User:Doomreaver/running
{{#ifeq: User |User| Running | Running}}[[Title::{{#ifeq: User |User| Running | Running}}| ]]
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Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}]] [[Author::{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}| ]]
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Author: {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}} |
Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}]] [[Author::{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}| ]]
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Authors: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}]]
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Authors: {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}} |
Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | {{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Doomreaver | Doomreaver}}]]
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}} {{#if:| — see [[:Category:{{{category}}}|other works by this author]]}}
I honked at the stopped cars in front of me. The light was green, move! “Come on!” I yelled in exasperation, pounding the horn even harder. “I’ve got places to be!”
That’s when the first mass of people ran past screaming in panic. When a man with an elephant trunk stumbled into my car before running on my heart fell. I knew what that meant, it was all over the news and a few changed had even been interviewed. With dread I managed to open my door, get out, and look up. A polar vortex, glowing orange, swirled just ahead of me over the bridge.
I cursed. Of course this happens. On the day of the most important meeting of my entire life some mad transformation vortex had to put itself between me and my destination. Could I backtrack? No, the cars behind mine had emptied by now so other people could run away with the crowd. My car was landlocked by abandoned vehicles. Could I walk? No, the only other bridge was miles away; I’d never make it in time even if I caught a taxi a few streets over.
My mind jumped around, trying to find an option, knowing there wasn’t one. “Ah, screw it.” I said finally. Slamming shut my door I forced my way through the crowd. Going the other direction; towards the vortex. I’ll have to run it; maybe if I’m fast enough I’ll make it out ok. The going was tough at first, fighting against the press of people. Fortunately while I wool-gathered most had made it out and the crowd was thinning. After a minute I finally got clear and took off, picking up speed quickly as I dodged around the last stragglers.
I knew instantly when I entered the area affected by the vortex. It started at my feet, making me stumble and almost fall. Gritting my teeth I caught myself on yet another abandoned car. Can’t fall down now, have to keep moving or I’ll never make it. I could feel my feet changing and soon my expensive dress shoes were flopping awkwardly as my feet became smaller. A few steps later I was out of them. Didn’t matter, I could run much faster without them. Springing on the balls of my feet I ran faster.
I could see people who hadn’t made it out now. Various animal people sat on the ground or leaned against objects, stunned at what had happened to them. It was getting harder to move through them now, frustrating me, my need for speed growing. Move people! Growling in frustration I leaped with surprising agility onto a car, running up it and jumping to the next. Now I was moving! Over the cars I ran, even faster!
I must have crossed the mid-point now. The streets were clearing; people had either fled or had time to collect themselves and get out of the road. Skidding down the window of another car I leapt to the pavement, all four limbs hitting concrete painfully. It was a minor stumble. Sprinting down the sidewalk, the wind rushing past, I felt exhilarated! I’d never felt so alive! I ran faster!
I’m not sure when I exited the vortex. I didn’t notice a first; only when I saw the line of abandoned cars thin and realized that the orange tint to the air was gone did I notice. Skidding to a stop, I leapt up whooping. “YES! Take that you stupid vortex! You aren’t going to catch and change me!” I did a little dance, right there on the street. A nearby store owner gawked at me. Wondering why, I stopped dancing to look back at him.
That’s when I noticed the fur all over my hands.
Looking down at them, covered in orange fur and black spots, I immediately noticed another incongruity; my nose stuck out a lot farther in front of my face than usual. Reaching up I felt my muzzle, the feline teeth, and tousled my hair and ears. I was some sort of cat person. Cheetah or jaguar perhaps.
Suddenly a strange sensation from my back end made me turn around. Of course, this didn’t help at all except to give me a glimpse of my orange tail, which just encouraged me to spin faster to catch it. A few moments of chasing my own tail made me dizzy enough to stop, upon which the simple solution of reaching behind me to grab it occurred. It was long, very furry, and thrashing in agitation.
As I twisted around to look at it I also noticed I had lost my pants somewhere; no wonder the shop owner was staring at me! I vaguely remembered them becoming loose, tripping me up some, before sliding off me between steps. It was right before I jumped up on the cars and ran, ran! across them. I also remembered that I had gone to all four once I jumped back off the cars. I was thinner and sleeker now, a runners build, and I stood on my tiptoes instead of flat my feet. Also I was much shorter; my legs seemed to have shrunk to match my arms so I could run on all fours more smoothly.
Sighing I let go of my tail and grinned sheepishly at the shop owner. It could be worse I decided. I could be some mythical beast, or I could have become full animal and lost my hands. My keys, wallet and phone were lost with my pants, but at least I still had the flash drive with my presentation on it in my jacket pocket. As I reached into it to make sure the drive was actually there I noticed one final change. There was a round mound of flesh under my jacket, hidden by how loosely my clothing now hung on me. Probing it gently, I confirmed that yes, it was part of my body and, yes, I did have a pair of them. Apparently I was a girl now. Huh.
At the moment I didn’t really have time to think through the implications of my latest discovery. The reason I had made my ill-fated sprint through the vortex was recalling itself to me now, and my watch, which I luckily still had, told me I was running low on time to make it there. I also needed to pick up some clothes so I didn’t enter the meeting half naked. Looking about I started to despair. I had the same problem on this end that I did on the other; no car, lines of abandoned vehicles blocking the roads, and no way to call a taxi. If only I could run there, the wind blowing through my fur like before…
Wait, why not? I was some sort of running cat, much faster then I’d been as a human. My destination wasn’t too far away from here, and I knew a good clothing store near it I could get new things from. With a little luck I might make it. The whole idea was ludicrous though, maybe I should just hope I found a taxi soon. If the vortex hadn’t all scared them away.
“Ah, screw it.” I muttered. Flashing a grin at the store owner, I went back down to all fours. It felt strangely natural, every bit as much as standing on two like I had all my life. Flexing my claws for a moment, I gathered myself. And then, I ran.