The next day when Jon's alarm clock played some annoying DJ's chatter at him he bounced out of bed, eager to see what changes had occurred,he was faintly disappointed that everything seemed the same as he got ready and went downstairs for breakfast.
His younger sister Zoe was already there, like fifteen year old girls the world over Zoe was a rather angry young woman, she expressed her inchoate rage through dramatic and shocking clothes and make up, she was a Goth. Jon left her to it, as far as he was concerned she had every right to wear what she liked but he did feel bad that she seemed so bitter and sarcastic all the time - she used to be a sweet kid, until their dad left and moved in with a bimbo half his age. Next to Zoe was Mikey, he was only eleven so he still went to the Primary school, fortunately the Secondary and Primary schools were right next to one another, Mikey was OK but could be a bit of a brat sometimes. Linda, Jon's very attractive thirty something mother rushed around getting breakfast ready. She worked in a solicitors office in the city centre and was a little distracted with getting herself and her three children ready to leave.
Jon left with the stone in it's box safely stashed away in his school bag, He met up with Karyn at their usual spot next to Johnston's the convenience store and the two friends walked to school together
" Jon, do you have the rock," whispered Karyn,
"of course, I have it somewhere safe. I have been thinking about your situation..."
Karyn squirmed in what was an obviously ill fitting school blouse and bra.
" Yeah, any chance you can do something about this Jon, this is a real pain, none of my clothes fit and it is sort of embarrassing you know?"
At this point they had turned the corner and were surrounded by hundreds of other pupils all going to their school.
" Talk to you about it later OK?" Jon said.
"No probs Jon, hey do you still want to help me with my Art project after school today?"
"Sure thing - I was thinking there must be a bunch of cool stuff down at the shore to use for a still life subject, I could meet up with you after school along the road at the bay?"
"Oh totally, but I have to do a couple of things after school, can I meet you there at about half four?" said Karyn with a hopeful look.
" OK", Jon said, " That will give me time to get changed out of my school uniform."
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, Sarah McMillan gave them some grief but no more so than usual and the two friends left school, parting company so Jon could go home and Karyn could do her thing.
Jon went down to the shore, the bay was really nothing much, just a small roughly U shaped inlet that had some rock formations at it's eastern end and a rather coarse beach along the west, the beach was often full of flotsam and jetsam, washed up on the shore - Jon spotted some gnarled branches, some cool looking colourful pebbles and a few other things as he beach combed waiting for Karyn, he gathered the more promising items in a pile and continued east towards the rock pools, he spotted something odd in one of the deeper pools, it looked at first like a grey leather jacket or possibly some sort of dead sea creature but as he got closer he realised that the mottled grey and black shapeless mas was the skin of a grey seal.
"Wow," thought Jon, moving closer and using a stick to drag it towards him, "this is awesome."
After a minute of failing to quite get it he was able to drag it onto the rocks and he reached out to touch it, expecting it to be cold and clammy, instead it was warm and soft, it felt alive. As Jon lifted it up it unfurled revealing it to be a complete skin including the head and flippers of an Atlantic Grey Seal. Jon felt a strange compulsion take him, turning he went back to the shore and began to strip, carefully he folded his clothes and put them in his backpack, he made sure the stone was safe and weighed his belongings down with one of the larger rocks. Now completely naked Jon walked towards the water with the skin draped over his arm, reaching the edge he quickly slipped into the skin and hopped forward, as he did so he toppled forward so that he was on his belly, using the flippers and an undulating motion Jon, now a seal quickly went further away from the shore, soon he was swimming out into The Forth, as he did so he could hear the cries of other seals and, curious and also somehow drawn to them he soon made his way further out to sea.
Author's note:
Glossary - Secondary school = High School/middle school- 12 - 18 years old, Primary school = Elementary school (5 - 12 years old).
