Beauty and the Beasts: A New Age

You know those days when you wake up and just…know? The sun was shining, the birds were singing, people were being loud and obnoxious out on the street. It's New York, so these things happen in the mornings. That particular Saturday started like any other…except for, possibly, the fact that I was given that day off. You see, normally I worked on the weekends and got Tuesday or Thursday off. It was a job and paid the bills for my meager one-room apartment down in Brooklyn, but I was happy with it.

No…maybe a better word would be 'content'.

Anyway, I'd requested the day off so I could hang out with my friends. There was a movie coming out and we were going to make a whole day of it – shopping for clothes, drinking fancy iced coffees, taking selfies, you know, the whole nine. I'd even dressed up, too! Had my cutest, flowiest knee-length skirt (which had to be dusted off, mind you), and this frilly little flower-patterned blouse that did a fantastic job of hiding my boobs. Nothing says 'ruined day' than a bunch of cat-calls demanding you take off your uniform and 'flash dem tittays'. I get that construction workers are essential, but come ON. Most of 'em are nothing but dogs if you ask me.

The day had just started. For once I wasn't packed up in my room, watching YouTube videos and finishing up whatever craft project I'd started the week before. I was outside, in the sunshine, enjoying the day. Hadn't even met up with the girls yet.

Then some guy pushed me.

Right in front of that bus.

…and I fell.

The problem was, I kept falling. And falling and falling, and when I opened my eyes, all I could see was wide, blue sky all around me, dotted with fluffy clouds. Had I died?

NOPE. I WAS STILL FALLING.

The forest below shot up at me faster than I expected and, thankfully, that was around the time I blacked out.

What a weird way to die, amirite? I figured being splattered by a bus would feel differently. Bones breaking, skin tearing, people screaming…but there was a surprising amount of absolutely nothing. Other than the falling. This WHOLE thing is SO weird.

But anyhow. My name is Zion Ordez. I'm 23. A Scorpio. And no, I'm not a vegan, nor do I do crossfit. Single and ready to mingle~ At least that's what my tindr bio said. Crappy, right? And I'd taken a really cute picture, too! It made this 4/10 easily a 6/10. It's a wonder what a little make-up can do for a gal.

And now that I'm dead, I guess it doesn't really matter?

What's that…cold thing? Oh god, it's wet, too. Eeeeww!

I groaned at the weirdness going on with my face and put up my hands to shield myself, just as the darkness was starting to fade. Something soft, like fur, rustled under my fingers and the licking stopped, but then the panting started and oh my damn, that's some rank dog breath.

…wait…

…dog…breath….????

As I cracked my eyes open, it took a second for my eyes to adjust before I realized what I was looking at. While I expected some mutt out in an alley near the street, I was staring at what I can only describe as a wolf. It had bright yellow eyes and the typical greys and browns of wolves mingled in it's fur and, if we're being honest, somehow it looked just as surprised by all this as I was.

Not gonna lie…it took me a second to actually start getting scared.