The Changeling Princess Read Free Page B

bed and was sitting next to me.
    You look tired, Janis.
    I bolted upright. “Did you just say something, Missy?” She didn’t answer.
    If I really did hear Missy speak, it meant that I had acquired the ability to communicate with animals. I decided to ask Missy again, but this time I was going to do it through thought.
    Did you say something, Missy?
    I said you look tired , Missy answered.
    This is fantastic! We’re actually talking to each other.
    This is the first time I ’ve ever been able to hear your thoughts, Janis. I really like it.
    I held Missy in my arms and hugged her. You ’re the best kitty in the whole world. Missy rubbed her head against my face and purred.
    Now that we can communicate with each other, you ’ll be interested to know we’re thinking about going to the animal shelter to find you a playmate. Would you like that?
    Sure, I ’d love to have a playmate. We can chase the varmints into the valley and round them up together.
    That sounds like cowboy talk.
    That’s because I like westerns. I’m a big John Wayne fan.
    I recalled Missy seating herself in front of television when the family was watching a western. I thought a cat that likes cowboy movies was really amusing.
    I was really nervous as I made my way to my dressing room mirror. If I could talk to animals, what other powers had I inherited?
    I started with my morning ritual of growing the length of my hair. I ’d only focused for an instant and my hair was all the down to my waist. “Wow! That was really fast!” I said excitedly. My powers had increased to the point that all I had to do was imagine something and it happened instantly. I restored my hair to its original length and smiled. I knew it was going to be a fun morning.
    I concentrated on changing the color of my hair to black. Instead of slowly darkening, it turned black immediately. I wanted to try another color, so I turned my hair platinum blonde. I looked over at Missy . This is terrific. Did you see how fast I can change the color of my hair?
    Missy coul dn’t resist speaking her mind . None of those colors are as pretty as your auburn hair . I agreed and restored my hair to its original color.
    I was really nervous as I focused on making myself invisible. I almost lost my breath because I disappeared in the blink of an eye. I was so thrilled I let out a squeal.
    I decided to take a walk across the room in my invisible form. I should have been more careful because I stubbed my toe on the leg of a chair. I figured I’d better wear shoes until I got used to not being able to see my feet. I was beaming when I made myself visible. I was really excited.
    The next step was to test my shape-shifting powers. I took a deep breath and morphed into an image of my mother. I turned from side to side and gave myself a good going over. The transformation was perfect, but I was amazed to see I was wearing my mother ’s clothes. I had no idea how that was possible.
    I did the same experiment with my dad. I couldn ’t help giggling because I was now a perfect replica of my dad wearing a business suit. Just for kicks, I added a long beard and bushy hair. I burst out laughing because dad looked like some of the strange people who hung around the local park all day.
    My curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to know if I could acquire the skills of the people I morphed into. I carried my testing to the max by morphing into Moira Shearer, the famous ballet dancer from the 1948 film “The Red Shoes.” I gasped when I saw myself in my mirror. I was an exact duplicate of Moira Shearer in a ballet outfit. I was immediately aware that I was only a replica of Ms. Shearer. I had none of her thoughts or her memories. I was still Janis French with the exception of my new form.
    I tested my dancing skills by moving around the room and doing a series of pirouettes. The execution was perfect. I was excited beyond belief. The possibilities of things I could accomplish were endless.
    I was so