Chapter 2

I woke up fairly late in the morning, still dressed in the tracksuit. I had nothing else to wear so I gave my hair and fur a quick brush, it seemingly behaving better since there was lots more of it, then headed down the stairs.

Mum sitting doing some work at the kitchen table, "Morning sleepy head," she said, "Want some breakfast?"

"I can get it," I said. Grabbing some cereal and munching away. With my new sense of taste my usual cereal was way too sweet. I persevered for a bit with it but in the end had some toast instead.

"Well sweetie, we need to get you set up with some new clothes, and book you a post MORFS assessment. The clinics tend to be really busy so we may have to wait a few days for that. You get to stay off school for a bit," Mum said, obviously hoping to cheer me up. It was a bit of a double edged sword though. No school meant I couldn't beg Sandra to take me back.

Mum bundled me up into the car and took me shopping. I hated shopping, but at least it gave me something to do and took my mind of Sandra for a little while. We drove into the shopping centre and started going through the various shops for new stuff. I was a touch taller and thinner so I needed a fair amount of new things. Not to mention my new tail issues.

We picked out a lot of the normal stuff in the regular places, I spent several boring hours trying on piles of clothing till Mum decided we had enough. She then took me to a little place called "Wings and Tails" which specialised in clothes for MORFS survivors, Hannah had recommended it. They had whole racks of tail friendly trousers and underwear. There was more dress up and then we were finally done, except mum insisted on taking me for ice cream to cheer me up. After what had happened with the cereal I had my doubts about ice cream but I knew better that to try and argue my Mum out of something she had decided on.

We were wandering back through town towards an ice cream shop when I got my first taste of anti-MORFS prejudice in the flesh.

Someone grabbed my tail and pulled on it hard which really hurt, "Hey freak where's your lead, can't you see no dogs off a leash!" some kid shouted.

After all I had been through this proved to be the last straw and anger and rage burst out inside me. I rounded on him teeth bared snarling and leapt at him.

"YAH!" he shouted and scrambled backwards falling over a bench.

I wanted to rip him to shreds and I probably would have if Mum hadn't held me back.

"Let the idiot go Eric, he's not worth it," she said.

I turned back, the anger gone almost as soon as it had come, leaving me ashamed of my actions. I took my Mums hand and walked off with her, head hung low.

Behind us I could hear the idiot talking to the people around him, "Did you see that! I could have been killed!"

One old lady said, "Bah and the world would have been a better place, you little rapscallion! I saw you attack that boy pulling his tail! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

After that the boy just scrambled off, seemingly not getting the attention he wanted.

I found that ice cream was still something I could enjoy, if anything my enhanced sense of smell made the taste better. I guess there had to be a good side to everything.

We made the journey home and I changed into some new clothes, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I sat watching the TV trying to shut out my mind as Mum made us some lunch. Daytime TV was as awful as ever but it passed the time. I sent a few text's to Sandra in the hope I could convince her to change her mind, but she didn't reply. I tried ringing her again but the call went straight to voice mail. Mum told me she had got me an appointment for Friday, so all being well I would be back at school next week.

I munched my way through lunch and sat in the same dull disbelieving state for most of the afternoon. It was getting towards the end of school and I thought about going over to try and talk to Sandra but I knew it was hopeless.

Mum told me she had to go out to collect some things for work. She was working from home for the rest of the week to look after me. At any other time I would have been insulted by this but now it barely registered. She told me Hannah wouldn't be home till after her martial arts class so I would be on my own till she got back. She asked me if I would be OK, I nodded and went back to watch some TV. Some time later I realised my phone was ringing.

"Hellllo," I said.

"Eric," my heart soared it was Sandra! "I've decided to see you. You get this one chance, be in the mill brook park by 5:45 or we are finished!"

She was very businesslike in her manner and maybe that should have rung some alarm bells but at that time I was too overjoyed to hear from her to care. I quickly agreed to her terms, the park was on the far edge of town quite a way away. It nearly five already I would have to move if I wanted to get there in time. I checked how I looked, tidying myself as best I could. In my haste I forgot to leave any sort of note as to where I was going.

I raced along as happy as can be, Sandra was going to see me. I just knew that now she would take me back and we would be together again. She would see it was still me in this new body, the same person, just a different package. Everything would be glorious again.

I ran along as fast as my legs would carry me, which turned out to be quite fast. I felt the urge to go down on all fours but my hands were not really designed for that sort of punishment so I resisted. I reached the park with a few minutes to spare, looking around the deserted area for Sandra.

I saw her up by one of the entrances to the wood, I hurried over, eager to talk to her.

"Sanndruh! Is me Ericc," I said.

She eyed me critically, with a strange cold glint in her eye I had never seen before. It was almost calculating. It was the first moment I felt any concern alone with her in this deserted park on the edge of town. If I had trusted that first call of alarm things might have turned out quite different.

"Let's go somewhere more private so we can talk," she said and then held out her hand.

I took it gently and felt her stiffen and a shiver pass through her. I though it was just the strangeness of my fur that made her do that but I guess it was something worse. I was too overjoyed to see her and to be holding her hand to care too much.

She led me into the the forest out of sight, the dark of the trees and the seclusion of the spot meant it very unlikely that anyone would have seen us together. She took me deeper into the woods to a really dark and secluded area, if I hadn't been quite so focused on Sandra I might have noticed that people had been here recently and had hid when we approached. She let go of my hand and stepped away from me turning to regard me. I thought she just wanted a look at me but the evil smile that appeared on her lips when she turned worried me.