My nose wrinkled in a curious way as the acrid scent of burnt ozone and stale rain woke me from an unexpected slumber. The open sky lay above me, and my back rested on a sleeping bag supported by layers of cardboard boxes. A tarp A-frame whipped in the wind behind me, causing my ear to twitch. My ear twitched?
Pushing myself upright, I found myself on the roof of a decaying skyscraper. A surreal quality permeated my surroundings: the chaotic wind, the golden light of the setting sun, and the verdant patches of overgrown gardens atop neighboring skyscrapers. Drones traced pathways of light through the twilight sky, darting in and out of dark buildings, like firefly's in a graveyard. The wind whipped around, and though the air felt bracing to breathe, I wasn't cold.
Confused and disoriented, I stood up. My body responded with remarkable agility, and my clothes clung loosely to my slender frame. I was in loose joggers, a sleeveless hoodie, and fingerless gloves. I didn't even need to look at them to know they were designed for mobility. Part of me wanted to stretch and bound across the AC units, scaffolding, and garden boxes that littered the rooftop.
Something beneath my eyes seemed out of place. It looked like I was wearing a mask, but I didn't feel the presence of any such device. I touched my cheek, trying to make sense of the discord between my eyes and face, but only became more confused. My hand brushed against a decidedly fuzzy and decidedly feline muzzle rather than a human nose and mouth. I could feel a small triangular nose above long whiskers, and a little cleft where my lips curved to meet my nose. My chin was so small and cute, and bearing my teeth I found sharp needle like fangs. I blinked and continued my inspection to the top of my head. There, I felt no hair, just soft fur, and then pointy ears atop my head instead of on the sides.
"What in the...?" I purred in a voice far deeper and smoother than I was accustomed to.
My gaze dropped to my hand, suddenly noticing the long slender digits with black pads on my palms and fingertips. Each finger tapered to slender sharp claws. I steadied my heart and looked around, quickly locating a shard of broken mirror propped up against some old crates. The reflection that greeted me was like that of a Siamese cat, but comfortably human. The figure had expressive whisker-like eyebrows, striking blue almond-shaped eyes, and a slender, sapien body. My hands, muzzle, and face were shimmering black, but the rest of me was covered in smooth cream fur. The realization dawned on me with surprise but not fear.
"This..." I stated out loud, "was one of the figures in the mirror." My hands continued to explore my new form. I was so lightweight and lean, and yet my shoulders felt powerful.
"At least I'm still slender, but what's with all this fur?"
My hands touched my chest, and I scrunched up my muzzle in a dissatisfied expression. "I'm like a boy." I continued to investigate my wide flat chest when the realization hit me.
My thoughts screeched to a halt. The mirror had once shown me as a boy. Did that mean...?
My paw darted to my groin, where I felt something I'd only ever seen on others. I jerked my hands back as if I had touched a hot pan. My eyes widened. "Oh no. No, no, no no! I'm a guy?" I whined.
A tail I hadn't noticed before flicked irritably behind me, echoing the internal turmoil my mind couldn't quite process.
Surrounding me, the city sprawled in various states of disrepair and decay. Neon signs flickered sporadically, like desperate gasps for attention. Odd devices clung to window frames, mingling tech and talismans. Buildings that once scraped the skies now appeared lonely, many of their windows dark. Despite visible technology hinting at a once-prosperous city, an air of desolation prevailed. Even from this height, the streets seemed nearly empty, adding to the sense that this place was a shell of its former self.
This nightmarish reality seemed to resonate with my own internal state. I felt an impending sense of dread settle in the pit of my new feline stomach. How had this come to be? How was this even possible? Overwhelmed, I screamed. It was frenzied, and feline, and feral.
Taking a deep breath that did nothing to calm the whirlwind of my thoughts, I looked toward the horizon. If I was here, did that mean everyone else...? My heart leapt. I was alone, and that meant they were too. If I was the cat person from the mirror, then all the other faces that had looked back at us were now the faces of Eli and the others. I had to remember what they looked like. Our only chances of finding each other lay in those faces in the looking glass. I had to remember every detail of every feature. I had to be sure I would recognize them.
The anxiety of surviving in a foreign world and an alien body threatened to overcome me, but I had a more important purpose. I had to remember the faces of my friends!
