"What the hell is happening in here?" Dan was beside himself. He saw Sue nervously glance over at the living room. Following her gaze through the French doors, he thought he saw an odd-looking board game set up on the floor.
"Please, Dan, for your own sake you've got to get out of here!" Sue pleaded, grabbing him. Unfortunately, she instinctively grabbed him with more than two of her arms.
Dan jumped back out of her reach when he saw her extra appendages sticking out from the sweatshirt, and he also thought he saw bare breasts under there which seemed unusually low on her body.
"No way. I want some answers." He pushed the living room doors open. Huddled in the corner, previously out of sight, were three figures. The most recognizable was a girl that looked like Hannah, except for certain feline features and contorted limbs. Next to her was an intimidating lion man, looking almost like Dave in highly-realistic animal makeup. The third was a horrifying bat creature whose giant leathery wings were folded guardedly around him.
"Oh my god," was all Dan could muster as his voice failed him.
"Dan, don't worry, it's us. We might look frightening on the outside, but we're not going to hurt you," the bat screeched. It sounded almost like Terry's voice.
"He's frozen," Tom muttered. Trotting closer to him--which seemed like a one hundred-meter dash for the small centaur--Tom called up to his friend. "Dan! It's me, Terry! It's us!"
Seeing the tiny centaur on the floor, as if it was a toy come to life, jolted Dan out of his shock. "Terry? Guys? I--I don't..."
The lonely board attracted everyone's attention as it began to glow. The top card was blown off the stack by an invisible, unfelt breeze. Sue walked over to pick it up.
Your interference is the cause
Of this game's unneeded pause.
You will watch them all continue
As a change is made within you.
Immediately, Dan felt dizzy. His clothes suddenly felt like large robes engulfing him as the ceiling above zoomed higher and higher. His vision split into thousands of tiny geometric images of the room. His skin hardened into a dark exoskeleton and his hair disappeared into his skull while two long tendrils formed antennae on his head. A pair of thin, gangly arms with no hands burst out of his sides as his other arms changed to match them. His back tingled as transparent insect wings grew out. He fell to his six legs among the pile of clothes that now dwarfed his tiny body.
The five players watched in horror as they saw the fly which had been their friend dart around the room, buzzing in confusion and panic.
"Well, that's for barging in here," Dave scoffed.
Terry slapped him, accidentally cutting his arm with his claws. Dave roared in defiance and bared his teeth.
"He didn't deserve that! He just wanted his stupid sweater!" Terry motioned at Sue, who was still holding it in one of her arms. "He would have left us alone!"
"He obviously didn't," the lion scowled. "If you really want to help him, AND us, then let's beat this game."
The others silently agreed and gathered around the board once more. Dan buzzed irritably around a lamp by the window.
"Well, it was my turn..." Tom said, trying hard to ignore his cursed friend.