“Drink this glass of water while I go back up on stage for a moment.”
I looked at Karen with a big no in my eyes, but she went anyway.
“Everyone, if I could have your attention again, please.”
As the room went quiet, she glanced over at me with a smile.
“As you can see by my love’s reaction tonight, he has fallen hard for me.”
Laughter ensued from the floor.
“And I have fallen hard for him.”
“Over the last two weeks, I have put more pressure on this man than I should have. For that, Christian, please forgive me. You are my soulmate, my love, my one and only.
The tribe applauded, and Keith Decker stood up from the back again, holding his glass high. “A toast for Christian Lore!”
The room responded in kind, so I walked up on stage to stand with Karen, who politely stepped aside. “Thank you all for overlooking my nervousness. Like Maggie, I too have never been happier than I am right now.”
Applause irrupted again as Karen asked Maggie to join them on stage.
“Tonight, we celebrate the newest members of Elysian and our bond to one another. Let no one divide that which makes us strong!”
The roar was deafening as we descended the stage. “This way, Karen, I’ve saved seats for you both at the head of the table.”
Linda Wilson, I would later learn, is Karen’s right-hand. And next in line should she be unable to fulfill her role as Chief. A title given to male and female leaders of the 3006 worldwide tribes.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
“Here, son, let me help you up,” said Kieth, referred to by most as Dr. Decker in Wilmington. “You took a hit to the head, so let’s step down off the stage and have a seat while I look you over.”
“My eyes do feel a little weird.”
A crowd formed around us as we sat at a nearby table. “Look straight ahead as I move my pin light back a forth,” said Decker.
“Karen, did you see that?”
“See what?” I asked before she could respond.
“Your eyes made a quick involuntary shift before turning back to normal. This is not unusual for someone under a lot of stress; you’re going to be okay. But in the future, be aware of this and cover them if you feel it coming on. You don’t want to accidentally expose yourself to a non-shifter.”
“You’ll get pinned as one of them reptilians if you get caught on camera,” said Horace Turbeville with a snort.
Everyone laughed and eventually made their way over to the banquet table, leaving me to my embarrassment.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
We made the hour-long drive to the tribes Southport Meeting Hall three days later, giving Karen plenty of time to go over her speech. She was all business and wasted no time getting started upon our arrival.
“May I have your attention, everyone. I’m sure you’re all aware of Jill’s mishaps by now, so I will get straight to the point and then introduce our new students.
“Last week, Jill Hanson was arrested after the body she was using triggered a facial recognition scanner. And this has become problematic due to the arrest of the real Becky White in Fairbanks, Alaska. In turn, Jill’s arrest video was leaked online, and similar instances are being posted to Youtube from around the world. Our cyber team has been uploading fake ones to discredit them and removing the real ones when possible.
“I have talked with all the tribal leaders, and we agreed to have everyone shift and stay in their originals until further notice unless your life is in danger. The only exceptions being those who have new verifiable identities, such as myself.
“So, If there are no questions, I would like to ask all of you to shift now.”
Seeing Karen in her leadership role was impressive. You could tell she had the full respect of every tribe member.
“Come on, Adam, I think you’ve been in your girly girl bod long enough. If you stay much longer, she’s going to trap you. Remember Kate? She’s still walking around Wilmington, talking to herself. Do you want to end up like that?”
“You sure know how to ruin a girl’s night,” he said, as red hair changed to brown.
“Everyone, if I can have your attention again, I would like to introduce our new students. First, we have Maggie Ried. Scott Bell is her teacher, and I believe most of you have already met with her.
“Maggie, do you want to come up and say a few words?”
Everyone watched as she confidently made her way on stage. “I just want to thank everyone for making me feel like family. I’ve never been happier than I am right now.
“We are family,” Karen interjected as others applauded.
And with that, Maggie stepped down from the podium, and Karen called me up. It felt like my heart was going to jump out of my body as I stood beside her. I hated being in front of a crowd.
“Many of you may also know of my own student, Christain Lore,” she said glowingly. “You may also know of our engagement. But I bet you didn’t know we are having a baby.”
“A Baby,” screamed Linda Wilson as the crowd broke out in cheers. “Our royal line continues. I’m so happy for you Karen.”
“Lets hear the lucky man say something,” yelled Keith Decker from the back.
Karen smiled and pulled me to the mic as three hundred and sixty eyes watched me fall to the floor.
“Baby, wake up. You fainted.”
“Place this wet cloth on his head,” came another voice as my eyes opened to those staring down at me.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
A week passed before I could wrap my head around it all. I was 28, a shifter, soon-to-be husband, and father. A good life, I suppose, but there was a sad side. Both of my parents died when I was five, and I have no one to share it with. But Karen assured me my mind’s eye will one day present them to me. And last night, I could have sworn I felt the touch of my father’s hand and the lips of a mother’s kiss on my cheek as I fell asleep.
“Baby! turn up the volume, their talking about Jill’s arrest.”
“That’s right, Susan, Becky White has pleaded not guilty to the assault and battery charges. And you’re not going to believe this. She claims her doppelganger did it.”
“A doppelganger!”
“That’s right, a look-alike and her lawyers have video of her doppelganger being arrested right there in North Myrtle Beach minutes before her own arrest here in Fairbanks.”
“You can turn it off now.”
“Do you think it’ll all blow over?”
“I’m not sure at this point. It may, but I need to call a tribal meeting to set some new rules to live by until it does.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
“Really, Atlantis excites you? You didn’t act this surprised when I told you I could shapeshift.”
“I thought you were kidding, but I’ve learned to take everything you say and do seriously now.”
“Well, I guess that’s a positive.”
“Can you show me the Atlantis text?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“There isn’t any; my knowledge of Atlantis comes from the memories of my parents and their parent’s parents.”
“You can recall all of their memories?”
“Not all. As information gets passed from one generation to the next, bits and pieces get lost in the clutter. They’re there but harder to find. It’s taking me years to retrieve our somewhat compete shifter history.”
“Will I be able to retrieve it one day?”
“No, our ancient history can only be accessed by those with pure pedigrees. Meaning everyone in their family tree was given the gift by a parent.
“Those who obtain the gift through a teacher have a recorded history that’s been muddled by the memories of the plague’s younger children.”
“So you’re basically calling me a mutt.”
“Basically, but you’re a cute little puppy, and I love you just the way you are.”
“You know, you’re starting to hurt my manhood a bit with all the cute talk.”
“I’m sorry, babe. I’ll try to cut back. After all, the father of shifter royalty deserves respect.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
She returned around three o’clock to find me asleep on the balcony, my eyes opening when she laid her head on my shoulder.
“Where have you been?”
“One of our tribe members had an issue.”
I’ll have to admit it felt good to hear her say ‘our tribe.’
“Are they okay?”
“For now. A shifter named Jill Hansen got arrested for a warrant after a facial recognition scan. The damn things are everywhere these days and causing a lot of problems for us. Seems the body she was using got into some kind of trouble.
I bailed her out, and she switched to her original. So there’s no chance of her getting picked up again. But the cyber team will have to monitor the situation.”
“We have a cyber team?”
“At some point, they’re going to find out the original body of Becky White was in Alaska at the time of her arrest. And that’s going to be hard for the North Myrtle Beach Police Department to explain. In the past, they would cover up such a thing. But there has been a re-awaking over the last few years. And people are starting to believe in the supernatural again, causing some to ask questions.”
“Isn’t shifting supernatural?”
“No, it’s as natural as breathing. Every human used their shifting ability in the past as a means of survival. But the plague changed all that. There was an attempt to re-engage the others during the reign of Atlantis, but the Great Flood put an end to it.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
“You know, there’s another reason I never told you about our history or made a shift in front of you until last night.
“If I were to expose a potential student to our history and make a shift in front of them, they may change their mind and refuse the gift. They may even go so far as to betray me with a hidden camera. Think about it; millions could be made, and shifters would again be hunted down like they were in the old days. In contrast, withholding the information until they transition protects me and puts them in a predicament.”
“How so?”
“I’ll answer by saying this. Betray me, betray yourself. You are one of us now and will suffer equally.”
“So you didn’t trust me.”
“You have to understand, relationships crumble every day over the mundane. And I had no way of knowing how deeply you loved me until yesterday when you laid on the bed before me. A trust like no other was given and taken at that moment by both of us, sealing our fate forever.”
Feeling panicked, I stood up and stared out over the balcony onto the beach below.
“Slow your breathing, it will subside, and we can continue.”
“What about the others? You said you’ve loved no one like me. But they laid before you as well.”
“This is true; shifters and students love one another like family. But you’re my soulmate, and even you, my once bonehead bodybuilder, has to know the difference.”
“I’m sorry, my head is spinning right now. Yesterday, today, it’s all too much. I need to lie down.”
Taking my hand, she led me inside to the couch, smiled, and left the room.
“What have I gotten myself into?” Half of me wanted to flee, while the other wanted Karen and all she entails. But seeing her long legs shimmer through white pantyhose as she reentered the room in a sexy nurse’s uniform sealed my fate.
“I hear you’ve been feeling a little under the weather. May I sit beside you?”
I nodded as she sat, slowly crossing her legs for effect. “Oh my, your temperature seems to be rising. Have you been under a lot of stress lately?”
“Uh, Huh.”
“Well, let’s see if I can do something about that.”
Her dark hair engulfed my face while red fingernails moved beneath my shirt. With a kiss, time disappeared, and our bodies became one with each shift, lost in the depths of ecstasy.
It was midnight before I woke up, and Karen was nowhere to be found.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
After breakfast, I moved to the balcony for another cup of coffee. It felt good to be in my own body, and I was in no hurry to shift again.
Stepping outside with me, Karen asked, “Ready for a history lesson?”
“No, I just want to chill.”
Karen smiled. “So let’s begin. We are human, and all humans are shapeshifters.”
“Wait, I want to–”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
I was beginning to feel like I was no longer the teacher’s pet.
“IN THE TIME BEFORE TIME—how’s that for dramatic effect?”
I nodded, and she continued.
“There were three disasters, each with its own misery: a plague, asteroid impact, and flood; the plague being most devastating because it killed the adults, leaving their children to fend for themselves. Without their parents, all shapeshifting knowledge was lost, albeit for a few older ones who had already transitioned.
“As years went by, these loners searched for others like them, making skin contact with everyone they met. But encounters with non-shifters usually ended violently as these, now adult, kids had learned to kill or be killed. A new world was developing. One shapeshifters no longer fit in.
“Legends began to form around these misfits. Stories about werewolves, vampires, witches, and the like. And while these creatures did not exist. Many believed, and the sight of a shapeshifter in transition was all the proof they needed, which meant certain death for those caught in a frenzied witch hunt.
“Today, we face the same dilemma, but our enemies do not come in the night with torches. A new One-World Government is forming, and technology is their weapon. We have been able to hide in plain sight up to this point, but it’s becoming more complex, and some tribal outliers want to stop this new government from advancing any further.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
“Handing me a mug with hearts on it doesn’t make up for what you did. You should have told me about that three-hour thing.”
“Would you have changed your mind?”
“No.”
“Then why have you worry for three hours?”
She had a point, but I still felt uneasy about it. “What if I had died right there in the street? Would you have just walked away?”
“Your bloodshot eyes would have given me enough warning to get you home.”
“Then what?”
“My heart would have been broken.”
I choked up a little with that answer and soften my tone. She was winning the battle of minds, but I wasn’t finished. “You said new students usually die within the first three hours. Does that mean some die afterward?”
“I’m afraid so, but only if you do something foolish, like not listen to me. I know we’re lovers, but I’m also your teacher for another 364 days.”
“And after that?”
“After that, your body will have fully adapted, and your risk of dying will be no different for you than any other human.”
“Are shapeshifters human?”
“We are.”
“Please don’t hide anything from me again.”
“Even if it saves your life. I told my first two students, and they died.”
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
Reaching over, her hand touched mine, “What does your mind’s eye see?”
“A woman, but not you. Shouldn’t I see you?”
“You are.”
“Wait, what?”
“Whenever shifters touch one another, they only see the original.”
“But you’re beautiful. Why hide this from me? I’m in love with you, not your skin.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t worried about my looks, bonehead.”
“Sorry, I was just–“
“Stop thinking for a moment and listen. Being a shapeshifter is complicated. Avista security cameras are everywhere; entering and exiting in different bodies might bring unwanted attention.”
“You mean the way I did, earlier?”
“No one saw you leave. The security cameras on our floor were damaged last night by a frustrated drunk looking for her room. Turns out she was in the wrong resort. Security chased her onto the beach and lost her there.”
“How do you know all this?”
“She raised her eyebrow again.”
“Oh, so that’s why you went for a run on the beach last night.”
“You’re so cute when your eyes light up.”
“But wait, why go through all that trouble? We could have stayed home until I was able to shift.”
“And miss an opportunity to teach you a valuable lesson. Now, wait here while I get the car.”
“For what?”
“Wait here. And I better not see you talking to another girl when I pull up.”
It seemed like an eternity sitting there in that chair. And it wasn’t long before a redhead approached in a strapless bikini. I tried to look the other way but failed; my stare fixated on her breast.
“Is this seat taken?”
“Well,” I said, looking up at her face.
“Don’t tell me it is; I watched your girlfriend walk away fifteen minutes ago.”
“Don’t I know you?”
“Do you?”
“You were sitting beside Karen the night we met.”
Moving in closer, she placed her hand on my cheek and asked, “Was I?”
“Who are you?” I said, pushing her away.
“Adam Baker.”
“A Shifter.”
“That’s right, Karen told me she had a new student. Said she needed someone to keep an eye on you while she went for the car. Seems a little odd coming from a woman you’re going to marry next year, don’t you think? Maybe she’s having some trust issues. And with your new body, I can see why.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t think she would worry if I was sitting here in my own body?”
“I’m not saying anything, sweetie. Anyway, here she comes.”
Leaning into the car window, Adam whispered into Karen’s ear while winking an eye. “A perfect gentleman.”
“So you don’t trust me?” I asked as we pulled out into traffic, narrowly missing a golf cart.”
“I trust you.”
“Then why have Adam keep an eye on me?”
You’re not ready to be alone, was the only response I got as we made our way to 2nd avenue into the empty parking lot where Crazy Zacks Beach Club used to stand.
“Why are we stopping?”
“You need to shift before we go home, so get in the back; your clothes are in my gym bag.”
“Somebody might see me.”
“The windows are tented; you’ll be fine.”
The rear seat was a little tight for a bodybuilder. I managed to squeeze in but could not stretch out.
“I seem to be having a little problem.”
“Relax, it’s just a little stage fright. I was nervous the first time I did it in public too. And you don’t have to lie down. Sitting is fine, but don’t try it standing for a few more weeks.”
Later that night, we made love, and I’ll have to admit, it felt like I was cheating as images of her original flashed in my mind. Before we went to sleep, I kissed her and asked, “Why did you wait until seven to show me how beautiful you are.”
“If a new student dies, it’s usually within the first three hours of their virgin shift,” was her reply.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift –Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
Timothy French 