Waking up with a start, I was still laying on the couch, honestly I was kind of expecting to be someplace else. On a freeway or a raft in the middle of the ocean seemed more fitting than the exact place I fell asleep. I got up and stretched, cracks spread from all the way down in my legs, up my back, along my arms, and ended with a quick twist of the neck. With a final stretch backwards, I questioned what was missing from this strangely enjoyable experience. Then it struck me, there was no pain, no pulled stitches or gasping in agony.

While you slept I was seeing what I was capable of doing. Healing a wound that is mainly my fault seemed like the obvious choice. What do you think?

“I think I’m a little worried about what kind of side effects rapidly healing a wound could do. Although…” Flashes of memories crossed my eyes.

----------------------------------------

I was hungry and rapidly digging into the strange new animal I had just leaped and bonded with.

It was tumbling down a hill, but I couldn’t care less, I was starving.

So without pause I began to suck down gulps of blood, that was until the creature finally stopped tumbling.

It laid down right on top of my old prison, jabbing deep into its flesh.

I started to worry about the safety of my new source of nutrients.

If it died I wasn’t sure how likely I was to survive without the knowledge this creature kept of its home.

So with few options and time of the essence I started doing what little I could, using its own flesh to sew up the most grievous of wounds.

Apparently this species had a specific organ that controlled several major components of its own blood, useful.

Sadly, it also meant that cutting said organ was dangerous if it ruptured like this, allowing vast and rapid blood loss.

After the organ was stitched together, at least to the point that blood ceased to gush out, turning into a mild flow, I questioned how to stop the deadly faucet.

I was unwilling to get too close to the skin, if I was flushed out of the body both me and the animal would most likely die, even with the minor healing I had already done.

Unsure of how to stop the blood that was already flowing I instead pushed deeper into the body.

Forcing my way into the bone marrow allowed me to increase production of red blood cells.

This wasn’t a permanent fix, it would keep the red blood cells high enough to continue the necessary bodily functions at the cost of burning muscle, fat and other layers of organs for the required parts.

Unfortunately it seemed the cut was deep, it wouldn’t stop bleeding soon enough.

All I could do was continue my efforts and hope that my new host was capable of stopping the bleeding themselves or finding other members of his species to help.

----------------------------------------

“...It seems you have already done something along the lines of this before.”

Yes. Although with the time I have had to sort through your memories, it seems like other, better options, may have been available to stop the bleeding. But it is good that you are allowing my memories to flow more freely. You do not need to force them out, it means our connection is strengthening. I was worried that I would be unable to convince you to keep me around, or worse that your body would start to reject my residence. Fortunately, it seems we are both acclimating well to each other's presence.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

“That’s good news. I wouldn’t want to fight for dominance over my own body.”

Well if push came to shove, I would most likely jump to a new host. Although from what I have seen you and I are more alike than I had previously thought, it seems that this connection may fortunately be permanent.

I was unsure if that was flattering or not, but first I wanted to see what this cut looked like. Going to the bathroom mirror I lifted my shirt to reveal the cut that used to be a swollen mess, red and inflamed, with a few neat stitch endings coming out on either end. Now it looked like an old scar, lighter skin stretched across the old wound, while the stitches dissolved and fell off. Although there was a strangely teal coloring coming from the veins that pathed their way through the forgotten wound. “Is that your doing?”

Yes, I used my moss as simple organic matter to help speed up the healing process without sacrificing more tissue. Some excess may have pooled in the wound instead of dissolving into nutrients. It will most likely begin to spread back out across your body, or I can dissolve it for more nutrients if needed.

“Hmm. I kind of like it.” The strange color variation could easily be mistaken for surface veins with a quick look. Although the hue was strangely bright, it was a nice change to my normally pale skin. “So did you figure anything else out while I was sleeping?”

No, I stood watch and healed you, but now I am tired, I will need to regenerate some of my lost material. Limiting my functions for a few hours will help speed the process along, so while you deal with your normal occupations, I will rest.

“Alright, good night, Moss, Fungus, thing. You need a name.”

I can’t wait to find out what name you choose. Good night, John.

“Night.” So with little else to do and no one to talk to, I figured I would help both of us out. Getting something to eat was first, while my symbiotic partner may be able to regrow matter with ease. It still needed nutrients that it got from me, so as the caring mother I am, I needed to eat enough for two. Heading to the kitchen, I proceeded to rummage through the fridge and cabinets.

“What would a fungus creature like to eat, or at the very least need. Hmm, instant noodles seems…not right. Meh.” Figuring to just have a big meal, I cooked up some chicken, cutting it into pieces, and mixing into some lettuce and vegetables to make a simple, albeit large, salad.

“That should be a good variety to feed a fungus monster, slowly growing and expanding through my body and brain…Try not to think about it too much.”

After the meal I decided to take a walk, the depressing apartment was starting to get to me again. I locked up my wearisome residence, and proceeded in a random direction to start off my trip. I had a lot to think about since the last few days, nearly dying from a stupid accident, learning of a moss creature inhabiting my body, and the totally likely chance that alien civilizations definitely exist. It would be a lot to deal with just one issue, but all of them at once was starting to feel crushing. I wasn’t sure how much of it was the mushroom, fungus, okay it needs a name because I’m getting tired of calling it “it”.

Let’s see, it's a fungus, it looks vaguely like mycelium, the study of fungi is mycology. So Myc, there that was easy.

So Myc, may be easing the process of my transition, I still wasn’t entirely sure what it was capable of doing with both my body and brain. Although it was hard not to trust the little toadstool knowing that I had access to its memories and feelings. Experiencing its arrival on the planet, like I went through the experience myself, was eye-opening.

I questioned what other things Myc was capable of, whatever species it was could be world dominating, planet killers. I could just be a single host designed to earn its trust, spread Myc throughout the population and allow their eventual take over. However, likely or unlikely that was, I was sure that Myc didn’t know. It could just as easily be a lost stranger trying to find its purpose in an unknown world. I would have to get better at understanding Myc’s thoughts as fluently and easily as it did with mine.

I reached around to feel the teal scar on my back, I questioned the limits of Myc’s capabilities. If it could just as easily tell my body to do nearly anything it wanted, and Myc continued to grow and expand through my body. How much control would I have in a few years, or hell just a few months. Would Myc be capable of slowly replacing my flesh with fungus, changing me into something not even human. “That is beyond scary to think about.”

Damn, I was talking to myself out loud again. I mainly did it when I was nervous, eventually it became a common occurrence. I hated doing it, like I had no control over my own body and mind. “Damn.”

Looking up from my stupor I realized I had walked all the way to the park trail again. I couldn’t get the thought of slowly dying without even realizing it out of my head. So I walked a little ways into the woods, going back to the place it all started.

Finding the large ash tree still there, like a silent protector I sat with my back against it. If I was truly going to trust Myc I needed to know what was going through its, or I guess, my own head. With a deep breath I leaned against the trunk and attempted to meditate.

Separating my thoughts and experiences from those of Myc’s, feeling what Myc felt, thinking what Myc thought, it seemed the best and only way to truly relax. With a deep breath in, and a slow exhale I closed my eyes and let the smells of the forest overwhelm me.