So? What now? I think, squinting through the dark to make out details about my new body.

It’s a good question, really. The dryad didn’t give me any hints as to what I’m supposed to do with this now. She probably doesn’t really know herself.

The thing is, I can’t really go back home, either. Okay, sure, I still have the keys, so I could. But I look different now and who’s to guarantee that good ol’ Adam won’t come strolling out of his room the moment I try sneaking through the hallway?

No, I can’t go back home. But where to then? The city? I’m in a body I don’t know, in clothes that don’t fit me properly. Because why would they? Judging by the way my jeans bunch around my ankles and the way my hands are almost swallowed by the sleeves of my jacket, I’ve shrunken a good bit.

What a nice mess this is. Sure, having changed gender certainly qualifies as a change of perspective, but what’s this supposed to teach me about? Misogyny? Me, who hasn’t talked to girls in literal years? Yeah right. Couldn’t she at least have changed my clothes, too? I must look like a teenage runaway right now. People are definitely going to look at me sidelong.

Then again, what choice do I have? It might be warm, but it’s still winter. Spending the whole night outside isn’t really an option. I’d have to stay on the move constantly, until sunrise. I don’t want to go to the party, either. I don’t know how closely this body resembles my real one and even if it didn’t, I’d do a lot to avoid being hit on by my roommates. No, I’ll have to find some warm place in town, preferably something that’s open all night. A quiet corner can’t be that hard to find, right? A McDonald’s would be a great start, I guess. Except I don’t have money to pay even for the smallest menu. I’ll have to pray they’re nice enough to let me stay anyway. I mean, I don’t smell, won’t cause a fuss, so they should, right?

With a silent curse, I undo my belt and set it to the smallest size. At least my pants won’t just fall down this way. Then I turn. Which way was the path? That would be fun, wouldn’t it? Getting lost at this of all times.

But I don’t. Five minutes later I’ve found the path and I’m on the way to the train station. Just like I have neither phone nor money, I also don’t have a ticket. But fuck it, what’re they going to do if I just run away? Start a search for a person that won’t exist by morning?

It’s difficult, walking in shoes that are easily three sizes too large, but after a while I’ve figured out the right technique and make good enough progress.

It’s not late enough for the station to be abandoned yet. There’s a few people and some of them give me looks. I try to ignore them. The large clock reads 5:30 p.m., which means I was in the woods for about an hour. Not that it matters.

Uncomfortably, I put up the hood of my jacket, turn away so the breeze doesn’t carry the cigarette smoke directly into my face, pretend to study the train schedule. Just barely, I can make out the contours of my face in the reflection on the thin plastic screen. I look different, that much is clear. My hair is long and hazel– a slightly lighter shade than I had before, I think. I can’t quite put my finger on what has changed about my face, but from what little I can see, I think I look nice. Certainly nicer than me. Nothing heavenly or anything, not a supermodel. But nice in a normal way. The kinda girl I might even have considered talking to. For the fraction of a second. Before telling myself that I didn’t stand a chance with anybody.

Right now I might. Stand a chance, I mean. Just barely, I turn to catch a glimpse of the other people waiting for the train with me. There’s a trio of boys further down the platform. But they haven’t noticed me yet.

Good.

I turn away again, just as the train arrives. As quickly as I dare, I make my way to the very front, right by the driver’s cabin, and sit with my back to it. I thought about sitting with my back to the rest of the wagon while keeping my hood on to make sure nobody could see me, but then I wouldn’t see them either. So instead, I just keep my head low and try hard not to meet anybody’s eyes. Second nature.

The view out the window is nice. The dark silhouettes in the distance, every now and again illuminated by the colourful sparkles of fireworks. That’s where I’m headed. The lion’s den. The eye of the storm.

It’s going to be a long night, doubtful I’ll catch any sleep. Don’t think I can afford closing my eyes in a public space like this.

I sigh, put my head against the glass, and watch the world fly past. And then I notice the ticket inspector and my stomach jumps. It’s a middle-aged man. Official-looking with a utility belt. He just got in last stop and now he’s checking the tickets of the boys at the very back of the train.

Breathe, I tell myself. No reason to panic. The next stop will come soon, I can easily get off and walk from there. We’re already in town, just not at the centre. It’ll take maybe half an hour or forty minutes to get where I need to be. Just as well, less time they’ll have to suffer my presence.

Calmly, I get up and walk to the door. The train stops and I get out. Easy. As I walk down the platform, I glance over my shoulder and see that I’m the only one that got off here. Good.

I stop at the end of the platform and look around. I don’t know exactly where I am, but I know in which direction I’ll have to go to get to the centre of town.

Right now it appears I’m in a run-down suburban area. Ugly, dirty apartment buildings everywhere I look.

With a shiver, I pull the zipper of my jacket up and hide my hands in the pockets. This is exactly the kinda place I’d been hoping to avoid.

Not like I have much of a choice now, huh?

With a final, deep breath, I leave the platform and make my way along the walkway. The streets aren’t completely empty. I spot a man walking a dog in the distance, two women waiting for a door to open. I take in sounds the way I’ve never done before. With great attention and even a sense of urgency. Is that unwarranted? I’d never pay that much attention to my surroundings if I were in my real body. But that’s the point, isn’t it? I’m in an unfamiliar body and I don’t know how this environment might interact with it.

And then I turn a corner and see them. A group of four young men lounging on the front steps of one of the buildings, smoking. I hear one of them laugh and see the beer in his hand and my stomach turns. But it’s too late to turn around, isn’t it? They might not have seen me yet, but they’ll certainly notice me the moment I turn. So I keep walking, keep my shoulders straight, point my gaze at the ground roughly four yards before me.

I just have to make it past them. If by then they try to talk to me, I can just keep walking, I tell myself.

But I don’t make it that far. The one who’s standing casually takes a step forward and blocks my path – almost like it’s an accident.

There are cars to my left so I can’t just dodge him by stepping onto the street. I stop, wait for him to go wherever he meant to go when he pushed himself so casually off the wall. But he doesn’t.

“Excuse me?” I say then. “Could you let me through please?” But my voice is timid and small and my last bit of confidence leaves me when the guy turns to look at me and he’s grinning.

“Sorry, love. Am I in the way?” his voice is warm and he sounds quite nice, actually. But he’s still a full foot taller than me and he’s still blocking my path.

“Yes,” I say, my eyes briefly meeting his. Damn it! I know better than to look away! But I can’t help it. My heart is racing now and I have to concentrate to keep my breathing even. My face is growing hot under their collective gazes. I want to just turn and run, but I know they’re faster than me and if they want to catch me, they will. I’ve got to keep things from escalating. Be polite but not nice enough to seem like I’m flirting. Be distant but not rude.

Piece of fucking cake.

The man takes a drag from his cigarette and considers me for a few seconds. Then he breathes out. “Tell you what,” he says. “You tell me your name and I’ll let you past.”

Once again, my stomach turns. I don’t have a name to tell him. I can’t say Callum and expect him to believe me. He’s going to think I’m taking the piss and that won’t end well.

So tell him any female name, the voice of reason screams.

But there are none. My mind is blank.

He leans down, takes my hand in his and shakes it slowly. His grip is firm but gentle. His hand is warm and the skin texture is a little rough but not unpleasant.

“Hello, love. I’m Josh. Who are you?”

But I just stare at him.

After a few seconds, one of the other men laughs. “She doesn’t like you, Josh,” he says in a teasing voice.

Josh turns to him. “But why?” His voice is full of mock surprise. “I’m being nice, aren’t I? Isn’t that what they want?” A shiver runs down my back and I have to fight the urge to not pull my hand back and shake myself.

Another one chimes in with a chuckle. “Maybe she’s not a gentleman’s kinda girl.”

Josh turns back toward me. “Is that true?” Very suddenly, his grin disappears and he stares me in the eyes with a blank expression. It’s a dangerous kind of blank. “Do you… like rough play?” He edges closer and I back away instinctively. “She does, boys,” he says now, not taking his eyes off me. “And what am I, if not willing to provide?”

By now I would run, if only I could. But I’m frozen solid. Tears well into my eyes. They’re going to take me inside, aren’t they? And then they’re going to-

“Leave her alone!” a female voice shouts from behind me.

The atmosphere changes instantly. At the snap of a finger, the smile is back again, he lets go of my hand and takes a step back, raising his hands in surrender.

“Just playin’, just playin’,” he says. “Little stranger with you guys?”

“Yes,” the voice says snidely. “So you meatheads better leave her the fuck alone.”

“Aight,” he says and winks at me. “Have a beautiful evening, darling.” With that, the four pack up their things and return into the house.

Finally, I manage to unfreeze my limbs and turn.

No wonder they left me alone, is my first thought upon seeing my saviours. The woman isn’t alone, of course. She has five guys with her and they look like exactly the type of people you do not want to get into a brawl with.

The woman gives me a worried look. “We better get away before they come back out and bring weapons,” she says. “You’re okay to walk, right?”

I manage a shaky nod and they walk toward me and then I turn and walk with them, the woman at my side.

She’s a little taller than me – tall for a woman. She looks to be maybe a year or two older than me, her dark blonde hair is cut in a pixie.

We stop around the corner. The woman leans down into my field of view. “Hey, you alright?”

Like the answer isn’t obvious.

But I try to pull up the snot and nod. “Yeah, thanks,” I whisper.

She considers me for a second, uncertain, then seems to give herself a push. “What’s your name?”

And I’m right back to what they just saved me from. I freeze, my heart rate jumps, my stomach turns.

Then the woman notices my discomfort and says, “Fuck, sorry. I-” briefly, she bites her lower lip. She seems to be nervous, too. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. You don’t have to tell me, okay?” She wipes her hands on her jeans, looking around like she’s making sure there’s nobody sneaking up on us. “We should bring you home, though. Just to make sure. That okay?” She tries an encouraging smile but kind of fails.

I feel my head shake. “I can’t go home,” I press out. Because it’s true, isn’t it? All that’s waiting for me there is more guys and fuck, what if they’re the same? I know that’s dumb, of course. Logically, I’m fully aware of the stupidity. But the thought of going home still makes me sick. And it’s too far as well, isn’t it? They won’t invest well over an hour to get me home safe.

“Do you have friends, then? Any safe place to spend the night?”

Again, I shake my head. Knowing that they don’t have a choice but to just leave me alone only makes it worse. Because who says this won’t happen again? The night has barely started.

I’m snapped from my thoughts when one of the guys joins the conversation.

“Couldn’t she just stay with us, then? I mean, we could take her to your place and if she doesn’t feel better or wants to come along by the time we leave, one of us’ll stay with her. I mean, fuck it, it’s just New Year’s.”

The woman looked at him as he talked and now she turns her attention back at me.

“Would that be okay with you?”

I nod. Even if I may hate relying on other people’s help, what choice do I have now?

“Alright,” she says, straightening herself. “I’m Grace, by the way,” she adds with a small smile.

SeptemberMorgan

Before anyone asks, I have no clue where I'm going with this schedule. As of the day this chapter goes online, Patreon is two chapters ahead, no longer three. Thing is, I wanna post this and for now I want to return my focus to Your Superhero. So yeah, enjoy. No clue when the next chapter of this is coming online XD