“Diane, we weren’t born yesterday. Where’s Amy?” her dad, who insisted on everyone calling him Jake, asked sternly.
Diane glanced about nervously. “Um, oh, Amy? Um, she’s upstairs, in her room.” Amy’s parents began moving toward the stairwell, until Diane intercepted them. “But, um, I don’t think you should go up there.”
“Diane, please,” Amy’s mom Elaine sighed. She was normally a very nice woman, just as Amy’s dad was usually pretty cool. Tonight, they were frazzled, and just weren’t in the mood. “Whatever you girls are doing is fine, really. We’ve had a very rough non-trip, and we’d just like to say good-night to our daughter before we…”
Her words were interrupted by a yell from upstairs, a gravelly growl that rolled into a roar in mid-speech.
“What in the name of all that’s holy was that?” Jake gasped, eyes wide.
Diane gulped. “Um…that was…listen, you might want to sit down for this. You, see, we…”
She couldn’t get the rest of the sentence out before Amy’s parents barreled up the stairs, with Diane right behind. Through her door came growling and snarling; it was obvious to Diane that she was changing.
Her parents threw the door open, and gasped in shock when they saw their daughter on all fours on the floor, flanked by Miriam and Beth. Elaine recognized her as any mother would, saw her daughter through Amy’s thick coat of striped fur and slowly distending muzzle.
She leaned close to her. “Amy?” she gasped, near tears, “is that you?”
Amy nodded as her muzzle finished pressing forward and her tail extended completely. “Motherrrrr.”
Jake knelt by his wife, holding her shoulders. “Amy…you…you’re a…”
“Weretigress,” Beth finished for him. “Don’t worry; she’s still herself.”
Her parents looked on in a maelstrom of emotions as their daughter completed her transformation. The hybrid tigress sat back on her haunches, meeting their gaze with her reflective eyes.
Elaine swallowed hard. “Can you…understand me, Amy?” The tigress nodded.
“How did this happen to you?” Jake asked.
Miriam sighed. “Have a seat. It’s a long story…”
Mon May 6 18:25:30 2002