Chronicles of the Unknowns: Exposed

Chapter 1

Everyday I ran with the wolves.

Until I was captured.

I'd been living off grid for a few years. It was easier. People didn't understand my love for outdoors. No one did except for my little brother, Timothy.

I was a shape shifter. I could morph into any animal I pleased. My little brother could communicate with them. We spent every waking second outside that we could. As an animal I didn't need human food, so most of the time I hunted. Timothy made sure to pack a snack. We were like a team until our parents got suspicious. There were arguments. Disagreements. Standoffs. I wasn't one to invite stress into my life, so I left.

The only thing I regretted was leaving behind my brother. He was the only person I was close to. I think part of my abilities stemmed from my personality. I was always shifting with whatever life handed me. I drifted around without any concern like paper in the wind. The only person that had kept me grounded during all of this time was my little brother. I made him promise to keep his abilities a secret. I thought that we were the only ones with powers.

I didn't even know what an Unknown was or that I was one until I was stuffed in a crate with others. In that moment I was grateful that I had left my brother behind. I was 22 years old and knew how to live on my own. I'd been living with wild animals and learned how to defend myself and the animals that ran to me for protection. He would be turning eighteen pretty soon if he hadn't already - keeping track of time wasn't exactly a necessity in the wild. Although his abilities were special and admirable they wouldn't help him in this situation.

Silently, I cursed myself. If I would have hunted like usual this wouldn't have happened. Today of all days I was craving human food. The plan was to go eat and then morph into a mouse so that I could flake out without paying - it wasn't like I was working to make any money. I was just finishing up my plate when people in these people in big armored suits came flooding in.

They forcibly took blood samples from everyone. I was one of the first ones so I didn't have the chance to escape. When they looked at my blood they said my DNA was convoluted. I could only guess that since I could change into any animal that my DNA reflected it. It was probably a mixture of everything. They couldn't even get a blood type from me.

Nobody knew what that meant and I watched as they argued with each other about what to do with me. I wanted to badly to run away, but I had a feeling that was what they were looking for. When they threw me into the trailer on a truck I knew I was right.

Here I was sitting with a bunch of other people and nobody was making a move. I fidgeted in my seat as I looked out of the window. Not only had I never stayed in one place for so long in over five years, but claustrophobia was something I suffered from. Being able to see outside was the only thing keeping in calm right now.

"What's your name?"

I didn't respond. I had no idea if they were talking to me.

"Hey you," the person said again and this time something hit me in the back of the head.

I turned to face them. The girl next to me looked wary. I guessed she thought I would be angry but I wasn't. This situation wasn't a very appealing one so people would probably be acting more aggressive than usual. If I'd have been fresh out of my wolf morph, I would have tried to tear him to shreds, but since I'd been human for a while I wasn't naturally aggressive. I wasn't going to blow it out of proportion.

"I'm Celeste. And you?" I said.

"Jake," he said. He had blonde hair and brown eyes. There was something about him that I instantly liked.