Of the Darkest Depths: Darkness

Chapter Five

A voice whispers to me from an alleyway.

WHAT THE-?

I swing my head towards the alleyway the voice came from, anger boiling up inside of me.

Someone is hiding in the alleyway. "Sabrina! Come over here!" She calls to me in a hushed tone. There is no harmful intentions in her eyes.

How does she know my name?

Curious, I head into the alleyway. I have a better view of the stranger's appearance. I immediately recognize her. That's Everly's friend, Aisha! What is she doing here, calling for me?

     "I see that you recognize me." Aisha unnecessarily points out. "So, I'm going to cut straight to the chase. I work for the Shapeshifter Protection Agency. On their behalf, I'm asking you to come with us. We need you." Her eyes betray nothing, but the truth.

There's a Shapeshifter Protection Agency? That would be great news, but... why haven't they put a stop to the Corporation? Do they not do their job? The Corporation would have been stopped years ago if they did! They haven't done a single thing to protect any shapeshifters! What the actual fuck?

I shapeshift into a dragon without even realizing it. I swing my talons to give her a good clawing to the face. My talons catch nothing. They just slice through thin air.

She's gone.

Good. Go running to that stupid, good-for-nothing agency with your tail between your legs. I'm never going to do what you ask of me.

I arrive back at my place. I take off my disguise and my disguise and my knives in the back of my cave beside the bear.

I'm beat. My legs are so numb they feel like they're going to fall off. I can't eat this bear yet. I need to sleep.

I curl up in the hole in my cave. I close my eyes, drifting into a deep sleep.

     CRASH!

My eyes shoot open. I awake with such a startle that I immediately sit up. My heart starts flailing around in my chest.

This is it! The Corporation or the cops have found me! I CAN'T GO LIKE THIS!

I sit, frozen, in my cave. I'm paralyzed with fear.

There are no beams of light bouncing around, or shouting, or whispering.

I'm going to go out there myself and see what's going on.

I put my disguise back on  just in case if it's the Corporation or the cops. I step out of my cave.

Two teenagers stand in the clearing in front of my cave with pop and chips.

"I didn't know someone was here." one of the teens whispers to the other.

Crash!

Another teen emerges from the bushes. She slides up beside her friends. Her eyes tell me that she's scared.

If they weren't planning on having a party, then I have no idea what they were planning on doing. No one comes here without getting some sort of punishment.

     What are you doing here? Leave! I sign to them.

All three of the teens tip their heads to the side.

Ugh!

     Leave! I repeat.

"Are you going to stop flailing your arms and speak?" the female mocks. The fear in her eyes is gone. Instead, it is now replaced with annoyance.

She just wants her fucking party. Well, listen up you little piece of shit, you are not getting that party. You have no idea who I am.

"Yeah! Speak!" One of the males joins in, dropping his bags of chips on the ground. He rolls up his sleeves, a flare sparking in his eyes.

I roll my eyes. Is he seriously going to try to fight me? He'll never beat me in a fight.

I guess I'm going to have to get these guys to leave the hard way. If they still don't leave, I have no choice, but to kill them.

I shapeshift myself into the most intimidating things I can think of, which is a dragon. I rear up onto my haunches and spread my wings out wide to make myself look as big and scary as possible.

Their cackling comes to a sudden halt. They freeze and drop all of their pop and chips.

Food for me! I haven't had pop or chips for quite a while!

One of the male teens whips around and bolts off in the direction he came.

The other two follow suit a couple seconds and in a slightly different direction.

I watch them go, but something pulls at me. I feel the urge to chase them. But... what would I do once I catch up to them? Kill them? I really don't want to.

The pull gets harder and tighter. I need to chase them down. Before I know it, my legs are carrying me swiftly through the forest, following the path the last two teens went.

It doesn't take me long to catch up to them with our size difference and my years of running away from authority figures. I bunch the muscles in my back legs and leap for the two teens. I land on them without harming them. I let the muscles in my lower jaw relax. My mouth dangles open directly in front of their faces.

They are petrified. The look in their eyes sends that same cold, icy feeling that I felt earlier sliding through me again. It makes my stomach flip and is making me want to vomit.

The world starts swirling all around me. I clutch my head, attempting to stabilize myself.

What is happening? I need to be here for Marina! I can't leave her! I've done so much for her and it will not be in vain! I won't let it! I admit it; I've been suppressing my urge to murder people because I want to be there for her even if I do go to jail! Marina, I'll let these kids go just so I can save you! Just like you saved me! I am in  your debt! I will destroy the Corporation in your honour, even if it means siding with one of my biggest enemies!

The dizziness slows to a stop. I gradually open my eyes again. The world is no longer spinning. It's' completely still, not even a breeze.

I look down. The teens are gone now and I can't even hear them.

They probably ran off when I got incredibly dizzy. I shrug. That's perfectly fine with me, if they don't snitch and get me arrested. At least my decision has been made for me. I never wanted to kill them, but it's the only way to keep their mouths shut.

An idea pops into my head. I can find that other teen and scare the crap out of him. That would be so much fun! Not murdering him and still keeping him away!

I dash through the forest, clearing all obstacles with ease like a deer. I shapeshift into a wolf. I sniff the air for the teen's scent. I pick up the faint trace of his odor and follow it like my life depends on it. I keep all of my senses alert for any harm.

I find the teen after a nice, long, refreshing moment of running. He's standing, hunched over in the middle of a clearing. He pants like a dog and his odor becomes stronger and more unbearable.

He must have only just stopped. I'll give him a moment to catch his breath, so when I scare him off, he'll run away as far from my cave as possible.

He continues panting. He rolls onto the soft  blades of grass a couple heartbeats later.

Faint shouting from in the distance rings out through the forest. I'm assuming those are his friends looking for him. I better do this quickly before his friends find him. That will decrease their chances of ever coming back again.

I crouch down low to the ground, my belly nearly brushing the grass. I gather the muscles in my back legs. I slow my breath, keeping it under control to avoid him hearing me.

The teen slowly pushes himself up. He stands up and cocks his head slightly. He stands as still as a stone.

And...

NOW!