“This isn’t fair! A choice between… this… and death is no choice at all!” I screamed at her.

“If you didn’t want this, your body would have rejected the change,” she replied.

“Yeah, and rapists tell their victims that-”

“Must we continue to posture like this? I’m glad you survived the process at all, really. Most don’t.” She smiled with too many teeth. “I’d call that a cause for celebration.”

“My immortal soul,” I said, ignoring her. “Do I still have one?”

“The real question, darling, is whether you ever had one in the first place,” she replied, her head cocked to one side.

“Do I or don’t I?”

“There’s a way to find out. You do have a choice, after all. It will be dawn in six or seven hours. Just stand and wait for it, if you like. I can guarantee you that the sunrise would be…” She laughed, as if at some private joke. “… spectacular.”

She turned and walked away.

I looked around at the autumn trees, the leaves already the colours of rust and blood.

I cursed my fate.

Then I followed her.