Danny looked at the ad. It was nothing special. Just a standard add in the paper. It was scrunched in next to a gardening tools advertisement and a car add. But still, he re-read it. What it said was this:

Danny laughed. The free doughnuts bit seemed like an extra bribe compared to what else the course had to offer.

After a bit of reflecting, Danny decided to go to the course, even though it was at an odd hour. It was only two days away, and he needed help on a very pressing subject.

It wasn’t bad grades, for he always came home with an A+ in every subject. He couldn’t remember once when he had gotten a C.

Nor did he have a stress problem. He was the most calm and collected of all his friends that went to Axbridge Junior High. He prided himself on being the most focused. He was always the first to get his homework done, always the one who never over spent his money while shopping, and always the one who made sure everybody else was doing okay.

Danny also had a good love life. Kitty-Kat, otherwise known as Katrina, was a good, solid girlfriend, even though she was a bit arrogant.

Danny just had family problems. His mom and dad were breaking up. They were in a big heated battle over child custody. Danny’s mom wanted to take him and the house, while his dad wanted to keep him, the house, and his six year old sister, Samantha. Now, whenever he came home from school, there was a tense silence around his father and his mother. Danny and Samantha could sense it. A normal dinner scene was this:

A good, wholesome meal of mashed potatoes, broccoli, steak and buns. Mom and dad sitting across from each other, staring each other down. Nobody has eaten any food. Dad stabs some steak and eats it, without taking his eyes off of his enemy.

“Too raw” he grumbles “why didn’t you cook it more?”

Mom replies. “I’m so dreadfully sorry, Your Great and Almighty Highness, would you like me to make you another. Right now. And do the can-can while I’m at it?”

Dad throws the knife across the room.

“Why did I ever marry you?” he snarls, his voice rising like a wolf’s.

“You were an idiot back then, and you still are” mom answers. “Fortunately, I grew up.”

The two stare each other down some more, each looking like they could kill one another.

Samantha shyly mumbles something about needing to go to the washroom and runs upstairs. Danny also says something about needing to finish homework, and follows Samantha.

The two of them walk into their room and shut the door. Danny holds his sister in his arms while she cries, her mousy brown hair pulled, like a curtain, over her face, her tears soaking his shirt. He hates to see her cry. Both try their hardest not to hear the shouts of anger from downstairs.

Eventually, their parents come up together, bringing with them a long, heartfelt apology, and their now frozen dinners. The two of them eat it up out of hunger only, each knowing that the scene would begin again next night.

It can’t go on like this, Danny decided. I am going to that course.

He took a look in his agenda to see if he had anything else planned for that day. There, in bold letters, were the words DATE WITH KITTY.

Drat!

Danny would just have to tell her. He hoped she would accept this explanation. Katrina usually liked to have things her way, and not anyone else's.

He walked over to the telephone and dialed her number.

There was ringing at the end of the line.

“Hello?” came a voice from the other end. Danny knew who’s voice it was.

“Hey Kitty-Kat” Danny said, calling her by his favorite nickname.

“Hi Dan. What’s up?”

Now it was time to tell her.

“You remember that date we have planned for Sunday?” he asked, a little shakily.

“How could I forget it.”

“Well, is it okay if I cancel it?”

There was a pause.

“Why?” came the emotionless response.

“Because I want to go to this course, it’ll help me to cope with my parents divorce, I hope.”

“When is it?”

“Sunday” Danny replied, wondering what she was up to. She should have blown up in his face when he had first told her he was canceling her date.

“What time?” Katrina asked again.

“9:30 pm.”

“Where is it?”

“173 Treeville terrace. What’s with all the questions?”

“If you’re going, so am I” was the response.

Danny stared at the phone in disbelief.

“Wh-what? Why.....?” he trailed off.

“I’m going with you because I want to be with you. Who says I can’t be with my favorite guy?” Katrina said in a pouty voice.

“No one, but I..... well, it’s kinda private, and stuff, and.....” but his girlfriend cut him off.

“Tough, Danny. I’m going to this with you. It’ll make up for our canceled date.”

With that, Katrina hung up.

Danny sighed as he put down the phone. His Kitty-Kat was very stubborn, but that was one of the qualities he liked about her.

Now, to wait till Sunday.

“Hey, Frank.......”

“Franklin.”

“Yeah, sure, Franklin. So, why do you want to get these kids together again? How is this going to help me in my little....... turf problem?”

“We’ve been through this before Mark. I perform my powers on the kids that come to this “counseling course” I help you win your gang war, you pay me, I take the kids home and back to my lab for my own personal use.”

“How are a bunch of over-active, self-esteemless punks going to help me win my war against Bruno? How will they obey you?”

“Mark, Mark, Mark. Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me. I have been studying ancient history for some years now. A few years ago I came across an amazing document, from the medieval times, and it told of a way to bring out someone's inner self, or inner beast. After that I studied psychology and hypnosis. Based on some other, rather poorly done, trials that I have completed, I have concluded that it can be done.”

“Wha....?”

“If I got you in the right frame of mind, I could make your inner personality come foreward, your inner beast, if you will. I think you might be a boar.....”

“What your sayin’ is these kids are gonna turn into animals?”

“Not just animals my friend, a race of superbeings. A new step of evolution in the human race!”

“So, will they help me, or not?”

“Maybe. Some might turn wicked as their inner beast commands, others will not. The evil ones, most likely the predators, will no doubt follow me. Or they might just be too frightened to know what’s what, and follow me anyway. With their aid, I will win your turf war and get the money I need to pursue my other activities, as well as government funded research.”

“Sounds good to me.”

There was a pause while the two men grinned at each other. Then, they both turned and walked away.

Building number 173 looked like a nice building. No cracks in the walls. No broken windows. Danny wondered how a building like this could remain so intact in such a bad neighborhood. All other buildings had either graffiti, looked like a pig pen, or were abandoned. Seeing this rose in a sea of weeds was comforting to Danny, who was already a little nervous. Should he have come here? What if it didn’t help him at all? He sighed and walked into the door of the building.

The inside was as nice as the outside. Clean tile floors. No stains on the violet carpet. And the lady at the reception desk didn’t look too evil either.

“Hi” he said “I’m looking for the free counseling course. Do you know where it is?”

“Three doors down” the lady replied, pointing the way.

Danny thanked her. He walked down the hallway and went into the room.

He saw twenty-four eyes stare at him. Twelve children were sitting in some blue, school room chairs, which were organized in orderly rows. There was a table with a red table cloth. On it was a aluminum plate filled with crumbs. All the doughnuts had been eaten or cashed in deep pockets for further use.

One of the teenagers stood up. Katrina.

Danny didn’t know whether to be upset or to be happy at the sight of her round, broad cheeked face, framed by brown hair.

“Hey Dan” Katrina said, hugging him.

“Hi” Dan said, trying to pretend there were not eleven people staring at them.

“Come sit by me” she said, dragging him by the hand to her seat.

Danny sat down next to her. He still didn’t like the fact that she was here with him, although he didn’t know why. She was only trying to support him after all.

Danny looked around, trying to see if he knew anybody. There was a group of five boys over in the corner who went to Axbridge Junior High, Danny had seen them on the basket ball team. There were three girls that he had seen around his neighborhood area, but he couldn’t place their names.

There was also James McKnight, who was in his class, but Danny didn’t know him that well. James was clutching the hand of another, frightened looking teen.

A girl and a boy sat at the back, their chairs pressed close together. The girl was had a melancholy smile, and the boy was casting dark shadows all over the places. Danny guessed he had been dragged here.

The door opened and a four others came in. Three boys and one girl. Danny didn’t know any of them either.

Danny checked his watch. 9:33.

After a few more minutes, Danny began to feel restless. Why wasn’t someone coming? The counselor should have been here five minutes ago.

Just as he was making up his mind to leave, the door opened. In the door way stood a man with thick rimmed glasses, silvery white hair and angular features. He was wearing a green vest and a white turtle neck, his pants were a brown corduroy.

The man walked to the center of the class with, quick, mouse steps.

“Greetings people assembled. My name is doctor Franklin Maroe, and I will be leading the course. If you have any questions.......?”

A girl with strawberry blonde hair raised her hand.

“Yes?” Dr. Franklin asked.

“Do you have a Ph.D. or a doctorate degree? I’d like to know a bit about your education.”

Franklin said, quite calmly, “I have a Ph.D. in psychology, hypnosis, and a doctorate in biology.”

“But no masters degree?” the girl asked again.

Franklin’s fog-gray eyes flashed. He looked a little bit vexed.

“No, no masters degree.”

The girl simply looked at him with a smile of satisfaction, until someone threw a wad of paper at her head.

“Now, now, enough of this” Dr. Franklin scolded. He managed to settle everyone down in a few minutes.

“Well, then. This is a counseling course, after all. I ask you to free yourself from embarrassment and humiliation, and tell me your problems. Do not be ashamed, I am here to help.”

A few of the boys on the Axbridge basketball team groaned. Danny felt like doing it too. This was turning out to be one of those courses where everybody admits the “true feelings” about their life and ends up crying. Danny wouldn’t be surprised if he saw this the next day on the Ricky Lake show.

James McKnight raised his hand.

“Here comes the good stuff” Katrina whispered in his ear.

“Yes, sir?” Franklin asked.

“My brother, Paul, keeps on getting beat up at school” James said, pointing to his brother, who seemed at the point of crying. “He’s under a lot of stress, and he can hardly keep up with his school work.”

Franklin’s eyes flashed again in a way that made Danny uneasy. The counselor walked over to Paul. He placed his hand on the kid’s shoulder.

“Do you know why you get beat up?” he asked, in a voice that was low and relaxing.

James’ brother looked around uncomfortably.

“Because they think I’m weak, and.... they’re right” was his eventual answer.

Dr. Franklin looked at him and nodded. “Good, good boy” he murmured to himself. He turned around to face the class.

“Any body else?” he called out.

“I keep getting bad grades in school” a boy from the basketball team cried out. The other four basketball team members nodded.

“Why?” Dr. Franklin asked them, his voice piercing Danny’s eardrums like a knife through cloth.

“Because teachers suck” said another team member with a laugh. His four friends laughed too, and slapped him on the back.

The counselor turned around.

“Go on, Dan, you can do it” said Katrina with a smile. Reassured, Danny stood up.

“Yes, young man?” Dr. Franklin asked.

It occurred to Danny that Mr. Maroe did not have a warm gaze. “My parents are getting divorced. They keep on fighting with each other. I came here to see if you could help me cope.”

Danny felt a flush of relief and sickliness after his confession was over.

Franklin abruptly turned towards some of the young ladies and asked them what their problem was. They said that they were always fighting with each other and they needed someone to decide what to do about it, because they couldn’t figure it out for themselves.

Out of the three boys that had come in at the last minute, one boy was also suffering through a divorce, the other was an underachiever, the other one couldn’t get a girlfriend.

The girl with the strawberry blonde hair had a difficult time maintaining relationships, her brother was in a hospital, and her mom stressed out.

The couple at the back had the most interesting story. The girl was accusing her boyfriend of cheating on her. He maintained that she was the one cheating on him. Then they had just glared at each other. It reminded Danny of home.

“Very good” Mr. Maroe said. His voice dropped suddenly, to that of an enchanter’s. Danny was getting a little concerned about the man’s ability to change his tone of voice so quickly.

“Now, we will be trying a technique of trying to solve your problems. This may sound a little stupid, and some of you will laugh. Some of you may even disbelieve in what you are about to embark on.” He glanced at the strawberry blonde girl as he said this. “But I assure you, it will all be for a good cause. Your lives will never be the same again.”

Despite himself, Danny felt a shiver prance up his spine. Katrina clasped his hand and squeezed it, a little too tightly. Franklin spoke again.

“Let it be known that I am only here to help you, and that you should trust in me. I will-”

“Get to the point!” one of the basketball team members cried.

Dr. Franklin glared at the boy, his eyes flashing. He took a few deep breaths and then calmed down.

“Listen to me, all of you, for I do not say this in jest!” Mr. Maroe said, his voice as strong as a bear’s. Strangely enough, Danny, as well as everyone else in the room, gave him their full attention.

Their counselor's voice changed again. It was more soothing, more relaxing. Franklin took out a golden pocket watch. He swung it in front of the air around him, in one wide ark, and always in the same pattern. Oh no, not the watch trick again, Danny thought. Why in the heck had he decided to come here, anyway? It was all some stupid hoax. The counselor then took out a packet of spices and opened it.

Danny sniffed, but he did not know what kind they were. He only knew that they smelt very good. It calmed his nerves, and it seemed to make his brain go limp, even though he knew that was impossible.

“Keep your eyes on my pocket watch” Dr. Maroe instructed “clear your mind. Banish all your thoughts. Don’t think about it, just do it!”

Danny tried, but it was very hard. How did one banish all their thoughts? Danny tried again, pushing away all the little voices chattering away inside his head. After a few more tries, it started working. The voices became slower, until they were just words. Then those words disappeared. Suddenly, there was no sound in his head at all. Danny faithfully awaited the next command, his brain now devoid of conscious thought.

Mr. Maroe spoke.“Now, just listen to my voice. Picture in your mind an animal, not just any animal. A creature that represents the inner you.”

WHAT?!?! was the thought that popped into Danny’s recently vacant mind. Immediately, he tried to banish it. Next, he tried to conjure up a picture in his mind, but it wouldn’t come.

“It may take some time, but let it come, your personality will assert itself” their teacher said. Dr. Maroe put down the swinging pocket watch, they were past the hypnosis stage, reached into his pocket and pulled out another bag of spices. This time, he struck a match, and put it into the bag. Smoke curled out, but the bag itself did not burn. What did burn was the spices inside.

Unlike the other spices, these kinds were more forceful, more powerful. They seemed to tug at the mind, to want something from it. Danny’s blood raced, and his heart beat faster. His muscles began to twitch and spasm. A conscious person might think they were getting a heavy dose of opium. But not Danny, nor any of the other teens. They were still trying to picture their “inner personality” in their minds. None of them had even been aware of what their teacher had been doing.

Danny was struggling to get the picture of his inner animal. But it kept eluding him, like smoke on the wind.

So, he was unaware that Mr. Maroe had started humming a tune. It was an old tune, that Franklin had gotten from the old document, the one that had told him how to bring to life people’s inner beasts. The song had been described as “the tune of the creatures.” It was said to aid the process of their creature finding.

Every one would suddenly hear the song, and eventually it would turn into the sound of their inner beast. Or so Franklin hoped. Then, if done correctly, the beginning of the rest of his life would begin. He smiled at the thought of all the scientific awards he would win, all the government money he would recieve, and the mansion he would own, complete with it’s own built in science lab...... but for now back to the present.

Danny was suddenly aware of a song that floated into his head without warning. It was loud, and long, a wailing sound in different pitches. Suddenly, the sound became clear to him. It was the sound of howling wolves! Wolves howling in the happiness of being together, wolves howling after a kill........

Then, the creature that had kept itself hidden came foreward. It was a large, grey and tan timber wolf. Every detail of it was perfect in his head. From it’s pointed ears, to the color of every single hair on it’s coat. Every atom and every paticle Danny suddenly knew by heart. Even wolf anatomy.

Danny smiled, he was happy. He knew what his inner creature was.

Then he felt the pain. It came at him, ripping and searing his flesh. He screamed in pain, and started thrashing about on the floor.

He suddenly felt hair sprout all over him. Danny’s legs bent backwards. His own ears disappeared and new, pointed ones came back onto the top of his head. His muzzle lengthened, his teeth grew larger. And sharper. Danny felt his fingers shrink, turning into paws with clawed tips. A tail sprouted from his tail bone.

Danny felt no pain at all. He glanced around him, and was shocked that he couldn’t see color. What had happened to him?

“What am I?” he tried to say, but all that came out was a frightened yelp. He surprised at how many things had changed for him. There was the smell of spices, but that was rapidly turning dull.

What amazed him the most was the fact that he saw a lot of other animals around him. There was a lynx, a hawk, a cobra, an anoconda, a horse, a crow, a black panther, a chimpanzee, a squirrel, a fox, a weasle, a deer, a bald eagle, a vampire bat, a bear and a cougar. Each one of them was looking about, dazed and confused, meowing and croaking and making all sorts of animal sounds.

“My friends” a voice boomed out. Danny turned. It was Dr. Franklin. “If you want to communicate, think of the things you want to say and project them into the outside world.”

Suddenly, a fear gripped Danny. Where was Katrina?! He tried the thought projection trick that he had just been told of.

“KATRINA! ” he cried out desperate to find her. Unfortunately, a lot of other animals were also talking too.

He glanced around. Any one of them could be Katrina. Just then he heard her voice.

“ Dan, where are you? What are you? DAN?!”

“ I’m a wolf, I’m over here” he called.

He saw the black panther walk quickly over to him.

“Katrina? Is that you?” he asked, staring at her form. She looked very beautiful, for a cat, anyways.

She was an inky black all over, her coat shone in the room’s overhead light. She was very large and powerful, her muscels were strong and wiry. Inside her head were two beautiful, yellow eyes that glowed like lanterns.

“You look good” Danny said.

“So do you” Katrina announced.

The two of them were silent, admiring each other.

“Excuse me!” a squirrel demanded of Maroe. “What the heck is going on here?! Why are we all these animals? I think you have some explaining to do!”

Mr. Maroe smiled.“It will all be explained in good time, my creations” the conselor said. “All in good time.”

Danny could smell an odd smell radiating from him. The smell of evil?

Part two

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