If Only They Knew

Chapter 24: Help, Please Help

We were left in darkness for a while. A long while. We knew we were being recorded. I could hear the broadcast outside. Everyone was excited to see what would happen to the paranormal teens in the city. I couldn't see where my friends and their cages were in the room. I think this is the same room as the one I was in last time. My arm wanted to die. It felt like it was burning from the inside. I was about to scream out when the door opened after tons of clicks, like locks. Wow, we were very valuable here, like a safe of money.
"Who's the leader in this joint?," barked out a policeman. "Say it now, and no punishment of any kind will be taken."
"Oh, so being in cages like animals isn't punishment?!" screamed Alecia.
"Not now! It's me, alright?!" I shouted. "Leave them alone or else..."
Those were the only words he wanted. He murmured some words to people who were walking past. They left and a minute later they came back with more people. I glared at them and waited for it. They took my cage and carried me away with my friends screaming and panicking while trying to attack in any way they could without shapeshifting. I let them take me, but I growled and stared them down. I knew it was intimidating when they stopped looking at me and whispering.
     I wasn't taken very far. I ended up in the one room I didn't want to be in. It was that room from before, with the animal carcasses and scientists. I was about to be sick, but the pain in my arm took over. I curled up in whatever way I could and closed my eyes.
      They threw my cage down on the ground. One of them reached through the bars, grabbed my chin, and jerked my head up so I had to open my eyes while having my head clutched. I could be killed with a twist of his hand. I glared and stayed silent.
      He was the first to talk. "What are you..." he trailed off in a menacing way. He has a really deep voice and piercing black eyes that looked filled with hatred and anger at the universe.
      I didn't answer until he jerked my head so it hit the top of the cage. That added to my headache. That got me to talk. "I. Am. Not. A. Thing!" I was panting from exhaustion and fear of the carcasses behind him.
     "You are something, definitely not human," he growled, hands behind his back in a somewhat professional way and bending down to look at me.
     I copied his tone. "I know I'm not human. I'm still part human. So what, some animal DNA got in me or something. Now you can leave me alone-"
     "Animal DNA with human DNA isn't something I simply ignore." He was getting angrier. "Tell me what the hell you are and admit you're a hideous, messed up human in this world, and we will go easy on you..."
     "I am just a teenage girl!" I screamed. "I have no idea how this happened! My parents are dead and this just happened! I didn't ask to be like this! Neither did my friends! We all were fine until your hunters came into our territory and made this whole world go insane-"
     "I want you to do what I told you to do," he started. "Say what you are and that you're a hideous mess in this world or else..."
     "Fine," I started, smirking. "I am a hideous mess in this world and I'm proud of it, and so are my friends!" I finished with a fierce glare. Seeing no cameras, I changed into a hawk, flew out, circled a few times, despite my hurt wing, then dove and attacked the guy's face. I scratched, I clawed, I screeched, I did whatever I could think of. He was panicking and trying to throw me off, while the others in the room didn't move, not knowing what to do. Finally, I got off after one big final claw at his eyes, and I flew out of the door to the room. I changed into a human and went to look for my friends.
Thing was, the trouble didn't end there.