Chapter 1 - And so it begins...
I remember when it all began… It was a sunny October morning in the mountains when I got out of bed, the rooster crowing in the distance.
“Good morning to you too Jack.” I chuckled, even though I knew the old bird wouldn't hear me. I then slowly changed out of my pajamas before putting on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as I slowly made my way to the kitchen.
“Good morning John.” My grandma said as she saw me.
“Good morning to you too.” I say as I smile at her before giving her a good morning hug, “So what’s for breakfast?”
“Bacon and eggs, and you better eat them eggs this time or you're sleeping on the porch tonight.” My grandma teased before picking up a plate full of bacon that she just finished frying before heading to the table.
I just rolled my eyes as I went over to the cabinet and grabbed us a pair of plates and some silverware out of the drawer before heading to the table myself.
After I ate breakfast I went into the kitchen and washed my dishes in the sink then put them in the drying rack before running out the door to feed the chickens.
We had seven chickens on my grandma's farm, six hens and a rooster. I had gotten them as eggs for Easter back when I was two and still lived with my parents. I had to leave them with my grandma though when I turned three and my family moved to the city but once I turned eighteen I moved in with my grandma and now spent every day with them.
After I made my way to the chicken coup I immediately grabbed a bag of feed from next to it before opening the door and going inside to pour it into the bowls I had set up for them. “Ok guys, it's feeding time.” I called out causing the chickens to immediately enter the coup through the special door I had rigged up to allow them to enter and leave as they wished while keeping other animals out.
As the chickens start to eat a shot rings out, making me jump and the chickens go into a panicked frenzy. I then groan and leave the chicken coup and walk back to the house, rubbing my ringing ears along the way.
“Hah! I go one!” I heard my grandma cheer before I walk up the stairs to the back porch to find her with the shotgun.
“Let me guess, the groundhogs are back?” I say, as I walk over.
“Yes they are, and this year I don't plan on letting any of them varmints eat any of my garden!” She said proudly.
“I could set up traps for them you know.” I tell her, smirking the entire time. “I mean, you're over eighty years old. you're going to hurt yourself one of these days.”
My grandma just rolls her eyes at me as she picks up the spare shotgun shells before going back inside. We had been having this exact same conversation ever since I moved in three years ago and I still couldn't get her to stop. But then again, who else could say their grandma was over eighty years old and running around with a shotgun like Annie Oakley?
I then go inside before my bladder starts acting up, causing me to run to the bathroom.
After I finished relieving myself I began to wash my hands in the sink when a sudden bright flash catches me off guard, temporarily blinding me. “What the heck!?” I shout before trying to rub the spots out of my eyes.
“John? Is something wrong? I heard you shouting!” My grandma called as I heard her footsteps approaching the bathroom.
“Im fi- WHAT THE HELL!?” I started to say before my vision clears… and in the mirror I see a pair of grey pony ears on my head.
“Whats wrong!? Open this door right now!” My grandma said as she tried opening the door only to find it locked.
“Pony ears… That's not possible…” I mutter to myself, still staring at my reflection before slowly reaching up and grabbing one of the ears to feel it. After touching it and confirming that it was real I tugged at it a few times, hoping they were fake and would come off only to feel myself tugging at them as if they were my own.
“What did you say?” My grandma asked as she continues to try opening the door.
“I have pony ears…” I tell her before opening the door to show her. After that I don't remember what happened, I must have snapped or something and had a full blown panic attack. But eventually I found myself waking up on the couch before reaching up to feel my ears… Only to find out it wasn't a dream. “Crap…”
“Finally awake?” My grandma asked, worry evident in her voice as she got out of her recliner that was on the opposite side of the room.
“Whats happening to me grandma?” I ask her, confused as to what was going on.
“I… I don't know…” She tells me before sitting down next to me on the couch.
I then get up off the couch and go to my room and start up the computer.
“What are you doing?” My grandma asked as she followed me to my room.
“I’m going to see if I can find out what's going on, if this is happening to me it is probably happening to someone else as well. And maybe they might have answers!” I said, my panic having subsided as worry and curiosity taking its place. I then get a message from the site I sometimes write fanfiction on that I have a message and its labeled urgent, so I quickly open it as I search the web and freeze as I read the contents.
“I think I know what's going on…” I tell my grandma as I stare at the message disbelievingly.
“What? Whats going on?” She asked me.
I open my mouth to say something before another flash of light cuts me off, and my vision is filled with dark red. My heart stops for a moment before I move the hair out of my face and restart what I was going to say. “I think I’m turning into a pony…”
