Mike, wake up! You’ll be late for school!” Mom’s voice pierces through my dreamless slumber.

  My eyes open with a start. Ughhh, why am I so tired. I can’t bring myself to get up. I hate mornings. Why must they be so early. I swear I can still feel last night under my skin.

  Taking a deep breath, I try my old trick of counting from twenty to give myself a time limit. I get to three before I finally leap out of bed and onto my feet. Without thinking about it, I land on all fours, leaving me confused. “What the hell, man, why did I land on all fours? I’m not a cat…” And then the dream comes back hard, making me take a deep breath as I look at my hands, almost expecting paws.

  I run downstairs and wave to Mom. “I know, I know... I’m late.”

  She sighs in exasperation. “Why are you always so late? What do you do, read all night?” she asks before handing me a small paper bag. “At least take your lunch. I threw in a granola bar so you’d have something to eat on the way to school.”

  Sighing, I take the bag. “Thanks, Mom, I had trouble sleeping last night. I had a... rough dream.” It wasn’t a nightmare. Just… weird, I think, as a familiar tingling spreads through my hand and I hide it. Not now, please.

  Normally, running uphill would leave me a little winded, especially in the snow, but today I feel different, stronger and more powerful. I lean forward as I run, almost like I want to run on all fours, and have to stop myself. It just feels natural to move that way when going fast. Like my body is built to be on all fours, making a sudden flash of running through the jungle rush the dream back into my head.

  Is this real or my imagination? Shape shifting wasn’t possible, was it? A few days ago, I would’ve laughed at the idea. What is happening to me? I’m a boy, not some big cat.

  I soon reach my bus stop, feeling anxious at the sight of the crowd of other students waiting. Without warning, I feel a sudden annoyance at their presence, their smells and noise grating against me. I want to get out of here, but I have school, and feeling leopard is probably a bad excuse, get together Mike.

  As the memories resurface, so does the way my body reacts. Gahhh, it’s way too noisy and smelly. What’s wrong with me? My nose wrinkles. I think about skipping school or pretending I’m sick. What if I did turn while at school?

  This is stupid. Just a lack of sleep. I’ll feel better soon. I hold my breath as the bus pulls up, nod to the driver, and drop the money into the receptacle before finding an empty seat behind him.

  The bus is full of noise as other kids head to school, talking about their plans for winter break the next week, some girls giggling about something I can’t hear. During the trip, I try to focus on the science test and manage for a bit, but the irritation builds until I give up. Why am I so irritable? Normally this wouldn’t bother me so much, heck, I might have joined in. Instead, I’m suppressing a growl.

  What is that? I think as a strong, meaty smell hits my nose. My mouth waters as the smell hits me. It smells like a hamburger as best as I can tell. Ughh, why would someone ruin perfectly fine meat and smear ketchup on it?

  Once again, my body wants to shift, my lips pulling back slightly as my ears twitch. I’m able to control it, though it takes effort. I’m not sure if the shift would fail like it did last night, but I somehow doubt the driver would appreciate a surprise leopard passenger. Thankfully, the school is ahead, though I’m not sure how thankful I’ll feel once I get there. Please let me calm down.

  Upon arriving at school, I look around for my friends. I don’t want to speak with them for fear they might know something is wrong, especially Charlie. Thankfully, I don’t have classes with any of them except for Charlie in biology. I do see Charlie, and he spots me, but I rush past him, fighting the urge to growl, pretending I don’t see him as I go to class.

  Fortunately, the need to shift abates for the moment as my mind and body start to calm. I’m torn between continuing on to class or leaving, but I’m already there, and the feelings are quieting. Maybe, just maybe, I can get through the day without incident. Probably just overreacting.

  Once I’m in math, I finally hand in my finished homework. Then I focus on the lesson, and I can’t even begin to think about the dreams I’ve been having.

  Math ends, and I head to the test in science. I see Charlie in his seat and give him a nod. He gives me a concerned look but focuses on the test.

  The real problem begins halfway through. I have forgotten one crucial fact about the science class: it is right next to the home ec class, and I can smell the food. My nose wrinkles, and my ears perk again. The smell hits me, and even cooked, I can imagine sinking my teeth into prey just to reach the meat. I have to keep swallowing as I salivate so much; they’re making something with ground beef. And I’m hungry. I forgot all about the granola bar on the bus ride.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  I try to fight the urge to find the meat as my jaw aches from keeping it shut, the pressure to shift pushing at me. My skin is crawling, and I can’t think straight. Great... I feel like I could literally eat a cow, and now every noise is getting to me, I think, as every chair movement and pencil noise sounds like knives through my ears. Before I even notice it, I’m digging my nails into the desk as a light growl escapes my lips. I start begging myself, please not here, not now. It’s just my imagination.

  For a moment, all I can focus on are the smells of the meat. They feel almost physical, like I can see them being cooked. God, I’m hungry and it smells so good, maybe I should chase it down, I think before I can catch myself.

  Mr. Rigby, my teacher, looks in my direction and saves me without realizing it. “Mike, are you okay? You look pale.”

  I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak. I need to get outside before something happens. He gives me a concerned look and hands me a slip. “Go see the nurse and redo the test next time.”

  I quickly grab my things and run out the door. As I leave, I see Charlie start to stand like he wants to follow me, unsure if he should, but I’m in too much of a hurry to think about it. Come on, come on, before I do something stupid, like jump on a counter growling like a leopard. I turn the corner away from the nurse’s office and bolt through the back doors of the school. Don’t let there be a tail!!! I think as I practically feel one, how close I am to turning into a leopard like in the dream.

  As I slam the door open, a wave of cold hits me, making me recoil from how harsh something in me feels it is. But after a few seconds, it feels manageable. Out in the fresh air, taking a deep breath, I feel so much better. The silence outside compared to the noise inside helps clear my head. Man... I can think for a second. The cold also helps take the edge off all this energy a little.

  The leopard feelings are still just below the surface, but now not so urgent. Man, I hope I don't have to run out of school every time I have a panic... well, leopard attack. Thinking I should get away from the school, I remember there is an old trail behind the school that I used to take when I missed the bus, so I head that way. Thankfully, being away from the smell calms me down.

  Now I’m exhausted. The lack of sleep and all the tension finally catch up to me. It feels like I have run a marathon, every muscle in my body sore. I don’t think I can make it home, and worse, I don’t think I should go home. After all, what would happen if I did change? I might hurt someone.

  I feel bad running out on Charlie and leaving without permission, but I need somewhere safe. One place comes to mind, the old abandoned tree fort I found while exploring. I spot the trail heading toward it. It is mostly covered and hidden unless you know where to look.

  As I near it, I catch something out of the corner of my eye that seems to be following me. When I turn to look, there is nothing there. Great, am I imagining things on top of losing my sanity? Or is that just part of going nuts.

  I spot something on the ground. A squirrel is eating something at the edge of the trail that makes me smile for a moment. I watch as its nose twitches and ears perk, listening for danger. That is until my lips curl slightly, and I find myself licking them without thinking. I have the urge to chase the squirrel and catch it with my paws.

  Doing so would be hard without said paws, but it doesn’t even cross my mind as I crouch down and start creeping toward it. My breath comes out as quietly as I can make it in the cold air as I try to place each step softly against the snow.

  Somehow, it doesn’t notice me until I’m only a few feet away. Then suddenly, it calls out in a squeaky voice, “Don’t eat me!” I jump backward in confusion, wondering when I start hearing animals speak. What the hell, man, you can talk??? My heart is racing, my mind spinning as I look around in panic for the source.

  That doesn’t last long, as I hear laughter fading away. I recognize the voice, as squeaky as it is, from the previous night. There is something definitely following me. I look around and try to find the source, but there are no tracks, nothing in the trees, and nothing hiding behind anything I can see. If I wasn’t so tired, I probably would have tried to follow it.

  Continuing down the trail, I finally see the fort in the distance. It is a decent-sized one. It seems almost haunted from a distance, but I know it should be a safe place to lie low. As old as it appears, it still looks fairly sturdy and would hold me long enough to get some sleep. I climb up the wooden boards that serve as its ladder. I finally let myself relax. This should be safe, I hope.

  It isn’t too bad, if a bit cold. It smells musty but also of sap and bark from the tree it is built in. A sleeping bag is still there, though it has small holes and looks like it has been left for years, along with a few comics. Taking a deep breath, I crouch back on all fours and try to finish what I started the night before. I’m still tired, but I’m away from others, and I want to try one last time. Least here if I shift, hopefully I’m safe from hurting people.

  Soon, I feel the familiar sensations of rubbery skin and rising energy building inside me. My chin and nose strain against my skin as if they are trying to push out from my face into a muzzle. My breathing grows heavier as I strain to push. The energy builds up once again, and I feel my hands tingling, wanting to stretch. It feels like if I just push harder, I’ll become a leopard, but it isn’t working. As before, after a short time the energy and sensations fade, leaving me even more tired. It feels like there’s one last thing I’m missing. COME ON... what is going on, one second I feel like I could turn into a leopard, next it feels like I’m an idiot.

  Giving a small yawn, I just give up. Maybe in the morning I will feel more sane. Still wearing my clothes, I get into the sleeping bag and lie down. Almost as soon as my head hits the fabric, I feel my skin start to tingle even more intensely, and I’m out like a light before I can stop it.