Chapter 2

Miguel slowly awoke. She had no idea how much time had passed. Her vision was slowly clearing up but she still felt a bit dizzy.

She felt grass under her body. Looking around, she found herself in a habitat of some kind. A smell all around her reminded her of how she smelled before taking a shower. She quickly realised it was the smell of other kangaroos!

Oh no, they took me to a zoo or something! She slowly stood up. Desperately looking around for something to cover herself, she found she was beside the door of a single story building. Chain-link fences surrounded the area. She considered running at and jumping over one of them. Although the rational part of her brain told her that if such a feat were possible, the other kangaroos would have accomplished it, she felt the desire to try.

Hopping back to get to get a good lead, she hopped towards the closest fence as fast as she could. Once in range, she jumped as high as her powerful kangaroo legs would allow.

Realising she wasn’t going to make it, She instinctively moved so her feet would hit the fence. Both feet hit the fence with a clang and she used it as a springboard of sorts to bounce herself off of it and to safely land on both feet on the ground a fair distance below.

That was rather embarrassing! It looks like I’m stuck here for now. Unless…

She hopped back over towards the door. Her instincts reminded her of just how powerful her hindquarters were. She approached the door and jumped at it feet first. Although her feet hit it with a very loud thud, they failed to budge it. It seemed the humans build this place to last and keep roos in.

Her actions had gained the other kangaroos’ interest. They were all hopping towards her. She wanted to mingle with what were apparently now her kin. Fear that exposure to them could affect her mind drove her into a panic, causing her to start knocking on the door like a human. It opened a few seconds later with three humans walking out, the two men that captured her and another man whose smell was all around the area. Realising her lack of clothing, Miguel felt horribly embarrassed and made an effort to cover her body. Once she realised that as an animal, there was little point, she quickly abandoned the effort. These humans weren’t going to leer at her in any way and even if regaining her humanity were possible, she knew that until that happened, she’d have to adjust to people seeing her this way.

"Wow, you’re certainly a feisty little thing aren’t you? Don’t worry girl, you’ll be happy here in your new home. You have lots of friends to play with and we’ll take good care of you," the man said, petting her between the ears. Miguel wanted to resist it but she couldn’t, it felt too darned nice. "So where did you guys find her?"

"We found her in some guy’s house; no idea how she got there. We can only guess he was keeping her as a pet," the man that injected her said.

"Well, it’s a good thing you did, she’ll be much happier here. She’s a pretty thing too. Aren’t you girl?" the man said, petting her on the chin and on the sides of her muzzle. Miguel knew she should resist this but being the centre of attention, especially when it meant such an enjoyable touch was too hard to resist. "She’s obviously quite tame and used to humans, this is the best place for her. While we could arrange to transport her to the Australian outback, I doubt she’d survive. I’m sure the others will enjoy her company, especially if she’s as intelligent as you say"

No, I don’t want to live with kangaroos; I’m not really a kangaroo! Come on guys, don’t do this to me! Unfortunately, her thoughts and concerns seemed almost futile. If she couldn’t speak and they didn’t think anything of her mannerisms then all seemed lost.

The man stopped petting her and was about to lead the other two into back into the building. They turned and were walking towards the door when Miguel grabbed the back of his grey shirt grabbed the man's attention. He turned and smiled.

"It’s okay girl, you’re safe here. You have lots more room to hop and play then you did in your old home. Have fun, be a roo. After a few days, you’ll love it here so much, you won’t want to leave!"

As he again turned and led the two men into the building, closing the door behind him, Miguel could only watch with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Feelings of despair and upset filled her mind. She appeared condemned to live out her life like this. Another kangaroo touching her right arm interrupted her thoughts. She turned and saw the roo looking at her as it sniffed her.

She tried to back away from the roo only to end up tripping over her legs and falling back onto her tail. The roo hopped towards her and perhaps sensing her discomfort moved away and towards the others.

Standing up, Miguel looked into the habitat. There were at least a dozen other kangaroos hopping around and playing. They seemed happy and the area was very large with lots of room to hop around. Was it her fate to live out her life like this? She suspected the authorities would be looking for her. Unfortunately, they’d be looking for her human male self, not a female kangaroo! Unless she found a way to communicate with the attendants, they’d never know the truth!

Living as a kangaroo would eventually effect her mind and she knew it. The kangaroo part of her mind was of course very happy about this; it wanted to mingle with the others and wanted her to stop fighting. Not knowing whether to fight or embrace this was very confusing.

Maybe if I played with them for a few minutes I’d know what to do. Just a little shouldn’t hurt me. Since she’d hopped and allowed people to pet her without any lingering problems she felt playing with other kangaroos would be benign enough. It also carried with it the benefit of providing a better idea of what being one was like, making the decision easy.

Her head was almost back to normal, so she hopped in the direction of a group of three females; she could smell a male around but wasn’t ready to go towards him for fear he might try something.

Again, hopping was an incredible experience. It felt so free and liberating that she bypassed the group of three females and continued towards the end of the nearly 3 kilometre long habitat. Reaching the end, she made a long U-turn and hopped back. She knew she was having too much fun and her desire to restore her humanity was fading with each leap, but she was too lost in the enjoyment of it to stop.

Three other female kangaroos soon joined her. Together, the four of them played and hopped around. The playing and hopping coupled with the sounds, scents and proximity of the other kangaroos only served to strengthen Miguel's kangaroo thoughts and weaken her human thoughts. She soon found herself focusing more on playing and having fun then trying to prove to the humans that she was in reality, a changed human.

Minutes dissolved into hours, Miguel completely lost in her new form. When it was starting to get dark, she came to realise how much time had passed.

Her mind focused when they stopped playing and the other kangaroos slowed before lying down on the ground to rest.

Man, I really lost myself there. For a while, all I cared about was playing, it was as if I was a kid or something. Miguel was realising how strong her instincts were. It was looking increasingly as being a kangaroo would eventually have her thinking and acting like one. Even if she were to convince the humans of the truth about her, she wondered if it would make a difference. She lay down beside the other females, and pondered her situation. It had been a very fun day, would she really want to go back to her human life? If she couldn’t be human again, she knew there was little chance of her functioning as one. Being a kangaroo was a lot of fun. Staying here and embracing this life wouldn’t be so bad. Being a kangaroo meant release from human obligations. Not one to mind responsibility but at the same time sometimes wanting to escape it, she wasn’t sure losing her humanity was worth it.

She had a feeling that the longer she stayed here, the more kangaroo her mind would be. If this completely affected her mind, she’d probably never be able to tell anyone the truth and perhaps not know it herself. Would that be fair to her human friends and family? She knew it wasn’t and had to try to convince the humans of her identity. The next time someone came in to feed them, she planned to try to say something. She owed it to her human life to try. For now, it was late, and she needed sleep. Hopping over to the half asleep female kangaroos, she lay down beside them.

Two days ago she was her human self sleeping in her bed; now she was a female kangaroo sleeping with other kangaroos and living as a kangaroo. If someone told her two days ago she’d be doing this, she’d have thought him or her insane. It was getting too late and she too tired to think, so she slowly closed her eyes and found herself quickly falling asleep.

***

Miguel awoke the next day to an interesting sight; she was face to face with another female kangaroo. She still expected this all to be a dream and to find herself waking up as her human male self in her bed.

Seeing a kangaroo lying in front of her made her jump up, which quickly brought her to the realisation that she indeed was a kangaroo. She felt dirty from having slept on the ground; oddly enough, the kangaroo part of her mind didn’t mind at all and saw it as natural. The part was unfortunately a fair bit more powerful on that morning. She had a strange desire flying through her mind. She wanted two things, to get something to eat and then to hop and play! In fact, those desires were stronger then her needs to tell the humans of her situation!

This scared her, for if she totally lost herself to this body, she’d never be human again! She tried to shake it off, but it seemed being around the other kangaroos was making her instincts very powerful and somewhat controlling. She needed to be around humans, and needed it soon! Salvation was hopefully afoot when she heard the habitat's doorway open.

Looking in the direction of it, she saw two men walking in, both were carrying bags, from the smell of it bags of food. She felt terrible embarrassment at them seeing her unclothed and desperately looked around for something to cover herself. The smell of the food awakened a strange instinct within her. Her hunger immediately took precedent, removing any modesty. She quickly joined the other kangaroos as the humans began putting out various fruits and vegetables. She was soon lost in the enjoyment of eating that she failed to notice the humans leaving.

When she was finished, she joined the other kangaroos in a game of playing and hopping. She lost track of time to the point where the approach of midday took her totally by surprise. The other kangaroos were taking a break, so she lay down beside them, paying little attention to the humans again walking into the enclosure. She stood up to face them when they approached her, her mind finally clearing enough that she remembered what she needed to do.

"Don’t worry girl, we’re just going to take you into the building to have a vet check you out to make sure you’re okay," one of the humans said.

Finally, a chance to tell them who I really am! I’m not sure how much more of this I can take before I totally lose myself.

Miguel nodded, the humans responding with surprise that she knew this human gesture. They led her into the building and through a hallway, through a door and into a room with an examination table, desk and several cupboards. Two humans, both dressed in lab coats were standing in the room, Miguel noted the sterile smell of it; although she could smell that other kangaroos had been in there, it seemed that their scent was masked. The workers left her in the room, closing the door behind them.

The two humans in lab coats, one a young redheaded woman with a cute face. Looking up at the woman was a strange experience for Miguel who was still unaccustomed to her smaller stature.

"Don’t be afraid, we just want to run a few tests to make sure you’re healthy," she said.

The other human, a man with glasses, a shaved head and dark skin who was about a head taller then the woman walked up to her right. Miguel looked at the duo and opened her mouth, hoping to be able to speak enough to get the word ‘human’ though.

"What’s wrong girl?" the woman asked.

Miguel did everything in her power to grunt the word out; unfortunately, she lacked the vocal chords necessary to make any sound remotely resembling human speech.

She pointed to Ben and then tapped her chest multiple times. She hoped they’d understand she was trying to communicate that she used to be a guy and human.

"It looks like she’s trying to communicate," the woman said.

"Yes but what? They said she seemed more intelligent then a normal kangaroo. I wonder what she’s trying to say…" Ben said.

Walking over to Miguel, he bent down so they were face to face.

"Hello, my name is Benjamin, what’s yours?" he asked.

"Ben, you’re crazy, you don’t really expect her to answer do you? She may be intelligent but she’s a kangaroo for Pete’s sake! A six month old human baby is a genius compared to even the smartest kangaroo!"

"I know it sounds crazy Susie, but I have a hunch about her." Ben gently stoked Miguel's nape and between her ears in an attempt to calm her. "It’s okay girl, take your time." Miguel of course, loved the feeling.

Why can’t I talk? If only I could, it’s make things so much easier!

Desperate, Miguel saw the pens in Ben’s coat pocket. Looking around she saw white paper on top of the examining table. An idea struck her; she did still remember how to write. It would be difficult with kangaroo arms and hands, but she had to try. She caught Ben by surprise when she grabbed a blue pen from his pocket and dashed to the table, uncapping it and beginning to write on the paper.

"What the heck is she doing?" Susie asked.

Ben watched as Miguel wrote her name on the paper. The writing was messy, looking like something a kindergartener might write but it was legible enough for the two humans to read.

"Miguel?" Ben asked.

"Ben, is it my imagination or did that kangaroo just write a name on that paper?"

"You’re not imaging things Susie, she wrote that name," Ben answered.

Miguel nodded enthusiastically; she had established communication!

"Didn’t they find her in a house belonging to a Miguel?" Susie asked.

"Yes, and I heard she gave them quite a chase trying to escape. Her intelligence level also seems much higher. Although, I’d never expect that from even a very smart kangaroo. It seems this Miguel person trained her very well," Ben said.

Miguel shook her head in annoyance; they thought she was a normal kangaroo he had trained! This wasn’t the desired effect! Thinking quickly, she pointed to the name and then herself.

"You’re saying you’re Miguel?" Susie asked. Miguel nodded enthusiastically at that suggestion. "But, Miguel is a human; you’re a kangaroo, not human! I know you may think you’re Miguel, but you’re not honey, you’re a roo!"

Miguel shook her head, desperate to get the two to understand her plight. She pointed to herself repeatedly, desperately hoping they’d understand. Of course, she couldn’t really expect them to simply know the truth or assume the truth; she doubted they’d ever heard of a human becoming a kangaroo. She knew she’d need to communicate more so she desperately tried to write out enough to describe her situation to the duo.

Ben and Susie watched her writing, looking at the text in shock.

"Maybe he trained her to write that?" Susie asked.

"Susie, training or not, this kangaroo seems determined to tell us she’s Miguel. I don’t think they authorities have located him," Ben said.

"So you’re saying this is Miguel. Come on Ben listen to what you're saying! Unless I slept through an important lesson, I don’t remember learning about humans becoming kangaroos in biology. Besides, Miguel is a man, this kangaroo is female!"

Ben giggled, realising how silly his theory sounded. Something was nagging at him though, telling him he was onto something.

"I know I’m probably crazy for thinking this but what if? I know this kangaroo is girl but if something can change a man’s species; I doubt changing his gender is that difficult. At least keep an open mind … please," Ben added.

Susie turned to Miguel, walked over to her and petted her head.

"Ben, you’re talking crazy here. What could turn a person into a kangaroo? You’ve been reading too many fantasy novels or something! Have you ever heard the saying, there is a difference between keeping an open mind and believing in something because you want it to be true?"

Ben couldn’t help but look at Susie with surprise.

"So you’re quoting T’pol now?"

"Well, it’s a valid quote."

"Okay, granted yes that is a good point and I know it sounds impossible. Believe me when I say I hope it is and this kangaroo always was a kangaroo and Miguel is out there somewhere. However, we need to accept the possibly the seemingly impossible has happened. Please, at least give it a chance. How would you feel if this happened to you and no one believed you?"

"I’d be very upset. If you’re wrong, such an accusation could severely damage our reputations. If we are wrong, our careers might be finished," Susie said.

"I know but if I’m right and we don’t help Miguel, he’s going to lose a lot more then just a job. This is his entire existence that’s at stake here."

Susie sighed; realising Ben wasn’t going to give up. She liked him too much to refuse to support him and without her support, his theory may never get off the ground.

"All right Ben, I’ll accept the possibility. Even if she is Miguel, in the here and now, she’s a kangaroo. We need to make sure she’s healthy." Ben nodded. Susie turned to Miguel to address her. "We just want to take blood, blood pressure and stuff like that. We’ll do it so it’ll be as comfortable as possible. Is that okay?" Susie said.

Miguel nodded. She was finally getting through to the humans. While she did enjoy the company of the other kangaroos, she felt better emotionally and mentally knowing that even if she were stuck this way, at least now her family and friends would know what happened to her.

Ben and Susie ran tests one would expect in a complete physical. When they had finished examining Miguel, they led her out into the habitat with the owner of it to tell him Miguel’s story. Miguel stood patiently as they attempted to convince the man. The entire time, Tony was standing there staring at them as though he thought they were insane.

"Do you realise what you’re saying? Unless the laws of biology have changed and no one told me, what you’re suggesting is impossible!"

"Tony, she not only wrote her name down but also how this happened to her. I’ve never seen a kangaroo come even close to this level of intelligence" Ben pleaded.

"Well, maybe the person that owned her trained her to do that. Maybe he’s in some sort of trouble with the law and is desperate to make people think this kangaroo is him. By now he could be thousands of kilometres away while we sit here scratching our heads trying to figure out how a human became a kangaroo," Tony answered.

No, I’m not thousands of kilometres away; I’m right here! Miguel was frustrated but understood Tony’s hesitance to believe her story, even with Susie and Ben backing her up. Unfortunately, his explanation for her behaviour was somewhat plausible, making believing her even more difficult.

"Tony, I know that might be true but what if it isn’t? What if this really is Miguel and we’re right? We need to accept the possibility that this might be true. I know it’s fantastic and surreal to think something like this could happen, but for her sake I think we need to accept the possibility," Ben protested.

Tony thought about it for a few minutes before continuing.

"She seems happy here. If she were really a human in the body of a kangaroo, don’t you think she’d be trying to get away?" Tony asked.

I tried but it didn’t work! What’s the point in constantly trying if it’s not gonna work?

"Maybe but perhaps she already tried and failed? It wouldn’t do much good to keep trying. Knowing that takes more intelligence then what I would expect from a kangaroo," Ben said.

Thank you, at least someone is on my side!

"That is possible but what you’re suggesting is insane! Do you know what the public would think if they heard we think some of the kangaroos here are former humans? They’d think we’re nuts!"

"They’d probably think we’re crazy," Susie responded.

Tony motioned the other two to come closer so he could speak with them in a way he’d hope Miguel wouldn’t hear.

"Even if she did used to be human, what do we do? Maybe it’d be better if we label her as a suspected escaped pet. If she is a former human, we could be up to her elbows in legal issues. I don’t want lawyers breathing down my back, especially if they think some of these other kangaroos used to be human as well. Heck, even the suggestion of that would probably cost me my job if I were lucky. They’d probably have me committed. That’s something I don’t want on my record," Tony said.

"Ben, listen to yourself. I’ve never heard tales of humans becoming animals, outside of fantasy that is. Just because you want it to be true doesn’t mean it is. Even assuming it is true, what are we supposed to do?" Tony asked.

"We should find a way to change her back. If something can turn her into a kangaroo, I think we should be able to change her back. Even if this cannot be reverse, maybe there is a way to turn a roo into a human, that might work too," Ben suggested.

"Even if this is all just a cruel joke, I think it’s worth looking into," Susie said.

"Personally, I think you two are crazy for thinking this," he started, noticing Ben and Susie's disappointed looks. When Miguel tugged at his right pant leg, he looked down at her. He realised that, when seeing the desperate look in her eyes, he couldn’t refuse. "I’ve known you for too long to ignore your opinions. For now at least, I’ll consider it. Do whatever research you need to do to see if her claims are possible. For the time being, she is safest here. I saw her hopping with the others and she enjoyed herself. Even if the kangaroo that stands before us is Miguel, she seems to be acting more like a natural kangaroo as time progresses. Maybe staying here is best for her," Tony suggested.

"I don’t know if that’s a good idea. The effects of living as a kangaroo could seriously mess her up. If she spends too long as a kangaroo, it may effect her so much that she might as well be a kangaroo instead of a changed human. I’m not sure keeping her in a kangaroo habitat with other kangaroos is a good idea. Maybe we should take her with us while we find a way to reverse … This."

Exactly, I don’t really want to stay here with a bunch of natural kangaroos! I need someone to talk to and do human stuff with! A couple days of this may have been kind of fun but I don’t want it to last forever!

"I’m not sure I agree. Even if she is a changed human, she’s safe here. There’s far too much that could happen to her should you take her with you," Tony answered. Looking at Miguel, he petted her between the ears. "I honestly think saying you’re a human trapped in the body of kangaroo is crazy. However, if it’s true then I’ll do what I can to help you. For now though, enjoy being a kangaroo," he said.

"I have friends that can look stuff up to see if there is any possibility of information existing about what caused this. Maybe they can help to find a way to cure you. Don’t give up hope Miguel; we will find a way to change you back," Ben said to Miguel.

Ben and Susie headed out to check for help for Miguel while Tony followed. Watching them leaving, she considered Tony’s words. She was worried she’d lose herself to this form and life. She didn’t want to leave her human life behind. If fate intended her to live as a kangaroo, she’d been born as one. She planned to see this form as a break from humanity, but not as a new life. If she truly were stuck this way then she’d accept it. However, if she could return to humanity, she wouldn’t ignore the opportunity.

With that, she hopped back in the direction of the female kangaroos. Until the moment came where she found out her fate, she planned to enjoy every moment of this form.

The females saw her coming and got up to join her as they hopped though the habitat. Miguel loved the feeling of the warm summer sun against her furry body, hopping was a very liberating, stress free experience. The sights, scents, and sounds of the other kangaroos hopping with her awakened the kangaroo part of her mind. It was far more powerful now, yet, it didn’t seem to bother her, if anything if felt good.

For hours, she simply hopped, played and over all enjoyed life as a kangaroo. When it came time for feeding, she gladly ate the food offered to her.

After some more hopping and playing, she soon realised she had lost track of time and it was getting dark. Another day was ending, the end of her second complete day as a kangaroo. Tried, she lay down among a group of the females and again closed her eyes and fell asleep.