Even though I knew him probably as
well as anyone, it was hard for even me to believe he was the same person who I
played with onstage where he shed his nerd style and donned his wild
rock-guitarist one.
Of course, he later revealed the secret to his wild outfits.
“I take a look at my Dungeons & Dragons cards.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Sometimes it takes an extra set of eyes when
you’re too close to it. Happens all the time.”
Especially when you’re distracted by a curvy female with a
stare that makes you forget words. A woman who you’ll go out with in five days
and three hours. I hadn’t been this excited about a date since I was a hormonal
teenager. No, wait, not even then.
I looked at the clock on my computer. The minutes were
creeping by on the longest Monday ever.
Lily
The snow on my naked skin woke me the next morning. I’d
changed back to my human form sometime while I slept. Making sure there were no
signs of people around, I walked back to where I’d hidden my clothing at the
base of a tree. Time to go back to my normal life—that of a human—and visit my
mom.
Another dreaded change crossed off my list. I’d have another
month before I had to do the trek again. The trek wasn’t so bad; I loved the
quiet and solitude in the mountains. It was the forced change that tormented
me.
In the meantime I had my date with Nico to look forward to.
I told myself, Just think of him as another lover. Don’t get too caught up
in him. My warnings for self-preservation were difficult to adhere to when
I remembered how he looked onstage and how he sounded. Then when seeing him in
the bookstore, how real he was. The smart guy by day, rock star by night aspect
reined me in.
Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. You must
make it clear you’re only interested in a lover, nothing more. You have to be
fair to him. And fair to you.
Yes, I had to keep him at a distance. A safe distance so
nobody got hurt.
After getting dressed and walking back to my car, I stopped
for breakfast in a little café in Conway before driving to my mother’s house.
I’d still make it to the client’s office by noon and get back to Massachusetts
later this evening.
I was born in New Hampshire, but in the Lakes Region further
south. My mom and I moved closer to the mountains once I started changing since
it was a better place to hide. Even though I’d moved away, I came back every
month. My mom decided to stay in the mountains.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, giving her a hug. She looked the
same—dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, light makeup accenting her dark,
exotic eyes—looking years younger than her age. Judging by the dirt smudges on
her clothing, I guessed she was doing something with her plants, not that I
knew what she could work on in February, but she found a way.
“Come in, dear. Want something to eat?”
“I just ate.” I took off my coat and settled into an
armchair.
“Silly girl. You always eat before you come here. I have
plenty of food here.”
“Mom, you know I get hungry after I change. I can’t wait to
get here. Besides, I need the caffeine. I’d be really grumpy otherwise.”
“True,” she said, sitting down on the worn floral couch
across from me. “I imagine it’s all those body parts realigning that takes a
lot of energy. How was it?”
I shrugged. “Same as usual. Still snow out there, which is no
picnic, but it’s better than it was in January. Taking off my clothes in the
middle of a snowstorm took all my willpower. I almost decided to move to the
Florida Everglades and find some jaguars to hang out with or something!”
“I can imagine, dear. You’re so brave to go through this
every month.”
“I don’t have a choice though, do I?”
She looked at me with concern in her dark eyes. “No, I
suppose not. There must be something that you’ve grown to look forward to
during the change, no?”
I thought about it. I always called it my dreaded time
well as anyone, it was hard for even me to believe he was the same person who I
played with onstage where he shed his nerd style and donned his wild
rock-guitarist one.
Of course, he later revealed the secret to his wild outfits.
“I take a look at my Dungeons & Dragons cards.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Sometimes it takes an extra set of eyes when
you’re too close to it. Happens all the time.”
Especially when you’re distracted by a curvy female with a
stare that makes you forget words. A woman who you’ll go out with in five days
and three hours. I hadn’t been this excited about a date since I was a hormonal
teenager. No, wait, not even then.
I looked at the clock on my computer. The minutes were
creeping by on the longest Monday ever.
Lily
The snow on my naked skin woke me the next morning. I’d
changed back to my human form sometime while I slept. Making sure there were no
signs of people around, I walked back to where I’d hidden my clothing at the
base of a tree. Time to go back to my normal life—that of a human—and visit my
mom.
Another dreaded change crossed off my list. I’d have another
month before I had to do the trek again. The trek wasn’t so bad; I loved the
quiet and solitude in the mountains. It was the forced change that tormented
me.
In the meantime I had my date with Nico to look forward to.
I told myself, Just think of him as another lover. Don’t get too caught up
in him. My warnings for self-preservation were difficult to adhere to when
I remembered how he looked onstage and how he sounded. Then when seeing him in
the bookstore, how real he was. The smart guy by day, rock star by night aspect
reined me in.
Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. You must
make it clear you’re only interested in a lover, nothing more. You have to be
fair to him. And fair to you.
Yes, I had to keep him at a distance. A safe distance so
nobody got hurt.
After getting dressed and walking back to my car, I stopped
for breakfast in a little café in Conway before driving to my mother’s house.
I’d still make it to the client’s office by noon and get back to Massachusetts
later this evening.
I was born in New Hampshire, but in the Lakes Region further
south. My mom and I moved closer to the mountains once I started changing since
it was a better place to hide. Even though I’d moved away, I came back every
month. My mom decided to stay in the mountains.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, giving her a hug. She looked the
same—dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, light makeup accenting her dark,
exotic eyes—looking years younger than her age. Judging by the dirt smudges on
her clothing, I guessed she was doing something with her plants, not that I
knew what she could work on in February, but she found a way.
“Come in, dear. Want something to eat?”
“I just ate.” I took off my coat and settled into an
armchair.
“Silly girl. You always eat before you come here. I have
plenty of food here.”
“Mom, you know I get hungry after I change. I can’t wait to
get here. Besides, I need the caffeine. I’d be really grumpy otherwise.”
“True,” she said, sitting down on the worn floral couch
across from me. “I imagine it’s all those body parts realigning that takes a
lot of energy. How was it?”
I shrugged. “Same as usual. Still snow out there, which is no
picnic, but it’s better than it was in January. Taking off my clothes in the
middle of a snowstorm took all my willpower. I almost decided to move to the
Florida Everglades and find some jaguars to hang out with or something!”
“I can imagine, dear. You’re so brave to go through this
every month.”
“I don’t have a choice though, do I?”
She looked at me with concern in her dark eyes. “No, I
suppose not. There must be something that you’ve grown to look forward to
during the change, no?”
I thought about it. I always called it my dreaded time
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