me,” the woman said, gently shaking the ex-members shoulder. “You have visitors.” Lucina and I looked at each other. Is this the ex-member?

The ex-member opened her eyes and took a look at us. Her eyes widened in recognition when she saw the journal. “Where did you get that?” She asked, now thoroughly focused on me.

“You knew my Grandmother,” I said, showing the journal.

The ex-member nodded with understanding. “Yes, I did. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” I said. “But I need to know more about her and this blessing, or rather, this curse she spoke of.” I fidgeted with the journal, anxious, “Can you help me?”

The ex-member looked at me for a moment, then sighed deeply. “I suppose it’s time for me to tell my story,” She said, her voice trembling slightly. “But I warn you. It’s not a happy one.”

“We’re ready to listen,” Lucina said, giving her an encouraging smile.

The ex-member took a deep breath and began to speak, recounting her time in the Fox cult and the events that led to her leaving. She told of the rituals, the teachings, and the strange powers some members seemed to possess.

“And then there was your Grandmother,” She said, turning to me, “She was different from the rest of us, you know. She didn’t have any powers, at least not that we could see. But she had something else, something that made her special.”

“What was it?” I asked eagerly.

The ex-member hesitated for a moment before answering. “It was her compassion, her kindness,” She said finally. “She was always helping others, always putting their needs before hers. And that’s why she was chosen for the blessing, leading to her disappearance. Your Grandmother’s disappearance is also why I left this cult.”

“But what is this blessing?” Asked again, my heart pounding.

The ex-member took a deep breath. “It’s the gift of transformation,” She said. “Changing you into an animal, a fox, and to become closer to Mother, the fox spirit.”

“So it is a curse,” Lucina said, her voice low.

The ex-member’s expression turned grim. “The transformation is not under your control,” She said. “It can happen at any time, without warning. And when it does, it can be dangerous.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing with questions and fears. “Is there a way to break the curse?” I asked, almost pleading.

The ex-member shook her head. “I’m sorry,” She said. “I don’t know of any way to break it.” She looked at me with pity.

“But there must be something we can do,” Lucina said, her voice firm. “We can’t just accept this as our fate.”

The ex-member looked at us, her eyes sad and hopeful. “Perhaps there is a way,” she said, her voice low. “But it’s risky and not something I would recommend lightly.”

…

The ex-member leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes momentarily, contemplating what she just said. Finally, she opened her eyes and said, “I might be able to help you, but it won’t be easy.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my heart sinking. Was there a catch?

“Keep in mind. This is all speculation on my part… To remove the curse, you must perform a ritual to summon The Mother,” the ex-member explained. “She is the one who bestowed the curse upon you and your Grandmother, and only she can remove it.”

“And how do we summon her?” Lucina asked, intrigued.

“There is a ritual that must be performed,” the ex-member said, “It’s not for the faint of heart, and it requires a sacrifice.”

My stomach turned at the mention of a sacrifice. “What kind of sacrifice?”

“An animal sacrifice,” the ex-member said. “It doesn’t have to be a large animal, but it must be a living creature, preferably a fox, but we found that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a fox.”

I felt sick at the thought of sacrificing an innocent animal, but at the same time, I knew we had to do whatever it took to break this curse.

“What else do we need?” I asked.

“Salt, sage, and candles,” She said. “And a pure heart.”

“A pure heart?” Lucina asked skeptically.

“Yes,” the ex-member confirmed. “You must come to The Mother with a pure heart and clear intention. The ritual will fail if your heart is clouded with darkness or ill will.”

“And what about the consequences of this ritual?” I asked, feeling like I needed to know all the details before we proceeded.

“The consequences can be severe,” the ex-member warned. “If The Mother is not pleased with your offering or intentions, she may curse you even further.”

I gulped, feeling a knot forming in my stomach. This would take a lot of work, but I knew it was our only chance if it were to work.

“Will you help us?” I asked, looked at the ex-member in the eyes.

She nodded, a determined expression on her face. “I will help you, she said. “But you must be sure this is what you want.”

“We’re sure,” Lucina said with conviction.

“Very well,” the ex-member said, standing up from her chair. “We have much to do, and the ritual must be performed on the night of the next full moon.”