//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 The Search 
// Story: Is This Me? 
// by The-Third 
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It had been a couple weeks since Emilee returned, and I have been living in her basement. The shell has fully covered me and my whole body feels like it is being snapped in two. My parents are starting to see that something is up. Luckily, Emilee has been covering for me. Even though it's kind of creepy to see your friend shift into yourself. I think that Emilee isn't quite fond of it either. She has been trying to get me to be able to correctly shift into my own form as soon as possible. I can almost do it, but I can never get rid of my wings. I look like Maximum Ride or something, looking like a normal human being except with wings, the only difference was hers being avian and mine looking like I'm some kind of beetle. 

"Luke?" I heard Emilee calling down for me

"I'm here" I said in a weird voice, my voice has changed similar to how Emilee in her new natural form, a bit of a squeaky voice, it usually sounds like it was put through some kind of voice changer, although I do have voice cracks. My life now feels like I'm going through an even worse version of puberty. 

"Alright, Luke. Did you get any closer to it working?" she asked.

"I don't think so, I can get my shape and details down, even my voice. The only problem are these damn wings."

"Alright, I just want you to get used to our new form, we're going to have to stay this way." I nodded, that was the most likely outcome

"Unless, Emilee! what if we don't? What if we try to find whoever did this to us, and find a way to fix it."

"I don't know Luke, is that a good idea."

I took another attempt, once again a failure, I couldn't change form correctly to save my life "Why wouldn't it be? What do we have to lose that we already have lost. do you want me to list what we have lost. Freedom, we lost the ability to eat. Eat, eating anything can kill us! We lost the ability to have children, unless we marry each other, and honestly I don't think I like you like that. We might have years taken from our life, we don't know the life expectancy of changers or whatever you said we are"

"You mean changelings?" Emilee corrected me on my mistake

"Yeah, but my point is that if we just sit here we lose so much, but if we try we can be humans again" I took one last attempt, this time succeeding, having a silent victory, Emilee and I started heading upstairs.

"I guess your right" Emilee finally caved in.

"Then we start searching Friday night" I said

Have I mentioned how disgusting a changelings eating habits are yet? Love, belch! Not only does it taste terrible, but my entire family is weaker than usual just because my new body needs to survive. How my family doesn't notice the pink stream slowly moving from me to them at random times is anyone's guess. What my real question is though, is how the hell I can survive off of love, I'm may not be a biologist, but I'm pretty sure that love doesn't hold any energy. Whatever it is I'm sure it makes no sense, just like the rest of the living hellhole that is now my life.

Which is why I want to not be a changeling, I'm sure it would be great if it was temporary, or even if I didn't have to eat love, that's really the only drawback. I mean, I do look kind of badass.

That's basically what I was thinking about when I went to meet Emilee at the local Park, I was taking a jog outside when I was kidnapped, it was funny, I was training to join the Cross Country team at my school, and I would of made it if I didn't go on that jog

My thoughts were interrupted by Emilee "I think I found Something"

I ran over to her pushing away some brush, revealing a small shed with an open door, leading down to a dim room.

"Shall We?" I asked as I went down the stairs, motioning for her to come along

She slowly closed the door behind us as we ventured down into the unknown