Muddy Landing
You see the mud only seconds before landing in it face first. The rest of you follows as the dirty water splashes everywhere. On the bright side, your naked body is covered with not one, but two coats of fur that help to lock in all of your body heat. Unfortunately, that top coat is very good at absorbing the muddied rainwater that you are only now beginning to push yourself up out of. You fall on your ass, sitting upright on concrete as you rub the mud from your eyes and take stock of where you are.
Even before your eyesight is clear you already made a guess from the sounds you were hearing. Traffic in the form of antique looking motorcars of exotic design zoom on by. Surrounding you is a jungle of concrete and glass. Towers rising up all around you that are synonymous with an urban neighbourhood that has undergone decades of intensive development. It is not quite so dense as a place like New York, but is not far off.
Any thoughts about having been return to normality are quickly dying as you notice the pedestrians and drivers. All of them have a similar face to that mask you put on, the same mask that is now your very real face. Of course whatever spell has pulled you into this unbelievable situation is not about to let you go. As you continue to scan the street and buildings with your eyes you notice subtle differences in everything. Everything here is made not for humans, but for creatures like you. This sure ain’t Kansa.
‘Are you alright?’ A voice, a male voice asks from behind.
Turning your head you see someone much like yourself, but clothed and holding a hand out. Instinctively you take his hand and he helps lift you up on to your feet. Only now do you notice others staring at the wet, muddy and naked manticore that you are. You fold your arms across your chest, trying to cover yourself whilst your eyes avert from those who are staring at you. Even in such a bizarre and shocking change as this there is still plenty of room for you to feel embarrassment.
‘I-I don’t know.’ Your voice trembles as it it admits the honest truth.
‘Come with me. You need to get inside.’ The male says, even as he removes his overcoat and drapes it over your shoulders.
Written by iscin on 15 December 2017