Published: 13 Mar 2025

Chapter 53 – Repercussions

Rather than talk about what my parents might do next, Devin asked a question instead.

“What the fuck made you transition into a polar bear this time.”

“I’d been thinking about what might intimidate and possibly even be able to fight off an evil skinwalker and determined a polar bear would be my best choice. They can stand up as tall as twelve feet (3.7 m) when on their hind legs, and can weigh a 1,000 pounds (454 kg) or more. They also have thick, curved, sharp claws that could tear an evil skinwalker to shreds, and it also has a large mouth with a row of powerful incisors across the front of its mouth that could do a lot of damage. It might even be able to bite the head off an evil skinwalker.”

“But the evil skinwalker is a lot faster and can react quicker than a polar bear, so it might be able to do more damage to you.”

“That’s why I cheated a little. I gave the polar bear that I was transitioning into the speed and reaction time of a cheetah. That way I’d have the size and weight advantage while also countering the evil skinwalker’s strong points.”

“Ok, that makes sense, and I never thought about doing anything like that, but what if someone had been looking down into the canyon. How do you think they might have reacted if they’d seen a polar bear roaming around down there?”

“Probably no worse than seeing a Bigfoot in the canyon,” I snapped back.

“Ok, but don’t you think the polar bear’s white fur would stand out more.”

“Yes, but I think either one would have been noticeable due to their enormous size, especially after you let out one of those loud Bigfoot howls. That could have definitely brought attention into the canyon.”

“Ok, you’ve got me there, so let’s just hope that no one else was around where they could see either one of us. What do you think your parents are going to do now.”

“I’m not sure. I know we made these plans in case we thought the evil skinwalker was becoming a threat, but I never thought we’d have to actually do it. I never expected there would be a time when just the four of us would be alone. When we agreed to visit the cliff dwellings on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, I expected we’d have a tribal guide or two or maybe be part of a larger group, but then Trevor Turtle had to cancel. I certainly wasn’t planning on my parents finding out about my ability like that, and now we’d also told them about your family as well, so I have no idea what to expect from them next.”

“I’m not sure either, although I have a pretty good idea that this vacation has come to a screeching end.”

“Yes, I’d say the odds are in favor of that happening, although maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Like we were lucky that the evil skinwalker kept showing up and following us around?”

“That was strange, but I told you I thought it must have sensed something about us, and now it knows exactly what we are. I’m not sure if that will change anything, but it might motivate it into keeping a safer distance from us.”

We continued talking about this until my phone rang. When I looked at the screen, I saw who was calling. “It’s my parents, but I just don’t know if it’s a good or bad sign,” I quipped before I answered.

“Mickey,” Mom’s voice greeted me, “it’s well past lunchtime and I’m sure you boys must be hungry, so meet us out at the SUV and we’ll go somewhere for an early supper.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” I quickly agreed. “We’ll be right out.”

“Do you think it’s a good sign, or a bad one?” Devin asked.

“We’ll soon find out,” I said as I opened the door to our room and we both headed out into the hallway.

Nothing was said during the ride to the restaurant, nor while we were looking at the menus or ordering. However, after the food and drinks were delivered to our table and we’d started eating, Dad finally spoke.

“Your mother and I have discussed this situation and we want to learn more about what you were telling us earlier, but we don’t want to do it while we’re here. Therefore, after we’ve finished eating, we’ll head back to the motel and we’ll need you boys to pack up your things and get ready to leave. We’ll start the drive back to Jamesville after we have breakfast in the morning.”

“Ok, and I hope you see that I’m no different than before. It’s been two years since that happened, so I hope you realize that I’m still the same person I’ve always been, no matter how different I may appear at times.”

“As I said, we’d prefer not to talk about it here and we’ll discuss it further once we get home. I don’t wish for anyone else to overhear our family discussions.”

Thinking about how the conversation went, I believe anyone who had overheard our conversation might have thought that Devin and I had just told them we were a couple. Hopefully, this will play out just as well as that had.

Nothing more was said during the ride back to the motel either, and after we got back to our rooms, Devin and I decided to go out for a walk. We didn’t talk during the entire time and merely walked hand-in-hand as we enjoyed the fading light of another day.

When we returned to our motel room, we packed up everything except what we were planning to wear the next day, and then we went in to take a shower. The hot water felt good and eased some of the stiffness and stress from our overworked muscles from earlier in the day, and after we dried off, we merely put on our underwear, climbed into bed, and cuddled. Although our minds were still racing from the events of earlier in the day, we eventually fell asleep.

I’d forgotten to set the alarm on my phone, so mom had to call to wake us up. “I know, it’s time to get up,” I said when I saw who was calling, “and I apologize for not setting my alarm, but I wasn’t sure what time we’d be leaving.”

“That’s ok, just get dressed and bring your things with you when we meet up at the SUV. We’ll see you there in fifteen minutes.”

“Ok, we’ll see you then.”

Devin and I hurried to get ready, and then we grabbed our belongings before we rushed out to meet my parents at the SUV. They were just getting there as we hurried out to join them. “Sorry we held you up this morning,” I apologized as Devin and I put our gear in the back of the SUV.

“You’re fine. Let’s just go eat and then we’ll start the trip back home. I paid the bill while your mother was calling you, so we just have to return our key cards.”

“Ok, then give me your key card. Devin and I will run inside to turn them in and we’ll be back here in a jiffy.”

Not much was said during breakfast either, and once again we ate in silence. This long, lengthy period of being unable to discuss what was on all of our minds was agonizing, but I realized my parents weren’t about to give in and discuss this before we reached the house. Therefore, we all concentrated on eating our meals, and after we finished and Dad had paid the bill, we all walked out to the SUV and got in our seats and Dad started the long trip back home.

Devin and I immediately began looking on our phones to see if there was anything of interest on the local news, and then we began listening to our music to entertain us during the ride. We also kept glancing out the windows to see if the evil skinwalker was lurking anywhere nearby, but he didn’t seem to be around.

Since the evil skinwalker didn’t seem to be following us, we decided to concentrate on what my parents might do next. Were they going to stop for lunch later or were they planning to drive a little while longer and merely stop to have an early supper instead. Or might they drive all the way to Jamesville without stopping and then find a place to eat there, since I was pretty sure that Mom wouldn’t want to cook a meal as soon as we got home.

It soon became quite apparent that Dad was merely backtracking and going through all of the same places that we drove through on the way to Mesa Verdi. From Manco, he drove to Durango and then to Pagosa Springs, and although he wasn’t making any stops, he certainly wasn’t in danger of getting a speeding ticket either. He was definitely driving under the speed limit, as evidenced by the number of drivers that honked their horns at him until they were able to pass. This got Devin and I whispering to one other.

“Why do you think Pa’s driving so slow?” Devin asked in a hushed tone.

“He’s either thinking about what he saw when we were at the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, or he’s thinking about what he’s going to say to us when we reach the house.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Yes, he’s never seen anything like that before, especially from the two of us, so I’m sure he’s trying to figure out how he wants to handle it. I’m not sure if he’s still going to think of me as his son or some kind of monster.”

“That goes for me and my family too. Probably even Mom and the other women as well, since they’ve known about our abilities and never said anything to your parents about it.”

“Yes, this could get pretty tricky then.”

“What are you two whispering about now?” Dad eventually asked.

“The elephant in the room,” I answered. “We’re wondering what’s going to happen next.”

“What’s going to happen next is that we’re going to stop in Alamosa for lunch, so use your phones to find us a nice place to eat.”

“Ok, we can do that,” we quickly agreed, and several minutes later I spoke.

“We have two choices. The first possibility is “My Brothers Place”, and they offer pizza and a wide range of sandwiches, as well as salads and desserts. The other possibility is “The Rubi Slipper”, and they offer burgers, steaks, Buffalo popcorn chicken, tacos, burritos, nachos with ground beef and chicken, Mounds of Shrooms. They also offer many different kinds of fries, tater tots, and onion rings, as well as salads with steak, chicken, Calamari, or Salmon, and they’ve got a lot of different kinds of seafood as well.”

“The second location sounds better,” Dad quickly confirmed.

“And I’ll pay again,” Devin followed.

“Devin, you’ve already paid for enough meals, so I’ll pay for this one.”

“Ok, then I’ll pay for supper.”

I wasn’t sure if Devin was making his offer in hopes of putting my dad in a better mood, but it wasn’t a bad idea. I just hope it works.

Once we got to the restaurant, Dad started out ordering Nachos with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo as an appetizer for all of us to share, and then we began ordering our meals. Dad decided to go with the Steak Strips & Fries, which came with sour cream, cheddar & mozzarella. Mom went with the Honey Mustard Crunchy Chicken Salad, and that left only Devin and I to decide. We were tempted to try the Goliath Burger, which had FIVE patties and our choice of cheese, but we thought that might be a bit much, so we went with Bacon Burgers on pretzel buns instead. Devin also ordered cheesy curly fries and I ordered onion rings, which we planned on sharing.

When we finished eating, the rest of us were ready to skip dessert, but Dad was insistent. “I want to try that Big Fat Chocolate Cake,” he announced. “It looks delicious.”

“Not unless you’re willing to share it with me,” Mom quickly chimed in. “That’s way too much for just one person.”

“So, you want half?”

“No, I’ll settle for a third, but that’s a third less for you to add to your waistline.”

“Hey, I deserve this little treat after all of the walking and climbing we did over the past few days.”

“That’s why I’m letting you have two-thirds and I’m only going to take one third.”

Now that they finished their negotiations, or should I say Mom’s ultimatum, Devin and I agreed to share a slice of cheesecake covered in cherries.

When we finished eating the desserts, we went outside and got back in the SUV without saying another word. Other than ordering our meals and the discussion over desserts, nothing else was talked about the entire time. This was beginning to make me nervous, and I had no idea how my parents were going to react, or overreact, once we reached the house. This was actually worse than sitting in the principal’s office waiting for my parents to show up.

That only happened to me a couple of times in middle school after Devin left and I took exception to comments someone was making about him when they thought I wasn’t listening. That ‘s when I proved that I didn’t need Devin around to protect me and I could stand up for myself, but that was the only reason I no longer needed him, because I missed him more every day.

After leaving Alamosa, Dad drove to Walsenburg and then turned north toward Canon City. He drove past Canon City and continued north for a while longer before we eventually reached Jamesville. I had mixed feelings as Dad pulled in the driveway and I saw the house for the first time in a week, and then I felt a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. This wasn’t over yet – it was just beginning.

“Let’s take everything inside first, and then we’ll start getting cleaned up and putting on some clean clothes so we can go out for supper in an hour or so.”

“You mean you’re hungry already?” Mom challenged.

“Not quite, but I will be in an hour or so.”

“Let’s take our time getting ready and then we’ll eat again in a couple of hours.”

I could tell Dad wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t about to argue with Mom either. I just hope this doesn’t mean he’ll be harder on me later just because of Mom’s stubbornness.

“Any clues about how your parents are going to deal with your unexpected surprise?”

“Nah, except I pray Dad will be in a better mood once he’s eaten. Let’s hope that will be enough to soften him up a bit.”

“But what about Ma?”

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea what she’s going to say. I think she was the most shocked between them after we’d transitioned so we could challenge the evil skinwalker. I’m also her baby boy and the last of her children, so I’m not sure how she is going to handle this. I have a better understanding about what my dad might say or do.”

“This could be a very interesting evening then. Do you want me to call my dad and tell him what happened and then ask him and Mom to come help us explain things to your parents?”

“No, I’m going to have to do this on my own. I was the one who lied to them about the camping and canoeing trip and what I was actually doing, so now I have to pay the piper.”

“We both lied to them and made up stories about the camping trip.”

“I know, but you were only backing me up, so you’re off the hook.”

“I don’t feel like I’m off the hook. In fact, I feel as if a deep-sea fisherman just hooked me and is reeling me in right now.”

“I appreciate that you’re willing to stand with me as I face the blowback from what I did two years ago, but if you’re smart you’ll try to stay out of the line of fire.”

“No, I’ll be right there by your side, no matter what happens.”

Since it didn’t sound as if anyone was running water at the moment, we decided to take our shower now and then hang out in my room until it was time to leave. I wasn’t sure, but I suspect my parents will be taking us out to eat at their favorite restaurant tonight, and then we’ll probably have our little discussion once we returned to the house.

I hadn’t been paying attention to the time when my phone rang. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

“I hope you boys are dressed and ready, because we’ll be leaving here in ten minutes.”

“Yeah, we’re all ready, so we’ll meet you downstairs in a few.”

It was another silent meal and no one talked other than ordering our meals and beverages. The suspense was killing me and making the situation much worse than it should have been. I wasn’t sure if this was a designed tactic or not, but the waiting was excruciating.

As soon as we returned to the house after finishing supper, Devin and I went to the living room and sat on the sofa as we waited for my parents to come join us. A few minutes later, Dad entered and spoke.

“I’m too tired after the long drive to get home, so we’ll talk about things after we get back from having breakfast in the morning. I hope we can finish our discussion quickly, though, because your mother and I will have to do some grocery shopping after we finish, if we plan on fixing any meals here for the rest of the weekend.”

“You mean I’m going to have to wait even longer before we talk about this?”

“I’m afraid so. I need to get a good night’s sleep first, and maybe we’ll all be better prepared to talk about this tomorrow.”

I was beginning to believe these delays were all intentional. I wasn’t sure if it was to give them more time to think about what they wanted to say or if they just enjoyed watching me squirm. Either way, I believe they were being successful, regardless of their motive for doing this.

Devin could tell that I was all wound up from waiting, so as soon as we finished going through our nightly ritual, he pinned be to the mattress and started kissing me. After a while, he eventually began working his way down my neck and chest with sweet angel kisses, and as soon as he had me erect, we made love.

That would probably have been enough to make me forget about what I was going to have to face in the morning, but he didn’t stop there. After we finished making love, he wrapped his arms around me and we cuddled as we fell asleep. I don’t think I moved until he started kissing me again the next morning.

“I can hear that your parents are up and moving around, so let’s get up and get dressed. We don’t want to make ol’ grumpy bear upset if we make him late for breakfast.”

“Good point,” I agreed as we finished getting dressed and headed down to the living room.

“Good morning, you two. I hope you slept well,” Mom greeted us.

“Yes, we slept very well,” we chorused in unison.

“Good, then let’s go get some breakfast and then we’ll come back here and discuss things before your mother and I go do some grocery shopping.”

“Ok, sounds like a plan,” I confirmed.

There was a little more talking as we were eating breakfast, but it was mostly ideas about what they needed to get at the grocery store, since Mom was writing it all down on a list.”

“Now you’ve got Ma making lists too,” Devin teased.

“No, I learned about making lists from her when I was younger.”

This time when we finished eating, Dad drove us back to the house and we all gathered in the living room for the big discussion.

“Your mother and I have been trying to wrap our heads around what we saw the other day, but we’re totally at a loss for words. Why don’t you start by telling us what you did when we thought you’d gone away with your friends on a camping and canoeing trip.”

“Ok, it’s like this. Do you remember when Devin and his family moved away suddenly?”

“Yes, it’s because Aaron got a new job.”

“That’s what he told you, but that wasn’t the case,” Devin explained. “He did it because he realized it was time for him to start training me.”

“Training you to do the types of things we saw you do on the Ute reservation?”

“Yes, it was those types of things that he was training me to do.”

“Why the rush? Why did your family suddenly pack up and leave? You were still really young when you moved away, so couldn’t your dad have waited until you were a little older?”

“No! He had to do it then, because I’d already transitioned once! That shocked my dad, Gramps, and Pops because they didn’t realize I was old enough to do it already. I’d only transitioned because I was trying to protect Mac, but it proved to them that I could do it!”

“Protect him from what?”

“We were walking along on one of the trails when we ran into a mountain lion. It was snarling and showing its teeth, and it was also making little lunges at us. I was afraid it was going to attack and inadvertently turned into a large bear. Of course, when it happened it caused me to rip out of my clothes and left me naked afterward, kind of like what happened when you saw us transition at the cave dwellings. After I transitioned, I knocked Mac to one side as I chased the mountain lion away, and after I transitioned back, I told Mac a lame story about the bear ripping my clothes off with its claws. Mac was too smart to fall for that, though, and although he didn’t confront me about it then, or even really understand what had happened, he somehow knew that I’d been the bear.”

“And then we didn’t see you again until after you graduated from high school.”

“That because my dad realized I needed to go through the training so I’d know how to control it. It would have been kind of awkward if I transitioned while I was at school or grocery shopping with my mom.”

“Yes, that would have been awkward.”

“That’s why we lived at the cabin and I was homeschooled throughout middle school. Mom and Dad would teach me my schoolwork and then Dad would work on my training afterward and on the weekends. It was also because I’d have lots of room to run around with my dad, Gramps, and Pops as different animals as I learned more about them.”

“So, all of that time you were living at the cabin?”

“Yeah, until I was old enough to go to high school, and then I lived with Gramps. That way I wouldn’t have long bus rides where the other students on the bus might infuriate me and cause me to transition, and Gramps would be able to help me if I had any problems. If you think back about when I first showed up after Mac and I graduated, you were bothered by the fact that I was always wearing oversized clothing. It was so I could transition into larger guys if needed, without ending up naked afterward.”

“Now, it’s all beginning to make sense,” Mom chimed in. “I thought you looked like an orphan or homeless person that was wearing whatever clothes people gave him at the time.”

“Yes, and now we just carry an extra set of clothes in our backpacks, in case we rip though what we’re wearing when we transition.”

“Is transitioning what you call it when you change into other things?” Mom asked.

“Yes, it is,” I answered. “When I went to the reservation, the shaman performed multiple ceremonies over me and taught me how to transition into different animals. I can transition into small animals too, like a mouse or a gerbil, or I might transition into something as large as a polar bear, like you saw the other day.”

“But how can you transition into things either smaller or larger than yourself?” Dad asked.

“The shaman says that Mother Earth either stores the extra material when we transition into something smaller or she provides us with the extra material we need when we transition into something larger. I may never have to transition into all of the different animals or humans I’m capable of, but whenever Devin or I have transitioned, it has always been to do good.”

“Before you get to that,” Dad interrupted, “I want you to tell me about that thing you guys ran out to challenge.”

“That was the opposite of what we are. That was an evil skinwalker, and even though it was taking on the form of a wolf, you could probably tell that the wolf was kind of misshapen and scrawny looking.”

“Yes, I noticed that, but what made you rush out and challenge it at that point?”

“We’d noticed it at several different times before then and we were afraid of what it was going to do. We first noticed it as we entered the Southern Ute Reservation on our way to Ignacio, and then we also saw it when we came out of the museum when we were getting ready to leave. We also noticed it when we were at Mesa Verdi too, as we were leaving the Balcony House. We saw it when we were standing on that flat ledge before we went to the parking lot and we could see it when we looked into the canyon and it was looking up at us.”

“It was out where others could see it too?” Mom gasped.

“Not really, but Devin and I can improve our vision as well, so we were able to spot it, even though it was trying to hide from us.”

“Why do you think it was following you?” Dad followed.

“I think it could sense there was something different about us, and now it knows exactly what it had been sensing. We only went out to challenge it and scare it away, because there were two of us and only one of it.”

“I have to admit watching you boys, uh… transition was kind of gross. It was like watching Doctor Jekyll turn into Mr. Hyde.”

“Maybe, but we don’t have to drink any concoctions to transition and we can control our actions the entire time we’re in another form.”

“So, if you were a bear you wouldn’t accidentally attack us?”

“No, we’d never do that.”

“Ok, but if that thing had been following you all of that time, then what made you confront it when you did?” Dad asked.

“It had been getting closer each time we saw it and we were afraid it was getting ready to attack. We didn’t want you or Mom to get hurt if that happened.”

“Ok, I understand now, but how long have those things been around?”

“Several evil skinwalkers were created during a lengthy war between the Navajo and Ute tribes. The first couple were created intentionally, as a curse on the other tribe, and later several more shaman turned into evil skinwalkers as well, but it happened to them because they were misusing their positions as a shaman, or tribal medicine man.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Mom asked.

“The shaman said it all happened long before the first Spanish explorers came to their lands, and he estimates it was probably sometime during the 1100s.”

“They’ve been around for that long?” Mom gasped.

“Yes, a skinwalker’s life is measured in centuries, not decades.”

“Does that mean…?” she began but never finished her question.

“Yes, it does, and that’s why I wanted to be a good skinwalker like Devin’s family. I knew he’d be living much longer than me and I wanted to live as long as he did so we could be together for as long as possible. I wanted us to spend our entire lives together, no matter how long we live.”

“Have the good skinwalkers been around for as long as the evil skinwalkers?”

“We’re not sure. It seems the good skinwalkers were created when the Navajos were trying out different curses to either control or destroy the evil skinwalkers. Instead, it turned some of them into good skinwalkers, although they didn’t know there was a difference at the time. Some of the first good-skinwalkers refused to use their ability, for fear they’d become an evil skinwalker instead. However, one brave shaman attempted to use it to control the evil skinwalkers and he was the first of the good skinwalkers.”

“I’d never even heard about skinwalkers before, except for that show on the travel channel.”

“Yes, you’re talking about skinwalker ranch. It got that name because evil skinwalkers had been spotted there from time to time killing the cattle.”

“Do you think you could kill one of those things if you had to?” Dad wanted to know.

“We already did, while I was in training. Actually, Gramps and Pops killed it and the body quickly turned into dust and bones in a matter of seconds. Once they’re dead, a skinwalkers body reverts back to their original form, and since it was hundreds of years old, it turned into a decomposed body.”

“Devin, you said this happened with your great-grandfather first?”

“Yes, Pops was the first. He’s my great-grandfather, not my great uncle or my grandfather’s brother.”

“How old is he then?”

“He went through the same ceremonies that I did when he was in the in the Union Army, sometime during the Civil War. He figures he was born sometime in the 1820s.”

“You’re saying he’s two-hundred years old?”

“Yes, that’s how old he is, although he can make himself look like a little kid, a teenager, or any age he wants. He just took on his current appearance to make his wife feel better that he didn’t look younger than her.”

“I see. So, your family is what you’re calling a good skinwalker?”

“Yes, Devin’s family and I all are and we can’t use our ability for personal gain or to do evil things. We are only allowed to do good, and if we tried to use our ability to do evil things then we might end up an evil skinwalker instead. So far, Devin has helped to catch a rapist on campus, and on one trip as we were driving from home to campus we helped lift a camper off a guy after it had blown over on him during a tornado. Devin has also helped to free a guy from a badly smashed up car after it had been rammed by a pick-up truck that had run a red light while trying to get away from the cops. And Devin, Gramps, Pops, and I also rescued a woman from kidnappers and we stopped a group of guys that were trying to rob us. The thing is, we had to do all of those things while looking like other people, so no one knows we did any of that stuff.”

“Those all sound like good deeds,” Mom agreed, “but you two were kind of hideous as we watched you changing into other things like that. It was like watching a Sci Fi or horror movie.”

“Look at it this way. If I hadn’t been a skinwalker, I wouldn’t have had the strength to catch you when you fell off the ladder at the other cliff dwelling site or had the ability to pull you back so you could grab the ladder again.”

“I knew you weren’t that strong, but I couldn’t explain how you saved me.”

“I did a rapid transitioning of my muscles to save you, Mom. We had to save Devin’s mom once too, but that was saving her from a mother elk that was trying to protect its calf.”

“In fact, that’s what convinced my mom that our ability was a good thing, not a bad one,” Devin explained. “Now she knows that my dad, Pops, Gramps, Mac, and I can protect her from almost anything.”

“You mean she didn’t know that before?”

“She did, but she was always bothered by our ability and that we’d all be outliving her.”

“Yes, I’m beginning to see that as well, and if you’re capable of living hundreds of years, then I guess I don’t have to worry about losing you, like I did your brother and sister.”

I didn’t want to ruin her illusion right now, but at some point I’ll have to explain that we can still be killed as well, although may be slightly more difficult to do that than to a normal person.

“So, you’re cool with my ability then?” I asked.

“With our ability,” Devin quickly corrected.

“Since you’ve already done this, or inherited the trait at birth like Devin did, we don’t have much choice,” Dad stated. “We can either accept who you are now or reject you and have nothing more to do with you. And since we don’t want to lose our son and future son-in-law, of course we’re going to learn to live with your ability.”

“It may take some getting used to,” Mom added, “but I believe we can both see that you’re still the same boys we’ve known since birth, just with different abilities now.”

“And we may have to make sure there are plenty of extra clothes in the house, in case you end up destroying a few sets with your transitioning,” Dad added with a chuckle.

Devin and I then gave each of my parents a big hug to thank them, and then Dad wanted to know more about what our training was like. Over the next couple of hours I described the various sand paintings the shaman had made and how he would destroy each one after he was finished with it. I also explained about the various animals that I’d transitioned into and how Devin, Gramps, and Pops would then go out with me when I was practicing my new ability with each of those forms. However, I didn’t tell them how close I’d come to getting killed a couple of times, if Gramps and Pops hadn’t been there to save me.

All in all, this went a lot better than I’d been expecting or what I’d feared. In the end, they both knew that I’d done this so that Devin and I could spend a long life together, and maybe they even envied me for that. They may not be wild about the idea that I could transition at any time, but at least they know we’ll only be doing if for good or to save them.

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