Kevin awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. He looked up and almost thought it had all been a dream. Then he looked over and saw the rest of the house still covered in web. He sighed then pulled himself out of bed. He didn't know how far he was going to need to travel or for how long. So he grabbed a backpack and stuffed it with everything he thought would be useful. He set off to find the main road. He followed his long driveway which had become overgrown with vegetation. He used his knife as a machete. He was trying to be quiet, as he didn't want to run into anything else that wanted to eat him. He heard a loud whistle followed by more. It kept getting louder and closer. Kevin got down low to hide in the brush. That's when he saw something even stranger then the multicolored trees. The whistling was coming from a flock of birds that where swinging through the trees. They had clawed hands and feet but their entire bodies where covered in feathers. They swung from branch to branch and some brave ones would grab the fern vines and jump away before they got hit. They would do flips and glide to another branch. Whistling to each other the whole time. Then just as soon as the showed up, they passed by.
Kevin continued to try and make his way to the main road. He eventually made it to what was left of the road. But It was all tore up. In some spots the growing trees had broken through the asphalt. Sending pieces of the street straight up along side the trunks of the trees. In other places it looked like the ground had been dug up. It wasn't what Kevin expected but it was easier to travel on then hacking through the brush.
He made decent time while he moved along the road. But he felt exposed. Several houses along the road where just as destroyed as his cousins was. When the sun started to set he picked a house and went inside to hide out the night.
Kevin barricaded himself in the only room left with walls. It was a baby nursery and the door wouldn't lock. Kevin flipped the crib and a dresser against the door. He heard several noises he didn't recognize from daytime. Some he recognized as the birds he saw earlier, which was comforting to him. After a small meal he curled up in a corner and soon fell asleep from exhaustion. He was in a deep sleep when a foreboding thud landed on the roof above him.
BAM! "What the hell was that?" Kevin thought as he was startled awake. He heard the creaking of the roof as something walked across it. It moved to the far side of the roof then jumped off. Kevin let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. And then laid back down to fall asleep. He didnt notice the eyes looking at him through the window.
Kevin had just drifted into his dream when he heard a faint creak that woke him up again. He wasn't even sure he heard it, but then there was another. He sat still and listened to the footsteps through the wall behind him. They where soft steps but big. He could hear the rustling of fur. Then all the sounds stopped. Kevin pressed his ear against the wall to listen closer. He could hear it sniffing the other side of the wall. Then without warning a massive clawed paw crashed through the wall. Kevin dodged out of the way at inhuman speed. The claw retreated out of the hole. There was a low growl coming from outside. The moonlight shining through the window illuminated two large yellow eyes staring at Kevin through the hole. Kevin lifted his knife and it glistened in the moonlight. The sound of raindrops started falling on the rooftop.
"Well come on then!" Kevin yelled. Then the beast attacked. It crashed through the wall. Kevin could see it now that it was in the light. It looked like a giant tiger with long pointed ears and spikes along its back. It was dark blue , nearly black with bright blue spots running along its side. It let out a roar that shook the house and rattled the windows. Kevin was terrified, but stood his ground. It ran at him and leapt to grab ahold with its massive claws. Kevin stabbed out with his knife aiming for its head. The tiger dodged to the side a swatted Kevin with its paws. The blow sent him flying threw the window and out into the rain. The rain had picked up and was falling heavily now. Thunder and lightning raged above. Kevin got to his feet as the tiger stepped out of the hole he crashed through. He had lost the knife when he was hit. He kept an eye on the tiger as he looked for a place to run. There was nothing but trees nearby. So he picked one he could try and climb and ran for it. He didn't get half way before the tiger pounced on him. He smelled its breath as it clamped down on his body. Its claw holding his legs. It couldn't tear through his skin but it was still crushing him. Kevin was being drowned in the mud. He could feel his body slipping away. But then he felt that tensing in his body again. So he used it, he pushed the tension till he felt it snap. Like flexing a muscle his body extended and shifted as his new bones and tendons slipped into place. His arms grew longer and the muscles set into place. His hand retracted to reveal sharp claws. His spine decompressed and he grew taller. His clothes ripped as he expanded. His skin stretched over his new body. The stretched skin exposed why nothing could bite him, he was covered in thick scales. His face elongated and sharp teeth pushed in next to his old ones. Kevin felt all of this, along with the new power that came with it. He turned and punched the tiger in its side. Knocking it off of him. Then he stood up and did as instinct commanded.
" ROOOOAR!" Kevin roared out into the night. The tiger roared back and started to circle. Kevin circled with it, eyes locked on one another. It charged and went for a death blow to Kevin's throat. Kevin brought up his clawed hands and grabbed the tiger by the throat. And with one mighty twist he broke its neck. The tiger went limp and fell in front of him. He looked around and could peer through the darkness around him. He saw many creatures staring at him. So he roared again.
"ROOOOOAR!" echoed through the forest. All the eyes of the forest were focused on Kevin, so he poured all his fear and frustration into another massive bloodthirsty roar. It was a challenge to all those watching and all the other creatures ran.
Kevin pulled the tiger into the house and out of the rain. Then he leaned against the wall to rest. He was still aware of the tension he felt before. So he let it go, and his body slid back to its original shape. He could still feel it all inside him. The muscles and bones just waiting for him to change again. He sat down against the wall and fell asleep.