The cold blow of the early morning wind woke me, and I glanced around. I was so hungry, but I couldn't even attempt to eat anything at the moment. I had nothing to eat. If I wanted to eat, I'd have to go into town and steal some, but there was no way I was going near people right now. My only other option would be to change to my tiger form and attack a wild animal like a deer or a rabbit. Only issue there was, I don't control my change and I don't know how to force myself to change. All I knew was my change was a direct result of my emotions that I could not control anymore.
Sighing, I sat up and closed my eyes listening to the sounds of the forest. Birds chirped to themselves and distant howls of seven wolves. They must still be searching. How long have they been looking for me? Their howls kept coming closer and closer causing me to stand sharply. I quickly dug a small hole in the ground before I climbed up the tree. I glanced down as Austin ran towards the tree a small package dangling from his muzzle before he sat it down and sniffed the hole. He whined and glanced around as I bit back the feeling of hugging him. Not yet. Just a little longer. I couldn't return until I learned to change on will and freed Luke. Then I could return. Not a second before.
I watched him leave without the bag as he headed back towards the howls of six other wolves. I watched from the tree as his black wolf form met up with the others. Zack sniffed his muzzle and whined with sympathy only to get snapped at by Emily. I smiled at how they acted and watched them leave. I could feel pain in my heart, but I knew it was just the feeling of being left completely and utterly alone. I wanted this. I needed this. I couldn't let my heart twist my thoughts anymore.
I climbed down when I couldn't see them anymore and picked up the bag. The smell of food came from the bag, and I immediately opened it to find a whole chunk of meat sitting in it alone with some bread and smaller bags of some spices my mom would put over our meat. I walked further into the woods and began setting up a fireplace to cook my food when a wolf walked out from behind a bush. Its eyes were clearly on the meat, and I let out a warning growl as I positioned myself in between me and the wolf. A small yip of happiness came from behind me and I backed up from the wolf allowing it near the little yip.
I was going to leave until the wolf changed into a woman who held her arms out the pup. The pup Yipped in excitement before becoming a human boy. Both had the same strong cheekbones and dark brown hair. The woman had blue eyed, whereas the pup had green eyes. They looked half-starved and I silently cursed myself as I sighed and placed the meat on a broken log. The woman looked at me with a questioning gaze, but I just pointed at her and her pup before pointing at the meat. I turned and began to walk away as a soft spoken voice came from the woman.
"Thank you..." The woman spoke.
"No problem..." I whispered before I walked towards the smell of a river.
The watery smell gave it off and the way the forest became lusher towards the smell told me it had to be a river. Maybe I could get some water and then I could return to the woman and her pup. I could ask her for advice on how to trigger my change by choice rather than suffering from hunger without it. I doubt I could really last a few weeks without food. Hell, I was already feeling weak and drained of all energy. Any smart vampire who saw me in this state might take this advantage to return me to the two who made me this.
As I bent down to drink some water, I caught sight of someone standing in the shadows of a tree watching me. When I looked up in realization of this stranger watching me, the stranger was gone. Sighing, I quickly drank four mouthfuls of water and began heading upstream. I figured the further upstream I went, the better chance of avoiding dangers and civilization. As I walked, the ground around me became mushy and I could feel the mud trying to stick to me as if it was trying to get me to stay.
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.
"Th-Their going to connect your brainwaves to the male tigers...I-I don't remember anything else, but after that, I woke up almost dead with needle marks all over and multiple vampire bite marks." I mumbled as I placed my head to the ground.
"I'm so sorry...How do you even know what my name is?" Luke asked.
"Because when they caught me, they said it. They basically yelled it in my mind when I saw them trying to get you. I tried to save you...I-I really did...I-I just wasn't s-strong enough..." I couldn't take all this anymore as tears ran down my face.
"You were that tiger that was attacking Peter and Rick?" Luke asked in an amazed tone.
"Yes...Th-They did this to me...they'll do it to you too!" I cried as my anger bubbled up.
"Look, if I could be anything like you, I wouldn't hesitate to leap at the opportunity. You were nothing but brave and courageous. Not to mention you were fighting for your moral disciplines. I'd probably die before I became what you are..." Luke said.
"No... Don't think that way! I am nothing but a monster now...I have no right to fight for any moral disciplines, including my own..." I snapped.
"Wait, you're the first one, right?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, so?" I asked.
"Why not n-" Luke was saying as his cage was torn open and Drake grabbed him by the throat.
"Do not associate with the past experiment! She has minor flaws which I hope you will be a fix for! I do not want you to dare speak to her again!" Drake yelled at Luke before looking at me. "As for you, Miss. April Springs, you are not to speak, but wait for the experiments to near their final stages before we match your brainwaves to his."
"L-Let her go..." Luke gasped as he struggled to move Drake's hand from his throat.
"Don't threaten me, boy!" Drake snapped.
My anger suddenly took over and I slammed my weight against the side Drake stood. I could hear the faint creak as it turned into an uproar of cages falling down. My immediate choice would be to free the tiger and then unleash my bent-up fury on Drake...and Trace, if I could find her. Then maybe I'll track down Rick and Peter and let my anger out on them too...
"Let him go!" I yelled as Drake moved Luke out of the way but took the hit himself.
Luke managed to break free of Drake's hold and he began to climb over the cages towards me. He looked really concerned and worried as if I was the only thing he carried about. I heard his scream of pain before I saw the root of the pain. Trace stood near the tiger and had a hold on the tiger's throat. Luke was holding his own throat and clawing at it as if he was trying to break free of someone's hold.
"Luke!" I screamed as struggled to remove the chains.
Damn key locks...Maybe if I roared, Zack and the group could find me and rescue me and Luke...There was only one way to try. I took a deep breath before lifting my head up towards the ceiling of the place we were in and let out a roar that shook the walls and ceiling. Seven distant howls shortly followed after my roar and I smiled before turning towards Trace. She looked at me with this look of anger and disgust. Her fangs were bared and she was standing there glaring at me before letting go of the tiger and bolting for the other door I saw so long ago.
Just as she reached the door, it burst open revealing seven wolves. Trace screamed in fear and bolted, as fast as lightning striking across the night, to my cage. She grabbed keys out and unlocked the cage and the chains only to grab me by the throat. I let out a startled choking gasp as she held me close to her, but far enough away that I couldn't harm her. She let my feet touch the ground, but as soon as Zack and Luke took a hesitant step towards me, Trace lifted me up snarling at them.
"Come any closer, and poor tiger girl here will die. She won't die as long as you follow my rules!" She snarled making everyone look at me with worry.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I tried to scream for their help only to hear more of a gurgling noise leave my lips. My left eye closed as shadows crept around my vision. I could feel fear and pain moving through my veins like water falling from a hose. My breathing slowed and I struggled to keep my right eye open as I watched Zack change to his human form and back up. Luke backed up looking at me apologetically.
"Good. Now, wolf boy, go grab a crate and set it down by the door you slammed through. The rest of your wolfish kin can leave. Oh, and don't try anything if you ever want to see her again...alive at least." She chuckled as she looked at me with an insane smirk.
Damn it! I was stuck with this insane smirking vampire. How could I escape before I slipped into the darkness that kept coming closer? Why would she need me to leave? She is fast and there must be another way out. She could have used that rather than use me as leverage to escape.
"There..." Zack snapped clearly angry he couldn't stop Trace and save me.
"Now, tiger boy experiment, into the damn cage. Then you can stay there while wolf boy locks you up and then gets that damn tiger into a separate cage." Trace laughed before looking at me. "You are a very resilient one...which is good since you'll go through more experiments..."
I struggled against her hold on my throat as anger swelled inside of me. I may have been turned to a monster like her, but never will I let her control me. Wait...my anger was the key to unlocking my tiger form and force it out...if I could just force my anger to rise, then maybe I could change to my tiger form and get free. One huge issue was my throat was still in her hold. I could feel myself going weak as my eyes threatened to close any second now. Luke stood in front of the cage and looked at me.
"April, I swear, we'll get out of this unscathed..." He spoke.
The world began to become black as I watched Zack close and lock Luke's cage before going to retrieve the tiger. Luke was still speaking, but all the sound in the world has faded as I stared at him. This was it...I was going to die here in the absolute darkness...forgive me Luke for not protecting you from this...