Once I'd dressed, washed my face, and chewed on another leaf from the Toothberry plant, just because of how easy and good it feels to have freshened teeth, I return Puddle to its shelf. I'd given it one more affectionate squeeze to pour myself a glass of water. If it were up to me, it would never leave the top of my head. Instead, I put on the straw hat Isabelle had given me after taking it from Mia.

An involuntary shudder runs down my spine, as I remember my dream. Isabelle walking through flames, carrying a basket full of peaches. And Mia... Mia who'd swallowed me whole.

What the heck did that even mean?

Kivuli's door is slightly open, and I'd tried glancing inside, but there's a shadowy veil, maybe a curtain, that obscures the view. A ferocious curiosity fills my throat, but I knock twice and wait for an answer. When there isn't one, I figure she's not there and wonder if she's downstairs or outside. Either way, I’m not about to intrude.

So, I head back down the hall, marveling at the ocean and spotting a distant storm. The mirrors catch daylight and illuminate the entire space, making it easier to ignore my reflections, and I hurry past the forbidden room and down the stairs and nearly cry out when a voice startles me. A voice that sounds like it's tickling the inside of my head. "You're finally awake," it says disapprovingly.

Sunlight pours through the first-floor windows, through the shelves that line the walls. It leaves lines of shadows across the table and floor. Curled up on the table is the shadow lizard, Pinto. But it's not the tiny thing that was spying on me yesterday. It's not the enormous creature that rose out of Kivuli's body the other night either. This time, it's the size of a house cat, resting its head on the table with its long tail curled almost defensively.

"Hello?" I say hesitantly. Is this thing going to be creeping on me again? Squishy sits in the stone cubby, fast asleep, and there's no sign of Kivuli, so it's just me and the lizard. Warmth emanates from the Ember Slime, and there’s a pleasant scent of olives.

"One would say 'good afternoon' this time of day," says Pinto, scratching its face. It raises its head and yawns, jaws opening wide to reveal sharp white fangs and a red tongue. As I step closer, I note that it kind of looks like a large salamander except it has shadowy tendrils extending from the sides of its head. Its body is long but plump, and its tail is surprisingly large.

Its forked tongue darts out, and the creature glares with gleaming red eyes that don't seem as bright in the sunny room. They look like gemstones.

Also, afternoon? I actually slept that long?

"Good afternoon," I say, messing with my folded-up sleeves and trying to figure out how I managed to get so much sleep. Usually, I'd be up way too early and stare at the ceiling until my alarm went off.

Swallowing hard, I step closer to the lizard. "Your name is Pinto, right? I heard Kivuli call you that before. Is she around?"

It doesn't raise its head. But its tendrils wiggle, and I realize there are feathery things extending from each tendril. "I told her to wake you, but she wanted you to rest. She left me to deliver a message."

"A message?"

Pinto opens its mouth, and Kivuli's voice comes out: "Going to speak with the Yjraki council regarding the Elves. I'll try to find out what I can on the Evil Spirit I'm looking for. I expect you to be awake earlier tomorrow, but today is yours. See to your notes. Should you visit town, heed my previous warnings. I'll return by sundown. We'll begin sparring tonight."

"Could you say that again?" I ask, blinking at the onslaught of information.

Pinto doesn't stir. "I'm going to die shortly, so I'd rather not repeat myself, thank you very much."

"Die?" I inch closer to the chair wondering if it'll be alright to sit down. Then again, this is my home now, isn't it? Why should I be afraid of a shadow lizard thing that also works as a voicemail box? I walk over, trying to be more confident in my movements, and pull the chair out from under the desk. It screeches against the floor, and I wince slightly, but then I slip into the seat and straighten my back. "What do you mean, you're going to die?"

Pinto's tail flicks, but it doesn't respond.

So, I stare at it for a while. It's lying on the center of the table, strips of sunlight across its shadowy body, and it really is a lot like a house cat lounging about. I want to touch it. Just to see what would happen. Would my fingers slip through? Would I get an message?

Then again, can anyone even touch a shadow? I remember trying to catch mine when I was young. It was a silly game, but I'd only ever touch the ground or the wall. The shadow itself had no substance. No material. Yet, here's a lizard, whole and alive, and I'm pretty sure it's breathing, judging by the rise and fall of its round torso.

I should just ask. "So, are you some kind of special lizard, or are you a part of Kivuli's shadows?"

Pinto opens an eye. Then it hops up on its four legs, tail swishing side to side as it glowers. The feathery tendrils on the sides of its head unfurl and spread wide. But now that it's much smaller, it's far less threatening, and if anything, it's too cute. "I am NOT a lizard."

"Sorry, sorry," I say, holding up my palms and sliding back.

"I am... I was a Stormcloud Axolotl," says Pinto firmly. "Not a stupid common lizard. We are amphibious and descendants of ancient spirits."

Stormcloud Axolotl? If I touch Pinto, could I become one too? But are they supposed to be made of shadows? There must be something else going on. It's somehow a part of Kivuli's shadows so it's not an actual Stormcloud Axolotl. Pinto said was...

Is it the ghost of an Axolotl? Or did Kivuli capture its shadow?

But before I can ask, Pinto turns away with a harumph, swishing its tail in front of my face. "Kivuli likes you so I won't be rude to you, but I will not tolerate disrespect. And I'd rather not talk with living things, so please do excuse me."

"Are you not alive?” I whisper, blinking at its flickering tail.

"I've done my duty in relaying the message and that is that. Leave me in peace to die." Pinto shakes its head, the frills retract, and it leaps off the table and onto the shelf where it curls up on top of some books. Sunlight brightens the creature's outline, and it covers its face with its tail.

I guess I offended it. But to be fair, it was the one creeping on me yesterday, and it wanted to eat me. And I did apologize, but clearly Pinto doesn’t want to talk to me, and I’m good at taking hints.

I take the straw hat off and place it on the table. Squishy's asleep, and I stare down at my pants. They’re caked in dried mud, almost up to the knees. My shirt's mostly fine; I can get a few more uses out of it. There's no smell yet, and I wonder if there's a deodorant plant out there somewhere. I remember something about people not actually needing deodorant, as the products generally made the sweat/smell issue worse. So maybe the Saafa plant would be enough if I clean properly every day... I'll have to ask Kivuli.

Then again, she probably never needs anything if she's always covered by her shadows. I could ask in town. Maybe at the Market. Sighing, I put my face in my hands. It's been weighing on me since I'd got up, but I'd woken up feeling so good, I've been trying to ignore it. The fact that I’ll have to go to town.

My stomach twists just thinking about it, and I suppress a groan. Anxiety fills my chest. I should go. I have to go. I'm the mayor. I have the numbers and things in my head. It's my duty to see to it and figure things out. And I still have to return Bluebell’s wagon with the ruined chair. I have a reason to go.

This would’ve been so much easier if that stupid fox spirit hadn’t tricked me.

But what will I do? Will everyone recognize me right away? Will they hate me? Kivuli was so upset when she found out, and it looks like the previous mayor, her father, had made an utter mess of things. How will I be any better? What if they just want to get rid of me?

“Okay, okay,” I whisper softly, under my breath. I place a hand over my chest, feeling my heart thudding like mad. Heat rises to my throat, and I feel like I'm going to choke, but then I remember I'd left the flower petal upstairs, pressed into my notebook.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Alright. I need to make an itinerary.

What do I have to do today? I pick at the dried mud on my pants with my toenails. I should wash those first. Can't be the mayor walking into town like that. My shoes are super dirty too. They’ll need a proper cleaning.

Then I can bring them down here to dry by Squishy’s warmth. I could add to my notes while waiting, and, once my clothes are dry, I’ll wash up with the Saafa plant and head into town with Bluebell’s wagon.

After that... the panic rises again. I have no idea what'll happen once I get to town! But I swallow hard. I'll come right back if it gets too much. I'll drop off the wagon and hurry back. Kivuli's message said she wanted to spar, so that's the plan. Okay. I can do this. It won't be too bad.

First things first: my clothes.

Back in the kitchen, I slip out of my pants. I'd grabbed my shoes and the gown from the night before. I feel a little silly standing in the kitchen wearing only the green shirt and hat, but the shirt is rather large and comes halfway down my thighs, so it's not too bad. Besides, Kivuli won't be home till sundown, and I don't think Rhinestone will show up. He said he wouldn't be around till early morning.

It's just me and the slimes and Pinto who didn't seem interested at all in my company, so I figured I was fine.

I grab a pinch of the soap Kivuli'd shown me earlier, squeeze Puddle for water, and work the suds into the pant legs one at a time. Then I do the gown, which takes much more effort since the entire thing feels like a bedsheet’s worth of cloth. But I get into a rhythm: squeezing Puddle, grabbing soap, smashing the cloth against the counter.

After a while, I think about how lovely this all is. How present it is. I have my own space. A home, a lovely home, so far away from anything. I'm cocooned by the faint shushing of the ocean and the wind; it's a special kind of comforting quiet. I can hear myself breathing, my heart beating. My thoughts calm. Appreciate where you are, Sam. This is so much better than where you used to be.

I was alone in my apartment after Mom left. But that was a different kind of alone. My apartment had felt like a container, and I’d become some sort of rancid liquid, stuck in one shape. Rotting. Here, I feel like air. Wind moving from room to room.

I used to be jealous of other people. How easy it must be to climb out of bed every morning. To enjoy a quiet breakfast at a table. I used to picture that a lot. A sunlit space. Relaxing, enjoying the morning calm before getting on with the day. I'd never gotten that.

Breakfast was usually instant ramen or some boba tea I'd kept in the fridge. I'd carry it back to my bed because the kitchen was such a mess, and I'd hunch over some video on my phone and eat. I spent too much time in that bedroom. I couldn't help it; the rest of the apartment didn't feel like my space at all.

Never mind that the paint was peeling. It was a sickly beige color anyway. And the ceiling was webbed with cracks and had leaks. There was always this odd smell, a musty metallic thing that made my nose feel iffy. The freezer reeked; I should've cleaned it. And I think I did once or twice when I had the strength to mop everything. But I'd never gotten it to smell fine. I hated the sinks too. They all needed repeated jostling to stop the faucet. And the floors. The scratched, ugly hardwood floors that would always creak no matter how softly I tried to tiptoe.

And when mom had been around, before Jia's death, it was agony. If she heard me make any noise, she'd perk up. She'd stare at me. Judge me, blame me. I never knew which. I hated coming out of my room to use the bathroom so much, I'd hold it for as long as I could. I hated leaving the house because it meant walking through the living room and kitchen. I hated coming home. And I was so jealous of people who just had peace and quiet whenever they needed it, a sanctuary they could always return to when the world got too much. A home.

I don't know why I'm thinking about that now, but once the pants are clean, and they are surprisingly very clean, I take them out of the sink and rinse away the remainder of the soapy water. I hold them up, the grey fabric turned dark by wet, and I smile. I've washed my pants.

Sort of. Just the legs, but it's a start. I've never washed clothes by hand before. Usually, I’d just take it to a machine, dump it all inside, and pour in some detergent.

I rinse out the gown next. The cloth doesn’t feel soapy anymore, but it’s heavy since the entire thing is soaked, and my arms burn from the effort. But once I’d scrubbed the mud off my shoes, I carry everything down to the first floor, dripping water the entire way.

Pinto's no longer on the shelf. It must've crawled somewhere else to hide. Maybe it died. I place the clothes and shoes on the table, then I slide the table closer to Squishy.

"Hello," I whisper, rubbing the top of Squishy's body. "Do you mind if I borrow your heat?" It feels so different from Puddle, and I want to place it on my head or my body just to feel its warmth. The Ember Slime mind reacts too, wanting to rub against the other slime, and I imagine that's how fires start, so I leave Squishy be. Its mouth squiggles happily as light warms everything, and I glance around, looking for Pinto again before deciding to head back upstairs.

Lying in bed, I scribble down everything I can remember about the night before. What Kivuli told me about spirits, about how all living things are spirits, and how evil spirits are not. I underline and circle the word "not" and make a mental note to ask Rhinestone about this in detail. I write down how they affect the mind with anxieties and nightmares. She'd called the spirit at Rory’s house "low grade" and said they could grow vicious and violently dangerous. A taste for blood. I underline that and frown, my mind going to several horror movies as I try to picture that.

I write about seashells too. How I'd held it to Rory's father's head. The vibration. Then the well. How it felt letting go. I want to ask Rhinestone about this too. Why do seashells have such an effect on spirits? How can they contain them?

On a separate page, I write down "Creatures of Blossom Water" and jot down the creatures I've met so far. The Slimes. Bluebell the Snowstream Bear. The Kaballus. And the Daylands Unicorn. I make a side entry about the shadowy Stormcloud Axolotl that PInto said it was, but I leave a bunch of question marks next to that. My face reddens as I add a few details about the Dewdrop Slime, but the rest are empty for the most part. There's still so much I have to learn.

And I figure a good way to learn is to use my ability. Should I turn into a unicorn? It probably wouldn't be the best idea indoors, and I don't want to turn into Squishy either with all this flammable material around. I unbutton my shirt, briefly toying with the idea of turning into a bear as I stand naked in my room.

Chewing on my lip, I decide I'll become Puddle again. Kivuli's not around, so I won't get embarrassed again, and worst-case scenario, my stuff gets a bit wet. I also want to know if it'll be easier to do the same creature again.

I shut my notebook and set it inside the trunk, just in case I get everything wet. Then I climb onto the windowsill, remembering how beautiful Puddle had looked in sunlight. I want to be that beautiful too. Inhaling deeply and shutting my eyes, I use .

I was right; it's easier this time. With every beat of my heart, a part of me transforms. My feet go first, sucking my toes right up into my ankles. There are two pops when my knees shrink, and my bones shift. My legs are entirely gone, and my butt flattens. My lower body turns blue and transparent, and then the rest of me shrinks.

With a schloop, my head drops through my chest and my arms fold into my sides. Moments later, the transformation is complete, and I'm a Dewdrop Slime for the second time in my life.

I try to think. It's strange trying to think about thinking, wondering if some other mind will show up with its wants and needs, but I'm still here. Sunlight washes through me beautifully, bathing my room in green light. It's warm. It's so warm! I almost feel like I'd become Squishy by accident. The cozy and nice feeling encompasses me like a blanket, and I realize it's the sunlight. It's warming the water in my body, and there's no immediate urgent need to be squeezed.

I could stay here for hours. I'm gentle and calm, my anxieties about going to town are a distant memory, and I inch toward the glass, wanting to press myself against it. It must be so warm! Heat radiates off it, and I remember the heat of Kivuli's fingers when she'd squeezed me. The Dewdrop Slime loves warmth. I should make a note of that somewhere, and I'm happier about Puddle's spot on the kitchen shelf. Since there's no door, sunlight must come right into the kitchen early in the morning and warm the slime up.

Once I touch the glass, my body shudders with relief. It feels so good, and I flatten myself against the window. The slime eyes can't see past the glass. I can't see the hills, which I find odd. I can only see the window. The glass itself is visible, but everything beyond it is a hazy blur of blue and green. I can see the room clearly though, and when my eyes move through my body to test my vision, I almost jump.

Or at least, if I'd been in my human body, I would've jumped. Standing over me is Pinto, its jaws alarmingly close.

I scream, surprising myself as I remember I can speak through my thoughts while transformed.

Pinto blinks its red eyes, the frills around its head trembling. "Are you in control?" it asks in its whispery, shadowy voice.

Now that I don't have ears, I feel it moving through me like bubbles in water.

"Hmmm," it says, trotting around me. "At least you're not begging us to squeeze you again."

I don't know if slimes can blush, but I feel warmer.

Now that the shock's wearing off, I can't help but wonder if Pinto looks smaller. Shouldn't it look much larger now that I'm as tiny as a slime? Is it shrinking?

"I'm about to die, so I thought I'd check in on you. Would you like some final piece of advice?"

"Dying changes people," it says, flicking its tail over my body.

"No. I exist as long as Kivuli exists, but I'm not here to expose our secrets. Now be quiet and listen before I run out of time." Pinto nudges me with its snout, then lies down beside me. "I've been thinking about your problem with self-control. Kivuli had that problem too in the beginning, though nowhere near as embarrassing."

I can't picture her ever having issues like that.

"It's all about bodies. And presence. And being present." Pinto seems to shrink even more, and all I can do is squiggle my mouth in alarm. But the axolotl continues, "Every creature plays a role in this world. Life and death. Needs and wants. Tendencies. Comfort zones."

It stops to yawn and shrinks further, so small now that I could roll over it and engulf it completely.

"Each creature you become, you'll have to understand. But I think you don't understand yourself at all either, and that will hold you back." Pinto sighs, and its frills expand one last time. "Until we meet again." Like breath fading from glass, the shadowy form vanishes off my windowsill.

I stare at the spot for a while, thinking about what Pinto said. I guess I’m on the right track then, taking notes on every creature I meet. And if it gets easier to transform each time, then I’ll just have to keep practicing. But understanding myself? Don't I already know who I am?

Closing my eyes, I press myself to the window again, delighting in the hard warmth of the sunlit glass. It helps. It feels really good, and it helps as I make up my mind to stop procrastinating and head into town.