//------------------------------// // Comfort // Story: Love and Tolerance // by Final_Draft //------------------------------// Love and Tolerance My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic © Hasbro & Lauren Faust By: TOO S0BER --***::: Chapter 9 :::***-- Comfort Relief. That's what I felt as we finally left the 'best mall ever' behind. Just like when we had driven to the mall in the first place, the ride was uneventful. I was having enough trouble with previous events, and therefore didn't dare turn on the radio; the last thing I needed was to blow a fuse listening to that radio guy again. Truthfully I was still irritated by his comments the first time. As I sat in the car, I rested my head on the arm rest connected to the door, eager to sleep. I knew it would throw off my schedule, but right now I didn't give a damn. My head throbbed and ached in every which way I was familiar with. For some reason I felt various conflicting emotions, and began to wonder if this was another gender switch problem, or just too much excitement. I couldn't really pin it down. I felt agitated at the way the day had gone, but nothing specific really came to mind. Anger could be felt simmering in my mind, but again the acute source just eluded me. There did appear to be some good points, as relief and even joy occasionally permeated the dark fog; but even so, the details just wouldn't come to light. It was frustrating, confusing, and oddly, comforting all at the same time – like a puzzle that had yet to be solved. I hate puzzles. Well, whatever it was, I hoped it wasn't permanent – like many things today. I began to drift off to sleep, the steady motions of the black SUV eased my uneasy mind into oblivion. Slowly my tensed body relaxed, and I was fully supported by the car seat, arm rest and the door itself. Ashley and Shelby, both in the back seat, were having some conversation, but the topic zoned out as my ears tuned out the sounds of existence. Even so I wasn't allowed much of a respite. Due to being half asleep, I didn't take notice when the vehicle had come to a stop at my apartment complex. “Hey,” a deep voice that had to be Marcus said from my left, and I felt my ear twist. “wake up sleepy.” I jerked awake with a snort, “Who, wha –?” and blinked several times while swiveling my head back and forth. My vision was still blurry, so I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes with my wri – did I even still have a wrist? After that was done, I stared at my hoof and pouted. Ugh... “No time for bed yet sleepy,” Marcus said, and only now did I catch that the dark human was changing his voice to match Sméagol's; which was something that he often did after we had seen a movie. I was a tad too tired to laugh, and wasn't really in the mood either, so I just half smiled. He was still trying to cheer me up, and even though I appreciated the attempt, I just wanted solitude right now. The day was taxing despite. Marcus seemed to catch the hint, whether I was giving one or not (I wasn't really trying to, I was just that tired), and dropped the act. After a moment, he removed his dark shades and peered listlessly at me, before asking, “I know this has to be the most redundant question today, buuut,” he smirked a little, before it quickly waned, “are you going to be okay?” I blinked slowly, my brain's processing power diminished. Was I going to be okay? I honestly didn't know. The day held more than I bargained for – both good and bad. The people closest to me, with maybe a couple exceptions, now knew about what had happened to me; and appeared to take the situation, mostly, in stride. Coworkers and strangers? Meh. They can either accept it or not, because simply there was no way to change it (that I knew of anyways). Part of that decision was made extremely easy, thanks to the revelation that Ashley was transformed, as well as a not-insignificant portion of the world. My species being changed, as unimaginable as it was, was simply mind boggling enough. Suddenly I felt immensely grateful that Marcus had shown up and dragged me out of the apartment. God, I couldn't imagine dealing with this and thinking that I was the only one this had happened to. How can anyone deal with that kind of stress and not knowing? I shuddered at the thought. Then there was that other change to consider. That I had no idea how to handle becoming female was a huge understatement. Even mundane problems like going to the bathroom, hell, even choosing which bathroom to go to was confusing as hell. I knew I wasn't acting like myself. The mood swings, possibly due to my brain producing different chemicals now, were bad enough as it was. Sanity now seemed like a much more front and center issue than before. I didn't know the first thing about being female; let alone a mare. Even more disturbing was the fact that my new equine body shockingly resembled those of the characters from that cartoon show that Shelby, and apparently Marcus too, loved. As impossible or unlikely as it sounded, surely the show wasn't involved in whatever happened. That would be ludicrous... right? And if so, who, or what, might benefit from changing a portion of the population into ponies? And if those mystery enigmas weren't enough to consider, what about other groups that would react to this? I've already seen some of the bad parts: the teenagers at the mall, my younger brother Dan, that older cop, and even more disturbing were those last three individuals with the odd robes whom I still couldn't pin down. Even though that identification eluded me, I got that feeling it wasn't something good – and that wasn't simply because they had glared at me. Well, despite all of this, not everything was bad. My thoughts turned to Ashley, and the fact that a real relationship might be possible. Long have I wanted to be with her in a romantic way. And even though it may have been my imagination, I could have sworn that that look in the theater was some kind of clue. It was impossible to tell, but it... I stopped those thoughts in their tracks, and felt my face burn slightly. While I was excited for that prospect, I still had some... issues to deal with before making my decision on how to pursue this. Maybe I can... My thoughts were interrupted when the interior of the car started to shake. “Ah-ahk!” I panicked, and used my forehooves to throw off whatever was violently jerking me. Unfortunately, my surprise mixed with my flailing caused me to fall into the foot of the passenger seat... on my head. For the second... no, third, time that day I was upside down, and sprawled out in a compromising position. My body was smaller, sure, but I was still cramped up in the small space meant for feet, and not a pony's body. “Agh! Marcus!” I grunted angrily while trying to right myself to no avail. I simply had no room to move! Arrugh! Dumb pony body. I pouted at my uncomfortable predicament. For once he didn't wear that trolling smirk on his face, and he reached over to drag me out from the floor, while apologizing mildly. Although when he plopped me back on the chair, I still had to maneuver to sit back down. It took maybe a minute, and it didn't help that the onlookers in the backseat were snickering at me. I turned to glare at him, but stopped cold when I saw his worried grimace. “What is it?” I asked, perhaps a little more tersely than intended. “You spaced out there for a moment,” he replied. To confirm, I glanced back at Ashley and Shelby; they both nodded in response, and shared that same look of concern. For the next few seconds I switched my gaze between the three of them. They were simply worried for me. Was it that noticeable how much this was affecting me? Was I really zoning out like a zombie? That's never happened to me before. Come to think of it, it has happened more than just once today; like back in the movie theater and... I think it's happening again right now... That was confirmed when I saw Marcus' hand edge towards me again, and I blocked it with a hoof. “I'm okay you guys,” I said with a smile, and chuckled to add a little emphasis. “really, I am. I'll be okay...” “Are you sure big brother?” Shelby leaned forward in her seat, resting her hands on the middle arm rest. My grin grew, and I put a hoof on my little sister's hand for assurance, “I'm sure squirt.” Outwardly I kept up my 'happy' demeanor, but inwardly I was frustrated that I couldn't actually 'grasp' her hand with my own. The blunt hooves made that impossible, and I had to fight back an exasperated groan. If for nothing else than to keep up the facade. Shelby smiled wide, beaming at me, before sitting back in the car seat; she was apparently satisfied with my answer. I glanced over at Ashley, and she seemed worse for wear. Her large brown eyes were drawn to the floor, and an intense frown tugged the corners of her mouth downwards. I blinked, and thought maybe it should have been us asking Ashley if she was all right. What's eating her? I wondered, my eyes switched back and forth between her own, and my wings fluttered again on my back. She looked like she wanted to be alone, much like how I felt right now, the look of some forlorn sadness deep within. The unicorn probably wanted nothing more than solitude at this moment, no one pestering her with conversation... So, I decided to ask anyways, “Are you going to be okay?” For some reason the simple question felt like an intrusion, but I had to know. I was more concerned for her than myself. Ashley didn't answer, but her ears pasted back on her head; I wasn't sure if that meant she hadn't heard me, or if she did and my words, somehow, made things worse. Now I partially knew why she was miffed when I had done the same thing outside the concession stand. I rolled my eyes and stated a bit more loudly, “Earth to Ashley! Hello? Anyone home?” The unicorn blinked rapidly, and turned her eyes to me. As predicted she questioned, “Huh?” I smirked at the irony, and repeated my question. The annoyance at being ignored initially evaporated, and was replaced by relief that Ashley wasn't a basket case... yet. Oh God I hoped that didn't happen. And truthfully, I was beginning to wonder if either of us would need a therapist by the week's end. Unpleasant thought! Ack! Physically I shook the thought away with my eyes closed, and then refocused on Ashley – whom had an eyebrow cocked at me. In my peripheral vision, Marcus and Shelby wore similar looks. Probably wondering what I was doing, and why. They all appeared to let it slide though, as none of them bothered to inquire further. “Uh,” Ashley spoke up, and she seemed to struggle with the words as her ears were still glued down. “I'll be... fine... Sam, don't worry about me. I just need some... rest... I guess.” I stared at her a while longer with a semi-flat look. It was perhaps the most unconvincing statement I'd ever heard – I've gotten more convincing arguments from my idiot friends on Live, and at least one of them was a compulsive liar... Still, it felt wrong to press the subject, so I kept my orange muzzle shut. Without turning, I looked at Marcus, and he didn't believe a single word either; likewise though, he stayed quiet. If Ashley wanted to talk, or if it was direly important, then she would; I had no doubt about that. But even so I wanted to help, wanted to make her feel better, and part of me felt horrible for not doing so right then and there. I huffed lightly, and let the subject drop. Assuming that the silence was cue to leave, I started hoofing at the little metal lever that would release the door. The recessed cavity and narrow handle was simply too small, but I was convinced that, with the tips of my hooves, I could get it. I just needed a little more grip... or catch or whatever! A couple times I almost had the damned thing, when it slipped from my hooves and clacked back in place with a thump. “Arrugh!” I groaned in heated frustration. “Want me to –?” Marcus asked. “NO!” I nearly shouted, anger building in my face as I whirled to face him. “No! I can get it!” He shrugged and propped his head on the steering wheel, enjoying the show with a small smirk. I blushed lightly and he cocked an eyebrow at me. Jackass. A couple more attempts go by before I finally gave up on using my hooves. Damn it this was harder than I thought! I moved on by trying to use one of my dexterous wings; they were able to pick up a paper cup, and were small and thin like fingers. Maybe they could open the blasted door when hooves failed. I wrapped the first few feathers on the tip of my right wing around the metal handle, and pulled. The lever came halfway out before it just wouldn't budge any further. I could feel it in the way the mechanism was catching; another half an inch and the door would have opened. The feathery wings lacked the strength to overpower the latch; that, and what felt like a muscle cramp was forming in my right shoulder. Arrugh! Dumb door! The wing slipped and I jerked back into the car seat, knocked slightly for a loop. When I recovered I growled in frustration, and glared daggers at the door handle that kept me prisoner. Damn it! I fumed. Hooves were too thick, but had the strength needed to pull the thing out all the way. Wingtips were small enough to wrap around the handle, but weren't strong enough to open the door. It was like one of those maddening conundrums, that no matter what you did there was no way to win without the other piece, with the condition that you had to win to get that final piece! Arrugh! I stomped my hoof on the leather cushion, ready to give up... Oh! A little light bulb flashed in my brain as a stroke of inspiration hit me. I grinned maniacally, then gave the door latch a mischievous glare. That should work... I wrapped my wingtip around the handle – just like before – and pulled until the thing caught – just like before. This time I didn't try to overpower the thing, and simply held it out. Now I lifted up my hoof, and placed that tip under the handle; there was just enough room to get just enough hoof to keep the thing from snapping back in place. I pulled with that hoof, and just like that the door clicked open. “Hah!” I elated. Victory was mine! Eat that, damned door! I glanced back at the others, and wore a confident, even cocky, smirk. Marcus rolled his eyes and had his palm to his forehead, while Ashley smiled and shook her head. Both of them were amused at my glee of success for what was essentially a mundane and trivial task. Meh, I didn't care, I was proud of myself and was going to enjoy it! In response, I stuck my tongue out at them, while sticking my nose in the air with my eyes closed. Take that! We all chuckled at the light-hearted fun. Marcus handed me my things – key ring, cell phone and wallet. It wasn't a big deal really, I already knew that the wings, when folded down, could hold on to a few things. I held the wing open almost like a pocket, and he placed them inside when I gestured at him. Marcus seemed unsure about the technique, but I assured him it would work out. With that, I said my goodbyes and jumped out of the car, then pushed the door closed – I imagined that they were eager to get home too. Marcus still had to run Shelby and Ashley home before he could finally relax after this taxing day. I watched the black SUV as it pulled out into the traffic, and continued watching until it disappeared from sight. It almost pained me to see them go, but there would be a next time, and probably soon; I still had two more days off, plus the rest of today – er, tonight. The sun was close to setting, as the cloudy sky was painted a breath-taking collage of oranges, reds, and purples all smeared together like a water-color painting. Just over the mountains, the fiery orb that breathed life into our planet hung halfway behind the behemoths. For lack of a better word, the scene was beautiful. Perhaps the only thing that marred the perfect sight was that strange anomaly that ominously floated in the air. I wonder how many sunsets I'll see while I'm like this... Strangely, as that thought crossed my mind, I felt indifferent about the whole situation. The mood was completely unlike me, or was it more like me? It was getting more difficult to recall what had been me, and what was me now, and... damn it that doesn't make sense! “Arrugh!” I groaned aloud, then stared flatly at the sky. “Friggin' mood swings, I swear!” Those were going to get me in a lot of trouble someday if I didn't get control of them soon... egh, another problem for tomorrow I guess... sleep now... “Guess I'd better get this over with...” I muttered to myself, my gaze fixed on the glass and wood double doors that led to the leasing office. From here, it was the only entrance into the apartment complex, and there was always at least one worker inside, plus one of the numerous managers. They were all usually really nice, and in the ten months or so that I've been a tenant, there weren't any problems with the apartment. The only times we really interacted was when I needed to pick up a package that was too large for the small, assigned mailbox. I took a deep breath, and made my way across the tarmac and to the door. I placed a hoof on the wood paneling... and paused. Maybe I didn't have to go through this after all. I could just trot over to the east side gate and bypass as much as possible to my domicile, avoiding as much human contact as I could. The very idea was tantalizing, and I wanted it badly; the longing removed my hoof from the door by a few inches... then it joined the other three on the concrete. The door became smaller as I backpedaled away slowly. Yeah, I'll just... I'll visit tomorrow... yeah... I'll do that. Oh come on! My mind exasperated at me. You can't keep avoiding this! Stop being a damned baby and get it over with! Similar words I'd just spoken to myself echoed in my brain. And suddenly I was increasingly annoyed with myself as a frown splayed across my face, and my brow furrowed; was I really that afraid of interacting with the people in the office? It felt so utterly ridiculous that, again today, I wanted to kick myself. I just didn't know what this was supposed to be; fear, anxiety... what? Maybe I thought their reaction would be the same as that hallway back in the theater, and would result in a mental breakdown like before. Before I could think on it any further, I took a deep breath and forced myself through the door. __---***::::::***---__         The sun had nearly disappeared completely below the horizon as I trotted my way to the east side gate, my flat look still plastered on my face. I stopped in place to rub my aching jaw and neck again with my hoof, the muscles still sore and throbbing. When I tried to go through the main office door, I failed to notice the 'Sorry, we are closed' sign right in the middle of the glass. Determined to show my furry face to the office employees, I smacked myself right in the jaw, and promptly collapsed on the ground, and reeled in surprise. I had sat in front of the door for almost five minutes, working my brain to figure out what was wrong. I grumbled after I trotted into the dimly lit parking lot. The space was pretty typical; two lanes of parking spaces, most occupied by a myriad species of automobiles, with maybe the scarce empty slot here and there. To my left was the various, evenly spaced, multi-floored buildings that were the 'units' of apartments, along with the well-kept grassy grounds. To my right was the 'assigned' parking, basically just covered parking that tenants could get for an extra twenty dollars a month, and after that was a two and a half meter high cinder block wall. Ahead of me the identical stretch of road loomed on in the darkness, bathed in random blotches of light that emanated from various porch lights. My apartment was towards the back end of the complex, quite a walk away. It may have been slightly shorter to go through the grounds itself, but the parking lot was always pretty secluded at this time of early evening. Aaand I may as well milk my 'misfortune' of not being able to reveal myself to others from here. The night was calm; eerie, but completely calm. Perhaps the only sound that occasionally cut through the silence was the rare chirp of a cricket. The gentle kiss of the night time breeze brushed passed the fur that covered me from head to toe – hoof; or would that be tail now...? I pressed on, knowing that I had some distance to cover. Even though I was tired, and wanted my bed, I trotted slowly more or less. The cool night time air was relaxing, therapeutic even, and put my mind at ease. Taking a walk outside was one of the occasional things I did. I let my mind blank while I slowed to a ponderous walk, unfocused and not thinking of anything in particular. After a minute or two of walking, it dawned on me that it became effortless now to use four legs. For some reason I thought the triumph was anti-climactic; like it should have been far more difficult than it actually was. “Meh,” I muttered aloud passively. I weaved my way between a couple cars, which was surprisingly easy, given my new size, and found the sidewalk that connected. The grounds themselves were always well kept, and made for pleasant scenery. The buildings that made up the apartments circled a more open area with a smartly laid out path of concrete sidewalks and seemingly randomly spaced trees surrounded by grass, and trimmed bushes. Every several yards there was a light source that made everything easier to see – and that made the area a little more safe. Even though it didn't look like it, I was surrounded by people – they were just in their homes watching television, eating dinner, asleep, or whatever else people did at home. A few doors were open and illuminated with light, their occupants occasionally visible as they moved about. Just as with the lot, it was mostly quiet; in fact, the clip-clop of my hooves on the concrete was perhaps the most dominant sound that invaded my ears... any chance of stealth was somewhat shot. Clip, clop. Clip, clop... I still wasn't used to the sound of my own hooves – it sounded like those spiked high heels when they clunked down a hard surfaced hallway. I stopped and stared down at my hoof, slightly irritated by the sound. A moment later I began walking again, proceeding down the path. Clip, clop. Clip, clop... Over the pace of a few seconds, my blank look turned into a frown. I know the clip-clopping hoof noises are... new and weird, but they sounded even more odd than I thought they should have. The hell... it was like I had twice the hooves as 'normal'. I halted again, and the noise immediately stopped – as it should have. I sat back on my haunches and stared at my forehooves. Why the hell did they sound so weird now? I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure this crap out. When nothing appeared to be out of place, I sighed, then got back to my hooves and repeated my slow walk... Clip, clop. Clip, clop. Almost immediately the weirdness resumed, and I growled in annoyance, “Dumb hooves! I swear this is going to get old real qui –” I started to quietly berate myself, then my ears twisted to some other noise behind me. “Gyah!” I screamed, utterly startled by the noise. I was completely certain that I had been 'alone' out here on the sidewalk, and the sudden sound directly behind me scared me half to death! It was a soft sound, but anything you're not expecting may as well be as loud as a gunshot. My four legs went as stiff as sticks, the muscle spasm sent me straight up into the air; those few inches were enough to make me lose balance completely and fall onto the, now I realized wet, grass. During that, my wings had gone erect and dropped my three belongings as well. As I lay there on the grass, the sound that practically made me pee myself continued on; and I recognized it. It was laughter. Well, not really laughter, just stifled giggling – and I guessed it was at my expense now that I was collapsed on the grass. I lifted my half-wet head to stare... … and was met with another equine. The pony laughing at me with a hoof to her mouth was a dark teal-ish color – or a dark green, it was hard to tell in this light. The mane and tail were two-toned, like my own, except they were shades of unnatural hair colors: a blueberry blue and a cool scarlet, almost plum purple color. Wow; what crazy super natural force determined these colors anyways? I'm orange, and this one is teal. Seriously!? Eventually she quit her giggling, and walked over to me with a big grin, “Sorry, I couldn't resist.” the mystery mare offered a hoof along with her apology... then took it back when it dawned on her that that gesture wouldn't work out the way it should have. With that she just grinned sheepishly. I picked myself up off the ground, and grimaced a little; my entire left side was soaked in the dew of the freshly watered grass, turning half my coat a significantly dark orange. Honestly, I couldn't make up my mind whether I should have been thrilled, or annoyed. Being scared half to death wasn't really any fun for me, I simply didn't like it. On the other hoof, I was finally meeting more of the ponified populace, and it put my mind at ease to actually see that I wasn't alone. “It's fine,” I said flatly while looking her over. I stared at her, and she stared back – with that grin still on her face. I got the feeling that she was overly happy to see me... and that made it all the more creepy; I had no idea who this was! When I glanced at her hooves, though, she had on white colored weight bands; the kind that people wore when they went running and wanted an extra challenge, along with a matching sweatband on her forehead. That meant that she must have been out for a late evening jog – which also meant she probably lived in the same complex. “So,” she broke the ice, which knocked me from my thoughts. “you live here too?” she gestured at me with a teal hoof. “Yeah,” I replied. “just got home from an...” I paused, and wondered if I should even continue. Although it would seem rude not to, I let out a breath through my nose, “... interesting day.” and decided to leave it at that. “Oh,” she said simply, even so her smile stayed present. “well that's good. Interesting days are always the best,” I mentally facehooved as she continued, “today was definitely a doozy.” she stared at her hoof, whilst still smiling, and simply turned it this way and that. Well, this is surreal. Throughout this short day, I never imagined that I'd meet someone that seemed so... indifferent about this. The mare before me didn't seem stressed, or confused, or frightened at all by the transformation that suddenly befell the world. If anything, she was excited about it. That practically confounded me, and I had to fight to keep balance again. There was something wrong with her, I could just feel it. “Anyways,” she had finished some rant while I was zoned out. Arrugh! It happened again! I need to stop that. “my name's Chloe. What's yours?” Chloe leaned forward towards me, and I couldn't help but recoil back a little; my wings partially lifted away from my back. Seems she didn't have much of a prospect for personal space. “I'm Sam.” “Ooh!” Chloe guffawed excitedly. “As in Samantha? I always liked that name, I want to give it to my first child if it's a girl...” she brought a thoughtful hoof to her chin as I stood there, waiting for my twitching eye to stop. Chloe suddenly stopped talking, frowned, and scrunched her forehead as though deep in thought. “Or would that be 'foal' or 'filly' now? Oh well, doesn't make that much difference I guess.” While Chloe continued to chatter about the differences between the two terms, I found my stuff resting on the grass, speckled with tiny droplets of water. I wasn't concerned about any of it getting ruined. A short dry would fix everything, and even the cell phone shouldn't be too damaged. I just deposited the cell phone back into my left wing, and made to pick up the wallet – when I noticed it was gone. Briefly my mind panicked at the missing billfold, until Chloe appeared next to me with the item in question in her mouth. With a smile, she dropped the thing in to join the phone. “Uh, thanks.” Chloe stared at my side for several moments. Just when I started to feel uncomfortable, she gasped; her grin went wide and she again leaned very close, invading my personal space. “Oh my gosh! You have wings! That's so cool; I wish I had wings!” I blushed at her guffawing at my wings, and my gaze was drawn to the ground with a nervous smile. “Uh, hehe, thanks I guess...” Jeez, when did I get so apprehensive? “Want to join me for a walk?” It seemed harmless enough, so I said yes. During that conversation, we'd started walking on the sidewalk path again. Chloe asked, no, interrogated, me on everything to do with the wings. Actually, I didn't get a chance to say too much, as every time I answered a question she'd go on a rant that started off relevant, then moved on to completely random tangents. I maybe got out that I was called a 'pegasus', that I'd already flew (and crashed) once, and a couple other things. In a way I found it kind of cute... Gyah! I blushed and twitched at the thought. No, no, no, no! Stop it brain! “So?” Chloe asked while looking at me with her big blue eyes while we trotted. “Huh?” I said in return. She cocked an eyebrow at me, and I apologized, “Sorry, I spaced. What did you say?” At my comment her smile waned, and she looked at the ground. Oh boy, what did I say now? “What's wrong?” “Oh, it's nothing,” Chloe said, none too convincingly. “Come on,” I nudged her with my elbow. “you can tell me.” I smiled back at her, and it seemed to lift her spirit. “I'll be okay,” Chloe insisted. “Well, if you wanna talk about it...” I made my genuine offer. She simply nodded, and we walked on in silence for a few minutes. I pondered just what Chloe had been about to say, and wondered if it was truly 'nothing'. “Did you just wake up like this too?” I asked, and was curious if Chloe had had anything like the crazy day I had. “Yeah, I think just about everyone that was turned just 'woke up' like this.” Chloe stated. “I dunno, I think it's kind of interesting maybe? Waking up in a new body; it's almost like a new toy at Christmas!” Chloe added jubilantly. Her attitude at the whole thing was surprising; and maybe a little refreshing. The reactions of Ashley and myself were less than optimistic... or at least at first. Then I noticed that she was only wearing the exercise weights and head band. In fact, Chloe didn't have a horn or wings. Even though I didn't really want to, I recalled the radioman's words: 'And most aren't even normal ponies, as if that were a plus'... I guessed that since Chloe wasn't a unicorn or pegasus, then that meant she was one of the 'normal' ponies. The show had a name for them, but it eluded me. Just like with many things, I should have paid closer attention. It may have been a bit intrusive, but I had to ask, “So you're... comfortable... walking around without clothes?” For once, what would have normally been an awkward question, asking it didn't make me blush. Thank god. Chloe stared blankly at me for a moment, and I was about to apologize again before her hoof could make hard contact with my face, when she chuckled. Wait, what? “No, silly!” she actually called me silly, and I blinked in confusion. “Ponies don't need clothes. And besides, nothing right now would fit anyways! These weights and sweatband are the only things I have that can still be worn without a hassle! And I'm already wearing a fur coat! Hah!” Chloe laughed at her own joke, and I couldn't help but chuckle. We chatted it up on some basic information then. Family, friends, etcetera. We both lived on out own, and did not yet have a specific goal in mind as far as careers went. Stories about how we woke up this morning were eerily similar; struggling to walk, first realizing what had happened via mirror (although reactions were opposite), as well as initial hesitation to go outside. We exchanged ages; she was twenty while I was a year older. I found out that Chloe was in the block right next to mine. That lead to her inquiring about me; that she knew, or at least knew of, everyone in the immediate vicinity, and didn't recall a 'Samantha' occupying any of the nearby apartments. That killed my mood faster than a work boot landing on a cockroach. “Uh, yeah,” I replied, hanging my head a little with my ears pasted back. “let's just say that more changed than just being a pony... and leave it at that?” I tried to drop the subject. Again she cocked an eyebrow at me, and I got the feeling Chloe didn't know what I was referring to, as she looked deep in thought. After a few seconds her eyes widened, and I assumed the dawning realization must have struck her – I was seeing that look a lot today, and it was starting to bug me. “Oh!” She finally said, and I waited for the inevitable. “Oh, you don't like being orange?” Thud. Okay! Not what I was expecting! “No!” I groaned, and got back on my hooves. “I... I've been...” I struggled with the words. Should I even bother telling her? Honestly, she was the first one today that didn't automatically pick up on it. I stared intently at the ground and muttered under my breath... “I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?” Chloe leaned a little closer, perking her pointed ears up. I sat back on my haunches, ears practically disappearing into my skull, and mumbled again. “Huh?” Chloe stuck a hoof tip in her pointed ear, and made like she was trying to clear her canal. “One more time?” My frustration was building, and I stared back at her with a bemused look, my cheeks burning. Even with the billboard's worth of facial signs I was giving Chloe, she didn't appear to notice as she waited obliviously for me to repeat myself. My God, was she really this dense!? “My name's not Samantha,” I said, being mindful of my volume, and got a blank stare in return. “my name is Sam... as in Samuel.” It took a few seconds to click for Chloe, but she held that same inquisitive look. “Oh, well why didn't you just say so?” “I didn't really want to in the first place...” I replied a little bitterly, and hung my head again. Before I knew it, Chloe was beside me, and choking me with a bear hug. “Don't worry, it's not that bad!” Chloe said cheerfully as I struggled to breathe. “Okay... great...” I wheezed, and tried to pull away. “can you let go, please?” “Oops!” Chloe released me, and I sucked in the air greedily. When I looked back to her, she had the cutest, sheepish grin, and I couldn't help but smile back. We held that stare on one another for... I honestly had no idea, but after a while, it dawned on me that it must have been pretty late. Chloe and I had spent a long time just talking while trotting laps around the complex. “Well,” I blinked, breaking the contest and the ice. “I think I should get going...” with that I stood up and stretched – rather awkwardly. It was kind of crazy just how different that sensation felt just because of the foreign body. The new joints most of all; one thing that didn't appear to change was the joints cracking when  I stretched. Ahhh... it felt good... “Okay,” Chloe's eyes portrayed that she was sad to see me go, but understood why. The mare turned away to trot on, and took a few steps before stopping again. “Hey.” she called out. I gave her my full attention, my ears stood straight up. Chloe paused, staring back at me with her friendly smile. That hesitation lasted several moments, and I was about to reply when she spoke a single word. “Goodnight.” My grin grew slightly, and I waved my goodbyes to her. I think I was in a better mood now than I had been the entire day. My concerns and trepidations were pushed away into the back of my mind, forgotten for the moment. I trotted happily towards my end of the complex, a smile on my face. Chloe was right; things wouldn't be so bad. And truthfully, even if they start out bad, they can only get better over time. Splat. I jumped – even though I had already been startled today – when something wet smacked my nose. I wrinkled it, the irritation unaccustomed, and looked up at the sky. It was completely dark; that meant it had somehow gotten extremely cloudy in the time since I was up at the office. Splat. Another droplet landed right on my forehead, and made me flinch. Oh ya, it's going to rain – and I'm still outside! Crap! I galloped off in the direction of my apartment as more drops began to darken the gray of the concrete, determined not to get a second shower today. __---***::::::***---__         Having things stuck to you sucks. I didn't make it inside the hallway for my unit, and got drenched as a result. Pretty much the same when I got in the shower; I felt immensely heavy, as though I were wearing a lead jacket, with my tail clinging to my hind legs. Once or twice I stopped and tried to separate the troublesome tail, mostly to minimize the chance of tripping. Likewise the two-toned brown mane hung just over my eyes, distorting my vision severely. After those initial attempts – and failures – I gave up in frustration and decided to just make the best of it. Seriously, how did people even deal with long hair!? This was ridiculous! I felt ridiculous! For the most part, my door was straight down; no twists or turns or (thank God) stairs to climb. And at this time of night, traffic would be minimal at most. Every door that bore an apartment number graciously stayed closed. Oddly enough, I found myself more concerned with being seen soaking wet than someone observing me as a pony. Just keep thinking positive Sam, I moaned in my head, and nodded my skull back and forth with each word. I felt cold and miserable and it simply didn't help much. Things can't get much wor – Ack! Don't think that! Do not think that! The last time those words crossed my mind, bad stuff friggin' happened! Namely that police officer and everything that foreshadowed as a result. Oh, that reminds me: I owe Marcus a sneaky check. Yes, I still planned on paying him back. The only reason he got that ticket was because of me, I was sure of it, and wasn't going to let him weasel his way out of it. I mean honestly, the whole thing was my fault. I knew it, he knew it, and therefore I had to make amends. Living with that mistake wasn't something I wanted to do. It was just one of those things that would eat, and eat, and eat away at my conscience... I stopped dead in my tracks, right in the hallway. Before me was the glass door that led out into the rainy night – somehow I had distracted myself and walked from one end of the unit to the other, right past my studio. I half chuckled at the thought, and said to myself, “Distracted pony is distracted, hehe...” while looking around to make sure I was indeed alone. What's crazier after all; an orange pegasus pony walking down the hall, or an orange pegasus pony walking down the hall and talking to herself? Heh, wouldn't have enjoyed trying to explain that. And I'm finally referring to myself as female, I realized, and groaned again. Still not used to this shit. Before another self-conversation could be sparked, I turned around and made my way back down the hall, focusing more on the numbers on the doors as they passed. I could find my apartment in my sleep, thanks to traveling back and forth from there to various other places, but for whatever reason I had gotten very distracted this time. Found it! I thought cheerfully, and a grin formed on my mouth. I stared at the keyhole that would unlock the deadbolt; I'd already formulated how I would do this, now I only hoped that it would go according to plan. I partially parted my left wing, which contained my stuff, and withdrew the key ring with my right wing. Finding which key I needed was easy enough; they were all distinguished, and there was only the, what, five keys? Meh. I laid down the cell phone and wallet on the floor so I could manipulate the key with both wings. The feather wrapped around the small piece of metal in the middle, and I let the rest of the key ring dangle. Now I braced my forehooves on the door to reach the lock, and inserted the teethed key. As expected, it slid in without a problem. I bit down on the key, my head crooked parallel to the floor; then twisted, the key turned, which slid the deadbolt to the side. Since the handle was, well, a handle, opening the door was made easy. I scooped up the phone along with the wallet, and deposited them on one of the end tables – like I always did, before shutting and locking the door. Sanctuary. I was now alone in the apartment. Alone; what a nice word. I thought about, maybe, trying to make something to eat, but it just felt too late and I was too tired; all I really wanted was to go to sleep. Only now that the excitement of the day was over and done with, did the three hours of sleep finally catch up with me. I trotted into the bathroom, and nosed the light switch when I braced against the same counter top where I'd discovered my 'new self' that morning. Yeesh, I looked tired. My eyes were nearly bloodshot; probably a combination of lack of sleep, as well as all the damned crying I did today. Mentally I tallied the number; it was small, but more than I would have liked. Despite being alone, I felt embarrassed at how many tears had rolled down my cheeks this day. After I was done looking at me in the mirror, I retrieved a couple of the towels I'd used to dry off earlier, and repeated those same motions after I took my morning shower. This time I succeeded in wrapping my mane up by using my wings, along with hooves, to manipulate the towel. Again I was surprised at how easy this was after just several hours of 'practice' in the new body. I walked back into the living room, wrapped in two towels, and nosed another light switch. The two lamps that sat on the pair of end tables flicked to life, bathing the dark studio in soft illumination. The immediate thing that drew my attention was the blood stain on the floor. The tiny red speck was even smaller than a dime, but still quite noticeable against the light brown carpet. Well, I'll have to get some rug machine to get that up probably. Egh, another problem for another day... I shrugged off the thought, and stuffed it to the back of my mind to bother me later. I hoofed the T.V remote, and the screen again flickered to life. The night time news was playing now, and there were two human male anchors delivering reiterations on the mystery transformation. I frowned a little, as I was kind of hoping that the anchor mare would still be on the air; at least once today, I wondered whether she had been fired or let go or whatever. It didn't really matter to me, but I was curious nonetheless. Anyways, I'd had enough news today, since most of it was bad. Hoofing the controller again, I changed the T.V's input, and activated the console. In ten seconds flat, the device started up and brought up the main menu. I laid a hoof on the right joystick, which manipulated the screen towards what I wanted. During that process I had received a couple game invites from friends... Sorry guys, I thought with a woeful smile. Not tonight – I'm not even sure if I can anymore. Since typing out an apologetic decline would have taken forever, I decided to just ignore them. Marcus was one of the people online, I saw when I checked the friends' list, but he didn't invite me to anything yet. He probably would want to chat, maybe, later. Just as when Shelby had done so at the house, I found Netflix and started it up. The application took its sweet time running, so I took the moment to unwrap and discard the towels on my mane and tail. They were mostly dry, perhaps slightly on the moist side... good enough. The movie menu finally loaded, and I started perusing the selection. I didn't really want to watch something new right now, and picked some old titles that I liked. Right now I basically just wanted some distraction to break the silence. In the past, on rough or stressful days, I would leave the T.V on when I went to sleep; somehow having the background noise and light helped to lull me to sleep. And with that I climbed my way onto the couch/bed hybrid and laid down on my side, both sets of hooves partially visible in my vision, with my cartoony head resting on the pillow. I must have been exhausted, as my body just went limp on the couch; I thought about moving, but my limbs just protested at the very thought, let alone actual effort. I focused on the screen, watching as armored troopers fought off robots with futuristic weaponry and vehicles. I recognized the movie as an action sci-fi war film, but at the same time, my brain was simply too fried to recall the title. Once more I felt that anesthetic on my brain, and my eyes drooped and finally closed, the only light I saw through my lids came from the T.V; and even that was very faint. I felt my ears fold back, and sound became more muffled. As my head began to turn off, the only real sensation I noted was the steady rising and falling of my fur-covered chest. After maybe another couple minutes, oblivion took me. __---***::::::***---__         Knock, knock, knock... I stirred in my sleep and whined aloud. Something was trying to rouse me from slumber, and I did not like it Sam I am! I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow. Silence pervaded the darkness again. Knock, knock, knock... Despite not wanting to, my ears perked up and twitched with each rhythmic knock. Damn pony ears. That full-on movement was so much more noticeable than their human counterparts. “Mpfiff mpmoor mphinits...” I mumbled complaining as I snuggled back down to sleep. Seems life hates me today, as... Knock, knock, knock., KNOCK! Arrugh! Whoever was at the fucking door better have a good reason. The knocks were getting louder and more insistent – they were not going to give up. I cracked my still burning eyes open, and twisted myself upside down, then glanced at the time: 1:25 A.M. Seriously!? Who is at the door at one-thirty in the damned morning! The fuck! Oh I was pissed. This was beyond rude and annoying; if that was a salesman at the door, so help me God, I was going to buck his damn teeth in and shove whatever he was selling straight up his ass! Mentally I tried to kick start my sleep-insistent body, and as I did so I tasted something odd. There was hair in my mouth – like, a lot of it. There was enough light from the T.V for me to see (the movie, a long one, was still playing). I looked down at my mouth, causing my eyes to go cross. In my sleep, my two-toned fuzzy tail was being hugged by my four limbs not unlike a stuffed animal, with the tip lodged in my muzzle. I blinked a couple times. Well, this was a new take on 'sucking your thumb' in your sleep... Knock, knock, knock. I grumbled, my face going flat as I forgot the tail-sucking entirely. Slowly, begrudgingly, and more than a little angrily, I moved off of the couch and made my way to the door. Unlocking was as easy as turning the deadbolt handle – I didn't bother with the security chains last night. I opened the door at the same time as my mouth, about to spew a litany of curses and promises of gruesome, gruesome violence... … when the door revealed a familiar, and very wet, gray unicorn. My words caught dead in my throat (thank God!), as I stared at Ashley in the hallway. Just like how I was earlier, she was soaked to the brim from horn to hoof – it must have still been a downpour outside. That black and green striped mane covered, literally, half of her face with just one brown eye showing; her tail likewise stuck messily to her dark gray fur. For the longest time we just stared at each other, and didn't say a single word. Eventually, I used a hoof to manually close my jaw, and cleared my throat to speak, “Ashley? Wha-what are you doing here?” I asked in astonishment, my anger and irritation utterly gone. She didn't answer with words, and instead her gaze drifted down to the hallway floor. Uh oh. Whatever, it didn't matter; I shuffled aside and ushered her in with a hoof, and spoke somewhat urgently, “Come in before you get sick!” Ashley's head bent low and she walked slowly into my apartment. Out of curiosity and suspicion, I checked the hallway – it was still empty. After that I closed and locked the door before turning my attention back to Ashley. How did she get here? My God, she didn't walk here did she, surely not in this weather!? My thoughts raced and repeated that likely notion. Ashley was about the same size as me, and therefore there was no way she could have driven her car here. The gray equine seemed in a trance when I looked at her face that wasn't covered by her mane – Ash just stared listlessly at the floor. And she was visibly shivering... I snapped myself out of my ponderous thoughts. Okay, answers later, warmth and dryness first! I retrieved a couple fresh towels, and spread one onto the couch bed, “Climb up here Ash,” I said worriedly. The words were also meant to not be a suggestion. After a moment's hesitation, she wordlessly climbed up the couch and onto the towel, resting her head on her outstretched forehooves. I went to cover her with the second towel, when she shook her head once. At that I gave her a bemused, flat look; she relented, and didn't argue again when I covered her small body with the towel. Okay, she would get dry soon, now I needed to work on the warmth part. I went to the pantry door, and grappled with the round knob. It took me a while, but finally my pincer-hoof grip managed to turn the damned thing and pull the door open. Inside was my rather limited pantry of canned foods and various cooking ingredients. Even though I preferred to make home-cooked meals, sometimes time constraints or just pure laziness would prevail; therefore I kept some quicker options on hand at all times. “Would you like some soup?” I offered. Although, my tone suggested that it wouldn't be an option. If Ash didn't warm up soon, she might catch some cold or something. She just laid there on the couch, in a sort of daze, and didn't seem to acknowledge my not-so questionable question. I stared back at her, just momentarily unsure how to proceed. I was more than worried; Ashley hasn't acted like this in... well, as far as I could currently recall, ever. What's wrong with her? Did something happen? Why was Ashley acting like this? What could have caused her to brave this monsoon to come to me? All this and more swam in my head, and my heartbeat skyrocketed. I wanted to ask, right then and there, pry the truth out of her just to put my own mind at ease. But I didn't; no matter how much I hated it, first thing's first. Instead I looked over the selection of canned soups, and picked one that I knew she would at least like a little: tomato. I bit the can's lip, and set it on the counter next to my dinky electric stove top. Fumbling underneath the cabinet, I grabbed the handle of a small saucepan in my mouth, then reared on the oven door to place it on an eye. I stared at the can of condensed soup again. How the hell was I supposed to open this? It was a newer can, and had that easy-open tab, which gratefully eliminated the need to use my can opener. I guess I'd just have to use my teeth – again. I bent down to chomp on the little metal handle, bracing the tin cylinder with my forehooves. My frustration grew each and every time as my teeth simply slipped off the damned tab. Then I realized that I didn't have the same teeth either. The sharper front teeth were replaced by flat, not-sharp ones. Damn it, if I had my old teeth I could have used them to get under the tab and wedge it up. Wait... wedge... leverage. Another small flash of brilliance hit me. I opened the small silverware drawer, and retrieved a butter knife with a wingtip. Just as what I attempted to do with my mouth, I wedged the knife's edge under the tab, and pressed the handle with my hoof. Success! The tab popped up and broke the seal on the can. I bent down again after discarding the knife, and bit the metal handle and pulled. The rest of the lid snapped off without protest, and I threw the thing in the trash. My wing picked up the now-open can, and I leaned against the stove, then emptied the contents into the small pot. I added a can's worth of tap water, and turned on the electric eye. During that whole, arduous process, my right ear kept turning back in Ashley's direction. She hadn't made so much as a peep while I prepared the soup. This only increased my worry as I slowly walked up next to her, and tried to hide my concern behind a fake smile. “Hey Ash,” I tried to get her attention. Once more, she didn't respond to my words. Oh dear. The utterly false smile disappeared. It must be bad. I just sat there and watched her. Only her left eye was visible to me; the right was obscured by her green-striped black mane, and her lower face was buried underneath her forehooves. The one-eyed gaze was fixated on the fabric of the couch, as though each individual strand of fuzz was her world. Ashley looked so... miserable. Why? What could have happened that made her behave like that? Cou-could it have been something I did or said...? No, no it couldn't be, I scavenged my brain for every word I'd said and scrutinized every action I made. Even though I might not have been able to remember everything, I was able to recall the events of today in stark detail. And I didn't see anything that really stood out; or at least nothing that warranted this. That, and it didn't make sense; if she was mad or upset at me, then why would she come here, of all places? Yet, I still felt this unjustified guilt; that Ashley feeling this way was somehow my fault. It simply broke my heart to see her like this. I had to do something. I checked on the soup. It was nowhere near ready, and I knew it – the distraction was more to mentally prepare myself for what I wanted to do. Next I walked back to the unchanged sight of the depressed Ashley, still laying down on my couch. I sat down on the floor, and waited for maybe a minute. When my impatience got the better of me, I lifted a hoof and placed it on hers, along with as bright a smile as I could muster. It worked! Ashley's one visible eye turned in my direction; it must not have been enough visibility for her, as she slightly readjusted her head to look at me. My grin grew a bit more, and I added a little bit more pressure to her hoof. I could have said it out loud, but I think my face got across the point that I wanted to help with whatever was bugging her. So desperately I wanted to help that it was almost all I could do to not blurt out and whine: 'Tell me!' The tension built in my head, and for some reason, some heat started to gather in my face – although it wasn't a blush for once. Ashley decided to make some more significant movement, and fully lifted her head. Using the one hoof I wasn't 'holding', she wiped her mane out of her face; and now stared at me directly into my eyes with her own. Telltale movement showed me that her gaze shifted back and forth between my eyes. Ashley let out a heavy sigh, and then wore a wan smile, “Breathe Sam...” My vision blurred slightly as it dawned on me that I was holding my breath; I gasped, sucking in the air like a vacuum. Now I did blush after that little embarrassment, “Whoops!” I smiled shyly. Ashley chuckled softly at my expense – seems my 'plan' to loosen the tension worked. “Is your soup ready...?” she asked. “I'll check,” I squeezed her hoof gently, and went into the small kitchen. The tomato soup was nice and warm, any longer and it would come to a boil and be too scaldingly hot to drink. I set the electric eye from 'high' to 'low', to prevent further heat build up. Using the dexterous wings again, I retrieved a pair of glasses from the dishes cupboard, along with a matching number of straws. Thankfully, the small pot, even though it was full of soup, wasn't much heavier than the food tray at the mall. I had little difficulty when I picked up the hand with my mouth and poured the soup. A little bit spilled when I tried to aim initially, but it wasn't more than a few drops. One at a time, I carried the two full glasses over to the coffee table. I gave Ashley hers, which she gripped it between her hooves, while I let mine stay on the table, and just leaned over to sip the straw. As expected, the soup was perfectly warm when the crimson liquid slid down my throat. Better luck next time cold, hah! For the next few minutes, we simply enjoyed our food. I wanted to continue the conversation right away, but felt it was more important that Ashley get warm first. Ugh, damn me and my concern! Since I was getting anxious, I finished my soup first, and waited (im)patiently for the gray unicorn. One eternally, impossibly long minute later, Ashley slurped down the very last of her soup with a satisfied smile. She looked at me, and I waited. And I waited... And waited... And I still waited... My eye started to twitch, and just when I thought I would explode from my anticipation, Ashley cocked an eyebrow at me, and portrayed a sly smile. Oh damn it! She was egging me on! I swear she picked up more evilness from Marcus today. My friends suck. I stared at her expectantly, keeping my face as straight as I could. Harder said than done when I knew she was trolling me. Ashley's little smile disappeared, and she proceeded to stare at the cup while fiddling with it. “Sam...” I perked my ears up, intent on catching every single word. “I...” Ash's words caught in her throat, and she frowned. “It's okay,” I encouraged. “take your time...” She thanked me with a small smile, and continued, “I...” although my encouragement did little. Over the next ten seconds, her lower lip quivered, and her eyes began to water. When she realized that tears were building, Ashley shut her eyes tight; added with that, her ears pasted back into her skull. “Come on Ash,” I gently pressed her hoof again, and added my other hoof for even more emphasis. “It can't be that bad can it?” Through squinted eyes, Ashley shot me a death glare. Oh, that was the wrong thing to say. At that moment, I wanted to add a second blood stain on my carpet by repeatedly slamming my head on the coffee table. Stupid! “Sorry,” I apologized weakly. That glare softened slightly, and turned that less-intense stare to the couch. Right now Ashley looked more angry than sad, but that depressing despair was still there with tears on the brink of falling. I decided maybe I needed to be more direct, “Was it something I said earlier today?” Ashley shook her head slowly. “Was it what was said on the radio?” Again, she swept her head back and forth. But her expression foretold that I was getting a little warmer. “Was it about the clothes, or was it something mom said?” That last statement seemed the most unlikely, but Ashley surprised me when her eyes narrowed venomously. M-my mother? But what could have been said? Ashley and her always got along whenever they were together. I felt a slight anger building in my chest at the thought. “What did she say to you Ash.” I asked flatly, no longer being subtle. Ashley muttered something, and I asked her to repeat. She didn't. “Come on, you can tell me. Whatever Mom said couldn't have been justi – ” I was cut off when Ashley pushed her face towards mine, “She didn't say anything okay!” the tears began in earnest as she stared me down. “It's not your mom, it's mine. My parents kicked me out Sam! They took one look at me and practically chased the 'monster-that-couldn't-possibly-be-their-daughter' right out the fucking door!” Halfway through the rant, she squinted her eyes closed and the tears flowed freely, and Ashley began to choke up. As her voice cracked, the bitterness, the despair, the anger was very evident in her tone. This is what was tearing her apart. I was in shock. Th-they really chased her away like that? I... I couldn't believe it. My jaw dropped as my brain tried to comprehend what my ears were reporting. This couldn't be real, this couldn't be right. Sure, her parents were a little on the snobbish and 'high-class' side, but this... I just could not believe it. ...After all, if one couldn't find solace in the love and comfort of their parents... Speechlessly I recalled that worrying thought when my mother met her new equine 'son'. My fears, instead of coming to pass for me, materialized for Ashley instead. Her reaction had (partially) kept me together. Yeah, I did break down in tears, but not this way; not from despair. I watched as Ashley broke down in open sobs, crying freely in her woes. A few tears flew down my own cheeks, but I stayed silent. Just like with the radio, when that broadcaster had indirectly called Ashley a freak, I didn't know what to say. Again, what could I say? The love of my life was denied the continuing, supposedly ever-lasting love and support of her parents – the people that are supposed to be closest in her life. There were simply no words that could even begin to heal such a grievous wound. … then what was the point of even going on?... I did the only thing I could. Softly, and as gently as I could, I wrapped my forehooves around her neck and shoulders. Almost immediately she embraced me in turn, and sobbed into my back. My body jerked as she repeatedly wailed. I caught snippets of words from her choked throat; all of it the same question of why didn't they love her anymore, cursing this ponification, or whatever it was, and finally with desperate wishes for things to go back to normal. I felt so inadequate for this. I felt like there was nothing I could do for her, and it broke my heart.