Ransom the Shapeshifter: Part Two (special preview)

You sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting the robe as it felt tight around your waist. Maybe your uniform, for all you knew it was someone else’s in that locker. You glanced around the room, feeling the darkness and the many boxes encroaching upon you.

The numbness in your limbs had gone into your fingers and toes now. You flexed your fingers, noticing a scar along the back of your hand. You had never had a scar there before. It looked, almost, like it was stabbed.

The last thing you can remember is going into the cryo chambers and handing your glasses off. You couldn’t remember anything else at all. And you certainly weren’t upon the Juniperus. You opened the bottle Ransom had given you, dumping out some of the pills into your hand. You studied them, making sure they were just normal pills. You took one, and sat still for a moment.

You closed your eyes, taking purposeful breaths.

The first time you met the Wizard was by accident. You had gotten separated from your troop, pushed down a ravine and somehow found yourself inside a cave. You were trying to contact the others when the entrance to the cave grew dark. The large figure of the Wizard stood there, dipping down inside then stretched out his arm towards you.

“Shit.” You held your head in your hands as the tingle became a prickle. You laid down on the bed, keeping your eyes closed. You stretched out your limbs, flexing your fingers. Everything was still and quiet, and the wind beating outside began to soften. You breathed, still waiting to see if those pills worked.

Ransom’s eyes came to you. He was handsome, weird, but in an intriguing sort of way. You thought of his hands, his long fingers and perfectly shaped nails. You began to relax, sinking back into the bed.

“Country road. Take me home.”

You opened your eyes wide at the singing. Above you on the ceiling you saw a shapeless morphing void. The cloak-like frame waved in a nonexistent breeze, and glowing eyes peered out from under the void-filled hood. A silvery hand reached out towards you.

You opened your mouth to exclaim but his hand covered it.

“We’ve met once before.” The wizard murmured. He dripped down closer from the ceiling, hovering just above you. “It’s not polite to scream at old friends. Especially one who saved your life.”

You shook your head, but the prickling became worse, and it turned painful as you moved.

“You didn’t take three, did you?” The wizard sighed. “Won’t work with just one.” he shifted, turning into a long, shadowed figure with no distinguishing characteristics. He sat down beside you on the bed, picking up the bottle of pills. The head turned back and glanced at you. There were no eyes on his face, but you could feel him staring.

“It has been a while.” He brushed back your hair away from your face. “Your cryo chamber didn’t go through the necessary steps to wake you. Your body is having to go through this process on its own. Poor thing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Surely you know how the cryo chambers work?” The wizard scoffed.

“Not that! About how you think you saved my life!” Your lung filled with needles and you flopped back against the bed in pain.

“They really scrambled your brains, didn’t they?” The wizard kept his hand upon your face. “In that cave, I was the real danger. Someone else was waiting for you to make the wrong move.”

Sweat was pouring down your face, your body was cramping up like a crumpled ball of paper.

The wizard tapped two pills into his palm and placed them into an unseen mouth. He leaned over you, kissing you and prying open your mouth. His tongue fed you the pills, sliding them to your throat. His fingers stroked there, making you swallow like a dog.