Transformed [W&W Book 1]

Chapter 2

After what felt like a terribly long period of time following the road, they arrived at the outer edge of a village.

The storm had waned, leaving only strong gusts of wind as a reminder it had ever been.

Daphne set her sister down on the dirt road. "I'm so tired," she said.

Theresa believed her. Daphne's breathing was ragged and heavy.

Yet they still needed to continue on. Theresa tried to tell that to her sister, but the only sounds were another series of meows.

She felt horrible frustration at her lack of ability to communicate and she suspected the feeling would only get worse the longer she was trapped in this form.

Theresa experimentally moved the limbs that used to be her arms and legs. They moved at her command, but her mind had trouble comprehending the movements.

"This must be Drayton ahead. I think we should try to find somewhere to stay," Daphne said tentatively.

Theresa dreaded the thought of her biddable sister trying to negotiate for a room.

Daphne has always been easily convinced into doing pretty much anything and Theresa was quite sure any number of people would be willing to take advantage of such a naïve and beautiful young woman.

While Theresa had never been allowed to venture out into the world outside Waldwick, she knew with grim certainty that the people occupying it were not all good.

Her tyrannical aunt had manipulated them for years and not one person from outside had ever bothered to help them.

Going into the nearest town and staying there was far from a good idea. Theresa made the newly unfamiliar muscles of her neck move her head back and forth, hoping Daphne would see it as a shake of her head.

Unfortunately, Daphne did not notice her jerky movements. Theresa gritted her teeth. Her canines were so long, it felt strange.

"Maybe you should wait right here and I'll look for a room. I think there's probably an inn or something." Daphne's forehead wrinkled.

Theresa wanted to tell Daphne they needed to put more distance between them and Francine. Instead, she just meowed.

Frustration rolled through her. She clenched her jaw again. The movement felt both familiar and foreign at the same time.

"I don't know what you're trying to say!" Daphne complained sharply.

Theresa meowed and shook her head as emphatically as was possible.

How could Daphne not realize what obviously needed to be done? They needed to run, not sit around and wait for Francine to find them at her leisure.

"How am I supposed to know what to do!?" Daphne asked, her voice rising along with her obvious desperation.

Theresa felt desperate too. She was not capable of doing what needed to be done thanks to their horrid aunt. She meowed loudly.

At the sound, Daphne burst into tears.

Theresa watched as her sister crumpled down to the ground in a pathetic heap.

Theresa wanted to tell her sister to stop crying because there were so many more important things to be done, but she held back the frustrated yowl she wanted to throw at her sister and waited for her sister's tantrum to end.

It never took that long for Daphne to cry herself out.

While she waited Theresa bemoaned her troubles. Did Theresa really have no choice but to follow Daphne?