Pulling into my driveway. I was still feeling discombobulated. I took a few minutes to check my phone and take a few deep breaths. Which helped somewhat, but barely. I needed to go in before my wife started to worry, and came out to check on me. She always hates it when I don’t come in and let her know I am home as soon as possible.
Steeling myself for more social interaction, after being drained by people at work. I finally exited the car and headed into the house. Built around the turn of the last century. It was modestly sized and just perfect for the two of us. Although, we had stuffed it full of collectibles. Graphic Novels, German style board games, Action Figures, and Friendship Bears.
“Husband! You’re home!” Nikki called from the kitchen.
“Are you working on dinner?” I asked while walking into the room with her.
Pulling an enameled pot out of the the oven, and muttering to herself about it just needing to cool for a little bit. She looked up at me, and a frown pinched the corners of her mouth.
“I thought you were working tonight. I saw your schedule and you were supposed to be on shift today.” she stated with uncharacteristic suspicion in her tone.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t go anywhere but work. I came straight home right after. I did spend a couple of minutes talking with Carla and Tina , but you’re used to me doing that”
“You expect me to believe that when you obviously dyed your hair wherever you were?”
“Dyed my hair? I only do that for job interviews, and I haven’t had one for months. It should be gray right now.”
“You didn’t do anything to your hair? Then why is it brown?”
“You’re not joking? My hair looks different?”
I pulled out my phone and activated the selfie camera. I looked like I was in my mid-twenties again. Nearly fifteen years younger than my actual age. My hair was brown with a reddish tint to it, and my tightly trimmed beard was dark red again. No trace of gray anywhere to be found. Or any other signs of aging for that matter.
“The fuck!”
To say that I was stunned would be understatement at the level of calling a twenty car pileup a minor whoopsie. I was so shocked that I literally blue screened like an old computer.
“Eddie. Eddie! Eddie!?”
“Shit, I think I know what happened.”
I spent several minutes explaining about my weird moment outside of work. Finally, I decided that it would be easier to just show her.
“Follow me outside, Beautiful.”
We lived on a side street so I knew that there wouldn’t be any traffic. Walking into the street out front of our house. I sat down in the center and closed my eyes.
“Stay in our yard. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Sweetheart.”
Searching for the feeling of fire, flames, and strength I’d felt the first time. I focused deeply.
“What the hell are you doing, Honey?” Nikki nervously asked as the smell of smoke came back.
Finding what felt like a deep well of magma pounding through the earth at he center of my core. I visualized that lava like sensation filling my being. The blaze consumed me and grew into a heat-less conflagration. Nikki later told that it lit the street as brightly as the midday sun. The heat inside faded away until it was just the deep foundation of magma again.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Opening my eyes . I realized that my nose was about to be caught on an electrical wire. Cautiously pulling my neck back. I felt something snag right above my head. A quick tug and branches descended from a nearby tree. Thank goodness I’d asked Nikki to stay back.
The first time had been over too soon for me to check myself over. I was sheathed in dark greenish scales. The indescribable sensation between my shoulder blades must have related to the wings erupting behind me. My hands had grown sharp stubby claws in place of my fingernails, but were still clearly hands. All eight fingers and two thumbs accounted for. Wait… Eight fingers? I’d lost my right ring finger in a childhood accident. In my previous daze I hadn’t even realized that it had regrown. Flexing my hand caused my claws to extend. So they were retractable like a cat’s claws. Standing up I found that my balance was helped by a whip-like tail. Worried I was now mute. I cleared my throat and searched for my voice.
“Sweetheart, can you take a picture of this?”
Not getting an answer. I turned my attention to Nikki, and she was frozen in shock. Clearly having a panic attack. Releasing the volcano within my soul. I returned to my original body. Scooping Nikki into a tight hug. I held her until the tension relaxed from her muscles and she was able to breathe evenly once more.
“How, what, why!?” Nikki exclaimed
“I have absolutely no idea. That’s the first time I did that on purpose.”
“Your clothes and stuff. They just vanished. Where the hell did they go?”
“…..”
“You need to call your doctor and make an appointment tomorrow.”
“I don’t think he’ll have any more of an explanation than I do. This feels a little outside of known medical science.”
With my arm around her shoulder and gently plying her with reassurances. I led her back inside our home. As I closed the door behind us. I saw a cop car cruise down the street. Nothing unusual for them to find now.
“So what did you make for dinner Sweetheart?” I asked following her into the kitchen.
******
“Bzzt, Bzzt, Bzzt.”
Semi-conscious. I hit the snooze button. Insomnia kept me up half the night musing about my new draconic nature. Long past puberty, I wasn’t exactly expecting any sudden body changes. My bladder abruptly told me that it had done it’s job while I slept. Focusing on my most pressing need. I wandered down the hall to remedy that particular need.
Coming back. I realized that my wife’s ears had migrated to the top of her head, and were now shaped like a cat’s. They were a pleasant tan color that coordinated with her dark brown hair.
“Nikki, Nikki, wake up. It wasn’t just me.”
Nikki opened her bright blue eyes. Reminding me of a college friend’s eyes. They now had slit pupils. He had trouble seeing because of the slits, and I hoped that she was still able to see properly.
“Sweetheart, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
I tugged on one of her ears. She slowly reached her own hand up and found her metamorphed ears. Jumping out of bed. Nikki ran to the bathroom. My eyes having been drawn in by her new catlike tail. I watched as she exited the room. A feline or dancer like grace in her distinctively changed stride.
******
The 8 pm prime time news cast for the cable news network NDC began with the host Christopher Maddow. A serious looking bespectacled blond man. Gazing resolutely into the camera.
“On a normal night we would be talking about the President’s speech yesterday and unprecedented transformation. We will still be talking about that later in this hour. However, another story has completely knocked that out of the top spot tonight. In today’s top story. God is real, and making personal appearances. Not just the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim god. But all gods and demigods, saints, devils, and various mythological figures.
To begin with Sun Wukong the Monkey king appeared behind Chinese President Liu while the President was making a televised speech, and proceeded to make “funny faces” behind his back.
We’ve received reports that Sun Wukong is now in Los Angeles and is engaged in a prank war with Loki, Anansi, and Coyote. All of the stars on the walk of fame are now dedicated to Loki. Anansi has appropriated the home of tech billionaire Will Bates and is holding a giant banquet for all of the cities homeless. No word yet on the actions of Coyote and Sun Wukong.
Zeus, Lugh Silverhand, Odin, Thor, and Bacchus are holding a drinking contest at the Guinness brewery in Dublin, Ireland. So far millions of dollars of product have been consumed.
Jesus appeared in person this Sunday in Prosperity Gospel pastor Lowell Boorsteen’s Megachurch. To personally denounce Pastor Boorsteen for using the name of God in order to raise money for his personal enrichment.
Joining me now are my friends and colleagues to discuss the implications of these religious figures in the flesh.”