Holidays are Hell

Jill didn't consider the problem the door could be until she was nearly to it. She was just starting to realize that she wouldn't be able to work the door knob when the bells jangled as it was pushed inward by someone entering. It was an older woman who was smiling on first pushing the door open, but who blanched in horror and threw herself to the side, slamming the door against the wall and pinning it there with her body when she saw what appeared to be a huge reindeer charging toward her.

Jill put on a burst of speed and exploded out onto the sidewalk.

Screams and shouts erupted around her and Jill soon rued that she'd changed at all. The antlers were deadly and she wasn't used to them; she could hurt someone very badly if she weren't careful. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one to realize the peril her new shape could cause and everyone was scrambling to get out of her way. Turning in the direction of the parking lot, she broke into a run as the bells on the door behind her chimed. She didn't have to glance around to know it must be John.

"Jill! Get back here!" he roared and she grimaced at the fury in his voice. Did he really expect she'd just docilely allow him to lock her away for his experiments? The man was mad, she thought as he called her name again. "Jill!"

"That's Rudolph!" a child's voice corrected him scornfully, then added, "Run, run Rudolph! The bad man's coming."

Jill was already running, but put on a burst of speed at the cry. The more accustomed she became to this new shape, the more swiftly she was able to move and everyone was very accommodating in making way for her. They were spreading before her and then closing quickly behind her to stare after her with amazement which had the added benefit of slowing John down. She quickly left him behind.

Unfortunately, all this attention had its disadvantages and when she heard someone shouting out to call the police or animal control, she knew she had to get herself somewhere out of sight and change again quickly. The problem would be what to change into. If she changed back to herself, she'd be left naked and that was hardly helpful.

A rush of relief ran through her as she broke out of the last of the crowds and found herself on the edge of the parking lot. It was full of people milling about still in their costumes. The parade was over and its members were now laughing and chatting in groups with the relief and excitement that follows a successful venture. Fortunately, they were mostly congregated around the tents and no one seemed to notice her appearance at the edge of the lot.

"Don't let it get away."

"Does anyone have a rope? We can lasso it and hold it until the police get here."

Jill glanced around at that comment, startled to see that some of the people from the crowds had decided to give chase. She should have realized that would be the case, that some civic minded men would decide to catch the wild reindeer running loose in the streets before it harmed someone, but the possibility hadn't occurred to her.

Cursing, she turned sharply and charged for the end of the parking lot where the parade members had parked. When they reached the cars, she began to weave through them, aware that the men had begun to spread out, trying to surround her.

Pausing between two vans, Jill tried to decide which way to go, but glanced to the side when a muffled bark caught her ear. She blinked in surprise as she found herself face to face with a beautiful husky. The dog had climbed right up onto a box on the seat of the van he was in. He stood framed in the window, peering at her with what seemed more to be curiosity than anything else.

"Do you see it?"

Jill glanced behind her, but while the voice sounded close, there was no one there.

"I think it went around that van," someone answered as Jill turned back to peer at the dog again. Knowing she didn't have much time, she concentrated on the animal, wanting desperately to look like it. No one would bother her as a husky. They'd hardly notice her with their attention on finding the reindeer.

"Hey, boy." A hand landed on her rump, rubbing there and bringing her eyes open as two men moved up on either side of her between the vans.

"The reindeer couldn't have come this way, the dog would have stopped it," the second man said as the first man ran his hands over the white fur now cresting Jill's body. She'd shifted successfully and was now a husky.

"Yeah. He must be back further," the first man agreed, straightening and turning back the way they'd come. "Let's backtrack."

Jill released a breath as the two men disappeared around the van, as relieved that the one man wasn't touching her anymore as she was that they'd been fooled by her shape-shifting. The fellow may have thought it was a dog's furry back he'd been running his hand over, but it had felt to Jill like his hand was coursing over her naked skin.