Kat and Dan appeared in a dark alley. Dan looked around and found herself repulsed by the smell. Everything stank of unnatural steel and concrete. There didn't seem to be a tree or blade of grass anywhere.
"Now where did you take us?" Dan asked.
"The question isn't where but ... when," Kat said.
Dan shook her head. "This is insane. What the hell happened to my life? First, you're telling me you're a witch. Okay I can accept that ... I guess. Then, you change my species and my freaking gender!"
"Um Dan, you asked for that. You know to free your friend and all," Kat replied.
"Yeah but I didn't think it would actually work! Okay, I'm glad he's a human and a male again but I'm not sure I can take myself seriously as a female skunk," Dan said.
"Well, we're sisters now, even if we're a different species. So, we'll be closer. Think of it that way," Kat said.
It was true that Dan and Kat hadn’t of gotten along since Kat had turned 13. When they were kids, they'd be inseparable. Dan wasn’t sure they could go back to that but was willing to try.
Dan looked around the alley and up into the sky. Dark grey clouds shrouded the stars. The dark purple buildings seemed to stretch for an eternity into the sky.
"That's nice and all Kat but I might not get the chance! You're saying that Mom and Dad want you to turn me into an animal! I mean, a fucking animal! You guys would get to have a great future and everything and I'd just be forgotton like I'm some character in a TV show that gets killed off and no one cares!" Dan said.
"Dan I..."
"I know we don't get along as much as we used to but how would you feel if someone told you that you have to be an animal for the rest of your life and there was nothing you could do about it! I choose this form because I thought it was a way to not be some dumb common animal!" Dan said, pointing to herself.
"Dan, just give me a second," Kat said.
Dan held out her right hand to stop Kat. "What worse is, you guys would have gotten away with it? It's like on TV when a character has something horrible happen to him and the main characters barley bat an eyelash. Their lives arn't over or so badly damaged that they wish they were dead. Ever think that those characters wanted to live? How would you feel if your life was thrown down the shitter and no one cared?"
"Dan, I'm sorry. I ... I thought it was funny at first. But, before you strange me or something, once I realised that this wasen't a joke where I'd change you back after a little while, I felt terrible. That's why I gave you a choice," Kat said.
Dan nodded. "I'm sorry for yelling but ... it just isn't fair!"
"I know Dan. That's why I've you into the future. Anyway, we're 75 years in the future. I doubt Mom and Dad would still be around now," Kat said.
"Yeah but what kind of future is it?" Dan asked.
Kat shrugged her shoulders. "How the hell should I know?"
Dan walked out of the alley and into the streets. There was no traffic and only a few people. Unfortunately, the people that Dan saw were all wearing uniforms.
Dashing back into the alley, Dan grabbed Kat's shirt.
"You need to get us out of here! There are only cops on the streets! What if this is like one of those things where the future is evil because we went forward in time? Everyone might be looking for us!"
Kat pushed Dan's hands away.
"Relax, I can always zap us to some other place or time," Kat said.
Dan had a thought. "That or you can make us invisible so we can explore a little bit."
Kat grinned. "That's the spirit. Now, stand close."
Dan stood close enough to hug Kat. "Not that close! You *are* a skunk, remember?" Kat said.
"Oh come on, I can't smell that bad!" Dan said.
Dan started smelling herself with worry that there was an odour she couldn’t detect without effort.
Kat sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come Dan, I was just kidding around with you."
Dan looked at Kat. "Say, this may sound stupid but if I'm a girl, does that mean I'm going to start liking guys?" Dan shuddered at the thought.
"I don't know ... probably," Kat replied. She waved her wand around a few times, and Dan felt a tingle. "There, we're invisible. No, not to each other so doesn’t go and get any weird ideas like running around nude. I don't need to see that!"
"Wait a second, I might end up liking guys? That's nasty!" Dan said.
"Shhh, they can still hear us! Look Dan, the idea of being with a girl is nasty to me. We'll find a way to reverse this. But first, let's take a look around," Kat said.
Dan pawed at her shirt. With the combination of her fur and the clothes, she was hot. She was already starting to sweat.
“Kat,” Dan whispered.
“What is it Dan?” Kat asked.
“I’m hot,” Dan said.
Kat looked at Dan and sighed. “Okay, you’re a beautiful skunk girl, I get it.”
Dan grinned. “No, I mean … you think I’m, beautiful?”
“Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, yeah,” Kat said, fidgeting. "Sure, why not?"
“Thanks but what I meant is, I’m hot as in, too warm. Do I have to wear the clothes?” Dan asked.
Kat squinted at Dan. “Since when are you all are into running around nude?”
“You're the one that mentioned it! Anyway, the idea is appealing. No one would see us. Who knows, maybe something about being a skunk made me this way. Perhaps I always was like this on the inside and turning me into a female skunk unlocked it?” Dan said.
“What if the spell that I transfered to you is making you have desires you don’t normally have? Don’t you get it Dan, it could be brainwashing you to be like that!”
Dan gasped and stamped her right foot. “It *is* like brainwashing. We think animals are all stupid and perverted. Yet, their instincts sometimes force them to do things. Damn it, I want to do these things. It’s like someone is telling me to do them and something is leaving me dangerously open to suggestion. Said thing tells me to do something and I want to do it to the point where I can’t image wanting different,” Dan said.
“Hold it right there!”
Dan and Kat looked to see that three of the officers that were patrolling the streets were looking in their direction. One of them had a visor on and was looking in the area.
“Disengage whatever camouflage device you’re using and surrender!” the lead cop said.
Kat grabbed Dan’s right arm and pulled her to the right. Dan felt her stomach tighten as she watched the cops look for them. The last thing she wanted (or needed) was to be arrested, especially when she had no idea what this future was like.
“Let’s try to find a bar or something to hide in,” Kat whispered.
“But I thought you made us invisible,” Dan asked.
“I just made the light bend around us. They might be able to see if they look in other…”
“Parts of the spectrum like infrared or ultraviolet. If they did a thermal scan they also might see us, I get it,” Dan whispered.
Kat led Dan down the dark streets. As they walked, Dan found herself feeling more vulnerable. While she was far from weak in her skunk form, she knew that others would see her as a freak. With her mind more focused, she was able to remember books she’d read in school about dystopian worlds. If the future fit into that category, Dan had a feeling that a skunkette would be far from welcome with open arms by the populace.
They found a bar twenty minutes later. Dan could smell the smoke and hear the loud music in the air. Kat looked back and forth before dropping the invisibility shield.
“Okay, we can talk in there,” Kat said.
“In a bar? Kat, we’re underage. Why go to a bar instead of a library? Why didn’t you just send us back home?” Dan asked.
“Do you want to go back to a place where our parents want you to be an animal?” Kat asked.
“No even though I am an animal … sort of,” Dan said.
“If you think our age is a problem, then just give me a minute,” Kat said.
Dan’s eyes went wide. She had a feeling Kat intended to make them older. She may have liked the idea of growing up faster before all of this. However, now that she knew that would also mean losing years of her life, she didn’t like it. She expressed her concerns to Kat.
“Relax Dan, it’s not like we’ll stay older. Anyway, if I wanted to, I could turn you into an infant, erase your memories and put you up for adoption. But, I won’t do that to you,” Kat said.
“All right, all right. How old do you want to make us?” Dan asked.
“You’ll be 21 and I’ll be 23. Not that much older,” Kat said.
“Fine,” Dan said.
Kat waved her wand and Dan felt herself grow a little taller as her body developed. Her clothes were tight for a few seconds before they adjusted to her new size. She felt more knowledge flow into her mind. Being female felt natural to her now. When it was done, physically, she was a twenty one-year-old skunk woman and Kat a twenty-three year old human woman.
“Not bad Dan,” Kat said.
“Wait a minute. If I’m 21 now, I wonder if I have powers,” Dan said. Kat looked at Dan incredulously. “You did say the female members of the family get these powers when we turn 18. Since I’m now female…”
“Let’s dwell on that later. Come on,” Kat said.
The duo walked up the stairs and into the bar. Dan saw that there were few people there. She felt self-conscious about being a skunk. However, most of the people there paid her and Kat little attention. The duo took a seat.
“I wonder what happened to make the world like this?” Dan asked.
“Just order something to drink,” Kat said.
Dan looked around the bar and then down at her body. “I don’t know Kat, we have no idea how alcohol would react to my physiology. Anyway, given the issue I mentioned before, should I end up uninhibited, I may end behaving unusually.”
“Geeze Dan, I know you said you’re smarter, but just relax,” Kat said.
A waiter came over to the duo’s table. He was a bearded full-figured man that appeared to be in his forties.
“What can I get you young ladies today?” he asked.
Dan was surprised that the man didn’t ask for identification but chose not to dwell on it.
“A beer please,” Kat said.
“What would you recommend?” Dan asked.
Dan saw Kat shoot her a look and assumed Kat was expecting Dan to order the same thing.
“Pablo makes a fine Irish Coffee,” the man said.
“Great, I’ll have one of those,” Dan said.
The man left and Dan looked at Kat. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit strong?” Kat asked.
“I don’t know, I’ve never drank before,” Dan said.
“Whatever. Anyway, how do you suggest we find out what kind of a world this is?” Kat asked.
Dan gave it some thought.
“Why not pretend we’re studying for a history test and ask him something? It sounds crazy but it could work. I mean, he didn’t think anything of me, so other such creatures must exist now. Why not ask him something about that?” Dan asked.
Kat shrugged her shoulders. “I guess it’s worth a try.”