Mysti barely made it to the wall before her legs began to twitch and shift.

She caught herself with a shaky hand, fingers splayed against the cool surface as a wave of heat rolled through her body. Not the gentle warmth she sometimes felt before a controlled shift—but a sudden, crawling pressure that surged under her skin, buzzing like static trapped in her veins.

“No… no, no—” she muttered under her breath, tail tenting the back of her jeans.

Laughter drifted in from the other room. Voices. People she cared about. People who weren’t supposed to see this.

The pressure tightened.

Mysti gasped as the sensation pooled at the base of her spine, her tail jerking hard as if yanked by an unseen force. It stretched, lengthening and thickening, its weight pulling her off balance. She leaned back against the wall with a quiet whimper, feeling her socks pop and snap as her feet formed into paws.

“Stop—please—” Her voice cracked as fabric strained, seams groaning under the sudden change. A sharp rip echoed in the room, followed by another, and another, each one sending a spike of panic through her chest. The yellows and browns in her rubber skin shined softly as it crept up more and more.

Lightning sparked from her cheeks and flickered violently across the room as she continued to grow and change. Her corded tail curling around her leg as it grew more and more.

“Mysti?” "Mysti? Where are you?"

Two voices from the hallway made her heart leap into her throat.

"Honey?" Called another voice, her girlfriend.

The pair of footsteps came down the hall as they called her name.

“Oh god… it won’t stop…” she whispered, barely audible over the buzzing energy. “I can’t change here… I can’t—I...g-ggrrAAAAIIII!!"

Her hands flew to her muzzle....did that come from her?

"Mysti?!?" The familiar voice called out in realization

"Oh no...."

Her cover was blown...