An ancient and forgotten civilization, its name completely lost to time, was the source of many of the mystical artifacts spread about our world. One such object was the Amulet of the Animal.
Very few knew it existed, and even fewer fully understood its power.
What is known about is this; the amulet will grant its power to any woman who is or has descended from that ancient civilization, letting them changes themselves or others into more beastlike forms at will.
However, the amulet is capricious, and it will punish anybody who isn't part of that forgotten bloodline. Those regular folks that come into wear it or who come into close contact with its bearer will be affected by its power without any direct way to control it once changes begin.
The amulet will respond to; the next animal name its wearer says, the physical contact of another animal, or the untold yearning of the wearer's heart if their will is not strong enough.
The location of the amulet was unknown for eons, until now that is. A 19-year old college girl named Kelly was in town browsing the local shops. She was a natural redhead with blue eyes, standing around 5'3", Kelly was considered cute by most who knew her.
"What's this?" she said, hefting the amulet in her hands, some dust and grime coated it, dulling its brilliance, but a few stones glittered on its surface, set in between patterns and symbols she didn't recognize.
"Hhhmm?" said the old man that ran the shop, as he squinted at the dull metal in her hand. He shrugged, "Just some old necklace, it came in with a load of other antique jewelry. Twenty-Five Dollars."
Kelly squinted at it herself. It looked more than a little out of date, but underneath all that grime she got the feeling it was well made. "Deal" she said, opening her purse and pulling out the cash, she slapped it on the counter before exiting the shop. She put the amulet in her purse then turned on the main street and began walking toward her apartment.
On the way home she bumped into her friend Erica, who was a brown-eyed Asian girl a couple of inches shorter than Kelly. They chatted for a while, and eventually decided that Erica would come stay the night with Kelly, due to Kelly's roommate being out of town.
Little did they know that the amulets power would soon be influencing both of them, and their night would be anything but normal.