I cannot speak.
My head fills with too many thoughts at once.
No, no, no!
This was a dream!
A stupid, nightmarish dream!
Right, that was something different!
That came from above me!
Okay, the ceiling is clear, but there must be an explanation, right?
I rub my eyes and, horrified, find the old black claws as my hands.
Panic grasps me, and I rush to my mirror.
.
.
.
I would scream, but at this level of terror I experience, no voice comes out.
My eyes are void black holes of nothingness.
When I touch my face with controlling punctures, I find that my hands truly are the same black claws like before.
All it needs is some shifting in my posture to realize that my feet are still beast paws.
I just didn't discover it before because I grew accustomed to them during the nightmare.
And the horns.
More on the small side, yet prominently sprouting out.
And sure, I forgot the tail.
How could I ignore that one?
I know that I can move it, but I don't want to.
And now even some eyes are starting to sprout out of me.
Collarbone, chest, arms, everywhere.
I want to scream and have the urge to fall into a maniacal laugh.
But I give my all to suppress this fit of madness.
Because if I give in and do so, my mother will come in, and I surely have no idea how to deal with this.
But the look of my demonically transformed face, covered in this ink, sludge, or whatever it is, makes me despair.
"Why do I look like this? What do I do now? I cannot go out looking like this!" (I)
Contemplating in this manner, my panic grows considerably.
"I want my old body back! Why?" (I)
Promptly, something starts.
My head shivers, the skin prickles, it's itching at several places, and then starts this known shifting feeling.
The horns dwell inside, the hands form back to something human, and my paws lower themselves to the ground and form into feet, while the tail pulls itself into my waist.
Like this, the abomination is gone.
All that stays weird are these eyes.
"M-maybe sunglasses?" (I)
In this instant, I notice a change of color there.
The borders turn white and, like color throbbed on a surface, my blue irises come back.
All that remains is an unsettling feeling when I stare into the pupils, reminding me of the abyss behind.
I strobe my body, not trusting this development completely.
But it seems that nothing is off.
Well, my eyes are still tearing and like this leave black streams on my face.
Suddenly, my door bursts open.
"Iori! Didn't I say you should wake up?! You're going to be late and..." (S)
"Fine, I love you too and am not that angry, but... What is with your face? You better quickly wash that dirt off and then come eating." (S)
"Y-yes, Mum! Immediately!" (I)
"Tsk, make-up, this early. Where did she even get that?" (S)
I rush to the bathroom and start to pour water on the sludge.
Instantly after the last bit flows down the drainage, I feel guilty and hope that this stuff won't cause problems wherever it flows.
Taking another look at me, I can barely compare it to before.
I look completely normal, if not for this small pupil thing.
Yet as if to remind me, an eye plops open at my collarbone.
Promptly, I grow nauseous, but just manage to keep it inside.
Whatever this stuff is, it surely shouldn't get spewed around.
It simply doesn't belong here.
In fact, nothing of this belongs here.
This is all wrong!
As I am now, I even start to question how I fit into this world.
Realizing where my thoughts start to lead me, I hurriedly dismiss them all.
I take the night clothes off and change into my school uniform.
While I do so, I start to ponder.
Considering my state, the part with everything being a dream seems not sustainable.
Pure dream logic like this doesn't apply anymore to what happened.
Questions come up.
Aside from the obvious like 'What the hell happened in the first place?', there would, for example, be 'Where did I get my clothes?'
They always covered me after each encounter, even if they couldn't have survived any of them.
I conclude with a rather unsettling idea.
This strange shapeshifting.
When I can grow all this stuff, why not clothes as well?
And that would mean I was dressed the whole time in some kind of flesh coat.
"Urgh!" (I)
Don't puke!
Would be bad.
In the end, this black sludge might open another portal.
And that could bring me back to "that" place.
Just thinking about it, with all these weird stone formations, this unsettling sky, and those monsters.
Suddenly, there is some kind of blinking, waving feeling around me.
.
.
.
"NOOO!!!" (I)
I am back!
In this horrific nightmare world.
And also directly beneath another maw-monster!
"Gruuuhhh!" (maw-monster)
"NO! NOT! NOT AGAIN! LEAVE ME ALONE YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT! JUST VANISH!!!" (I)
Upset, I throw a tantrum with a hostile gesture at this creature.
Threateningly, I throw my arm in its direction.
"Wh-aaaahhh!" (I)
At least it was intended to be just a threat.
Instead, midway, my hand transforms into a claw, reminding me of the demon's, yet much, much larger.
The arm also elongates, and the maw-monster gets instantly slashed into three.
Tentacles grow out of it and suck the body inside.
There is a bulge on my arm, which soon turns back to normal.
I've killed again!
And again absorbed the residues somehow.
And don't think I haven't noticed that my sleeve got torn with this slashing attack and is now like before.
And this time, I am not so sure about this being a dream part.
The only thought that could help me cope with all this terror last night.
In shock, I stare at my hand, which has become a claw again.
I start to tremble and just wish my hand would go back to normal again.
And so it does.
This relieves me to a shallow degree.
Nonetheless, I'm in a terrible situation.
I need a few moments to come back to terms with myself.
How did I get here?
I was just a moment ago in my room.
All I did was think about this place.
Wait!
"Wh-when I came back, I also wished to get there and thought really hard about home. Maybe... I can do it again?" (I)
Just change the plane?
I mean, it must go in both directions, right?
G-good then just like in "Oz".
Don't forget to clap with your feet.
"I wish me back home! I wish me back home! I wish me back home!" (I)
Afraid to open my squeezed shut eyes, this decision gets taken from me when one opens at my neck.
I could be disgusted right now, but instead...
"Hah, I-I am back! It worked!" (I)
Relieved, I give the floor a kiss.
"Iori! Are you now finally coming? I've been waiting!" (S)
I wish I could answer that interdimensional travel occupied me.
But before anyone does lose it, especially me with my withered mentality, I would rather abstain from such revelations.
Slightly quivering, I start to move and go for breakfast.
The only good thing is that I feel well.
My body still is light, and there is no tiredness at all, despite me not remembering a single moment of rest, aside from my mental breakdowns.
Yet I also don't feel hungry.
However, I just stuff a bit of the food in me so as not to worry my mother.
During the meal, I take many glances at her.
One reason is that I thought I would never see her again.
The other is that there is some kind of pink-violet translucent smoke around her.
Rather weird.
A word I seriously need to replace since I had to use it so excessively lately that it often seems not appropriate anymore in its impact.
"Iori, you look different today. Did you sleep better than usual?" (S)
This comment puts me off.
She can't know, but right now I have to suppress the urge to tell her my honest opinion.
Instead, I have to calm myself down.
With slightly trembling voice, I say:
"I-it was rather wild. Some... nightmare. And it felt... very real. I-I need to say I still am troubled by the aftermaths." (I)
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But it seems you at least got your sleep. Yet if you need someone to talk about it, I am there for you. But forgive me, school is about to start, and you are going to be late if you delay it any longer. Still, if you come back, I'll be there for you." (S)
"G-good. I think I'll be on my way then." (I)
I am so worn out that Mum needs to run past me and hands me my school bag.
She gives me a worried look, and I try to ease it with a smile, which doesn't seem to have much effect.
Probably because she can see how much I force it.