“Freedom”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.” — Daniel J. Boorstin

The guard taps my shoulder.

“Here,” he says, visibly upset that I’ve been released. “Your papers. Don’t lose them.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t,” I say, grinning at him and slapping him on the back. “Thanks, good sir, for your service.”

He grumbles something under his breath before stepping back and pressing the buzzer. The gate slides open.

Ah, the sweet sound of freedom.

I take a deep breath and step outside.

This is it. I’m free.

I turn back to look up at the building that had been my home for the past three years.

“Good-bye, cruel prison,” I say, giving it a small wave. “May we never meet again.”

“Go on, get out of here,” the guard barks, buzzing the gate back closed.

I salute him with a smirk before turning and sprinting off into the forest.

Ah, the forest. I’ve missed the feeling of the dirt beneath my feet and the leaves brushing my face. I take a deep breath of the cool, fresh air.

Freedom.

But now for the fun part. To do what I haven’t been allowed to do in three years.

I crouch and jump as high as I can. In midair, I will my body to change. My arms elongate. Fur grows along my entire body. Claws erupt from my fingertips and toes.

I land softly, feeling the dirt beneath my paws.

Yes, this feels good.

Now to test out this new body.

I curl my hind legs, ready to pounce forward. My ears swivel, listening for the slightest hint of a noise. There is none.

I silently count myself down before pushing off. The wind whistles past me. The elation I feel in incomparable to anything I’ve ever felt before.

Sweet, sweet freedom.

Final Comments: This was a lot of fun to write. I’ve never worked with shapeshifting before, but I found that I actually really liked it.

Overall Rating: 😄