The Panther Within

The sun started to set when it was closing time
Turning the sky into a painting of pinks and purples
Before locking up, I heard the twinkling of the bell
Turning around, I saw a woman of marvelous beauty

Her eyes were something from a dream
Sparkling like the brightest stars with a hazel hue
Her long black hair danced with each step she took
A beautifully crafted figure that only the gods could create

She came over to my front desk, with a wide smile
Placing a gold colored metal box in front of me
I was completely mesmerized by her glowing face
Clearing my throat, I said: “Welcome to Cat Eye Tattoo”

She said hello, with a sweet angelic voice
Presenting her golden box as a gift
Unlocking the latch, she showed me its contents
Rows of jars with various colored inks inside

The liquids shined under the parlor’s lights
Glimmering magically like a bright aura
Still smiling widely, the woman said to me:
“I would like to give you a tattoo with these inks”

She specializes in the same craft as me
And yet, I saw only one tattoo above her breast
A cat’s paw print, shaded perfectly in deep black
Visibly shown on her fair, peach colored skin

A barely audible yes escaped my mouth
Her eyes sprinkled as I took her to a work station
Opening the colorful jars, she said “Take your shirt off”
I obeyed the artist as I presented my tattooed chest

Taking my seat, the woman started to rub my chest
Her long sharp nails gently grazed my ink covered skin
Going over my green dragon, surrounded by blue flames
A recent piece created by a friendly artist, not so long ago

When the machine turned on, she began to paint
The needle went across my shoulder, scratching it
My skin began to tingle and my heart began to beat wildly
This body of mine began to feel weird, but why

As she continued to color with black and yellow
Something inside of me began to move around
Like an inner body forcing its way out of me
Wanting to run and be free; and I felt the same way

The hum of the machine ceased and all was quiet
Miss dark haired artist said: “Done.  Go check it out.”
Walking over to the mirror, I saw her masterpiece
An ebony pelted panther, crawling up my upper arm

It was a creature of such feral power and beauty
With golden orbs for eyes and white blades for teeth
I couldn’t help but be amazed; the woman was an artist
But she gave me something more than a piece of art

My shoulder began to burn while the tattoo glowed
A severe painful feeling traveled though my body
Burning each limb with no means of stopping
I fell to the floor, screaming in utter pain

Looking down, I saw my nails growing and sharpening
Smooth skin on my palms became rough and black
I heard my own shoes rip as my toenails became sharp
While my own feet elongated and increased my height

I could feel my skin stretch and tingle as I winced in pain
Bones cracked, creating a grotesque sound that stung my ears
On my arms, I witnessed black fur coming out of my pores
An uncontrollable growth that crawled across my skin

The pain didn’t stop, no matter how much I screamed
It went to the base at my spine, pulling the fleshy skin
Soon a long, black tail forced its way out from my pants
It was then that I realized I was changing into a panther

I didn’t want to believe it but it was hard not to
A new, wild soul became present and I could feel it
Feral power and strength were growing in my muscles
As I watched them grow and become more toned than before

My jaws felt painful as fierce, sharp fangs formed
While skinny whiskers grew out from my soft cheeks
Soon my ears traveled to the top of my skull
While a muzzle grew right in front of my new golden eyes

Finally, the pain receded but I didn’t feel the same
I was able to stand up but I didn’t want to see myself
But I gave into curiosity and stood in front of the mirror
Only to find a human sized panther staring back at me

With wide eyes, I stared at my new feline form
Trying to figure out how all this could’ve happened
But when I saw her reflection, I fit the pieces in their places
This dark haired woman, turned me into this creature

Turning around, I saw her smiling at me with a wide grin
I growled and leered at her, asking: “What did you do to me?”
She didn’t answer, but walked towards me very slowly
When we were face to face, she scratched my furry chin

Her touch felt soothing and it made me purr softly
She made her way towards my ears and rubbed them
After a few minutes of petting me, she finally said:
“I have given you a gift.  A power that everyone wishes for.”

Everyone?  But I didn’t wish for this, I thought
She continued to talk, in that sweet angelic voice of hers:
“Oh my little kitten, you’ll love this new form of yours.
Embrace your feral self that has been kept inside for so long”

She took my paw and led me towards the back door
Outside, the sun was gone and it was completely dark
The cool wind went through my new black fur
As my ears picked up all the different sounds of the cities

“Run my panther.  Be wild and free, like all cats are.”
My dark haired artist said as she leaned on my arm
As I stood there, I felt this yearning to escape from humanity
To run and accept this wild soul, that is finely free

So I ran through the alleyway, behind all the buildings
Past the walls covered with graffiti and the old trash cans
Climbing and leaping with my new limbs and muscles
Picking up scents and sounds that I never knew existed

Indeed this new feeling and power was exhilarating
I didn’t want to lose it or trade it in for something more
No matter how painful and terrifing it was to receive it
The excitement of having it made up for the pain and fear

As I looked up towards the deep dark sky
I let out a roar that echoed through the city
From then on, I embraced my new feral power
Given to me by the beautiful artist and her inks