Elephant Mind

This was the last photo they took of me before they left. How could I now I would end up here? Never did it cross my mind that my wish would take this route, never in the infinity of time…

I had this dream to be the strongest of all, so strong that nobody would stand in my way. All the people would step aside when I walked; carefully avoiding my anger as such thing could end their lives easily. There was one problem with this wish though: I never thought of what I really wanted to be. Deep inside I saw myself as a big man, strong, with muscles that could crush boulders, but that image never got to the surface to add itself to the wish. Instead I left the dream with only “the strongest of all”, and the error was there. Dirty destiny, if I had only known better!

Luck was on my side and as I ponder about it now –I have a lot of time to think- I could have done great goods to the world. I could have dreamed of world peace, or the cure for some fearsome disease, or maybe understanding and wisdom to all human kind. No, no, of course not, as only a simple and common human, I thought of myself before I thought of others. ‘You would be able to take care of the ones you love if you were stronger’ I told myself; couldn’t it be I just said so to justify the strength, the admiration, and the respect I would gain? The “protect others” would be an aggregated good, not the principal quality of such gift of power.

The day came. It was a normal day, one like any other. There was an awards ceremony that day, in which they would congratulate those with the best grades and sport achievements. The awards passed and I wasn’t called (which didn’t surprise me), and then they continued with the “dreams to come true” part. Not fun at all to hear some other people talking about what they would like to be when they grew up, or of the puppy they wanted for Christmas, but it was a good time to get to know each other (a good time to pick up facts that could be used against them, too).

Something uncommon happened that time: I was called to talk about what I wanted in front of the whole congregation. All the student body, plus the parents, was there. I walked down without any idea of what to say: what could I say that sounded good, but gave no ground to be used against me? Without any other choice and running out of time, I could only say what I had been dreaming lately.

“I want to be the strongest of all, so strong that I nobody would stand in my way.”

With those innocent words my fate was sealed. Was God (or the gods) angry? Maybe God wanted to have fun? Was it only a fortuitous encounter of subatomic particles that Quantum Mechanics could have predicted would happen only one time on the history of the universe?

There and then my body of only fourteen or sixteen years remodeled itself. A shower of lights fell from my skin as the inexistent water at my feet turned into vapor, rendering the complete transformation process all but a misty mystery. ( Hmm… curious choice of words… ) When the vapor dissipated where once there was a human, now was an elephant bull. Strong, imposing, towering. The strongest of all (land animals), so strong that more than a half of the people raced out of the meeting place. I stood there, dumbstruck, and so were my parents.

There was no discussion as to what had happened. There was a good amount of people that could verify the story. How could it happen though, nobody could answer.

As expected, authorities came, scientist and news people. I think they craved to see the kid that turned into an elephant and its crying parents (it’s all they did now). They tried to feed me normally but I didn’t like normal food any longer. They tried changing me back with everything they could come up with, but none worked. Meanwhile I was living what I had asked for: no one dared to stand in my way, and no one dared to say something insensible. I had retained my human intelligence (I beg your pardon? You said ‘human intelligence’?) and I had shown I could still use it. With amazing strength and intelligence no one in their right minds would think of challenging me.

Again, as expected, the government had no choice but to pull me off to a zoo. It was easier to believe that my parents had stolen me than to believe the mass-hysteria of a supernatural change. I almost wreaked the zoo, I hated it there, and so I was taken to Africa (I was an African elephant). The day my parents were leaving Africa, going home (maybe only to pack some more things and come back after some days to stay with me indefinitely) they took this instant picture with a Polaroid. That was the last time I saw myself; we don’t wander near clean and pristine waters that let me see my reflection.

I am forgetting little by little what was to be human, I had no more need for those memories. Maybe one day I’ll change back, maybe not- if that day ever comes I will deal with the pain of re-learning how to be a bi-pedal human again. But until then…

Isn’t it fascinating I still have my watch to this day?
___________________________

I do have this dream of being an elephant for no particular reason. I think it would be great! As always, there are more parts to this story I didn’t write, partly because it’s late and I want to sleep
If anybody has a question, you are free to ask.