New Place Extra (spin-off/sequel)

Hello again everyone! I've got a new tale to tell about a new character in the New Place world, though maybe we'll see some of the old ones as well.

As always, please point out any grammatical weirdness. Tags will be per chapter.

Also, as I said in the thread for the old story, I am open to anyone wishing to add to this world in any way they choose.

Sara

“I can be anyone you want, baby.”

That phrase takes on a whole new meaning when you're able to take it literally.

I don't quite remember who I was before the mass mutation more than 17 years ago. Not because of some horrible traumatic experience that I've blocked from my mind, but because I don't want to. My life is absolutely perfect now; no shortage of funds, my own house almost right in the middle of a long two lane road separating the city from a quaint little shopping district, and a very active social life. Well, actually, I'm content now but life was a lot different for me right after the sudden worldwide human mutation.

I was just out of the shower and toweling off when I first heard news of the first reported outbreak. A rapidly growing number of people all over the world were transforming into creatures that had only been seen or heard of in fantasy. At first, I didn't think of it, assuming it was some sort of wide-scale prank. As the days wore on, every news outlet was buzzing with the same things: more monsters with no conceivable cause. Not only that, I seemed to be getting a lot more nervous as society looked like it was collapsing. I was sweating a lot, losing weight at an alarming rate, and I had almost no appetite except for liquids. No matter how much water I drank, I always felt at least a little thirsty. Very rarely would I feel like I was starving and end up gorging myself on any edible thing I could find.

It all came to a head one morning. I woke up completely drenched, like a torrential rainstorm passed right over my bed. My mattress was more like a waterbed now and every blanket I had on me must have weighed 50 pounds. I felt weak, but otherwise fine, as I literally tumbled out of bed, landing on the floor with a wet splat. I dragged myself toward my bathroom, intent on rinsing all this excess sweat off my now frail body. Even now, I was sweating like I was sprinting at the bottom of an active volcano, leaving a wet trail in my wake. After what seemed like hours, I finally made it to my combination shower and bathtub. I pulled myself up so the edge of the tub supported my body at my middle and reached the for the knob, turning it just barely enough for a trickle of water to appear from the spigot.

Then everything went black.

When I came to, I was in the tub and the water was still running. I couldn't feel my body, but I could fe