Vitality

TW: mild body horror; mention of blood and childbirth

The morning sun was shifting quickly to noon, floral fragrances dancing among the garden’s springtime blossoms. This was Nora’s favorite place early in the day before the heat set in and the long shadows disappeared. Her mother worked not too far away from her, tending to the peppers and tomatoes.

A pained howl ripped through the air, standing the hair along Nora’s neck at attention. She stood, turning towards the tree line, ready to face one of those mythical beasts from her mother’s stories. But there was nothing there.

Then came another scream, transitioning to deep breaths and guttural moans.

Mom. Nora’s head whipped to the other side of the garden where her mother had been tending the vegetables. Alina’s hand grasped under her engorged belly, the bottom of her dress soaked through with red. The woman groaned, falling to her knees, loud cries waning every few minutes.

Nora went immediately to her side, but Alina swatted away Nora’s outstretched hand, waiting instead for her husband who’d come running to her side from their old stone house. When Leo saw the blood covering his wife, he glanced at his daughter, sharing a curt nod. Nora didn’t know much, but she did notice the blood was different from last time. She breathed deep, chasing away the thoughts of something going wrong.

Alina limped inside, her husband supporting her weight, leading her to a space already prepared for her. Her cries became muffled by those stone walls and she disappeared inside. Bastian came bounding from the house, grinning from ear to ear, his vibrant green eyes glittering in the sunlight just like Nora’s.

“The baby’s coming!” His childlike wonder at such an experience was a breath of fresh air.

A rock settled in Nora’s stomach, heavy with anticipation. She had decided to stay in the garden, choosing to tend to Bastian’s care rather than her mother’s. Nora liked the wild more: chirping birds and fresh jasmine to crackling fire and cold stone. And even with the chaos of new life making its way into the world - even though something was happening they couldn’t have prepared for - today felt slow, peaceful. The colors in the trees glowed yellow and green, the sounds of the forest carrying a magical wonder with them this morning. Nora smiled at the sight of Bastian running amongst the blooms, sniffing bluebells and blowing at dandelion puffs; enjoying his rare taste of freedom.

Their home sat close to the edge of a forest and her mother worried more than most about things that loomed in the shadows. Alina spent much of her time singing songs and telling stories of horrible creatures like the Godralin and the Gratea, harbingers of doom, who laid in wait just beyond the wood line. She had always hoped it was enough to keep her children’s curiosity in check, but today she was inside, hours deep into a painful birth.

Since Nora was in charge today, exploration was not only allowed but encouraged. She longed to venture out into the forest to see all the fearsome creatures her mother told her about. The incredible beasts Alina tried so hard to keep Nora away from are the very ones that called deeply to her soul.

Nora was old enough now to know better than to wander - she had learned the hard way that chasing fantastical dreams was dangerous and the warnings existed for a reason. But it didn’t stop the pull in her chest that lured her deep among the dark brambles and shady branches that teased at the edges of her vision.

“Nora, I’m hungry,” Bastian plopped beside his older sister, jarring her back to the present with his growling stomach. He giggled and patted at the bag she’d brought with her. She laughed at his never ending hunger and retrieved some fruit, a small wheel of cheese, and a knife from the bag.

Bastian grew impatient as his sister took her time, dividing the pieces into equal parts for them to share. His eager hands snatched up some apple and cheese slices before they could hit the cloth beneath them and he retreated back to the flowers.

Nora laid back, chewing slowly on a thick slice of pear. A fresh breeze carrying pine and mystery from the depths of the woods flew right under her nose. Her skin prickled with excitement and promise, something new waiting for her family just beyond the horizon.

Alina’s wailing perked Nora’s ears as the forest sounds quieted, but something was different, Nora realized. A higher tone joined in with those birthing screams.

Her pulse quickened as she raced to Bastian’s side, her mind swarming with the songs of beasts ringing in her ears. Her little brother scurried back up towards the house, terror drawn across his face.

Nora froze.

Her body jolted - something between confusion and pain.

She watched her fingers turn to long claws, her skin crawling as masses of black fur sprouted along her arms and legs.

Chills raged down her body, panic setting in as she felt her body growing in size.

Her father’s words echoed in her memory,

“There’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you -”

Her thoughts were torn from her mind, her body changing all at once into something she couldn’t anticipate.

Leo’s Changeling form was a stag, but that didn’t mean anything for what Nora might become. Changeling forms are determined by character - by your soul’s own form.

A stretching feeling ached down her spine, like something pulled at her to split her down the middle. Her voice was gone before the wails could escape, growls bursting forth as her nose elongated into a snout.

Bastian’s cries grew muffled.

He’s gone inside for help. Nora tried to call after him, to warn him against disturbing the birthing ceremony, but grunts and snarls were all that would come.

Soon, a swarm of townsfolk migrated outside to see what the wild cries were all about. Nora recognized her father’s familiar cloak behind the crowd and she wondered if they’d come out to celebrate. Their mouths gaped at the sight of the beast waiting in the front gardens.

“Leo?” It was a nervous sound from amongst the crowd. But her father was too preoccupied to see what was in front of him. In all the chaos, Nora hadn’t noticed silence fall. Shame tore through her when she realized what had happened. She watched the door anxiously for the one person who might understand. Her father’s frame stepped through, a large smile plastered across his face.

But his smile wasn’t for her—it was for the small babe cradled in his arms, wrapped in Bastian’s old blanket.

Nora’s heart splintered. Alina had overcome so much in the years since she and Leo had married to accept him as a Changeling. But now Nora’s first shift - what should have been such a special occasion - had disrupted her mother’s birthing ceremony. Her eyes welled with tears, but not from the physical pain of the shift.

Why today? Nora couldn’t gather her thoughts aside from this, even if it was completely out of her control.

Leo raised the baby for the crowd. He’d hardly noticed when Bastian ran to him with his small finger pointed right at the monster he’d only just called sister.

“I present to you our newest pride and joy. Our son, Cassin, of the house of Felaro.” He turned in a small semi-circle so everyone could see the baby. He was so distracted by his own excitement that he didn’t realize the eyes of everyone in town were fixed elsewhere. His expression changed immediately when he finally saw what everyone else was staring at.

Nora was gone.

In her place sat a bear, wiping its eyes as if it remembered how to cry.