Who needs skin anyway

As soon as Lucija’s foot crossed the circle’s border, a thin line of light shot up to the sky. It started from behind her before moving in both directions simultaneously, soon enveloping everything inside in a circle of light.

The light pulsated in a cascade of colours from blue to violet then white. It repeated, slow at first but sped up with each rotation. Lucija tried to follow the changing colours, but her eyes became dizzy and her stomach queasy.

Beyond the light, the world turned to grey then black.

Light erupted. Lucija covered her eyes as blinding white filled her vision. The flash lasted only a second before fading again. What was left behind was a black space filled with long thin strands of blue, insubstantial like strings of gossamer. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, too far away to touch. They spiralled and spun around her, or maybe it was Lucija that was moving through them. She drifted for some time, but nothing else happened.

It was the first quiet moment since the crushing voice and torrent of images filled her head. She wiped her face then scratched an itch on her left hand.

Why would I listen to that cat? This is too much of a risk. I should have at least asked some questions. What happens now?

She scratched her left hand again and looked around to see if there was anywhere she could head to. Not that she knew how to move in this place or even if it was possible. She scratched her left forearm then did a few star jumps. Well, she could move at least.

Now it was her left shoulder itching. She was starting to get annoyed.

God help me if a mosquito followed me in. That’s the sort of thing that causes an ecological collapse. Am I going to wipe out every person in this new world because of some virus carrying hitchhiker.

She looked down at her left arm and then raised her hand to her eyes. She let out a loud gasp of terror.

Flecks of skin a few centimetres across were pulling away from her hand, each one crumbling away in a flash of light, leaving behind just ash. An electric shock shot up her arm, not painful as such, but like a sensation of warmth spreading. First her shoulder, then chest and neck down to her legs and the top of her head. She called out, her voice high pitched as she fumbled over the words.

'What is happening to me! Tell me you damned cat!'

She looked around, but it was gone. Her left arm and right hand were flaking now.

'Where have you gone! Oh God, this isn’t what you promised me. What have I done? I’ve changed my mind. Just let me go back home!' Both arms and legs now.

The cat’s voice filled the space. 'Everything is fine. You are ok. This is normal.'

Her clothes burned away. What was underneath was no human body. It had no definite form and was shining. At the same time, she looked transparent, like a lightbulb starting to fade and die. Even her face was flaking now, turning translucent.

'There’s nothing normal about this.' She was hardly more than a thin layer of glass now.

'Well, I guess it’s just a matter of perspective really.'

'Screw off you stupid...'