Circus Act: As Brave As A Lion! (Lion TF)

I had no idea where I was going, where the heck was I? I was just driving back from a friend's house who was located just out of town, yet I've suddenly become very lost! I didn't recognize this area at all, and I'm insanely good with directions. I'll never find my way back home like this, I needed to ask for directions. As my bad luck would have it, rain clouds began to form in the sky. My bad day jut got worse, I couldn't believe how terrible this whole situation was becoming. I drove for what seemed like hours, hoping in vain to find some kind of house or building in which I could ask for directions. I drove along the dusty and rock covered road, as my red sports car paced along. I was desperate to try and find some kind of person to give me directions, but I didn't find anyone as I drove along. I looked at my cellphone, and tried to get a call through. The phone ringed for a few seconds, before eventually stopping and telling me that I was out of the service area. It felt like the beginning to a horror movie, like some kind of looming threat that'll gut me when it gets the chance. Eventually, I caught a glimpse of something off in the distance.

It's looming shadow made the structure look truly massive, but I had a hard time making out what it was. I couldn't see what the building was through all the rain and muck, so I decided to chance it and drive towards it. The rain barreled against the windshield of the car, as I drove forwards. As I drove closer towards the building, I soon found out that it was a circus. Complete with big red tents, lots of balloons, and several vehicles pulled up in front. I wondered why a circus would be all the way out here? That's when I remember that few miles the other way, there was camping-site with numerous log cabins centered around it. However, I'd just end up wasting more gas driving there, surely I could use someone's phone at the circus. I made my towards the circus. I was expecting it to be closed due to the rain, with just a few people left to clean. However, the circus was still going. There wasn't a lot of people there, it was mainly just the workers. Whatever the case may be, I decided to chance it and go in. I pulled up to the side of the road near the tents, and got out of the vehicle.

I pulled out an umbrella from the back of the car, and opened it up. I flung it over my head, as I turned to face the tent. My shoes became dirty, as they sloshed against the mud outside of the circus. The muggy atmosphere did not help my situation, I felt like absolute garbage. I walked over to the ticket booth, where a man sat there impatiently. I walked up to the booth, and looked at the man. He had curly black hair, and wore a red and gold outfit. He was a rather scrawny man, who gave off an unfriendly demeanor. "Hello!" I exclaimed, as I looked the man dead in his eyes. "Can I help you?" Asked the man, who proceeded to open a stick of gum.

"Yeah, I'd like to use your phone. Do you happen to have one at your desk?" The man laughed, as he tossed the stick of gum in his mouth. "Sure, there's a phone situated in the main tent. You'll have to buy a ticket, sir. After that, just head straight down the midway." I frowned, as I looked down at a plastic board that detailed the prices. The board was attached to the booth, and was caked with water. I ran the sleeve of my along the piece of plastic, in order to make the words once again visible. To my surprise, the board listed every kind of ticket as, "Free". That's something I didn't get, why was every ticket here free? "Why are the tickets free?" I asked, as the man reached behind the booth. "This circus is a place where logic is non-existent. It's best you just block out anything nonsensical that you may encounter." Said the man, as he handed me my ticket.

"Thanks, I appreciate it!" I shouted, as the man granted me admission to the circus. from the man's hand. "It's no problem." He said, as he opened up the front gates. I strode forward, and took a look around. I followed the man's directions and went towards the midway. With each successive step, I felt more and more uneasy. Maybe it was the rain, or maybe it was the idea of being in this strange carnival. Thoughts began to circulate, as I remembered getting lost at a circus when I was a child. As I continued walking forward, I heard a strange voice whisper, "Ian". I turned my head, only to find nothing there. I could've sworn somebody said my name, yet no one was in sight. Maybe I was just hallucinating, this water-drenched circus was getting the better of me. I began pacing faster, as some sort of attempt to escape the rain.

Despite my anxiousness to escape my feelings, I heard the whispering voice call my name once again. I decided to ignore it, as I began to hum to myself. My fear was building, as I felt drops of sweat begin to form across my forehead. My hands began to twitch back and forth, as if I wasn't even in control of them. I looked down at them, and let out a gasp of pure shock. Instead of seeing my regular arms and hands, I saw the paws and front legs of a lion! Covered with golden fur, and complete with useless paws and a sharp pair of claws. I was absolutely panicked at this point, I was completely afraid of lions! I closed my eyes and told myself that I was imagining it. I tried humming a tune, while trying to take my mind off of it. I opened my eyes, and found that the pair of paws had completely disappeared.

I breathed a sigh of relief, as I wiped some sweat off of my brow. I had no idea what just happened, and I had no intention of wanting to find out! I decided to forget this whole thing happened, and go back to my vehicle. That's when I heard the whispering voice call my name once again. "What do you want?!" I shouted aloud, as I tried to pin-point the location of the whisperer. "I want you to have an extended stay at this carnival, if only for a few days." The voice creeped me out even more, to the point where I knew I had to leave. I turned and began quickly pacing in the opposite direction, hoping that I could get out of this circus before something weird happened. Things didn't turn out that way, as I soon found myself lost. Not only that, but I couldn't find a single person in view. I began running as fast as I could, hoping for some way out. Suddenly, I heard a loud roar that caused me to trip and fall.

I struggled in the mud, as I desperately tried to pull myself out of the filth. I stood up, only to find myself staring into the eyes of a caged lion. Chills ran down my spine, as my heart started beating faster and faster. I wanted to run away, but I was just too afraid. The lion began to smile at me, as he showed off his sharp fangs. What was I afraid of? He behind the bars of the cage, I'm perfectly safe! That's what I thought, until my eyelids began to flutter uncontrollably. I began blinking at an accelerating rate, until I was finally able to keep my eyes open. The colors in my field of vision were dulled, as if I was beginning to have eye problems. Despite this, the sounds of the circus were much louder and I could now hear them absolute crisp clarity. I was more distracted by the fact that I was behind the bars of the cage, I was now in the lion's den!

My body felt oddly warm, and I felt like something was attached to my backside. My head felt rather large, and I found that my fingers and toes were clumped together. I was perched on my hands and feet, and found that I couldn't get up. I looked around for the lion, he was nowhere in sight! I had no clue what was going on, why did I feel so different? Just when I thought things couldn't get weirder, I got a glimpse of my reflection in a puddle of water. The face didn't belong me, instead it was the furry head of a lion! My visage possessed a shaggy mane, two large circular ears, a black-colored nose, golden fur, and white whiskers! Does that mean that the strange appendage on my backside is a tail? This can't be happening, I'm extremely afraid of lions! Fear once again overtook me, as I began pacing around the cage on all fours. My paws rubbed up against the floor of the iron cage, as I bellowed out a feral lion's roar.

My tail wiggled from side to side, as I began to feel extremely depressed. "Don't worry, it's only temporary!" Said a voice that sounded just like my regular way of speech. I looked up to see my former face smiling at me from the other side of the bars. "It only lasts until the circus leaves it's next destination. I apologize, I just needed your body in order to conduct some business! And don't feel bad, everyone swaps bodies at this circus!" Shouted the body-thief, as he briskly walked off with my body. I didn't believe him at all, and began slashing at the cage bars with my claws. I roared loudly, as I attempted to claw my way out of this prison. I wasn't going to let some freaky lion run off with my body! I soon found that my claws were utterly useless in slicing the bars off of the cage. I gave into despair, and began to fall into despair once more. I didn't believe what the lion told me, I didn't want to believe.

I was so freaked out, that I couldn't listen to reason no matter how hard I tried. I laid down on the floor of the iron cage, with my back-legs spread out behind me. I buried my head in my front paws, and kept telling myself that this whole thing was some bizarre dream. My tail, paws, and muzzle kept reminding me that this was all too real. As I laid there defeated, I heard the rain begin to lighten up. It wasn't raining as intensely as it was before. As the rain weakened, so did my fear of the whole situation. I nervously removed my paws from my face, as I saw a rather beautiful sight. The sun pierced through the clouds, as I felt my fur begin to heat up. I felt like I was in a warm sauna, it was strangely relaxing and soothing. As the sun continued to pierce through the clouds, a question arose inside of me.

What was I so afraid of exactly? This wasn't too bad, the heat on my soft fur, the feel of my bushy mane, the movement of my long slender tail. I couldn't help but smile, much like what the lion did earlier. Maybe the fear I felt earlier came from my isolation in the rain, it reminds me of something my friend told me long ago. "Nothing seems right in the rain". True to his words, I had felt nothing but anxiety and fear while I was caught in this torrential downpour. I had no idea who was calling my name earlier though, I'm sure I didn't dream that part up. This circus is rather peculiar, it definitely merits further investigation. I noticed people walking around, grunt like chimps or growling like bears. I could only assume they swapped with animals too, which raises a rather big question. Why did that lion behave and act like a human?

If body-swaps only last a certain amount of time at this place, then why was able to act like a proper human. Before I had time to further think about the topic, I heard the loud squishing sound of rain-boots walking towards me. A smell began to excite my nostrils, a smell that filled me with a large amount of energy. It was meat, the smell of delicious meat! I guess I had inherited some of the instincts of lion when I become one. I had a large craving for meat, unlike any I had ever had before. I licked my lips with my large tongue, as a man in a magician's outfit approached me. "I can't believe I have to feed the animals again. I sure wish the animal caretakers hadn't swapped with rabbits!" As the strangely dressed man approached me, a smile appeared on his face. "Well, it looks like someone swapped with that lion! I'll be honest, I haven't seen anyone inhabit that body in a long time! I think a situation like this deserves a celebration! Here, have two steaks!" The magician took out two large pounds of meat, and tossed them into the cage. I stood up and walked over to them, as I sniffed them excitedly. I gripped the steak in my mouse, and began to devour it whole. Even though I still had no clue how to get back to town, I was just happy with one thing I managed to do. I overcame my fear of lions, and that was a accomplishment on it's own.