I woke up and almost screamed, looking down I saw my bare legs. They barely even seemed like mine, there weren’t any scars, or cuts, or bruises. Just plain soft skin, lighter than the rest of my skin. I felt them up and down, they were mine alright, well they felt real at least. I slowly got up, testing my new baby legs. They felt like my legs, same height, same skinny chicken legs I have had since I was a kid.

“Where the hell am I?” I looked around the little log cabin I woke in, I was sleeping on a bed folded over white sheets. They must have been changed while I slept, because although the experience was blurry. I do remember a hell of a lot of blood and not having any pants on. I looked down to see the little gray shorts I was wearing, they felt the same as cloth the beds were made of.

Looking down again, the rug was a dark green that made it seem like grass. The walls were lined with white sheets separated by small lines of lime green spacers. The door was a dark cherry red cloth, covering the entrance. Looking around for my boots, I couldn’t find them anywhere and there weren’t a lot of places to look.

I walked out the door to see the sun shining rays of bright light on my face. When my eyes adjusted I saw the little camp John brought me to last night, it was bigger than I remember. Although it was still just a few cabins lined up on opposite sides of each other, with a little shack in the center. John sat there patiently waiting, I looked over to see the others walking over from there separate tasks or cabins.

“It is good to see you awake Liz.”

“I suppose after last night, it is good to still be alive.” I tensed my legs again, trying to make sure they were still there. It feels like when you forget your phone and you panic, but you check your pockets and it is right there, except with two limbs.

“Well Myc would not have suggested it if he wasn’t sure it was the only way to help you. Although now you have to make a choice.” John looked serious, it was the same look as when he told me that I needed to choose to give up and be a rock creature or let them infect me.

“What does that mean? What choice is there to make?” My already weak legs felt like they were going to start shaking, so I held onto the half wall of the shack to steady myself.

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“Myc was able to heal you, you will be fine now. However…”

“Oh god, did Myc give me cancer?” I joked to try to ease the tension, it made it worse. I sat down in the stool that was nearby to keep myself from collapsing. I mean I could have cancer, holy shit, are my new legs just time bombs waiting to go off.

“Relax.” It was a suggestion, but it felt like an order. I took a deep breath and tried to stop the now constant and visible shaking of my legs.

“It is a good thing. Myc had to fight off the stone in your system, it left very little moss in your system. Even less than we thought. It means that if you wish it, Myc can dissolve the cells in your body and you are free to go. You do not need to join us here, you can go live your life free of the alien capsules.” I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Knowing that I wasn’t going to die in the next couple days or months was a relief.

Although the look on John’s face made me consider my options. He wasn’t lying about being free, but he also didn’t tell me that it was forever. From what they told me about him and Myc, they had big plans for this world. I was going to get caught in it, it was just a matter of time.

I questioned if I wanted that time, I could move away. Tony would need help but I couldn’t do it. And if Myc wasn’t keeping me safe I couldn’t be near Tony or his tunnels for risk of getting infected again. I would be alone, just waiting and biding my time till one of the aliens took over.

“It is fine. I will join you guys in this weird ass cult.” I stared at the varied faces that were here, John’s mug. A bearded over face with scruffy hair and scars that marked his battles with the humans. Cat and Nate, two siblings forced here by the humans. Scarlette and Niki, two college dropouts that sought a better world than the one they used to live in.

“Are you sure, this choice may be permanent. We have never tried to break the bond once it is connected. The closest we came was with a tree.”

“I am sure. This stuff is going to catch up with me eventually. Might as well jump in while my feet are still wet.” I wasn’t sure to be honest. I could spend the time away from all this. I mean I wasn’t sure that some government wasn’t going to come in and wipe them all out before they truly started. I also worried that if they did and I was a part of it, I would be killed. But those thoughts did nothing, they didn’t change my mind. All they did was make me lose sight of the fact that I may not be able to save Tony. We could still do something together, he may always be a rock monster but that was better than being dead.

“Very well. Myc will activate the cells in your body, they will grow and expand. Soon they will truly bond with you and connect you to the rest of us.”

“Yeah so enjoy your last few moments of privacy while you still have it.” Scarlette told me, they were a little sparse on the details of what happened when I bonded with them. Truthfully I still wasn’t entirely sure this wasn’t some weird free love community they had going on. I mean the forked tongue and scales were weird but not other worldly.

Hello, I am Myc. It is a pleasure to meet you Liz.