"Help! Please hurry up and get me out of here!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs, pounding on the cold stone walls. Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. Daniel had been trapped in the underground chamber only for a few minutes, but to him it felt like hours. He knew if he didn't get out soon, he would suffocate as there's no opening for oxygen to flow through! He didn't know if it was from panicking or an actual lack of air, but he soon started having trouble breathing. He fell to the ground, gasping. Just as he was about to pass out, a strange blue light caught his attention. It was warm and welcoming... it seemed to becon to him. He started crawling toward it, almost as if he were hypnotised. As he got closer to the alluring light, he discovered it was an orb. An overwhelming urge to touch it came over him. He got closer and closer, until he reached out and touched it... As soon as his fingers wrapped around the sphere, a blinding light enveloped him! "A-ah!" Daniel yelped as he was spirited
away by the light. He began seeing amazing things; spiraling towers, endless deserts and impossible geometry! Then everything went dark. The next thing the brunette archaeologist remembered was the sound of stone being moved, and an explosion of strange voices around him.
A few hours later, he began to awaken. Stirring slightly, he opened his eyes. It was really bright! He quickly closed his eyes again, then squinted instead of opening them fully. As his eyes started to adjust to the light, he heard a familiar voice; "Daniel, my boy! You're finally awake! You had me going, old chap! " Daniel grunted in surprise at the sudden voice. "W-what?! Herbert, is that you?" He sat up quickly, and his head started pounding. As he grabbed his head in pain, he felt something... strange up there... Something that wasn't supposed to be there... Something... Fuzzy. Alarmed, he lept out out of the bed he was in and raced to a mirror. Herbert called out to him: "Daniel, I don't believe that's a good idea, dear boy!" But Daniel ignored him, continuing to search for a mirror. What he saw shocked him beyond belief! "W-what ARE these?! And how did they get there?!"Perched atop his head were two fuzzy little cat ears! "Herbert, is this some kind of joke?!" He asked, trying to get them off. He started tugging on them, but soon realized that was a bad idea... "Ouch! That...hurts!" He cried, quickly letting go of them. He soon realized that they weren't fake ears, and that they moved depending on his mood... Herbert walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I warned you not to look just yet... I wasn't sure how you would react. And those aren't the only things that are different, my dear boy!" Herbert stated, then he pointed toward Daniel's rump. "Look there, old chap!" Following Herbert's finger, he glanced down at his hindquarters in the mirror. He let out a gasp! A long brown tail snaked it's way out from under his nightgown! "Wh...What...?" He started to feel faint. This was all too much to take in at once! Herbert steadied him, leading him over to a chair. "Come, sit down, lad! We don't want you fainting!" As he sat down, regaining his composure, Herbert began recounting what had occured earlier.
..."And when the men pulled you from the cavern, you had feline ears and a tail! The Arabs were terrified of you, believing you to be cursed, but they brought you back to camp regardless!" Daniel had been listening intently, taking sips of the tea Herbert had brought him to calm his nerves. "So, you're not sure how I aquired these...THINGS...?" He questioned. Herbert shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not, my boy... All I know is that you had them when you were rescued." Daniel took another sip of his tea. "Is it still possible for me to stay on this expedition? I really want to continue exploring this place!" Herbert thought for a moment, then stood up, brushing off his shirt. "You've just had a horrible accident, and yet you wish to keep going?! I'm sorry, my boy, but I believe I should send you back home for now..." He said. "Wh-what?! But I feel fine! I can still keep going!" Daniel argued. This was his very first archaeological expedition, and he desperately
wanted to stay and continue discovering new and exciting things. "No no, my boy! We don't know what side-effects those ears and tail could have on you, and you need to rest after that awful experience. I'm terribly sorry, but I must send you home for now. I know you've been wanting to go on this trip for quite some time, but your health is much more important!" Daniel sighed, feeling defeated. He knew his professor was right; He had no idea if these cat ears and tail would cause him to behave differently, and he WAS tired. "Alright... I'll go back..." He said sadly. "Herbert smiled. "Now there's a good boy! When you've rested up, be sure to pack your bags and be ready in the morning! I'll schedule a ship to take you back to London." Daniel nodded, then walked toward his bed for some more rest. Crawling under the soft blankets, he wondered things like, "What IS all this...? Why did this happen to me? Will these things ever go away?" As he heard Herbert leave the room, he began drifting off into sleep, his
feline ears and tail moving ever so slightly.