The loud noises go off all around her. Marina runs, desperate to escape, knowing that those loud sounds mean pain. Mean injury. Mean death. She’s not sure why she knows that, but something in her mind tells her that even though these creatures that pursue her are smaller, weaker than she is, they are clever and the long sticks they carry deliver death in a flash of flame and a sound of thunder.
She runs through the forest, searching for shelter but finding none. No caves to hide in, no trees sturdy enough to support her bulk. It’s hopeless. The creatures with the sticks and flame and thunder and death will catch up, they will take aim, and she will die.
But then, a clearing. A wide open space, only it’s not occupied. There are others of her kind, and they are ready. She knows what she must do. She turns, she stops, she faces her pursuer. Four females and three males now stand strong alongside her, a unified front against the creature seeking their death. The moment Marina and her companions lunge for the creature, the moment she makes impact against it…
***
Marina awakes, gently pulling the mask off her face. Felt a little tighter than it did when she went to sleep, but she paid that no mind. She also paid no mind to the fact that her thighs were now thick enough to have split the seams on her pajama pants. She paid no mind to the fact that her torso was a bit broader and taller, exposing her midriff. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care that when she gripped the armrest on the couch to push herself up, her fingernails punctured the leather.
There were two things that she knew for sure. One: she had to meet back up with Garth posthaste. Two: there were others she had to find. That feeling from the dream stuck by her. She needed to find everyone else.
“Huh,” Marina grunted, not quite noticing the deeper, more husky tone her voice carried. “Should’a gotten his phone number.”
Then she gave that concept some thought. Why would she need his phone number? She remember his scent well enough. She’ll be able to find him. And he’ll be able to find her.
Marina pondered for a moment what she would wear. She wanted to look good, as even though they had only met for a very brief amount of time, she liked him and wanted him to like her.
While she was thinking, she idly scratched an itch on her thigh. She was a little startled to hear a sharp rip, and looked down to see that she had sheared through her pajama pants. A light tug removed the whole garment, and she held it up and regarded it curiously.
“Damn,” she growled in a little frustration, “I liked those.”
She perused her outfits, a little stunned at how many of them were way too small.
“How’d I ever get these things to fit me?” she asked herself aloud, before finding an oversized pair of sweatpants that would work. She pulled them on, and they fit very snugly, almost like spandex leggings.
“Nice,” she said, pleased with how the snug pants accentuated her curves. She pulled out an oversized t-shirt, certain that every last bra she had was way too small, and pulled it on. Like the sweatpants, the shirt fit tightly, her belly exposed.
She looked out the window. Dusk had fallen. She supposed she should have been bothered that she spent most of the day asleep, but it felt appropriate. It was getting cold out, after all.
“Well, time to head out,” she said, satisfied with how she looked. She hoped he liked big butts as much as he liked bear (bare?) feet. She certainly liked what she saw and smelled with him, and she hoped he reciprocated.