I pant as I try to get breath into my burning lungs. My legs are laboring to go faster. I can hear “them” closing in behind me. Their cool, harsh, unforgiving breath blends with mine. Time seems to slow down as I run into an office and crash through the window three stories up. Shots ring out and I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder but it barley touches me as I hope for death so they will never find the secret I hold. I see the ground coming up fast. I brace my legs. I hear the THUD first. PAIN! Endless PAIN! Through the pain I feel that I am spread eagle on the ground all cut up. Then I hear the thudding of running feet. I know that they think I’m dead, but it won’t last long.

“Is she alive!” one yells. “I don’t know!” Incredible pain swamps me as one turns me over. “She’s alive!” “Get a medic unit here NOW!!” I force my eyes open and see them looking at me with awe. “Tie her up. Boss won’t want her to hurt herself.” PAIN. Then blackness.
••••

I wake up in sections. I know right away that I’m tied up and I wonder why. I wait as a distant answer comes to me. It all comes flooding back. The running from them, the fall, the pain… I slowly feel that I can use my hands, my arms, my legs, and at last my feet. I have a slight ache all over my body, no doubt from pain-killers. I wait and listen to my surroundings. I hear a door click. I instantly go limp as I hear someone come through the door. I deepen my breathing so nothing looks changed. Gentle but firm fingers wander around my neck to feel for my pulse.


He starts humming a random tune, and then starts checking my restraints. I’m totally mad. He is so happy, it’s making me crazy! Should I scare him? Is it worth it? Of course it’s worth it! I stiffen as he brushes hair out of my face. Within two seconds I have snapped my hard steel grey eyes open, yanked my arm out of the weak arm brace, grabbed his gun from the table, pointed it at him and yelled “untie ME!” Nico’s face is priceless. I look at him then. He was about my same height of five foot, nine inches and long hair that, even in a ponytail, went to mid back. I see him shoot a glance at me with those dark eyes, as he cautiously unbuckles me. I see why he is cautious of me. I look different with my pale lean, but muscular, body, black hair, and with eyes that are dark steel gray and give nothing away. As for him, he had dark black hair, skin as beautiful and dangerous as a bronze fire lizard, and purple eyes as dark and deep as night. I swing off the table/chair, run to the door and fire a round at the lock so they will have to shoot their way in. Nico is just standing there pointing to a cabinet.

“Your things are in there.”

My eyebrows rise as I walk over to look. Hey, what a co-inky-dink. It’s everything, my dark black clothes with the slits in the back for my wings and a hole for my tail when I need one. And look at all my new weapons, all shiny and new. I slip them on. Now, being a shape-shifter, all my clothes were made out of old hair so when I shift it melts in to my body. I can hear the banging on the door but they can’t get in. I turn to the strange human beside me.


“I’ll ask you once; do you want to come run with me?” I note that surprise barely shows on his face while he tried to swallow what I ask. I’m impatient to get out of here, I think, as he says, “Why not, sucks here anyway.” He smiles a mischievous smile. “Keep up, if you dare.” My mouth opens as he shifts. The air hums and ripples as he, and I shift into small cats. Now you must know I’m full with wonder. I’m not alone. We run through the air vents and out into the moonlit night.