I cannot honestly remember how many days I had been at sea when the tiny life boat came ashore, it and myself was all that remained of the crew of the Dauphin, a small research vessel charted to study the currents off of the cape of storms. And therein was a problem, for hundreds of miles around Cape Horn there were many islands, any number of them I could have landed on. I distinctly remember the tales of the old sailors at night of the scores of islands that surrounded this area. Some spoke of ole Long John Silver and his great treasure that he hid on one of the many mysterious islands, other spoke of such famous names as Blue Beard and Captain Kidd, old sea dogs that brought more terror to the seas than the civilized world had yet seen, in this, the year of our lord 1898. Still there was one old sailor that new of older myths and legends and told them with great fervor. We called him Parrot, because he was always telling some crazy story about mystical and magical islands, some that bear curses on whoever steps foot and others that contain the amazing fortunes of the fairies, and sea nymphs that reside there. Being a logical and completely rational American I never gave his stories much berth; however I was soon to learn that he was more right than I ever could have known.

It all started with the night of that last terrible storm, I was working hard away at the ships nautical charts trying to determine where the best possible location for our current task might lie, when the ships was rocked with a terrible sound! We had heard of terrible weather quickly arising out of the old cape, but I had never expected so violent a storm. The ship was rocked to and fro, however since the Dauphin was only a small vessel I doubt we ever had a chance, there was a sudden and desperate plunge toward the life boats, I was quickly thrown into one, as the ship itself began to break up, and suddenly as if almost by magic itself I awoke to find myself alone in a vast ocean, with no food or water, awaiting the results, of this most terrible predicament.

As I rocked in the boat day after day, I knew that no rescue would be mounted, nor was there any chance beyond divine intervention that I would ever be found. With the many and dangerous aspects of the sea that I was in, it would be presumed that all hands were lost when the ship went down. At thoughts of this I began to despair, feeling that I would never see land, dare say civilization ever again.

And then, that fateful day happened, I awoke on land! It was of immediate relief to me, for as, I said I felt that I would most certainly die at the hands of the cruel sea. I began to set off away from the shore, I had to try and make some general provisions for myself, which I found rather easy to do. Within an hours time I was able to secure a small cave as shelter, which, just happened to have a fresh water spring near it, as well as a great amount of trees that bore nuts that would at least serve as food for a few days until better preparations could be made. Being fully contented that I might actually survive this ordeal I fell fast asleep in my new and hopefully temporary home.

That evening I was seized by the most terrible of dreams! It was as if something was trying to warn me to flee this place before something terrible happened, but suddenly the voice I heard in my sleep departed and I began to feel an almost intoxicating freedom that seemed to posses my very bones, I soon forgot this warning and drifted onward in my dreams.

The next morning I felt a vicious hunger, one that I had never yet experienced, whets more I had a strong desire for the nuts I had harvested the previous night and having consumed them with great gusto, I began to explore the island, but something seemed different, I felt smaller, as if this whole ordeal had actually had the physical effect of me losing size, however it was more than a feeling as I began to feel that my shoes were more lose, and that my pants did not fit as well as the day I left the boat. I quickly assured myself that this was nothing but the loss of weight from my voyage and continued on deeper into the forest

As I traveled more towards the center of the island, I realized that this beautiful but mystical island had once been inhabited but was now deserted. Everywhere there were ruins of a mysterious past civilization haling both great achievements for such a primitive times as well as alluding to a great mystery. Everywhere there were strange pictographs dealing with the arbitrary punishments of there gods, and at the center was a great temple devoted to a strange and magical goddess that held full sway over the human population, now long gone for seemingly thousands of years. One thing that struck me about this civilization was there fascination with nature and animal life, and the overall reality that it almost seemed as if it was not death or destruction that led to there demise as a people, nor did they leave.

I suddenly found myself in the cultural Mecca of a forgotten people I began to feel more and more strange. I knew that I had not had the benefit of a razor in many days but I found an overall scratchiness underneath my clothes and what seemed a soft growth on my face although this was only a fleeting concern, the amazing aspects of this island continued to snap me away from being self possessed with my own person and I rapidly continued in my explorations.

Enjoying my walk I suddenly decided that there was no reason to wear shoes, and to my complete surprise they slipped right off, in fact my feet looked different, almost like paws perhaps. I soon realized however that this was impossible and it must be my exhausted mind playing tricks on me. I decided that I should head to the nearest tree and take a nap, but as soon as I fell asleep the dreams returned, evil sinister birds swooping down from the sky or monstrous cats perusing me through a forest, and me dashing for my life. As terrible as they were I couldn’t cause my self to awaken, and then right before it all ended a beautiful woman appeared to me and said "oh my newly found subject, it has been eons since I have had another, I will bless you with a new perspective and will relive you of all your troubles" Then this woman, this goddess disappeared. To me this sounded like true bliss, I reached out for her hand when I suddenly awoke underneath the tree.

Finally arriving in the center of the city, my eyes suddenly transfixed on an altar in front of a huge temple, and I could hear it calling to me, and the voice of the goddess, saying lay on the altar my precious one, and all things shall be revealed to you. I immediately got down on my hands and knees and began crawling up onto the altar, though I did not notice it at the time my body was covered in a strange fur. I suddenly passed out, and awoke in a strange ceremonial room laying flat on my back, and there she was the goddess. She said “Welcome my precious one to my secret chambers.” I was a little frightened but I remembered her soothing voice and lovely form and felt suddenly calm. Her voice boomed “You have a choice now, you have tasted the fruits of the island, you have seen me in your dreams, I offer you now a return to your old life or the beginning of a new one in a form you have always secretly desired. I’ve seen your thoughts my precious, I know your true desire that you have always hidden because of the outside world, well here the outside world does not exist, all that are here are those who I choose based on there heart and there desire, I leave it to you now to choose.” I suddenly felt weak but I was able to say “I want you I want this life.” She smiled and said “so now it truly begins”. Suddenly a strange chanting filled the room and a bright light began to emanate from a gigantic emerald crystal in the top of the ceiling. The light shined on the Goddess and then she touched me. My body was racked with a new and strange energy as all of the sudden I felt a new and amazing feeling that I had never before experienced.. Try as I might I could not move but I could feel every change every detail as I became more and more mouse like. Suddenly at the base of my spine a large mousy tail suddenly jutted out. Then my face pushed out into a muzzle and at the same time my ears grew on top of my head. The goddess smiled and said, “I will forever love you my precious one.” Then all of the sudden my brain became aware with a new consciousness as it was flooded with new smells and sounds, the whole forest lay open to me in the ecstasy of this new experience. What felt like hours passed in a happiness so great that I wept as I felt my hands and feet contort and change, as my fingernails became claws, and tiny pink pads grew on my already shrinking newly formed paws, I knew that my greatest dream had happened, that this was no illusion, I also felt the love of the goddess. The final thing to go was my size as I shrank down to the size of a mouse. I was suddenly jolted from the ecstasy of my transformation to see the goddess standing before me saying. “You are now fit to join me by my side my precious little pet, join me now.” I quickly scurried to the top of her shoulder to begin my new and happy life. :)