EVOLVING

My high-pitched screams are ripping through my body and at an alarming rate, the tree bark and leaves I've stuffed into my mouth doing little to muffle the sounds. It's hot. Everything is so freaking hot. My skin feels like it's melting off, so slow and too fast all at the same time. My hair feels like it's being yanked from my scalp one strand at a time, and I swear I can feel my organs ready to burst with a loud pop any second. 

Pain. So much pain. I have to stay quiet. There is a voice in my head shushing me, lulling me, begging me to keep my agony a secret. "They can't find us." She says, her voice full of dread, pleading with me to stay quiet. I feel like she is stroking my head from the inside, trying to ease my pain. "It's going to be okay Roo, I’m here with you. You are not alone. Never alone. Shhhh." 

Her sweet but pleading tones keep me off the edge of darkness. "Please, I can't take anymore." I cry to her in my head. "It hurts, god it hurts." I want this to stop more than anything in the world. "I know my little Peony. I know. Just a little longer. Shhhh." 

I dig my nails into the ground, reaching for something, anything to gain control. She warned me this would be the worst shift yet, though I was skeptical to believe her. I didn't think anything would be worse than the first time, but I was wrong. This was much, much worse. But at least this time I had Ness to talk me through it, soothe what pain she could. 

"There, Roo. THERE! Breath! You're almost there." My insides were ripping apart, I was going to die. I felt more heat, more searing pain, more torment than I had ever felt before. And then it was gone. 

The shift was complete. 

Thank. Fuck.