Shapeshifter Academy

Chapter twenty one: Stuck In a Frito Lay Truck

Chapter twenty one: Stuck In a Frito Lay Truck

“Chelsea?” I heard a faint voice call.

I struggled to open my eyes as I painfully stood up from my curled up position on the floor.

“You’re up!” Aaron and Chris cheered together simultaneously.

I groggily nodded and yawned in response. “How long was I out for?”

The two of them shrugged.

“Beats me.” Aaron slumped back down on the floor. “We just woke up a couple of hours ago.

I finally noticed my surroundings once my sleepiness tediously faded away. “Where are we?”

Chris pounded on a column of stacked boxes with various bags of chips filled inside of them. “I’m guessing we’re on the back of some sort of truck for chips.”

“At least we have something to eat.” Aaron piped in enthusiastically.

I sighed and slumped back down on the cold and dirty floor as the events that had recently occurred flashed back inside of me. To actually think that I could even slaughter about five or six men in under ten minutes did no good for my queasy stomach. I felt numb; like everything that was happening was all just a simple fragment of my imagination. Bitter reality however proved my fantasies wrong.

Maya was right afterall.

I was a killer.

It nearly killed me to just alone try to stop myself from creating any more carnage.

How would I ever control it?

I was a threat to everybody, and I knew it. That was the worst part. I knew every single thing I was capable of…and it wasn’t pretty in the slightest bit.

**********

I don’t know how long the three of us were stuck in this so called “chip” truck, but I was starting to get antsy as I sat beside Chris and Aaron. We couldn’t have been stuck inside here for more than half a day, but it practically felt like years as the three of us were quietly consumed in our own thoughts. I give them props for trying to act normal around me, but I caught every single one of Aaron’s flinches when I made the slightest bit of movement. I don’t blame him at all. I in fact applaud him. At least he has logic to be cautious around me.

Chris however was a whole different story. I spent most of my time sulking in the corner, but Chris kept trying to make conversation with me. I didn’t feel like talking…or moving…or much less breathing. The truth was that I was scared. No scratch that. I was terrified. I kept anticipating for the voices to come back again and the animals to consume me whole like a puppet. I didn’t want to hurt anybody.

“Chelsea.” I jumped up a bit at the sound of my name. No one had spoken for quite some time. Chris stared up at me with sadness pooling into his gray eyes.

I sighed and shook my head returning my gaze back at the almost gray, white walls. Chris sighed again and scooted a little bit closer to me. I looked at Aaron for help but he was solely occupied with his bag of potato chips to even spare a glance our way. I rolled my eyes at him.

Rose and Aaron would be perfect for each other, I thought amusedly.

“There it is!” Chris exclaimed as he pinched my cheeks harshly. “I thought I was going to have to gut myself to make you at least smile.”

I flinched away immediately from his touch. “Don’t touch me!”

His features softened. “Chelsea it’s just me.” He murmured softly.

I backed away from him. “Yes, but I’m not Chelsea.”

“What do you mean?” He took another step in my direction, but quickly stopped once he saw the fear in my eyes. “Why are you afraid of me all of a sudden?”

“I’m not afraid of you.” I answered almost immediately. I was surprised of myself at the confidence I had blurted out with that one statement. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” I explained. “By me.” I added the last part with a soft whisper.

“Well I’m not afraid of you if you’re not afraid of me.” He stated boldly.

I felt a light fluttering sensation spread throughout my body at his touching words.

“Um…okay then?” Our conversation had turned awkward now, but Chris seemed to be enjoying it.

To my surprise he laughed and came over to me giving me a giant bear hug. It caught me off guard completely so I just kind of stood there limp in his arms.

“I got your back Chelsea.” He squeezed me impossibly harder.

I patted him on the back with difficulty. “Thank…you.” I wheezed out breathlessly.

“Where’s my hug?” Aaron came at us with chips falling out of mouth.

Chris snickered and shoved him away. “No hugs for you.”

“Fine then.” Aaron backed away from us clutching his beloved bag of chips. “Don’t come crying to uncle Aaron though when you’re hungry and you want something to eat.” He returned to his spot by the crates of potato chips.

**********

“Try smashing it with the side of your body instead of your head.” I suggested to the dizzy tawny colored wolf.

It glared at me and returned its gaze back at the wall.

Chris and Aaron had taken turns smashing the thin metal walls with their wolf forms in hopes of smashing it open. They only managed to add a few dents which Aaron insisted that it really “brought the room to life.” Chris had given him a death glare which resulted in Chris shoving Aaron into the wall for a good ten minutes.

The tawny wolf gazed at the wall and arched its back up in preparation to strike it one last time. In a flash, the wolf collided into the walls and landed painfully back down onto the ground.

“Okay this isn’t working.” Aaron spoke up beside me.

“Ya think?”

**********

I yawned sleepily as I laughed along with the two boys’ stories as they explained to me how they first met.

Apparently they had met two days after Chris enrolled to Shapeshifter Academy. Chris was walking in the halls when he had heard some screaming nearby. He found out it was Aaron causing all the noise.

“I found him in Professor Albert’s classroom on the floor screaming his bloody head off.” Chris grinned fondly at the memory.

“I was shifting okay?!” Aaron screeched.

I rolled my eyes at the two of them.

*********

I’ve lost track on how long we’ve been inside this truck. We must be traveling somewhere far away that it would take this long. The boys have tried to keep me at bay, but it’s been getting harder to control the animals. I almost killed Aaron multiple times when he kept trying to come up with knock knock jokes. Chris had said that I came close to breaking his neck when I had shifted into a ram. I had no recollection of the memory but Chris reassured me that it was fine. He had stopped me before I could do any harm.

“How long are we going to be stuck in here?” Aaron lazily drawled out.

I sighed and stretched my arms. “I don’t know. I hope we can get out soon. Any place would actually be better than this dump.”

“I don’t know…” Chris piped in. “I don’t have a good feeling about this place that they’re taking us to.”

“None of us do.” I pointed out. “I just don’t want to be in here anymore.”

“I kinda like this place though.” He smiled.

“Maybe we’re just all crazy now.” Aaron groaned.

I nodded. “Probably.” I went to lay down on the cool ground and closed my eyes. “Wake me up if the truck stops.”

Aaron snorted. “Like I’ll stay awake.”

I chuckled at him. “Fine then. Chris?”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Fine. The both of you can take naps. I got first watch.”

“Have fun watching nothing!” Aaron saluted him and dozed of quickly on the floor.

I followed suit and I soon drifted into a dreamless sleep.”

**********
“Are they all asleep?”

I cracked one eye open to see the back of the truck fully open to reveal two tall men and one girl who I was led to assume was Maya based on her distinct voice.

“I think so. Not one of them moved when I opened the back.” One of the men answered.

Maya nodded and made her way towards the three of us.

I quickly shut my eyes and pretended to go back to sleep.

“Yeah they are asleep.” Maya confirmed. “Be careful with the girl, boys. She’s one of the changed.”

“Do we put her with all the others you changed?”

There were others?

“Put all three of them with the changed. I could care less if the two boys get killed by one of them. Just don’t let the girl die. She’ll be trained like the others.”

“Yes ma’am.”

This is bad. This is really bad.