ALL NOVEL ch.7: Part 1; To My Surprise
“Mmh..”
My blanket shifted slightly, pulling itself over my shoulder, it was warmer. Much better…
“Noo… I don’t want to wake up..”
My shoulder pulled back a little, making my blanket fold away from my body. The loss of my heated blanket disturbed me enough to open my eyes. The light making my blurry vision better(?), things became visible almost instantly, the light a little pale. Something told me that’s not right when my eye lids opened a second time, a clear membrane pulled away in opposite sides, one going right and the other left. The pale colors became much deeper, what was a white room became a blue-ish purple room, this felt more right to me.
I started moving onto my back but I was so sluggish that turning onto my back took my whole body to move. Pulling myself with my neck, two shoulders and one of my legs as a counter weight. I felt my warm blanket move underneath my body, sorta shifting into a comfortable spot. It felt much better as a weight pulling me now rested on top on me.
Wait… that ceiling wasn’t mine. Focusing my eyes, my vision slowly zoomed in like an expensive photography camera, looking at the divided squares. They were put together well but I could see a few cracks, like something pushed into them.
Searching my memories, I closed my eyes, the two extra lids closing first. Yesterday…. What did I do? Talking with Belle and a lady- steph. Ok so then…I walked with Mark and I?
My eyes shot open as I pulled myself into a sitting position, this time it wasn’t as hard but my warm blanket clung to my back and there was a slight pull on my chest. Slowly looking around I saw small monitors and a few dressers, the room looked somewhat sterile like a doctor’ office or hospital room. Looking down I noticed I was in a gown. What? Reaching to grab it, black claws came into view along with a scaled orange hand. This spooked be that I pushed back, another leg pulling me to the other side of the bed. I pulled up, straightening my back, the weight on my chest now carried by my ribs while my back muscles pulled together into something on my spine. My blanket immediately pulled away from by back as I felt it stretching outwards like a second pair of arms, hands and fingers opening up as if wanting a hug. The movement added a little weight that my other leg quickly counter offset by pulling back… from my lower spine?
I turned my neck slowly like a robot to my left, my eyes were full of shook. There I saw a large orange and yellow bat wing(?) it had black claws at the ends of its fingers. There was also more orange scales poking from the back of the wing. I could feel a second pair of shoulders as new muscles tightened, pulling them up, raising the wing I saw. the wing itself felt like my normal arms if they were longer and bigger. Looking down wasn’t any better as a thick tail stretched out to the edge of the bed, it had several larger scales going down from my back to the tip. All of them a glassy, almost crystal like orange. The tail moved up like a snake near the tip as a question of what the tip looked like popped into my mind. I felt the muscle moving as this happened, the pull of it and how flexible it was as the tail curled at the end.
Slowly looking at my hands I saw the same black claws, crystal orange scales going up from the claw, my fingers and up over my shoulders. The whole outer side of my arms had these weird scales, where they connected to my hand I saw a thin black ash coating like dirty glass in between each scale. Turning my hand, there was a clear split between the thicker crystal scales and smaller almost snake like scales or a leather that was a sunny yellow. Trying to poke my skin(?) I ended up using my black claw, not realizing stood at the tip of my finger instead of on top like a human nail would. The sharpened tip prodded the leathery scales which moved just like skin, I could even feel a slight thickness under it with my claw. I could sorta feel with a claw?
Pulling my claw away from my hand I bumped something on my chest, which shook with a weighty jiggle. Bumping it didn’t hurt, it felt a little hard like the scales on top of my arm. I wouldn’t have even registered it if the weight on my chest didn’t move along with it. This made me freeze.
“What was that!?” I questioned as I looked down at something that made two large hills under my gown that blocked my view of my lower body. “Huh!” realizing the sound of my voice I covered my mouth, poking my lips with my claws. “oww!” I shouted, quickly pulling the hand away. My voice sounded sweet but had slight growl making it sound a little tempting or sultry. The pain even made my wings fold in, covering my back in a protective manner.
The movement made me aware of my lower legs as my feet were folded close to my knees. Stopping my thoughts further as I leaned down at my exposed leg. The outer thigh was ribbed with the same orange crystal scales while the inner part was that sunny yellow. The knee had some extra muscle that was bunched up like I worked out longer a day. At the end of my knee I saw similar black claws poking out from where I felt my toes then it hit me. I had dinosaur legs!
This wasn’t normal! I’m supposed to be human! Not somewhat human! Thump Thump. I’m not- how could this-! Thump Thump. My vision started rapidly zooming back giving me a huge field of view before those extra eye lids closed making the colors turn pale. “Please! Someone help!” I shouted as my body felt like it was bubbling before all my scales shot up, growing thicker and sharper. What was once uniform and smooth scales now looked like spiked armor, the crystal scales looked jagged, the yellow scale skin was now thicker and firmer, even my black claws grew bigger! The sight of becoming a human sized pincushion scared me, making my wings pull open, shacking, getting ready for some threat. I could even feel the tail flex, the muscles within it tightening. This only made my heart slam faster as I tried to shout, “RAaaAAGGAAHHHHRRRAAA!” came a vicious roar as my mind kept freaking out at my change.
After that a gas poured into the room from the ceiling, seeing the movement I jumped to my full height, my tail slamming into the bed, making it explode into pieces and leaving a sizeable crater in the floor. My mind screamed threat! Threat! Making me angrily rush as the moving gas, only tripping from the new legs and crashing into the wall. Flattening a dresser like wet paper. Trying to get up my vision blurred before falling backwards.
Jolting up I felt something holding me down. Looking down I saw a thick metal clamp around my arms.
“Oliver! Please calm down!” came a familiar voice, the sound of it took some the edge off. Looking over I saw my mother staring me with a stern face, making me freeze. “Please, I’m here for you. I won’t leave you okay.” She said with her eyes pinning me in place.
My eyes watered as I nodded, crying that that I was scared and I didn’t understand what’s happening.
“What’s wrong with me? Did I do something wrong!” I cried not sure how to describe everything happening. “I’m- all spikey! I have new arms! Everything doesn’t feel like it used too.” I tried saying.
“I know honey. We’ll get through this together like I promised.” She put her hand on my arm squeezing it. I didn’t feel it but her being so close eased my mind.
“everything feels different. I have muscles and parts that I can feel. That I can move.” I looked down at myself only to see the big hills again, making for another round of tears flow.
Noticing this my mother hugged my head, pulling me close to her chest. I could feel her rest her head on something on my head as she held me. I leaned into her as I let my tears express my anxiety for my changes. I was covered in scales, had extra limbs and had t-these heavy orbs stuck on me!
After some time I asked. “I’m a girl now. Aren’t I.” looking at the wall, scared to hear the answer.
“Your body is yes, but that doesn’t change who you are on the inside. You choose what you’ll become no matter the differences you face.” She said calmly, reminding me of my autonomy.
“Will you help me figure… m-myself out.” I asked nervously.
“Of course I’ll help you with anything you want help with.” She said with a smile her eyes a little puffy.
“Then c-could you give me another hug… please?” I asked with huge eyes.
She didn’t hesitate to hug me again, pulling me close, the smell of strawberries filling my nose. She was so warm that my thoughts weren’t as heavy as before. Some of my the tension that had built up from this experience was melting away with my mother here, easing my shoulders a little.
My restraints were released after I calmed down with my mother there. Later that day a doctor came in to check on me. She was a tall woman with a single horn on her head and a strong build, she smiled gently, her face looked like the embodiment of peace. I took a deep breath before looking up at her navy blue eyes.
“Hello Oliver. I’m Dr. LeeAx and I’m here to talk with you and take some measurements. Is that ok with you?” she asked looking at both me and my mother.
My mom looked at me, her eyes asking if I was ready for something like this, to which I nodded at her. “Yes… it’s alright.” I said.
“Alright. So to begin with, you have just went through your convergence without any complications to your health. Other than your physical gender changing that is. This is something that happens from time to time, sometimes people become a female only monster race or just a female member of that type of monster.” She said calmly. “In your case, you would fall into the latter.” She added.
“So is there things I should be aware of being… a g-girl?” I ask worried.
“Yes and because of your monster type some others on top of that. Don’t worry though, because we will provide you with information and a list of dos, don’ts, what to avoid and what’s safe to use.” She said with a nod. “Some products can cause issues with scales and might give you a rash for example. Especially the smoother and softer scales you have, like in your palm or under arm.” She opened her hand pointing at her palm.
“Speaking of, what am I?” I asked.
“You’re a dragon, Oliver. What type, we’re not too certain of, as most records for dragons are incomplete let alone of one of your color and height hasn’t been seen here before. Though some of my collogues believe you to be a light or sun dragon considering your crystal scales and their color from some old mythos they read about.” She said holding her chin, not too certain. “That reminds me, if you would come over to the wall, we can get a full height measurement.” She pointed to a long stick on the wall.
Looking at my clawed feet, I swallowed before pulling myself off the bed. The doctor gave me her hand to help me brace myself and adjust to my new legs. Now standing I felt the bottom of my feet squish like I had some padding, the wide spread of my four toes gave extra balance. Wait four? Wiggling my toes again I only felt four.
“Dragons and most reptile monsters don’t have more than four long toes, the fifth is a dew claw.” The Doctor explained. “Now you need to lift at the knee and bring the heel of your foot close to yourself to walk. Be careful of the sway of your hips as it can throw you off balance until you become accustom to it.” She concluded.
Taking my first step as she instructed, I raised my knee and foot, my toes even closed together as I did. Then my hip moved at a weird angle that made me shake for a moment, my tail pressed into the floor making me look like a tripod. The Doctor nodded, holding on to me. Stretching my leg forward and stepping on the floor my hips moved downward, raising my other hip. It felt weird to move like this but something about it didn’t upset me. It continued like this until we reached the wall, realizing I needed to make space, I felt a second pair of shoulders bend inwards giving me a wing hug.
“Don’t worry you don’t need to stand against the wall, just stand as straight as possible.” She smiled. Doing so I felt my… bo-weights shift on to my ribs again. “6’7. Not short for reptailes but you’re young, you’ll most likely grow some more as you age.” She said writing into clipboard.
This surprised me, I was only 5’7 as a… I turned back to my mom who smiled at me but even with this distance I could tell I was a lot taller than herself. Seeing her small stature made me want to protect her more. She was my mother, I’ll rip apart anyone who- what? That’s a little extra right? As I question myself I noticed my wings were lowering from an open position.
“Sorry… I’m not used to all this new parts.” I said embarrassed.
“No worries, when you’re not fully aware they can act on your emotions. You’ll get accustomed to them soon enough.” The Doctor said calmly.
“Also, tomorrow, you’ll be joining a couple classes to help with walking, your wings and tail. They will mostly teaching you exercises on how to work them purposely.” Said the Doctor before leaving
