For the entire four-day trip to the city our new house is in, I remain inconsolable. After half a day, I already missed Mel so damn much, I couldn’t bring myself to do much besides lie on one of the mattresses in the wagon and hug my tail. My entire family is worried about me, and Katie even spends the whole second day playing with me in an attempt to distract me.

Of course, nothing works. Mel was my first real friend, ever. Sure, I had made friends in my previous life, but they had all felt fake. I had felt fake. I couldn’t really find joy in friendships when I felt like I was constantly wearing a mask and deceiving everyone around me. In my new body, I felt like I was actually connected to the world around me. It was liberating, I was living, not just pretending. But then I was ripped away from it.

I know my family cared about me, and Katie’s attempts do actually cheer me up enough for me to leave the wagon for a little while to get some sun. I stay in a funk, though, and spend most of the next two days reading the few books we had. Turns out in this world, tales of brave heroes battling bloodthirsty monsters in order to save humanity falls under historical fiction instead of fantasy.

Half a week has passed since we arrived, and I begin to settle in. It still feels hard to do things, though.

Mama comes into my room, causing me to look up from A Beginner’s Guide to Magic. I sit on my coiled tail while she fidgets.

“Hey, Lily,” she starts. “The whole family has been really worried about you this past week, so we decided to get an appointment with a doctor to help with your mood.”

“I know what a psychiatrist is, Mama,” I tell her. “So is the appointment now?”

“Yes, it is. I’m sorry for not telling you when we scheduled it; it slipped my mind with how hectic-”

“You don’t need to make excuses, Mama,” I say softly, closing my book and standing up. “I know you’re doing this because you care about me.” I slither up to Mama and give her a hug, then we go outside and flag down a coach.

After our arrival, I slither after Mama into a rather plain-looking building that has a sign reading “Psychiatrist” hanging above the doorway. Inside is a small lobby with a couple of armchairs and a couch, and an unassuming woman reading documents behind the counter.

That’s weird, I think, jarred at the appearance of what looks like a normal human woman. Then I notice that amorphous pink appendages are holding the papers. Oh. She’s a slime carrier.

Mama goes up to the woman and tells her about the appointment. The woman nods, puts her papers down, and tells us, “I’ll let Dr. Cephalo know,” before walking off.

A moment later, the door to the clinic opens. I tried backing up, only to fall backwards onto my tail.

“Mi- mi- mi- mi- Mindflayer!” I shout. No way am I letting a mindflayer anywhere near my brain.

The woman in question looks at me with concern, briefly raising an arm before letting it drop. Doubtless she just wants to help me back up, but stays away due to my reaction.

“I’m sorry I scared you. Most don’t think twice about having one as a doctor, but I suppose there are some that have had, well, unsavory encounters with my kind,” the doctor says in a quiet voice. “If it helps at all, I can assure you I will not be changing your brain. Angels, it’s not even legal to do it without informed consent.”

I struggle back upright with Mama’s help while considering her words. She certainly seems trustworthy, if her words and mana taste are anything to go by. After shaking out some of my nerves, I nod to her. She answers with a smile and leads us to a room that has a chair sitting next to a desk, and a couch on the far side of the room.

After I make myself comfortable on the couch, the doctor approaches me with soft, measured paces and lowers herself to my level. She meets my eyes, or well, looks at where my eyes are, since they’re covered, and speaks.

“Once again, I will do nothing to you without express permission. Is it okay for me to reach into your head?”

I take a deep breath, then nod. These people are here to help me; I need to be able to trust them.

The doctor slowly extends one of her tentacles toward my left ear, and I feel its smooth surface slide inside. It’s not uncomfortable, the sensation is pretty similar to a Q-tip. After a few moments of tingling around my skull, she pulls her appendage back out and stands back up.

“Honestly, she’s in perfect health,” Dr. Cephalo addresses Mama. “Her serotonin level is a little lower than normal, but isn’t a cause for concern. I’d recommend making sure she gets out of the house some more; getting the chance to play with kids her age should cheer her right up.” She shoots me a loaded look, as reassuring as it is penetrating.

How much does she know? Mindflayers could read memories, right? Did she learn about Mel? Did she see my past life? Did she know how much it meant to me to finally be-

“Deep breath,” Dr. Cephalo breaks in, once again crouching to my level. “I won’t be telling anyone anything without your say-so. Now go make some new friends, alright?” With a bright smile, she leads me and Mama back to the lobby. “Let me know if there’s anything more I can do for you, and I’ll get you in as soon as possible.”

Outside the building, Mama turns to me. “Wanna go to the park?”

My eyes light up. This was my chance to make new friends! “Yes yes yes omg yes!”

Mama chuckles, taking my hand in hers as we make our way along the sidewalk. It’s a comfortable moment, both of us content with listening to the noises of the city as we make our way to a nearby park.

We turn a corner, and the park comes into view in all its glory. It has grass, trees, and flowers around the whole space, and it has a playground with every piece of playground equipment imaginable.

Mama breaks through my reverie with a question. “So, I was thinking. You’re old enough to start school in the fall, but I think it should be your choice. Do you want to go to school?”

If she could see my eyes, I’m sure they would’ve earned a comment with how much they’re sparkling. “Yeah! I would love to! Oh, I can’t wait to go and learn more about this world!” I exclaim, not even thinking about my word choice. With the promise of having fun at school on the horizon, I rush off to the playground to join the other kids.