Finally, getting back our breath, we walk through the perpetually open gate to the roof. Going down the staircase, we finally reach our apartment. I retreat back into the mindscape, morph back to human and turn on visuals only.

I watch as Ria drags out the doormat, picks up the key and slots it into the door with her teeth after a bit of a fumble. Unlocking the door, she enters the living room and kicks the door shut with her hind leg.

Suddenly, she’s back in the mindscape.

“Human, go and get us a map of the nearest area where the world mutation is occurring and directions on how to get there. I detest asking for your assistance but I cannot read.”

I don’t like her tone so instead of complying immediately, I ask her a question.

“Why the acrobatics? Why didn’t you just walk up from the ground?”

She huffs in annoyance and says, “I look quite a bit different and didn’t want to be seen by the gate guards. Your corpse is still there in the park and soon your clansmen will come looking for me as the suspect or to imprison me for research… I don’t want my changed appearance associated with you. It’s the same reason I discarded that collar of yours… and it was a reminder of my shameful past as your mindless thrall. Now that you have your answer, hurry up.”

Shrugging, I engage my mind and just like that, I’m back in Ria’s body. This time I’m in control and already familiar with it by inhabiting it for some time during the 7d mode. I run to my room and open my closet to take out my small camping bag. It’s empty and just the right size for my body and big enough to fit in my laptop and charger.

I put my forepaws on my desk, bite down on the laptop and carefully bring it down to the ground. Opening it, I click the power button with a claw.

It runs Windows so it takes ages to load… so in the meantime I run up to my couch where I kept my phone before going out and try to get it to work. Sadly, the touchscreen doesn’t work for my dog paws… something to do with bioelectricity and the skin on the paw pads being too thick…

Anyway, I hear the start up music and run back to the laptop and unlock it by typing out the password one letter at a time.

I feel like some zombie without my touch-typing capabilities. I can’t help but feel that if someone just clicked a photograph of me now, it’d be meme-worthy.

Some dicking around with the wifi later, I finally manage to download what we need. Some dude had photoshopped the known plate lines onto every map on an atlas and put up the ebook version on Kindle. It was on the top downloads list in minutes and the reviews were fantastic so one claw later, it is mine and the dude, five dollars richer.

Ria is right and the cops could be here at any time and I need to haul tail… I have no wish to be dissected.

I shut the laptop lid and stuff it into my empty bag along with the charger and after some thought, my in-ear earphones. Scrounging around my room, I find some bubble wrap…

*pop**pop*

Damn it! These things have some sort of infernal charm you can’t help but pop them bubbles even in such an urgent situation.

Finally restraining myself, I pack the sides of the laptop with the stuff to protect it and zip up the bag. Passing my forepaws through the straps, I buckle the strap on my waist after some fumbling with my four fingered paws… oh how I miss my opposable thumbs...

I am now ready to step onto the road of adventure.

On to glory!

I put my paw on the door handle and it swings open…

To reveal a cop who looks just as surprised to see me as I feel…

.

.

Oh shit!

The cop’s hand reaches for the holster on his side and I start panicking. Suddenly, my vision tunnels and I am thrown back into the mindscape.

Through the screen, I watch Ria lunge for the cop…

Her jaws closing on his throat…

*crunch*

.

.

Oh

... shit.