The Other Element

Alarm clock wakes me up at eight. Did I sleep last night? Doesn't feel like it. Those images still played in my head... I can tell it's going to be a while before I sort them out. I walk to the bathroom still half-dressed from last night. I scratch the back of my neck, it feels like this shirt I'm wearing is itching me or something.

I look at myself in the mirror. Hair's messed up, bags under my eyes. Yep, I look just how I feel. Fantastic. The back of my neck keeps itching. I take off my shirt to scratch it and that's when I see it: hair. Hair traveling down my back in a narrow line stopping just past my shoulders. Like a... mane? Am I seeing things? What's happening to me? I touched the hairs... they feel real. They're the same color as the hairs on my head, only on my back. What's wrong with me? Is this puberty? I've already gone through that. Or have I? I'm a guy, I don't think about these things. I decide to ignore it, shower, get dressed and head down for breakfast.

"Sleep well?", dad asks as he reads the newspaper.

"No, not really.", I tell him as I fix myself some cereal.

"What time did you hit the hay last night?", he asks. Hay. As he utters the word, the back of my neck starts itching again. I feel the hairs, they're slightly thicker now!

Dad looks up from the paper. "You need a haircut?", he asks.

"Yeah, uh, I think I'll get one this weekend.", I say, my voice shaking slightly.

"You ready for school?", he asks.

I get up from the table. "You know, I think I'll take the bus today."

"All right, you still want me to pick you up?", dad asks, his voice very slightly confused but still acceptant.

"Uh, no thanks, I think I'll just take the bus home too.", I say to dad as I quickly wash out my bowl, grab my bag and head outside.

"Hey, where's my hug?", he asks.

"Oh, sorry.", I hug the old man. "Love you dad.", I say, letting go and then leaving the house.

"Love you too.", he says back. I try not to think about my hair, instead focusing on the ground in front of me. The bus arrives soon and I get on. It's loud in the bus, I pass by the other kids quickly and sit down next to Sam.

"Hey, doesn't your dad normally drive you?", he asks as I sit down next to him.

"I felt like taking the bus today.", I say in defense.

"Don't know why you'd want to do that but whatever.", he says and then we're both silent. The bus gets started and soon we're on our way to school.

"Hey look. Double rainbow.", Sam says, pointing out the window. Rainbow. I glance out the window as the word hits me. My right hand goes numb, completely numb. Like, painfully numb. I flex it slowly and look down at it. It's almost pale and flexing is difficult, almost hurts. I stick my hand into my open bag. Thankfully, Sam doesn't notice. The bus gets to school and I get up and leave in a hurry, walking ahead of Sam and bumping into to people as rush to exit the bus.

"Nathan! Where you going?", Sam calls out as I walk at towards school at a fast pace.

"I'm heading to class early.", I say back without looking over my shoulder, my arm still stuffed in my bag. I try to get my mind off things, try to think about something else, anything else. Slowly, the feeling in my hand returns. I remove it from the bag and flex it as I walk. It looks and feels normal. That still doesn't explain the hair or what had happened but it was a start at least. I continued walking to class, went in and took a seat at my desk.

First period, English. I'm tired but I try to pay attention anyway. My hand feels fine, I check the back of my neck. The hairs are still there but they're not itching. Maybe I'm just imagining things... and need a haircut really badly? Okay, what are we learning today? Oh what does it matter? I haven't learned anything new in English since I was taught the alphabet. Since then, it's just been the same old stuff. Still, I need a good grade so I try to pay attention. Might as well take an easy "A".

Everything's going well as we start taking notes on the topic of today's lesson, until pony references start appearing in my notes. Not that they were there intentionally, just that my mind couldn't stop making connections. Oh sweet Celestia, they're everywhere! My hand starts burning as I try to write. My fingers go numb and I can't seem to hold a pencil. Class ends before I can finish writing everything down. Maybe I can get the notes from somepony else? SOMEONE ELSE, SOMEONE ELSE, damn it, I'm doing it again!! Every time my mind makes a connection to My Little Pony, a reference, something, anything, some kind of sensation hits me. And what is with the hair on my back? I ask myself these things as I exit English and head into the hallway.

History class is next. I take my seat in the back and open my text book. What's the subject for today? Oh good, the industrial revolution. I let out a sigh of relief. It would've been just my luck for us to be going over the history of horseback riding or something. I think I'm going to be okay, that is, until we get to... trains. And both the instructor and the book keep refering to it as... the iron horse. I cringe in my desk, it feels like I've been punched in the stomach. Both of my hands go completely numb. Somehow, I get through the class but I haven't written anything down. The bell rings, I get up and leave for third period.

Okay, math. They're can't possibly be anything pony-related to math could there? No, there can't be. Unless we start counting ponies. I try to relax and just work on the assignments. I get stuck on one problem, division. I always have trouble figuring out the remainder. The hairs on the back of my neck start itching again. I sigh heavily, what is this remainder? Remainder... remaneder... re-mane-der... oh no. I cringe again, almost doubling over.

My right hand feels like it's breaking from the inside. I ball it into a fist and grab it with my left hand. Suddenly, the feeling stops. The pain is just gone, strangely enough. I pull back my hand and realize why: I don't have a hand any more. Oh, well that's a relief, for a minute I thought that WAIT WHAT?! I look at my hand... it's just a flat appendage, a stump! Wait, not a stump, a hoof! What the hay is happening to me?! No, wait, I mean,-aaaaaaaahh!! I'm turning into a pony!!

I grab my bag with my left hand, sling it over my shoulder and cup my right hand as I walk out. The teacher trys to stop me for my disruption but I'm already out the door.