Falling

Chapter 7

As I looked around, I noticed I had moved into the harsh terrain of a swamp. My eyes widened at this and I turned to leave, but the mud dragged at my feet refusing to let me go. Out of fear, I tried to trigger my change, but nothing happened. I didn't feel the pain I normally feel when I am turning, all I felt was fear and agony as I realized this could be my last few moments alive. My hand shot out towards a few hanging plants and as soon as my hand wrapped around it, it fell. It was the dang Spanish moss that covered all these trees! I hate this! I should never have run off! I should have accepted who I had become and come to terms with it rather than being too rash with myself and leaving!

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as my shoulders were sucked into the mud. My hand was lifted out of the mud with the hanging moss still in it. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I struggled to fight the urge to cry. As I sank, I couldn't help this nagging feeling that someone was going to save me, even though I know no one will. As my chin went under, I felt a few strong sets of hands suddenly grab my free hand and pull. I opened my mouth and roared with pain as I was slowly dragged onto the safety of solidified ground. I struggled to open my eyes as I felt someone lift me. It wasn't part of Zack's group of friends. I know that already. I had memorized their distinctive scents, but this one smelled familiar and also foreign as it held the smell of damp soil and... Death...

"N-No..." I groaned unable to move an inch of my body.

"Hush now little experiment, you're going to help us with the newest experiment's process to becoming you." Drake's voice boomed in my ear.

A growl escaped my mouth as I struggled to contain my anger. I felt something prick my arm like a needle sort of. It hurt when it stabbed me but stopped for a few seconds before it was yanked out. I roared in pain as my eyes barely opened to see Drake's face before a black bag was covering my face. I felt extremely week and I couldn't move a single muscle. I was still the same weak pathetic girl I was when they last kidnapped me. Except, I now held the key to their success at kidnapping thousands of people...of creating a new species to rule over. My vision went black as soon as seven howls echoed across the forest and Drake yelled out commands as if they were about to fight.

~*~

"Hey, can you hear me? God, I hope you're not dead." An unfamiliar voice asked me in a tone that sounded rather concerned.

As I opened my eyes, I could feel something around my wrists. It was cold and I couldn't break it even if I was in tiger form. The ground under me felt like a flat piece of metal, cold and stone solid. All around me, from what I can see, were metal bars. A few cages were next to me on either side and behind me. In front of me sat the dreaded metal tables that had done this to me. As the realization sparked in my mind, I sat up with such speed that I ended up whacking my head against the top of the cage.

"No...I can't be back here...I can't! Zack! Austin! Levy! Emily! Joshua! Sam! Maria!" I cried out as I began to toss my weight against the cage.

"Hey! Please stop. I don't think the tiger next to you likes the fact you can cause all the cages to fall on us! Please just stop and calm down." The voice said again.

I whipped my head around searching for the sound of the person speaking to me, but only spotted a male Malayan tiger and a kid with black hair. Wait, that's Luke! I immediately crawled my way over to Luke and placed my forehead against the edge of the cage. My arms were held to my side since the chains around them didn't let me move all the way around the cage. Even now, I could feel them digging into my flesh and I could smell the metallic smell of my blood as it ran around the chains.

"Luke, listen to me. What have they done to you?" I asked shakily.

"Nothing. They told me I had to wait for the tiger and their successful experiment to come before they began the experiments...What are they going to do to us?" Luke asked sounding frightened.