Part 9. The Animal Surfaces 

I was once again back in the forest in my dream again. It wasn’t like the scare freight of yesterday though. But i still had the edge riddle on my spine. But the woods seemed…. Lively. And it wasn’t just of the killer creatures roaming. But i saw mice, shrews, bugs, and all sorts of creatures around. Unlike my other dreams the forest seemed lively but i noticed it looked empty. I never really saw creatures live in it. Now the forest seemed real. Like i felt now apart of the woods and the animals around. My ties to the place seemed almost natural to be there. From my sitting where i came from my dream. I soon stood up on my fours and started exploring the world. There still was the push of something but this time i couldn’t pin what. I felt more like i was just told to explore. To make noise, to be wild, to live. So i did. Everything i faced before all came to light. I had to use my nose to smell scents, food, and everything. I had to use my ears to listen and fine tune everything to know what was and wasn’t dangerous, i had to keep my wits up as i moved among the undergrowth, i had to stay alert as hunters lurked around corners keeping low and stealthy while also defending myself at times. Everything mixed together. But i still got beckoned to explore. Something was telling me to find food, forage, chatter, and push on to use everything i now knew. Stay careful, Stay alive, Find water, Find food, Look for shelter, and live.

Again they say time works differently in your mind. And in my dream a whole day felt like a real day. No slowdowns, No skips, Nothing special. Every step i took was seconds going on. It felt real real. Not some dream. From the breeze that made me jump at times, to the smells, to the things i saw, to the food i foraged for, and to the feelings i felt. From the ground, to the air, and to paws on my feet walking among the underbrush of the forest ground. This didn’t feel like a dream. I felt wild. I didn’t have any worries of human stuff. All i thought of was exploring, food, water, play, home, and sleep. It seemed simple, but yet hard. The world from my point of view was giant. The challenges were massive. The battles were intense. The survival was big. If felt like every animal part of me was now connected and my past life was gone. I was just merely gone.

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As the dream came to a end of me finding a place in a hollow tree to spend the coming night. I was filled with food and water. I found a place to sleep away from the dangers and let the next day come with sleep that would once again continue the cycle of going off surviving the world again. Play, explore, adventure, talk, forage, battle, find place to sleep, and so forth. The day in the dream vanished as i closed my eyes inside it and soon vanished also.

After waking up in real life as my hybrid from again. It seemed i was really gone. My mind only tracted the same as what i had in my dream. I was weirded out at first why i wasn’t in a tree where i last slept. I cackled to myself and stood up on fours and shook myself off. I felt odd, My body felt like something was stuck to it. I turned and noticed the clothing on me. What were these? I tried to bite at them and get them off at times. But they were tough and i couldn’t pull them off or rip them. I soon ended up giving up after 10mins trying to pull these strange things off me. My mind ran into why i was in a hollow. So i followed it out and down the tunnel. But it was blocked at the end. Yet i could smell something. There was a smell that was past the wall. So I crept closer. I put my nose to the crack in the doorway and soon used my body to push forwards. The wall moved and made me dart back by the sudden movement. I cackled at it to say stop. But there wasn’t a response. I slowly crept again to it and pushed on it with my hands. It soon flung the door open and made me drop to my fours again halfway out of the door way.

Munk slightly jumped as the door to my room suddenly flung fastly open and hit the back with a thud. He turned around to see me standing at the door way and oh’d for a moment before giving me a wave.

“Hey how you doing?” Munk asked.

I didn’t respond. I just watched the stranger yap about something before i sniffed in their direction. They didn’t smell like a foe. But i kept weary about their appearance. Soon i stepped out and stuck to the side of the wall for safety as i sniffed around looking over the strange room and things on the floor. The ‘toys’ smelt of me and the floor.

“Uh Spots?” Munk asked again.

My head shot up and i looked to the stranger. I wasn’t sure how he knew my name. But that name seemed to be me. I gave out a cackle squeak in his direct asking in animal how he knew my name. But it just made him tilt his head. So i tried a right hand wave in the air pointing a little in his direction. But they still seemed confused.

“Uh guys. Spots here. But he seems…Out of it. Anyone know what’s going on?” Munk questioned as they side glanced to the computer. I kept my stance on him and wondered what he was doing. Watching his every move if he was gonna be a threat.

In a short time of Munk just kinda sitting still. I went back to sniffing around the place again aimlessly exploring the place and the smells around.

“He’s what? Gone? Mentally gone?” Munk said and only to me was mumble.

“Dusty. Do you remember or not. Cause if he’s FERAL mind right now. I shouldn’t be here if he gets spooked. I don’t wanna have to spray down my place with anti skunk stuff.” Munk mumbled.

“Ok. I didn’t get enough time to setup for him. He woke earlier than expected. So i need to get that and then lock down the place.” Munk mumbled.

I came across a scent i smelled before and explored the inside of it. It was the bucket sleeping place that Rogar was laying in to try to sleep in. But didn’t. His smell wasn’t a foe. But still strange. I started ignoring the yapping from the strange animal person in the room talking to a wall.

“Ok. He’s inside Rogars sleeper box. I’ll quickly get his night food out and lock the place up. If he’s gone deep down. He’s probably gonna try to find ways to get into things. Or out. So i’ll join you guys in my burrow after i get this place secured. Be right back.” Munk mumbled again.

When i heard movements of Munk getting off the strange box he sat on before. My head hit the top of Rogar’s box ceiling as i tried to push myself quickly out. Only when i did i got slammed onto my butt as i turned to see Munk rushing to my burrow door. But it wasn’t my door it was another. Soon he disappeared behind the wall. I could just hear few faint tip taps before they vanished. So i quickly bounced over to the place Munk vanished to and tried padding at the wall. But it didn’t budge. Even pushing it and stomping on it. The door didn’t move. I tried to look around to find a way maybe it had something else to open it. Like something to pull. But the thing for that was so high from my view. But i tried anyways by jumping up and i managed to get the handle of the door. After bit of flipping about and scratching the bottom with my feet claws. The door finally opened. But didn’t seem to be because of me. But Munk soon came back in. “Oh shoot. Sorry.” He mentioned as he noticed i jumped off from holding on the handle and darted back with tail up in surprised at how he appeared again. How did he do that?!

Munk slowly stepped back and slowly walked over to the end of the room to set a few boxes down on the sides. He spread them apart and made double sure the water machine worked. Then he quickly turned and walked to the middle of the room to open the floor before quickly jumping in and letting the door shut behind.

I just stood there watching this weird creature frail around like a goof before i went to explore the floor that he disappeared into again. But no matter how much of scratching or trying to dig up the floor to open like they did. It didn’t budge.

In the burrow. Munk quickly rushed onto another computer phone and turned on the lock system to lock the computer room down. Closing off from anything coming in or leaving it. But he made sure that my burrow entrance was left unlocked for me to return.

“I’m back. He’s secured.” Munk mentioned on voice.

I soon gave up after a little bit of failing to get the hatch open. But my mind soon waved to the boxes the creature brought. So i wandered over to them and sniffed them. They had aroma of delicious food smell. Some feral shrew bodies, mice, bugs, some fruits, and other great foods i picked up. So i started ripping up the boxes apart and went to work eating the contents inside them. Then i used the strange puddle thing to drink some water by lapping it up with my tongue.

Since i couldn’t leave and it was still early for me. I spent last 8 hours exploring the room. Foraging the food, drinking. I also went to the bathroom at times to, I wasn't sure how i knew how to go with these strange clothes on. But i did.

After a while I found that same wall that i came out of and clawed it enough to get it open. Then a familiar smell of where i woke up and the scent of it smelling like home whiffed in my nose. I traveled back down it to find the soft strange bed that i slept on. I sniffed about around pawing at it with my hands double checking it wasn’t alive and it was really my smell.  It was and was safe. So after curling back up into a nice ball to tuck my tail in front of myself. I closed my eyes with a light snort and let myself go to sleep again.

The Final Trial

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                                                                        Part 10. The Final Trial.

As i entered my dream again. The forest was gone. I was just sitting in what looked like a plains field of dirt. And i noticed in front of me a feral spotted skunk with my eye color of blue sitting same way as i was on it’s butt with fore paws on ground like a dog or cat sitting up. I raised a hand to look at it and found i was human again. But what i noticed is the animal in front of me also mimicked my motion of raising a hand and looking it over. I tried to say something. But i ended up making a chatter chitter sound. But oddly the skunk spoke my voice. “Hello?” It said. I blinked and shook my head. It mimicked me again same way. I tried speaking again but the noise i made was just animal clatter. “What’s going on?” It spoke. I soon started to realize what i chittered about. The voice came from the animal. So i soon bent down and laid on my belly to match the size of the animal. It did same as me laying on the floor staring up at me.

For awhile i just kinda checked out the animal. But as time gone by. I started noticing how the animal seemed to shift. Almost like it was becoming human and i was becoming animal. Our bodies slowly changed over time and realizations started playing in my mind of everything translating from between me and it. Like i was understanding how in sync i was with it and using the animal chatter to know what i was saying or meaning depending on the tone, pitch, vocals differences, and noises i made. Even some of my motions translated into a language that wasn’t audible but more of motion to show a meaning. Once the form of each other of the same and it looked like i was in a mirror looking at myself. It soon started to fade. Like it did it’s job and all the stuff needed finally didn’t need to be there for me to understand anymore. It did it’s job. I felt me again in both ways. Understanding the animal me and the human me. All the traits i ran with and underwent. I understood it all and knew to survive i needed to use both to make my way in life.

With that. The forest slowly merged back into visibility. I stood taller than before. But i still knew the dangers it had. Yet the beauty it also had behind it. The new feelings i under gone was just the start of what was to become. The present was now. With a breath of the forest. I gave a animal cry as a goodbye for the help it taught me. Then i soon closed my eyes and vanished from its grounds.

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After that i soon woke up with a slight jerk and took a deep breath as if i was holding it. Coughing a bit like i had something go down the wrong pipe. Shaking myself as i sat up and looked around with a chatter chitter if anything was around. When there was no response i knew i was back again in my quiet secure safe burrow. The smells i knew and understand it’s safety. I could only give a sigh. I now knew that change was over. But the connection was still there that couldn’t be broken. So i understood the balance of the two sides to be kept together.

I also started to slowly remember last night. The way i feraled out completely. Like i knew i was there. But my connection with my human side was barely there like i was asleep. Only knowing faint things and stuff i encountered before. But most of it was new for my animal way almost. Even though it kinda knew some also it still kept more more curious of things still and alert.

As i sat there recoming my realization. I soon after a little while got on my fours again and walked out of my burrow and down the tunnel. After i got to the door i pressed a hand claw pad onto it and slowly opened it up to see what was on the other side. Munk was surprisingly sitting at his desk as i saw a ear twist and he turned slowly to look at me again. I sighed and gave a nod as i crawled out of the doorway and let it shut behind me.

“You back?” Munk questioned.

For a moment i was silent as i walked over to my chair and jumped onto it to sit down. “Yeah i’m here again.” I told as i looked over. “Sorry. I…” I was going to tell him. But Munk held a hand claw up and shook his head.

“Dusty informed me what likely was happening. And others to mentioned it. I never seen a person gone so deep they were just a normal animal. But only Rogar and Wolf sometime visit most times. So yeah. Was troubling that i had a feral minded hybrid wandering my place. I felt like if i made wrong choice i’d tip you off into making a very big judgement. So i tried to haste out of the way. Sorry i had to lock you in here. But for your safety i didn’t want you escaping and getting lost in the woods for reals. And getting into other stuff you probably shouldn’t.” Munk explained.

“It was new. It’s hard to explain. But i could feel me. But i just felt… basic. If you could say. Like things were simpler.” I tried explaining.

“Yeah. So how was the uh. Dream?” Munk said.

“Similar. It basically put me in the role of being a animal full down. Everything i learned and all the traits i got to understand were put into full swing. It ran for a full day in it and when i fell asleep. I woke up doing that. And after i fell asleep from that. It was over. The only thing left is a merge kind of effect where i slowly started to understand both my half sides together and work as one. To balance the animal and human sides correctly.” I mentioned.

“Whoa. That’s pretty crazy. Even after that dream you still were animal feral. But still you. Just didn’t have the full cue of everything?” Munk said.

“Even from the dream and out. I knew my animal self. But like the human mean of logic and sorts was minimum. I still could recognize you based on your smell. Knowing you weren’t a creature to kill me or a threat foe. But i still had that ‘worry’ feel of if i should trust you. Your actions were strange. And when you spoke. I didn’t really understand you much. But that time you called out to me is when i wondered how you knew my name. You probably saw how i looked when you called to me right?” I told.

Munk nodded again. “Yeah when i said Spots. You flicked your head up and looked to me. But with a strange look as if i said something strange.” Munk said.

I nodded back. “But since you weren’t really anything i should worry about. I went back to exploring. Even though i had a faint understanding i knew the place. It felt like i wanted to understand it more by finding little things about it.” I told.

“That’s interesting. So the guys wanna know if you’d be up to talk. They also wanna hear about your time in yourself and how deep you got into your animal self.” Munk said.

I chuckled and nodded as i grabbed my headphones and put them around my neck.

Another fun chat talk was soon to come.

Finally opening up.