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I kept staring at my reflection, frozen. My ears twitched, and my muscles contracted below my skin. I was fighting every urge of fight or flight, to run and hide, to smash the mirror and rip at my skin. All I could do was stand and stare, fingers reaching to brush over my skin, feeling the new markings along my back and shoulders, shoulders straining with each further stretch.A noise. Distant but growing closer. Footsteps. Light, soft, almost skipping. It felt familiar, but with new senses, the sound was foreign. I took a deep, shaking breath, closing my eyes, honing in on the noise. Where was it exactly? Focus. Listen. Down the stairs, a hollowing tapping, rounding the corner on more solid ground, down the hall, echoing off the walls. My bedroom door creaking open. Pause. There was a long silence, a hitched breath, and a light gasp. Footsteps muffled by carpet, closer and closer.The knocking on the bathroom door made me jump, gasping from the fright, my heart racing quickly before calming back down to a steady rate. I turned around, frantically grabbing my shirt off the floor and pulling it back on over my head. It felt weird how the neckline pulled my ears down before they flopped back up, raised high, alert.
"(Y/n)! (Y/n)! You're awake!?" The voice was a mix of shock and excitement. Sweet Sally.
"Oh! Uh, yeah, I'm up!" She wiggled the door handle, whining from the other side.
"Awe, open up! Please?" I fumbled with the hand, unlocking the door and twisting, but in my haste, the door fractured apart, splintering in my hands, the knob crushed in my palm, bits and pieces clattering to the floor. I stared down at the debris, the knob still clutched in my hand.
"Oh..." Sally just fell into a fit of giggling, reaching up, grabbing my hand, and pulling me out of the bathroom.
"It's okay! C'mon! Everyone's gonna be so happy to see you!" She was beaming, the happiest I had ever seen her. I let her pull me along; all the while, I still held the doorknob.
Walking down the hallway, one of the doors swung open, halting me and Sally to see who it was. Jack stood there with wide eyes, mouth agape, shocked as he stared at me.
"H-hey! What's up?" He and Sally were both acting odd. What I wasn't expecting to be pulled into a tight hug, it was quick, lasting no longer than a few seconds, but when he pulled away, he held my shoulders, half smiling as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"You're actually awake, holy shit. You had us all worried! Are you feeling alright? Sick? Dizzy?"
"Sore." He nodded, still smiling.
"Right, that's normal. Let's get you set down, and I'll get you some meds. Sally, you wanna go get the others?"
"Yeah!" With an eager nod, I was once more being tugged by the little girl into the living room, Jack trailing behind us. Sally helped me to sit down, rambling about how I needed to be careful and how it would be a mess if the couch broke again. Once settled, she patted my knee before running off, scampering up the stairs, giggling to herself all the while.
Despite all the distant sounds I could hear, the room was peacefully quiet. I could almost fall back asleep, but my body was abuzz with unspent energy.
I could hear it. Knocking on doors. Hushed whispers. Footsteps. More and more growing. The first figures to appear burst through the front door, a group of three huffing and frantically scrambling around the corner before freezing when they saw me. They all looked just as shocked as Jack had been.
"Hooooooly-""Shit."I smiled at them, offering a small wave.
"Hey, guys-" The wind was knocked out of me as a ball of red and black fur rocketed onto my lap and into my stomach. I wheezed as I fell over, my face being attacked by licks as the husky whined and screeched, tail whipping through the air wildly in a blur. I had heard the claws scratching against the wooden floor but hadn't processed them, not until he was on me.
Giggles bubbled up from within me, spilling out as I reached up and started patting Smile; his fluffy fur felt so soft, tingling against my palms. He only whined louder. Someone was speaking, but I couldn't hear them over my own laughter and Smile's cries.
"C'mon, get off her, let her breathe." The voice was calm but held back excitement. Smile sat back, panting and still shaking, ready to jump on me again at any second. My laughter eased, and I was able to sit up again. The brain had one hand on Smile's chest, pushing him back to give me some room, but the dog was pushing back, his teeth chattering with elation.
"Morning, it's good to see you up!" Brian beamed, Tim and Toby standing to the side, Tim recollecting himself while Toby's jaw hung open. A snapped leash lay on the ground, the other end still hanging from Smile's collar, the ends frayed. There wasn't a chance for anything else to be said when figures began filtering in quickly from the stairs and hall, the TV flicking on and buzzing alight with static. Sally ran down the stairs with Jeff and Jane close at her heels, the two shoving each other to get to me first. Ben crawled through the TV, grinning all the while. But they were all beaten by the black fog that exploded into the room, quickly clearing away.
Jack was kneeling before me, claws digging into the couch, staring at me with wide eyes. He looked shocked.
"(Y/n)?" His voice was low, saying my name like a question, as if I wasn't real, checking to see if I was actually there, actually awake.
"Hey, Jack." I gave a soft smile. I only caught a glimpse of his glassy eyes before I was pulled into a tight hug. Someone laughed, ruffling a hand through my hair, my graze drifting up to Jeff.
"Good to see ya again, ya sassy bitch." I chuckled, managing to wriggle an arm free, flipping him off.
"You too, jackass." He snorted, rolling his eyes back up to let others crowd around, all of them greeting me with smiles, half hugs, and shoulder pats. Jack finally pulled away, grinning wide, the corners of his eyes creasing.
"Welcome back!" Any hint of rising tears was wiped away, and he was already back to his cheery self. He stood up, dragging me with him, spinning around and flinging me through the air like a doll as he held me under my arms. I could only laugh, just happy he quickly bounced back to his usual self.
"Okay, okay, calm down before you make her sick." Tim stopped him with a hand on the shoulder, only getting a shrug back in response before the clown placed me back down on my feet.
"I'm just happy s'all!"
"W-w-we all are." Toby stepped to his other side, waving to me with a smile, and I returned the gesture. An arm lazily wrapped around my shoulders, pressing their weight down on me slightly.
"Bout time, sleepyhead! Have a good nap?" I tilted my head, face to face with Ben, the elf grinning down at me. I caught a sound so silent I barely heard it, my ear twitching and swiveling, my gaze flicking back to Jack. He still smiled, but his eyes didn't. They turned cold and lidded, but I quickly looked back to Ben.
"About that, how long was I out? I'm guessing a while?" He nodded with a nervous chuckle.
"That would be an understatement." He stepped back, arm slipping off me and planting his hands on his hips, looking off to the side. It was Jane who spoke up next in place of Ben.
"Anyways! What's more important is how are you feeling?"
"I was a bit shocked at my new look, but otherwise fine, just a bit sore...and hungry." Jane nodded, and someone tapped my shoulder, a gray hand holding out an orange pill bottle.
"Here, the pain meds. Just take them whenever. Your new body won't be damaged from taking them all at once, but you still won't have a fun time."
"Thanks."
"I'll go get started on food; mind helping me, Brian?"
"Sure, we'll call you all when it's ready." Brian followed Jane to the kitchen, Tim grabbed Toby's arm and dragged him away down the hall towards the office, and the rest all sat on the couch. I sat back down, too, Jack falling into the spot next to me, the cushion on my side bouncing me up a bit before settling once more.
I found myself staring down at my hands, fingers feeling across my nails. Or claws? I wasn't sure; they were an in-between of the two. Slightly curved, smooth, glossy, black. Slightly thicker than normal nails but not uncomfortable or unnaturally bulky. And sharp, too. I pricked my fingertip, a small bubble of blood quickly growing before shrinking once more, the fibers of my skin weaving back together until nothing was left like it had never happened. It was fascinating to watch; I could see the smallest of details now and how my punctured skin pulled itself back together despite how minuscule the wound was.
A hand entered my vision, wrapped up with pristine white bandages, black claws flexed out. I followed the hand up to Jack, the feathers on his shoulders pressed into his cheeks.
"We match now." He gave a cheeky smile, and I looked back down at our hands. I hummed with a nod and smile. He flipped his hand over, tapping my palm lightly.
"Can I try somethin'?"
"Uh, sure?" I raised a brow, watching closely. He grabbed my wrist carefully, moving his thumb back to the center of my palm, pressing down and tilting my hand back, his fingers pressing against the tendons on the back of my hand. I watched in awe as my nails grew longer, now about an inch and a half. He chuckled lowly at my apparent surprise.
"Oh wow!" He let go, and the claws retracted back. I turned my hand over, looking across my skin, seeing every twitch of muscle and tendon below. I flexed my hand again, and while the claws grew a bit more again, it wasn't as long as before.
"You'll get the hang of it." I nodded, ears twitching. Everyone was happily chatting with one another, but it felt like it was just Jack and me comfortably sitting together.
"Do yours do that?"
"If I want 'em to." He showed me, fingers curling up into a clawed shape, and like that, they grew longer and sharper before relaxing again. I found a laugh fighting its way out of me.
"God, it's like we're cats." He joined my light laughter, nodding.
"I s'pose so, but don't ever call me a cat."
"Or what?" His grin widened, eyes squinting, leaning down slightly.
"Cause then I'll have to scratch ya like one." I was a bit taken aback, unsure if it was a jest or a threat; knowing him, it could be either. But more than likely, it wasn't a threat...hopefully.
"Then I'll scratch back!" It was the only thing I could think to say, but his grin only got bigger. He leaned back with a light chuckle, arms splayed across the back of the couch. Confusion swirled in my mind, but I brushed it aside, back to looking over my hands, feeling just how sharp my nails were now. Even raking them across my skin as lightly as I could still left a trail of thin red lines drawing blood before healing just as quickly. Razor sharp.
"Lunch's ready!" A voice rang through my mind, but my ears still twitched. Everyone got up, and I soon followed, Jack following close behind me. Everyone took their seats, Jack to my right and Toby on my left, already sat before the rest of us entered. The table already had dishes placed out, plates full of bacon and eggs and pancakes.
"Hope y'all like breakfast food; we couldn't think of anything else." Brian laughed, but everyone was happy with the meal. I took my first bite of the pancakes and instantly hummed in delight. Flavor exploded across my senses, and the texture was all new, too! Soft and fluffy, sweet and savory, all amplified to an extent I never knew existed. All my senses were like brand new and intensified, all except pain. I never knew food could taste so good!
"Holy shit!" I hummed with food still in my mouth, staring down at the plate with a whole new mouthwatering hunger washing over me. Toby laughed, swaying his fork in the air.
"G-g-good, right? Everything's g-gonna taste a-a-a whole lot b-better now!" He beamed at me before taking another bite from his plate. I nodded eagerly, quickly scarfing down the meal in front of me without a care in the world.
"Slow down there, girly, can't have ya waking up then choking." Jeff chortled across the table, but I waved him off with a middle finger, happily chewing the scrumptious food. Jack laughed at my side but otherwise stayed silent. I was quick to notice. The usual chatterbox was unusually quiet. He always had something to add or say, but now he was just silent. The typical banter was missing. It felt strange.
Everyone ate fast, clearing away their own dishes before filtering out the room. It was all so fast. But even though I was scarfing down my own meal, I still took the time to savor it. I stayed seated, sighing in satisfaction, full and happy, the residual sweetness lingering on my tongue.
The hair on the back of my neck prickled up, a sudden sense of something looming over me washed through my senses. My skin tingled, and my ears pricked up. It wasn't dangerous, but certainly ominous. I tilted my head back, resting against the back of the chair, staring up into Jack's stark white eyes, leaning over to stare down at me. I knew he was there, but I still jumped.
"Oh, uh, is everything alright?" He grunted, tilting his head to the side, seeming to size me up before finally replying.
"You're different."
"Obviously." I nervously snickered, lightly flicking my ear. He only squinted his eyes at me.
"No. Something else. I can't tell..." He trailed off before finally standing up straight again, walking a few steps away before returning to me.
"You should probably get cleaned up and changed."
"Oh?" I raised a brow, getting a low chuckle and coy grin.
"Go take a real close look in a mirror, doll." And with that, he turned the corner, disappearing from view, a few wisps of black smoke curling from around the corner. I stood, taking my plate to the sink before wandering back to my room, shuffling along. When I entered my room, something felt off, but nothing was out of place, except the bathroom door, which had already been repaired. Entering the bathroom, I took great care not to break the door again, softly shutting and locking it behind me before once more turning towards the mirror.
I looked myself over again, trying to find what Jack was talking about, turning all around before huffing and facing forward. All I noticed was just how oily my skin and hair looked, knowing I desperately needed to wash up. And a slight smell, but I decided to ignore that; I didn't want to think how bad I actually reeked. I was tired, and his 'joke' left me self-conscious. I placed my hands on the counter and leaned forward, stretching my legs before my eyes flickered down. Loose shirt. Loose neckline. Low-cut neckline.
"Motherfucker..." I mumbled under my breath, staring at the exposed skin of my chest, now revealed. I was shorter than everyone else, and that towering clown was the tallest of them, minus Slender, and stood over me. With an exaggerated sigh, I undressed, deciding a nice hot shower would soothe my aching muscles. I had been asleep for a while, so I definitely needed one. My eyes flicked down to the cabinet below the sink. Remembering back to the 'spa day' that Jane had helped me with, I knelt down, deciding to see what I could find. Shampoo and conditioner, the body wash and perfume, all scented similarly. Sugar, vanilla, strawberry, cinnamon. All sweet-smelling, dessert-scented. I set the perfume on the counter and took the other bottle with me into the shower.
I turned the faucet on, waiting for the water to run hot before stepping in. The fresh, clean water already felt refreshing, and I could already feel the built-up grime washing away. I grabbed the washcloth and hung up on a small rounded hook, pouring a decent amount of the body wash onto it before scrubbing at my skin. Across my shoulders and down my arms, over my back and belly, and down my legs to my feet. Head to toe. I rinsed off before scrubbing myself down a second time, watching as small curls of gray dead skin fell into the drain. I wrinkled my nose up. Seriously, how long was I asleep for? This felt like way too much.
I finally focused on my hair, scrubbing my scalp intensely for a minute or two. Or three. I really wanted to remove the stench and grease. But it was far easier to clean my hair than it was to wash my body; reaching it was a bit of a struggle. But I managed. I rinsed the soap away, continuing on with my self-care. Conditioner, face wash, a razor, and shaving cream. My whole body felt so fresh now, nice and clean and silky smooth. I stayed in the shower a few minutes longer to ensure every nook and curve was cleaned.
The air began to fill with the sweet scent; it was almost mouthwatering. The combination of the hot water and smells felt heavenly, and the more I moved around, the more the aching in my body melted away. To finish, I carefully massaged my muscles under the hot water, working out any knots or kinks, soothing the aching I still felt. I couldn't tell if the easing soreness was due to the massaging or my new ability to heal, but it still felt wonderful. Finally, I turned the faucet off and removed the excess water from my skin before stepping out. The bathroom was steam-filled, and the mirror was foggy with water droplets sliding down. I grabbed a towel from the cabinet and wiped the steam away from the mirror, looking at myself. The bags under my eyes were barely there anymore, just lightly dark, but significantly improved. I looked clean, and the fantastic smells mingling in the air made me confident that I no longer stunk from god-knows how long, bed rotting away in a semi-coma. My face was no longer sunken or pale. I had color back to my lips, cheeks, and nose, and I no longer looked starved or malnourished.
My eyes drifted over my body. I usually felt shame when even looking at myself, but I didn't think that this time. No. Something changed. Memories flicked in my mind, that conversation with Splendor at the lake—the trade. How I wanted my body back, my life, to make it my own, and to be in control of my own fate. I got that. This body was my body; this face was my face. My hair, eyes, skin, organs, and bones, and every breath I took was all mine.
And that brought a strange confidence. I did not feel shame or discomfort in my own skin, but now I was comfortable and safe, happy, no, elated, and have my own sense of control. I twisted and turned around, looking myself over. The tattooed wings were still strange, but they didn't feel foreign. For once, the first time ever, I admired myself fully and wholly—every dip and curve, every scar that still lingered, every little mole or freckle or mark. I now found everything I despised about myself my whole life beautiful on my body. I felt good. I felt beautiful. I looked so pretty. Sally had said that so much, but now I could see what she saw. I ran my hands along my skin, feeling its new smoothness. Clean, shaved, pleasant, and silky smooth. I hummed, smiling and giving myself a nod before grabbing the towel again and wrapping it around myself, glancing once more into the mirror at my hazy form as it began to steam back up before leaving back into my bedroom, vision honing in instantly onto the orange pill bottle that now lay on my bed.
It certainly wasn't there before.