Eternity

Dancing...or so-called dancing. The bodies were crashing against each other, jumping everywhere, most were high or drunk, and the band wasn't even good. I didn't want to be there, but Eva, my friend, coerced me. My face was caked with Eva's unnecessary make up and I felt naked in my halter top and leather mini skirt, I was glad I had a long black jacket on, but it was getting trampled on in the crowd. I was getting really hot, so I pulled myself out of the
crowd and sat on the dirty, cold stone floor- alone. Somewhere along the line, I lost Eva in the crowd, but at this point I didn’t care. I just wanted out of the hot mass of people and into the open, semi-fresh air.
Looking around, I saw only two outlets to the outside world, and both
were locked! I felt the panic rise up in me, but before it could erupt I took a deep breath and told myself to be calm. I said aloud "Why are the doors locked? They're trying to keep us in! Damn bastards!!" I was very angry at this realization. "Wait..no...They wouldn’t keep us in here. Would they? Perhaps they’re closed just keep outsiders out side..." At this, I sat back down and closed my eyes. The band stopped playing, all I heard was clapping and gibberish from the crowd. When I opened my eyes, Eva stood in front of me.
Her clothes were torn, yet she looked very calm. I must have looked at her questioningly, because she said "I got tossed in the crowd." Which was to be expected as she is so very petite; 5'2’' and 110lbs. She sat beside me. "Eva, I really don’t understand why you like coming to these things." I paused "These rave things are disgusting-unsanitary, swarming with drunken idiots. And the behavior of these people is appalling!!" Eva just laughed "You are such a granny, Aryn!! This is fun, enjoy it. I am."
The conversation continued like that until Cat Eyes Lie, the band I was
waiting for, came on stage. I waved at Malakai and blew him a kiss. I didn’t expect him to see me, or return the gesture...but he did. He also called us up to the stage, surprisingly, he had an Australian accent. Eva and I were elated, we practically ran up the stage. Malakai told us to go back stage and he’d see us when they were done. He kissed my cheek and sent me off.
Eva and I stood side stage so we could watch the band a little longer, we didn't know where to go once we were back stage anyhow. I don't know how long the man behind us was there, but he got our attention when he brushed Eva’s arm. He was tall and slender, with cold gray-blue eyes and almost white hair, very pale, and wearing all black. I later found out that he was nick-named Spike. The man murmured something to Eva which I could not hear, then walked away.
Eva followed the man, didn’t say a word to me, so I followed her. He led us to a room where four other people were sitting down. A shapely woman of medium height in a black and red skirt, a loose black blouse, long black hair with red streaks, very bright attentive green eyes, and full purple colored lips beckoned to us. “Sit, sit my Dears. I am Elizabeta.”. We were acquainted with the others; Eric, Seth, and Djinn. They were all dressed in garb similar Elizabeta’s. Eva, Spike, and myself sat on a medium sized red velvet couch, where Eva couldn’t take her eyes off Spike.

The band came back stage, done with their performance, looking tired
and hungry. That is when I remembered that the doors were locked, but I
didn’t say anything. Malakai sat next to me, and put his arm around me, “You don’t mind do you, Love?” Of course I didn’t. Elizabeta, Seth, Djinn, and Eric left, with out saying anything. Eva and I were left with Spike and Malakai.
“Where are they all going?” I asked. Malakai responded “They’re going to get something to eat.” He smiled. I realized that they were going to the stage, and the crowd hadn’t left yet.....Very strange.
Spike and Malakai got up at about the same time. “Will you come with
us?” asked Spike, mostly to Eva. Malakai tugged light on my arm. “Yes, come with us...” He dragged the ‘S’ out. Spike and Eva were already walking away, but I went along, against my better judgment.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Some place a little more private.”
“Oh...I...never mind” that’s all I said. Why am I doing this? I thought This
isn’t like me..WHAT am I doing? Aryn STOP...!
Something pulled inside of me, telling me not to go, yet I ignored it. Malakai pulled me closer to him, I didn’t resist. I looked into his face, but what I saw scared me. His eyes glowed yellow, like cat eyes. He smiled and his teeth were sharply elongated. For the second time that evening I began to panic, then Malakai placed his lips upon mine and a certain calm fell over me and all was well. I looked into his eyes again and they were normal, as were his teeth. Maybe I am seeing things.
The others had gone into a room with high ceilings, scarcely decorated,
with several velvet couches. What’s with the velvet couches everywhere?
Looking back into Malakai’s eyes, I was completely entranced and words were no longer needed.

snapped back into consciousness in bed, not my bed, not my room. Where was I? Despite not knowing where I was, I was not scared because the room, for some reason, seemed oddly familiar. I pulled the sheets down, sat up and threw my legs off the bed to see that I had a black silk night gown on. “Ugh...How did...? I don’t have one of these!!” I murmured aloud. Looking around the room, I walked around the bed to the door, to see a mirror. My eyes, seeming to glow, stared back at me, for the first time in my life I thought
I was beautiful. I opened the door slowly, cautiously. AHHH!!! Ow, it’s so bright in here! My mind screamed. The windows to this room were all open, as were the glass doors leading to a balcony. A cool breeze swept through the room. Squinting, I saw Eva stick her head through the open doors. “HEY!!” she exclaimed and turned to her right, telling someone else that I had awoken.
Not saying anything, I glided through the doors to see Elizabeta, Spike, and Malakai sitting at a table, under a purple umbrella. Angrily I demanded to know where I was, what they had done to me, and what day it was. Elizabeta smiled at me, “It’s Sunday.” Two days after the concert. “You are in Spike and Malakai’s home. And we have made you better. You are evolved.”
I growled, “What? Evolved? What do you mean?”
For the first time I heard Spike speak, “My dearest, you are no longer an average human. No longer pitiful. You are special, that is why we chose you.” I was even more confused than before. “You’re crazy!! What’s wrong with you??!!”
Eva spoke, “Aryn, look at me. Watch what they have enabled me to do...”
All of her features began to change. Fur sprouted from every follicle, her hands turned into paws, her face was the likeness of a cat’s and her eyes fluoresced. I closed my eyes, hoping I was seeing things, but I wasn’t. When I opened my eyes, the transformation was complete- she was a very large, sinewy but strong looking cat. I felt as if I were about to faint. Malakai was quickly by my side, holding me up. “Oh, my..” I sighed. “How did....” I trailed off, my voice very soft.
“You can do that too. All of us can.” Malakai’s voice came from behind. I steadied myself, “Um..How though? How is that possible? I thought stuff like this was only on TV.”
“TV shows come from reality.” Elizabeta chimed in, grinning widely.
There was what seemed like an eternity of silence. “Ok..How? How can I make myself into a cat??” They explained that if I just concentrated on it, I could do it, but it would take practice. Meanwhile Eva had turned herself back. Once again, there was silence. I sighed “Why am I special? You said I was special.” No one said anything, so I continued “Eva, how long have you been a..um...cat-thing?” She replied quietly, “Three years.” My jaw dropped “And why didn’t you tell me? I thought...Damn..why couldn’t you tell me?” I
was angry again. “You planned to turn me?!!!” I slapped her. That angered her and she turned into a cat again. I tried to imitate the action and succeeded. In my cat form, as in human form, I was larger and stronger. I was very surprised I was able to transform easily, so was everyone else. She hissed, and the fight was on. I swiped at her face, and again at her throat. Eva tried to do the same to mine, only it had little effect on me. Eva, who was injured badly, reverted to human form, nude and bleeding. She bled to near death before I let my cat-self melt away to my “humanness”. Spike, her lover apparently, had a cloth of sorts and tied it around her neck to stop the bleeding. Elizabeta took blood in her hands and smeared it on a sharp metal
ledge. She was going to tell the paramedics that Eva tripped and fell, cutting herself. Malakai called 911. And I, her best friend, just sat there staring blankly at my hands, and did so until the ambulance got there.

I sat beside Eva’s hospital bed, watching her carefully, painfully slurp down liquids. I tried to apologize, but I could not force the words from my throat.
She looked up at me and said hoarsely, through her almost ripped-out vocal chords, “Aryn, I am sorry. I am sorry for not telling you the truth.”
Through my tears I ignored her apology, “I have so many questions, Eva.”
She replied shortly “We have eternity to sort that out.”
“Eternity?”....