Chapter 3: “The Surprise”

 

 

            Sam stirred awake, at first unsure as to what woke her before she noticed the sound of footsteps approaching the door.  My ears didn’t hadn’t been this sensitive before, she mused to herself.  She rolled over onto her back, having kicked off the covers and assuming the starfish position during her slumber.  With a light yawn and a stretch, she glanced at the alarm clock on her bedstand.  16:59.  Time to see what the surprise was.

 

Sam wasn’t a picky eater, but she definitely had some favorite dishes.  When it came down to it though, if it had cheese it would satisfy.  Sam sniffed the air curiously, detecting the faint smell of tacos.  No way.

 

Sam perked up immediately, excitement pushing the stress of the morning behind her as she stood up and walked to her dresser.  Moving with more confidence than she had earlier she quickly undressed before pulling a loose pair of gym shorts up over her white panties.  She paused a moment, topless in her room as a thought struck her.

 

In a bid to seek ultimate comfort and bring her dream to reality, Sam kicked off her shorts again before retrieving her trusty knife.  It was something she usually kept on her belt and had felt somewhat bare without it since she’d woke up in the hospital.  It was good to know that her father kept an eye on it for her.  Without wasting any time Sam cut a small hole under the waistband just above where her butt-crack is for her tail to fit through.  With a grin she slid on the shorts again, taking extra time to feed her tail through the new hole in the garment.  Sam quickly grabbed a loose-fitting grey t-shirt to don before standing in front of the mirror to check herself out.

 

Sam took a slow spin, taking in her new features in the privacy of her room.  She reminded herself of how Sarah sometimes looked when she’d wear his clothes after staying the night.  Sam paid attention to how the black shorts seemed to hang off her waist and the peaks of her cheeks.  She watched as her tail swayed gently behind her, slowly coming to droop near the floor in a gentle arc with its tail pointed upwards slightly as she came to a rest.  She examined her chest briefly, still afraid to give her new parts any special attention, but she assumed she was a large C-cup.

 

Between her slim legs, wide hips, and petite shoulders she presented a figure that couldn’t be hidden by her loose clothing.

 

Sam grinned.  Elegant, came to mind as she saw her own movements.  There was a certain grace and fluidity to the way she moved now that she hadn’t possessed before, but as she stood in front of the mirror she couldn’t help but be shocked again at another change she noticed.  It had felt weird to be looking up at her brother earlier, but she shrugged it off as there were more pressing changes to adjust to.  Previously Sam had been a stocky six foot two inches, but now even on her tiptoes she bet she barely made it to five and a half.  I’m a certified shortie!

 

Sarah is probably taller than me now, she mused, before turning back to face the room.  With a light sigh Sam went about straightening things and putting her dress in the hamper, making sure to replace her knife on the bedstand as she went.  When she was done with that, she made her bed before heading out into the upstairs hallway to greet the day refreshed.

 

Opening the door revealed a clothes basket filled to the top with mom’s old clothes blocking the way.  Sam still didn’t know how to feel about this.  On the one hand, this was a new way to feel close to her late mother again, but on the other the idea of wearing dresses, choosing to wear a dress, still felt foreign to her.  Sam grabbed the basket and dragged it inside the doorway after finding it too heavy for her to lift, deciding to deal with it later.

 At least that explains the footsteps I heard earlier.

It must have been dad bringing these up from his room, Sam surmised. 

 

Sam walked out of her room, leaving the door open to air it out, and stepped into the hallway.  She walked barefoot, enjoying the feeling of carpet under her feet and between her toes as she made her way towards the staircase leading down to the lower portion of their living space.  While the building itself was larger than its adjacent neighbors, the living space they had set aside for themselves was perhaps just a little smaller.  Most of the ground floor was split between the garage and the workshop, some space was also dedicated to storage, though they had another shed that dad built out back where they stored things in as well.  The remaining space closest to the staircase Sam was now approaching was left to their quiet family. 

 

Sam’s bedroom stood at the far end of a dead-end hallway, to her right was her brother Michael’s room, and to the left across the hallway from his room was the full bathroom that they shared.  Plumbing was an issue that they re-learned to solve with magic, by using some specially enchanted equipment powered by interchangeable magic crystals they could procure hot or cold water at will.  Likewise, there existed a similar enchantment for the prompt treatment of waste that tied into the drainage system from the various plumed appliances.  But these systems weren’t attached to any form of infrastructure like the old days, which was a double-edged sword.  For one, the spread of water-born disease was even lower than in the modern era, but it also became another cost to home ownership that families had to shoulder in order to have an adequate quality of life.   

 

Sam paused in front of the bathroom, feeling like she was forgetting something.  With a jolt she remembered her period and the advice the nurse gave her the previous evening. ‘Remember to try to change them every 6-8 hours, unless you need to, then don’t wait.  Keep doing that until your flow stops and then you’ll be okay.  Remember, waiting too long only invites risk of infection.  Oh, and don’t flush em, they might clog your drains.’

How long has it been now?  Either way, bleeding down there felt gross, so Sam decided to ‘change her band-aid’ as she opted to look at it.

 

Sam made her way back to the bathroom after grabbing the box off her dresser and sealed herself inside before shimmying her shorts and panties down to her ankles.  Sam sat down on the toilet and looked down between her legs at her newfound womanhood.  A thin slit with a little pink nub looked back up at her from under a small patch of white hair where his root once had been.  Their ‘eyes’ locked and they shared a moment of understanding.  Sam nodded.

Reaching down, Sam felt around a moment before she found the string dangling out of her and gently pulled the tampon out.  She felt something warm drip onto her hand and didn’t need to look to know what it was, moving quickly to dispose of the used tampon and clean herself up before replacing it.  All things considered, she found some modicum of relief in that she wasn’t bleeding as badly as she felt like she was.

 

After washing up, Sam navigated her way downstairs at the behest of her nose.  Well, it might be more accurate to say that she was guided by her hunger, since she knew right where the tacos were.  As she took the stairs Sam noticed how even the squeaky staircase didn’t make noise for her, a perk of her new lightweight frame.  Nearing the bottom Sam heard her dad and brother talking in the kitchen, “The whole neighborhood knows Sammie is back, I thought we were going to keep this a little more hush hush for her sake?”  The sound of her father’s voice drifted towards her as she turned towards the kitchen door.

“Well, it’s kind of hard to do that when you and the doctor made me parade her through the streets…” Michael’s slightly exasperated voice trailed off as Sam entered the kitchen.  Michael was still wearing the same dark flannel and blue jeans from earlier in the day, a stark contrast to the amount of skin she was now exposing. 

 

John was wearing his usual casualwear of cargo-shorts and a hoodie, but the loose fitting fabric couldn’t hide his swollen muscles.  Years of taming the road and all its various issues would do that, in fact Sam herself had been starting to develop quite nicely before the accident.

 

Sam smiled warmly at them as they stood about the spartan kitchen, wasting little time before she stepped over to her father, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

John was surprised for a moment, but quickly returned her embrace, driving the air out of her lungs with a squeak.

 

“Oh sweetheart, you had me really worried.”  John said, loosening his embrace enough to stroke her hair.  Sam despised the change of address but couldn’t be bothered enough to ruin the moment, settling instead on breathing in the reassuring deep pine-wood scent of her father.  Her tail gently swayed about, expressing her contentment.

“Sorry dad.” Sam said with her head buried against his chest.  “Mhmm” he hummed out through his nose, his vibrating chest and warm breath tickling one of her ears, making it twitch.  He paused a moment before reaching up to stroke her ear lovingly, pausing to scratch gently at the base of her ears.

Sam squirmed a little and moaned her protest out into his chest, “Daad, don’t pet mee - I’m not a cat!”  John laughed a moment before he bent down enough to kiss Sam atop her head between the ears.  “I can’t really help it honey, you’re too cute now.” He said with a smile before letting her stand on her own again.

 

Sam felt her ears twitch as her cheeks warmed again, moving to take a seat in a chair at the island in the center of the kitchen.  “Stop it with the baby-girl nicknames already,” Sam said while shaking her head, but the smile she had wouldn’t let her hide the truth.

 

John turned back to the stovetop where the aroma of freshly cooked taco meat originated from and began to stir the contents, the occasional sizzle being heard.

 

“So, you probably have already figured out what the surprise is; we’re having tacos.  We were going to wake you up soon anyways.  Michael, grab some plates.” 

 

Sam watched as Michael went to the cabinets over the sink and began pulling out a few dishes and bowls for their dinner before moving about to prep the island.  As Sam watched on, she allowed her thoughts to wander, ultimately settling on herself and her recent changes.  She looked down at her small hands again, these hands that used to be large and masculine, but now they were as frail and delicate as Sarah’s had seemed to him.  Sam sighed and accepted her situation a little more.  At least I’m cute, she thought resignedly.

 

It wasn’t a long wait before dinner was served, the trio quickly falling back into their usual routine where John cooked, Micael setup, and Sam served.  Sam felt like she was on cloud-9 while they ate, tacos weren’t some exotic dish but they also might as well be, as the spices didn’t grow well in their climate.  Sam wondered what dad traded for the spices this time around, as the last few times they looked there hadn’t been any taco seasoning in the stores around the town.  Salt and pepper were far more easily acquired and while they truly worked wonders for a bland dish, they did get old quickly.

 

“Dad, where’d you get this?”  Sam asked between bites, her curiosity beating out her tastebuds for once.

“Hmm, your friend, Mr. Ruth’s son.  Seems that when he heard about your coma he went out to find this just for you.”

Sam looked surprised, “You mean Liam?”

John nodded his head, stuffing his face with taco while letting out an affirmative “Mhmhm.”

 

Sam and Liam had been best friends for years, in fact she’d known Liam for almost as long as she could remember.  They had trained against each other in the hopes that one day they could join the special forces and serve in the same unit.  Nowadays the purpose of the unit was to respond to emergent threats as the tip of the spear.  Leading the charge from the city walls directly into the hearts of monster packs.  They were also the only unit capable enough of taking out nests as they were discovered, and frequently ran operations beyond the safety of the city.  Those men were revered, and feared, and they earned that respect through countless sacrifice and breathtaking victory alike.

 

Truth be told, Sam had always been somewhat jealous of Liam, as his father was an early member and that gave Liam an advantage in the experience he could tap into.  His family’s service was why there was a street named after them after all.

 

Sam hadn’t really thought about Liam at all since waking up, and doing so now made her feel odd as the image of their shirtless sparring swirled around her mind.  Like replaying a train-wreck in slow motion over and over in her head her mind’s eye kept lingering on the slight shadows cast on his chest by his well-defined musculature.

 

Shaking her head, Sam returned to the present as she felt her face warm up a little.  Has my orientation changed too?

 

If her family noticed her lapse in focus they didn’t let on, Michael was already working his way through a second taco, and dad wasn’t far behind.

Not wanting to be outdone, Sam tucked in.

 

 

 

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            After dinner was over dad excused himself for the evening after giving Sammie another hug.  Stepping out into the shop to work on a client’s order, he left Michael and Sam alone in the kitchen to clean up.  It didn’t take them very long before everything was clean and put away.  Sam looked out the window above the sink at the darkening sky as she put the last dish into the drying rack. 

 

“It’s a warm night.” Michael said from his seat at the island, sipping on a mug of mushroom tea.  It was a new concoction, made popular for its calming and restorative mental effects.  It was made from tea leaves and psilocybin, a popular psychedelic and medicinal fungi from back in modern and ancient times, something that had long since been recognized for its health benefits.  In extremely low doses, like what Michael used in his tea, the user wouldn’t experience any cognitive effects aside from a calming and pleasant feeling like one might receive from a chamomile tea.  Typically, it was drank at the start of the day, but Michael enjoyed this routine.

 

“Yeah, maybe we can have a fire out back before the first snow arrives?”  Sam asked, bringing a delicate finger to her lips in thought.

Sam always enjoyed the time spent around a campfire, something about it had a near hypnotic calming effect for her.  But it felt like she asked Michael about it too often, so she didn’t hold out hope.  There were times when she would go out and have a fire alone anyways, but Sam still felt emotionally raw and would rather be inside with her family than sitting solo by the fire.

 

But contrary to her thoughts Michael smiled and nodded.  “That sounds nice, actually.  The last fire before winter.  Why don’t you go upstairs and put on something warmer while I go get the fire started?”

Sam nodded her assent and turned to hurry towards the staircase excitedly, pausing before she passed through the doorway to ask Michael, “Do you want me to make you another cup on my way out?”

“No, that’s okay, I don’t really feel like getting trippy tonight.  But if you want to grab some beers that would be nice.”

Sam turned again to leave the kitchen, tossing a “sounds good!” over her shoulder before she sped up the stairs.

 

Once again in her room, Sam began pulling drawers open, looking for her old pair of grey sweatpants and light blue sweater.  After finding them, however, she realized that the waistband was too loose on her and kept falling to her ankles whenever she took a step.  Not to mention that the legs were too long and threatened to slip underfoot.  Sam groaned in frustration as she stared daggers at the pants pooled around her feet.

Suddenly an idea occurred to her.  Kicking herself over her moment of petulance, Sam reached down again and pulled up her pants before rolling the waistband several times.  In the end the waistband became thick enough to cling to her waist and the ends of the legs no longer swallowed up her dainty feet.  The butt compartment had also shrank enough that her tail could comfortably be accommodated above the waistband without needing to poke any more holes in her clothes.  Maybe I should have tried this first with my shorts…

 

“Oh well, live and learn as they say.” Sam said to herself as she assumed her place in front of the mirror, a relatively new ritual to her, as a man she hadn’t been nearly as concerned with her appearance.

 

Huggable, Sam thought and smiled.  She really did look cute in her oversized sweatshirt.  Sam wished she knew anything about hair though, as it was beginning to feel like a hassle managing her nearly waist-long hair.  She brushed it for the first time in the hospital and Sam was nearly certain she was doing something wrong as the brush kept catching in her hair and pulling out loose clumps. 

As weird as this all was, on some level it felt like a gift to be given such beauty, and Sam felt an obligation to at least try to maintain herself.  She might struggle to, or maybe even never become girly, but she could absolutely learn to take good care of herself.

 

Sam made her way back downstairs, and after grabbing a couple beers, went out the back door connected to the kitchen, stepping out onto the small, paved slab they used as a back patio.  The night air was refreshing and cool, but still much warmer than was normal for an October evening.  Sam breathed in through her nose, appreciating the new range of vibrant smells afforded by her transformed nature.

 

After a moment, Sam made her way towards the metal firepit on the edge of the patio and pulled her chair close to Michaels before sitting and curling her tail over her lap.  The fire was already going strong, most likely due to a fire rune.  Michael was strong, but not like how Sam had been or John currently is, instead Michael was blessed with magical ability.  Michael wasn’t interested in the special forces, or even fighting, or they would have taken him based on his ability alone.  Instead, he cared more about the family business, and spent time finding ways to use his magic to further that cause.  It was his contribution that allowed cars to ride so smoothly, as making hydraulic shocks was a time-consuming process - now rendered obsolete. 

Sam handed both beer bottles over to Michael, who looked back, somewhat confused.  “I thought you wanted to drink too?”

“I do, I just forgot to open these.  Work your magic mr. magic man.”

Michael rolled his eyes before waving his hand with a dramatic flourish, “Open sesame!” he said with a showman’s voice.

With two rapid snaps the bottles popped open, the caps winding through the air before landing in Michael’s outstretched palm.  He pocketed the caps before passing the cool beverage back to Sam and offering her some words.  “You know, I know you’ve always been somewhat jealous.”

Sam looked up at Michael, taking a moment to savor the bitter beer before nodding.

“Maybe that’s changed too.”

A moment passed in silence save for the snap of the fire.  I hadn’t really thought about it, too wrapped up in what I’d lost to even consider that I might be able to use magic now.  A slow smile crept onto her face.  “That’d be one heck of a silver lining to this, wouldn’t it?”

 

As they sat around the fire catching up on things Sam missed while she was unconscious the light of day slowly disappeared, replaced by the moon.

“Do you want another?” Michael asked after noticing that they were both empty.

“Sure, probably my last one though, I already feel a buzz.” Sam replied lazily, engrossed in the warmth radiating from the fire.

“Alright, gimmie a sec.” 

 

Sam closed her eyes and gently stroked the tail in her lap, enjoying the soothing sensation coupled with the warmth from the fire.  That morning sucked, she hated feeling so weak but she missed this, and she would go through a thousand such mornings if it landed her back her with her family.

Sam let her thoughts drift to tomorrow, she needed some new clothes, and she also needed her strength back.  Maybe she could coerce Michael into tagging along.

 

“Hey Sammie!” Michael called from the back door, as if conjured back into reality by her thoughts.

“Whadduuuuuuup,” Sam returned playfully before standing and walking towards the back door.

But Michael wasn’t smiling.  If anything he looked a little concerned.

“Sarah’s here.  I can tell her to leave if you want but… she said it was important.”

 

Sam shook her head as her heart slowly worked its way into her throat from anxiety.  “No, it’s okay… We need to talk.”

Michael looked at her for a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “She’s at the front door, I’ll just hang out back here, okay?  I’m here if you need anything.”  Sam nodded.

 

Michael walked out to take his seat, leaving Sam with his parting words before she walked inside.  “Good luck lil’ sis.”  A twist on their usual exchange of big bro, lil bro.

“Thanks, big bro.”

 

Making her way through the house towards the front door took but a few moments, but they felt like a minor eternity to Sam as her mind raced from one possible outcome to the next.  None of them seemed good.  She took a moment to brace herself, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Sam opened the door, revealing a cute red-headed woman half a head taller than herself.  She wore her hair down, a few locks working their way to the front of her shoulders, drawing an auburn line across her thin white sweatshirt.  Around her waist she donned a black loose knee-length skirt and matching stockings.  The loose fabric did little to hide her curves, Sam appraised.  Sam had a large set of twins compared with her own small frame, but they were still smaller than Sarah’s.

 

Sam looked into Sarah’s green eyes, and smiled, trying her best not to let her fears be known outright.  “Sarah!  Come inside, quick.”

 

Sarah stepped inside while Sam closed the door behind her, turning in time to notice Sarah stealing a furtive glance at her tail.

 

“Samuel…” she said, her voice quivering slightly.  “Is that really you?”