I Am A Monster

I Am A Monster: Chapter 5

Warning: Mild curse words will be used. Not yet, but eventually.

We're running for several more hours. Once we've put about eighty miles between us, we morph back into humans. Amari's and Marcus's hair is slightly disheveled. We all have bags under our eyes, the black shadows casting ominous-looking circles. Despite our exhaustion, we run to a lake nearby. Amari runs off to hunt, and Marcus and I drink for a long time from the lake. Then I morph into a human and search for some edible plants. The only thing I end up with are two repulsive, soggy, non-edible-looking mushrooms and a plant that smells like mint. Marcus searches for food, but he's even less successful than me. Finally we toss the mushrooms into the lake and keep all the spices we find for when Amari gets back. When she does, we feast on two does and a large buck. Then Amari and Marcus both pass out and I watch for dangers, my wolf eyes narrowed. My human and wolf mind correspond smoothly as a twig snaps. My eyes, recently drooping, widen and then narrow again.

A man steps into the clearing. His eyes are black. His smile is wide, showing gleaming, crooked teeth.

"Amari!" I scream.

Immediately, the furry mass jumps off the ground right as the man makes a swipe with his hand.

I jump out of the way just in time; his hand passes within inches of my chest, and I snarl menacingly, baring my teeth and snarling. Amari stands on one side, Marcus stands on the other, and we slowly advance. That's when my mind starts to get foggy. I'm so tired. My vision starts to grow dark, just as Amari lunges and finishes him off. Her snarl is bloodlust. One quick swipe, and he's dead. I barely see his mauled face as I slump to the ground. I vaguely remember morphing to a human before I zonk out.

I wake up to find that I'm strapped to Marcus's back. Newfound strength burns in my limbs. His arms and legs move so fast that they're a blur. My hand is on his shoulder, and the amazing feeling of muscle and sinew working together works under my hand. I close my eyes, feeling his muscles, before he slows down. He slows to a stop, Amari besides him, motionless. Then she morphs. Her brown fur sinks back into her skin. Her black hair grows from her scalp. Her snout shrinks into her face. Her eyes change from the glowing, luminous yellow to the usual piercing green. She walks up to me silently and cuts the bonds. I hold onto Marcus's back. She helps me off, still silent. Then she says, "Next time is my turn to guard."

I nod silently and morph along with her. The sun is just setting. We continue to run until we find a pond. Ducks swim on the surface, and animals, both predators and prey, watch us suspiciously from the shadows, their eyes sometimes glinting when the sun gets lower. I go out to hunt, quickly catching an unsuspecting rabbit and eating it. Next is a ferocious mountain lion. I kill and eat it, licking my chops. I've grown fond of the black fur and I think I'm going to keep it. Then I catch and kill two deer--two bucks--and tie them up in my human form. Then I morph and grab the vines in my mouth, tugging the dead animals back towards the pond. As I get closer, I find a bear and push it with my head, rolling it with my super strength. When I get back to the base, Amari and Marcus immediately morph and eat. I, on the other hand, drink a lot of water and soon fall into a deep sleep.

I wake up again only to notice that it's dark out. My senses tell me it's early morning. Marcus is propped up on a rock, gazing at the sky. I walk up to him and sit next to him. He hears the rustle of leaves and looks over at me, but quickly looks away. In the silvery moonlight, I see red, puffy eyes and a tearstained face--and then he turns away, looking down. He shakes with suppressed sobs.

I put my hand on him. I never imagined myself comforting him, but here I am. He looks over at me gratefully, and I smile supportingly at him.

"What's wrong?" I whisper.

"Everything," he mutters under his breath--but thanks to my extremely advanced hearing, I hear him. I wince at his words and force back my own tears that threaten to overcome me.

"Why?" I ask. He flinches, realizing I heard, and looks up.

We hold each other's gazes, and he brushes the tears off of his face and says, "My mother....was--recently caught. Only a few weeks ago. It...broke me."

"I'm sorry," I murmur. "And...your father?"

"He died before I was born. My mother was pregnant with me when he was killed. The only reason we got away was because Amari stalled them. She killed quite a few, I'd say, and gave my mother enough time to run away. Then she caused so much chaos that they got disoriented, and before they could think straight she was gone."

There is no emotion in his voice. His eyes bore into mine. His green eyes bore into my brown ones. "And yours? Your parents?"

"Dead," I say. "My mom was killed first. Me and my dad got away while she said she'd be right there. They were empty words, but me and my father were so frightened and panicked at the time that we didn't register them. We knew the danger, of course, but what we didn't know was what she did know. We were hopelessly outmatched. Only later did I realize that she had only been doing it to stall them, to be so focused on her death to give us enough time to get away. It was enough. But barely.

"We moved. Far, far away. We found a house way out in the middle of nowhere and made a living. I think she died around the time I was fourteen. When I was fifteen, they found us again. My father put up a fight. I ran away. I'm a coward."

The last word, coward, comes out as a half-sob. Amari stirs in her sleep, but then she grunts and turns on her side, her breathing deep and steady. I take a deep breath and continue. "I just kept running after that. I was running for two years. I'm seventeen now."

I bury my head in his chest and he strokes by face. It helps me get through this all. He's becoming like a brother to me.

"You need your rest," I tell him, lifting my head. "I'll get next watch. I've got all the sleep I can and I'm wide awake."

He nods wearily. Then he leans on my lap, and soon he's breathing deeply. I play with his hair until the sun begins to rise. Then something grabs my neck. Someone else grabs Marcus, and he yells in pain. Amari, her hair slightly disheveled, grunts in pain and surprise as someone stabs her arm. She looks down at the dagger sticking out of the other side. Then she yells in defiance. But whatever's holding her has a strong grip. When she punches his head, he winces, and his eyes turn crimson for a moment before turning back to blue. Then he pins her arms to her sides, grabs a vine, and wraps it around her. She morphs before he can finish and snarls savagely. He charges, but she leaps nimbly out of the way and snaps at his legs. The metallic smell of blood fills the air. Me and Marcus both morph, getting the idea, and our captors yell in surprise. Then I hear Amari cry out in pain and see her in wolf form. Blood is soaking through her fur and into the ground. Then her captor lunges at her, and they both go tumbling out of view.

I scream and hope that Amari is not dead, but hear the sound of fighting below.

The problem is, I have no idea who's winning.