Eric Jones couldn't believe it..
Human. He was human again. A man...
He had lived in Hedgeton all his life, idealising how peaceful the town was. It wasn't quite a town where everyone knew everyone, but it was certainly small, yet big enough to hide in if one wanted to.
He had changed the first day, when the sun became so strangely colourful. What he had become, he felt ridiculed and ashamed of. He wasn't sure quite what it was... maybe all things in combination? First of all, he had become- a teenager. Not really so bad all things considered. Having fifteen years of his life back might be considered a bonus. Though he quickly realised, it wasn't quite as good as he thought. He had also... became female. That was bad enough... but then, to also become some kind of 'skunk' creature? For some reason in that form, he found he tended to 'talk' like a teenager too.
Eric didn't have many friends. Those from his old life, had long gone. He was glad he didn't have to go to school again (fortunately.) Most of his abilities were still intact, although he did find he had to learn a few things all over again. Things like... speaking properly. Or writing a cheque.
He quickly realised, his favourite bars wouldn't let him drink there without showing identification. To make matters even worse, all his identification showed his old self, and apparently, this was becoming a useful trick to some of the changed.
A lot of bars had add opted the policy that if you looked too young, they wouldn't serve you. As a sweet petite sixteen year old skunk-girl, she was unable to get.. anything.
Then of course, was the problem with her fiancée... they were supposed to get married. After the sun changed her, she had ran away and she never saw her again. She just couldn't even phone her again. What would she possibly say?
At least she still had a her job.
That was probably the only thing she had at this point.
Then the miracle...
He was human. Back to his old self. He was already making plans. First of all, he would call his fiancée, next he would move some place they would never be changed by the sun. Maybe they could go to live in Norway? He wasn't sure but he heard they had very little sunlight there, most of the year... Or even one of the government sponsored shelters he had heard of.
Eric sighed as he looked around. All that was assuming, they could get back to Earth. Their town was lost, in another world... a place that felt familiar in some ways. Still it was paradise... he could actually be himself here. Not a skunk-girl.. He was almost starting to get used to people calling him Erica! God how he wanted to punch them when they called him that!
He glanced in surprised as buildings started to flicker and move. Right in front of him, a crystalline structure appeared from nowhere. He jumped back startle. "Wh-What's going on?"
The town around suddenly started to shift and change. Fortunately not so much where he was, it seemed to be concentrated around the center of town. He ran towards the outskirts. He became vaguely aware of a tingling feeling.. a familiar one when he first changed.
He saw his hand flickering between its human form, and that very familiar girlish hand he was forced to use. His hair became long, and he was aware of a white tinge across the top field of his eyes.
No! Not again! No!
He ran as quickly as he could aware from the strand disturbance, trying to escape changing back.... he bumped into a camera man who was also running around.
"Who are you!" Eric asked
Peter stared dumbfounded at the being in front of him, who seemed to be flickering much like the town was.
"I- I'm just the camera man!"
Eric groaned. "Come on. We have to get out of here!"
Haru stared as the television showed the town flickering in and out of existance. The three eyed girl though could see something strange. Something only she could see.
"N-No!" she shouted. Space was being compressed and stretched... it was all there, plain as day on the news. But more then that, this bending was placing an undue strain on the unseen dimension. Time itself. If they kept pushing reality too far, there was no telling what that would do!
She could see time slowing.. stopping.. speeding up... encompassing space like a patchwork cloth, as someone tried to wrap it into a ball, squeezing two different sheets together.
She could see a huge build up of energy, as something in reality seemed to oscillate. It reminded her of those videos of an atomic bomb going off, though instead of nuclear energy this was space time itself.
What would happen if it went off?
Riley continued to try joining the two aspects of the town together... but reality just refused to bend. She could feel a powerful force, pushing against her.
You are.. not authorised...
Riley blinked. The words were clear. Who was that? She had to do this though! The fact that she was one though could not be denied. It was not just a number.. it was who she was! Whatever force was pushing against her, she knew it had to yield to that.
Parts of the town slowly started to return to Earth... but only small pockets. Suddenly she could feel something snap.
Time itself, had just unwound itself loose from reality, like a loose thread. She quickly tried to 'sew' it back into place, but this was not an energy she understood. Fortunately, it snapped back on its own into space, like kissing a wound on a bruised reality...
Cutting her losses, she brought what she could with her...
To he dismay, the edges of the town still existed in the alien world, while parts of it also lead back to Earth. She wasn't sure how stable it was, but it seemed to be okay for now.
Haru stared at the television and shielded her eyes "T-Too bright!" She said gasping. The screen flickered with the number one. They danced in the screen, then seemed to jump 'out' of the television filling her entire view with the number one. The oriental girl fearfully ran to her parents.
"Its okay sweety..." her mother said. "The towns' coming back."
"N-Not all of it, and.. and..." how can she possibly describe what she saw? All these strange symbols, digging right inside her... even with her eyes closed, she could still see the number one, hovering in her field of vision, inescapable.
Jon received the call from Karyn at this point. The slug girl was expecting it.
"Jon.. have you been watching the news?"
"Yes."
"Did you use the stone?!" She practically screamed it.
"I swear I didn't! Something else is going on." Jon was very quick to say it.
"Okay... are you sure you still have the stone? Someone else isn't using it are they?"
Jon had not thought of that.. she quickly went to the drawer to look at it in mid panic. She felt a sense of relief seeing it. "Yes.. its still here..." The stone gave a soft glow suddenly, as if responding to.. something. "Weird..."
"What's wrong?"
"The stone.. glowed. It's not glowing any more though."
Karyn paused. "That's not all.. Part of the town's come back" she said watching the television.
