Midnight

So, my last story was way too emotional, I'm trying again, with something else. Please keep in mind I still can't do very good paragraphs here.

Comments are appreciated.

Beginning
Rachel had few memories, good or bad, of her life as a child. She remembered her fifth birthday, the presents she got. She had a fuzzy memory of one rainy night, then nothing. It was like her life had shut off until seventh grade. Whenever she tried to remember, all she got was bright flashes and warped voices.

Straightening her shirt, she looked in the mirror, checking to make sure she was ready. The moon outside pooled on her floor, shining with enough light there was no need to turn on a light. Not that she would have needed it normally. Giving her skin tight pants a final tweak, she turned to her window, her body blocking the moonlight momentarily. She opened the window, wincing as the squeal of slightly rusted metal grated against wood. Then she was out, jumping to the ground ten feet below and running soundlessly into the woods, her breath making a light mist in front of her.

Her mother had always told her she shouldn’t strain her mind, that there was nothing special in the gap of her memory. Yet when her mother said that, she averted her eyes. That was one of the reasons Rachel had begun to think the story that she had been in a coma was a lie. There must be some important reason. Some reason she was the way she was. Her mind went back to the final memory she had of a child, the last night, as it were.

She had never been a heavy sleeper, and the a knock on the door had echoed through the house one night. She remembered it had been raining hard, and that she banged her foot on the wall near the stairs. Her foot throbbing, she had crept downstairs, as she had done countless times when her parents were asleep. Her mother was talking to two men, darkly silhouetted against the pouring rain. Her mother was quietly talking to them, her voice not giving away a tremble, but Rachel remembered how the lightning flash had illuminated her face, how it had been streaked with tears.

She must have made some noise, accidentally hit something with her hand. Her mother, Megan Grace, turned, and went to her daughter quickly, shielding Rachel’s view of the men. She remembered asking for Daddy. “Listen, I need you to be strong, right now.†her mother had replied, glancing distractedly at the two men. “Please go back to your room? Mommy will be there in just a moment.†Rachel let herself be pushed back to the stairs, but she remembered something, a small silver glint on her mother’s finger. Her wedding ring. “Why isn’t Daddy home yet?†she asked again, trying not to whine. Megan paused, then kissed Rachel’s forehead. “Daddy‘s ot coming home.â€

 

No major complaints other than the length of it. It feels very unfinished and slightly lacking in full event description. If you could have kept this going along these lines for another page or so then there would be a much clearer picture of what needs to be done. As things are now there isn't a problem with it really but it also doesn't really go anywhere, it merely starts and then stops. If memory serves you show improvement of some degree in your style and grammar areas but my memory isn't that great.

 

Meeting

Rachel stopped, her breath making small puffs in the air, like she was smoking. She brushed her hair back, then turned. Several other people had gathered behind her, waiting, their eyes silver in the moonlight. A quick flick of her wrist, and they disappeared into the darkness. She closed her eyes, and waited.

Shooting her hand out, she twisted to the side, just in time to grab a handful of hair. Opening her eyes, she threw the person she held into the one sliding up behind her, then rolled to the side, letting two more throw themselves at her. Grinning now, she jumped into the air and landed on tree branch, fifteen feet off the ground. The people on the ground picked themselves up, muttering and checking each other over. A faint rustling above Rachel, and she moved to the side, watching the last person fall to the ground. The girl tucked and rolled, hitting the ground with barely a sound.

Rachel let her body drop to the ground, hitting it soundlessly and rising to her full height of five feet seven inches. “Excellent. I almost missed you.” she smiled feral, showing canines slightly sharper then any other human’s. “Any have any information on our target?”

A small girl, red hair wildly curling to her shoulders, stepped forward, her bright eyes flashing. “The man hides in an old apartment, abandoned side of town. He rarely comes out except to find new victims. The woman seems to be in alliance somehow, she gets groceries and keeps people away, as far as we know.” Rachel nodded, leaning against a tree. “Very good, Shia. Jason, what do you have?”

A boy with light brown hair, almost black in this light, stepped next to Shia, making her seem even smaller. His eyes were unreadable as he watched Rachel. “The man goes by the name of Evans Collair, a retired ambassador for Russia. The woman has no files, nothing.” Rachel expected this, she smiled again. “Probably an assassin. Any security detail?” All five members of her group shook their heads, the light reflecting their eyes. “Slightly boring then, my pets, but we shall attack at dawn. Is everyone able to get away?”

Shia, and the tallest member of their group, a blonde named Tanya, shook their heads. “I have my entrance exam.” Shia explained. Tanya, as usual was silent. Rachel nodded at them both. “See you tomorrow night.” They both took off, jogging lightly. Rachel turned. Jason and another boy, Greg, both watched her, waiting for her command. She nodded to both of them, and the three took off running into the woods, toward the abandoned section of town.

 

Your pacing was rushed. That is the first thing that jumped out at me. A lot happens with very little explanation or time to allow it all to sink in. Were I you I'd draw this out a tad more, not enough to lose the effect you have but enough to make things a bit more natural to follow with the series of events, interactions and introductions. It's okay to intro some people here but they need more. That's basically all I'm saying here. There needs to be more stuff in each section to flesh it out. I guess that's it. By the way, don't stop. I see a lot of things that I review with hopes of seeing them continue and then they don't continue and I feel like I've wasted my life. So don't waste my life. I'm watching you. Bye.

 

It was interesting and I'm liking it so far. Only thing I'd like is to separate the dialogue from what's being described. The story is good but this update seemed rushed. Take your time when describing what's going on and when describing a character.

The story is good so far. Keep it up.​

 

Past Issues

It hadn’t always been this way. Rachel remembered when she had been alone, fighting in the hallways of her high school, making more enemies then friends. Often times she walked alone in alleys, hoping to get caught by the wrong sort of people, so she could beat them half to death. Wearing only black, her hair cut short to her shoulders, she prowled the streets. Nighttime was her favorite. Her mother was a drunk, so she didn’t know or care when her only daughter came home.

Wandering the streets at night might not have been a good idea for anyone but Rachel. She couldn’t care less about the muggers, rapists, or thieves that prowled the streets. Any of them that picked a fight with her usually ended up dead. Fighting came natural, like an instinct.

It had been on one of these wanderings that she had been caught by a gang. Turned out she had beat up the gang’s leader badly, and they wanted revenge. Rachel could handle four at once, but six was more then too much.

It was after they had pinned her back against the wall, punching her again and again, that Jason had come. He flashed out of nowhere, taking out the second in command. Without directions, they had crumbled. He hadn’t said much, just his name. They had been friends from that day onward. He was her second in command, her confidante and friend through it all. They had never been on a mission without each other. He had her back and she had his.

They had recruited Shia from a gang downtown. Jason wouldn’t say how he found Tanya, or what he had said, but she had trusted Rachel from the start. Greg had just started hanging out with them in school. He had just appeared, and they had accepted him. They were the outcasts of the world, the people that would never fit in. Not quite disappearing, but not quite molding in with the rest either.

A group, they had become united, strong. No one bothered them, as they had as individuals. No one played pranks on them, or dared too. Rachel knew, as she was sure all of her group knew, that they scared people. After they had begun teaching each other tricks, they began to move with a silent, almost predator like grace. No one was really sure when the tradition started, but they were known as “The Pack.†The name stuck, and they began to refer to themselves as a pack. Almost like their own family.

A light hand on her shoulder shook her out of her thoughts. Rachel smiled a little at Jason, then crept forward, watching the lights wink out one by one. Not that that would make anything harder. She blinked, adjusting her eyes, then looked back. Greg and Jason both nodded once, and she leapt forward, feeling her muscles shift, her bones elongate.

This was what she was. Her eyes sharpened, her teeth grew pointier, longer. Ears grew into small ovals on the sides of her now black and flattened head. She landed gently in front of the door, her golden green eyes glinting. Rachel saw herself in the reflection of a broken window. A sleek strong body, almost faded with the ground. Spots were hard to see on a panther, but they were there, black rosettes almost blending in with her dark fur. She took a small crouching step forward, froze, took another step, and froze again, blending in each time. Now she could hunt, as she was supposed to do. Now she herself, a night predator, a panther.


Next one won't be so rushed, I'll have more time on the comp.

 

Two things. I would switch "predator like" out with "predatory" they mean the same thing but I prefer to cut out words if it's possible. I would also add more content to each section because as you said it did seem rushed. Nothing more to say beyond what's been said.

 

And here's the next chapter, number four. The site is giving me issues, so hang tight if something seems off.
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Hunting

Creeping into the room, her ears caught the sound of distant fighting. The woman had found those two then. She flicked her ears forward, eyes reflecting the small light. A staircase going up, a staircase going down…which way? She knew whichever way she picked, if she was wrong, the man would escape. Rachel crept toward the basement stairs, her paws making no noise on the wooden floors.

Waiting at the top of the stairs, she pressed her belly low to the ground, heart pounding. A small black shadow moved around at the bottom. She had one chance, one moment. Her muscles bunched, then spread as she leaped, hurting the ten feet down into the inky blackness, onto something soft. An acidic like smell burned her sensitive nose, making her sneeze. Something was off.

Too late she realized why. The body below her was just a body, of a girl. It wasn’t alive. She turned, almost too slow, her cat eyes widening in surprise as the club came down on her head, making her fall to the ground, gasping as the world spun. The girl was dead, and the smell was blood. She felt herself shift, then stop. Her head hurt too much, she was stuck in between.

She still had the ears of a cat, but her human hair had grown back, her long dark brown hair pooling on the floor. Rachel’s eyes were still greenish gold, with the pupils slitted, and her incisors stuck out below her upper lip, cutting into the lower one. She had human hands and feet, but cat fur covered her instead of skin. The man stood above her, as she struggled to her hands and knees, then clubbed her again.

“They send a beast in? All sorts of animals they‘re making these days.†He sneered at her, poking her gently, and realized she looked dead. Keeping still was hard, but she managed, keeping her eyes still. He turned his back, and a clicking noise began. Trying to keep her thoughts in order, through the head pounding, she realized he was typing something on a keyboard. A computer?

Rachel tried to stand, but her knees wobbled, and she stayed down. No no, come on come on……The man turned back, sneer still in place. God…..she knew what he did. First he killed his victims, or wounded them, and then played with them. She struggled, but her body just wouldn’t obey her.

Something leaped over her, tackling the man, and a struggle ensued. There was a flash of silver, a yelp, and silence. Rachel got to her knees, her head whirling. Had one of her pack gotten hurt? A hand steadied her, helped her sit back. “Jesus, Jason, are you okay? What‘s the status?†She asked, one hand to her head. Something was pressed into her hand. Water. She drank from the bottle gratefully, taking deep breaths.

“There was only one body in the house, two waiting to be disposed. The woman is dead. Greg is taking the two bodies along with hers to the police.†Rachel nodded, pressing her face into her knees. Her tail twitched, making her spine tingle. “The man…you killed him?†She not so much as saw as heard him nod, the light hairs brushing his face. “Poor Greg will have to make a second trip.†she murmured, then sighed. As the breath left her lungs, she felt her ears shift back to normal, skin take the place of fur, her tail shrunk.

Now fully human, and only half clothed, she looked up, her eyes back to green. Her dark brown hair fell halfway to her waist in straight lengths, covering most of her body. Jason wordlessly handed her some clothing, things she always kept nearby. She murmured her thanks, then pulled the long sleeved shirt and jeans on. “The girl….†her voice drifted off, though her eyes remained clear. “She‘s dead?†Another nod, and Rachel sighed, then slowly crossed the room and turned the girl over. She would have been pretty, given another few years.

Rachel turned away, knowing she had added another face to her nightmares. “Is Greg okay with it? I can do this too…†her excuses drifted away again as Jason placed another hand on her shoulder. “It‘ll be fine.†he murmured. “How many hits did you take?†he asked, his eyes on her face. Their relationship was always like that. They understood each other, and he knew about her gift, and her past, or what she knew of it.

“Two….†she rubbed her head, then winced. “So much for being the best. He used the girl as a decoy. I should have known.†She smiled a little, her teeth still sharpened, she realized. “Let‘s get something to eat.†Jason suggested, raising his eyebrows slightly. “I‘ll call the others.†Rachel looked up the stairs, her eyes widened. “God…..We missed school?â€

Jason nodded, clicking the phone shut. Rachel couldn’t remember him taking it out, then realized she was sitting down again. She frowned slightly, then protested as he picked her up. “If you fall again, I‘ll have to take you to the hospital.†He warned her mildly, walking up the stairs without any effort. While he rarely said something, he meant what he did say. Rachel shut up until they got to the top of the stairs. “If you don‘t put me down, I‘ll make you suffer.†she warned.

Two hours later the five were all sitting around a table in the back of a local diner. Rachel gazed down at the plastic table, distant chatter reaching her ears. She tuned it out, then looked up, tapping her finger against the counter. Shia was working her way through a pile of French toast, her green eyes alight with contentment. Tanya played with her fork, her plate clean of even crumbs. Greg and Jason both drank from their bottles, whatever they had ordered. Rachel herself had ordered hash browns, and a shake, but her stomach felt strange with the food. S mentally cursed herself for eating so soon after changing. “Okay, guys.†She spoke up, keeping her voice pitched low. “Next plan, school field trip.â€

 

Next chapter. Life is slowly killing me, so might be slow.

As it has always been

Rachel didn’t go home. She didn’t want to go back to a reality where her mother was a drunk and her father was dead. Where money was tight, and all she had to eat was stale bread and peanut butter past its due date. She waited till the last of her pack had left, then wandered the streets, trying to find some meaning. There was no point in going home, her mother wouldn’t care.

Long after the paved roads had grown dark, and flickering lights above them blinked to life, Rachel found herself knocking on a door, the light above it constant and bright. The porch well kept, flower garden. Jason opened the door, his eyes sleepy but alert. Rachel smiled a little. “Can I stay here tonight?” she asked, locking her hands behind her back. He nodded once, then let her in, locking the door behind him. “Parents won‘t care, they‘re already asleep.” he murmured, leading the way upstairs. “Come on.”

Jason’s room was messy, typical guy. The bed was unmade, but she could tell he recently had been sleeping in it. There were shirts and jeans all over the floor, the dark hardwood barely visible through it. A bedside lamp was the only other source of light in the room, making other features impossible to see.

“Here.” Rachel turned just in time to catch some soft items thrown at her. “My bathroom‘s free. I‘ll get out the extra bed, okay?” He left, stretching. Rachel smiled, hugging the clothes to her chest, her eyes tearing up slightly. He was such a good friend. This had happened before, but he always took it so well, whatever time she showed up. She headed into the bathroom and pulled off her dirty clothes, then stepped into the shower.

The warm spray felt good on her aching muscles, and she rinsed the dirt out of her hair, using a shampoo he had kept in there for her since they had become friends. She finished, then stepped out, drying her body quickly with a clean towel, letting her hair hang down, dripping. Jason had given her his older sister’s old clothing, a bra that was slightly too fancy for her taste, underwear that somehow matched, a T-shirt in a faded green that had some sort of band logo on it, and plaid shorts. Letting her hair hang down her back, she walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand.

“Green Apple Surprise?” she asked, her eyebrow raised as she recited the name of the shampoo. “I didn‘t know you remembered.” Jason said nothing, only watched her. She gently pushed him over, sitting next to him, drying then ends of her hair gently. “Thanks.” she said quietly. “I just…couldn‘t go back home yet.” He nodded, then pointed. “You, bed. Me….crouton bed like thing.” He pointed at a green comfort couch, the kind people used for camping.




Rachel laughed, then shook her head. “I‘m not taking your bed. It‘s my turn this time.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless you wish to share?” She was only joking, and he knew it. It brought a smile to his face, but he shook his head. “I‘ll take the green bed. Night, kitty girl.” Rachel started to argue, but he already had curled up, his dark hair even darker against the lighter color of the bed. Rachel put the towel away, then smiled, albeit a little sadly. “Night, Jason.” she murmured, crawling into his bed and turning out the light. She pressed her head against the pillow, closing her eyes. It smelled like him, like spices and apple. He used the same shampoo…this made her smile as she fell asleep.

Light struck her face, jolting her awake. Rachel looked up. Jason was gone, the bed neatly rolled up and placed in a corner of the room. Now that there was a better source of brightness, she could see that he had repainted his room to white, that there was dark red trim. The bed was the same as ever, white coverlet over white sheets and pillow cases. Clothes still littered his room, but not as much as had originally appeared.

Rachel peeked out the door, then walked down to the kitchen. As expected, Jason was already there, making toast and drinking coffee. Rachel reached around him, grabbing a slice and eating it plain, heading back to the sink. “We should go.” she murmured around a mouthful, trying not to spit crumbs as she turned on the water, letting her eyes follow the stream coming out of the facet.

Behind her, the smell of coffee wafted around the small kitchen. She turned, accepted, a mug of the brown liquid from Jason, and gulped it down in record time, burning her mouth. “Ready to go?” she asked, washing out the mug and setting it on the counter. Jason followed suit with his, nodding once.

Rachel shook her head, smiling slightly, then half ran upstairs, changing into some other borrowed clothes, this time jeans ripped at the knee, and a black t-shirt that was more then a little tight. She knew it had to be close fitting, but this was so much so it was almost hard to breathe.

Looking in the mirror, she gently brushed, then braided her long brownish black hair. Green eyes flecked with golden brown stared back, a full mouth, the lower lip slightly fuller then the upper. Her nose was perfectly straight, one of the few parts of her that hadn’t been broken. Thin dark eyebrows hovered over her eyes, making her seem more serious, then flirty. She was pale, unusually so since she spent most of her time outside. Her hands were delicate, more like an artist’s hand then a fighter’s. They had scars of course. She had them all over her body.






Grabbing her dirty clothes, she headed down the stairs. Jason waited by the door, his house key in his hand. She smiled, locking the door swiftly, then heading out into the bright light. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the new light. Feeling, rather then hearing Jason beside her, she set off, heading northeast toward the school. “People change, don’t‘ they?” Jason asked suddenly, his voice low, mellow even, but she could detect the tension behind it. “They have to, to survive, sometimes.” she answered, glancing at him. He didn’t answer, but seemed only more troubled. “Jason? What‘s wrong?”

“If we all change, then is it predetermined, or simply because we have to?” he asked, almost ignoring her. Rachel knew he wasn’t, but was answering her in his own way. “We have to change, but how we change is the cause of the circumstances we live in.” She replied slowly, still watching him as they walked. This answer seemed to relieve the odd tension in his shoulders. He even favored her with a small smile before walking on with his answer, whatever it seemed to be, while leaving her behind with more and more questions.

 

Challenges

The bus ride was noisy, overcrowded, and full of teens who had nothing better to do then discuss half naked, or in some cases, fully naked men in glossy magazines, and listen to their Ipods. Rachel and her pack were separated, Jason and Shia on one bus, Greg and Tanya on another. Rachel was on the third, alone. It had been easy, getting a seat to herself. She simply narrowed her eyes at anyone who tried to sit with her, and they moved on.

After the bus driver pulled away, she curled up in the corner of the seat, as far as possible, and closed her eyes, letting her hair brush over her face. A hand on her shoulder made her open her eyes, but she didn’t move. “What?” the question was said plainly, not in a welcoming tone. A male stood in front of her, blonde, light colored eyes. She remembered him, Michael something. “Are you okay?” he asked, sitting down next to her, ignoring her glare. “You don‘t talk to anyone, and you sit alone. The people you usually hang with aren’t here either.”

“I don‘t have a repressed need to talk about the male body, and I don‘t own porn on a portable video device.” she answered coldly, turning her face back to the window. She hoped he got the hidden message, but apparently he was as stupid as the rest of them. “I just need a break from the rest of them.” he said. She could feel him settling in, his back against the wall of the seat in front of them. Rachel turned, her green eyes settling on his face.

They stayed this way, him facing behind them, occasionally looking at her, herself, staring at him, hoping to scare him away. Something about him was off, she could sense it. Like when you take that first step onto a frozen lake, only to hear something crackling, and an instinct tells you something is wrong.

The bus slowly creaked to a stop, and Michael stood up, stretching. “Mind if I ride with you on the way back?” he asked, smiling again. Rachel lowered her eyes, not answering as she waited for him to leave. Apparently he took her silence as answer enough, and walked into the aisle, leaving. Rachel was the last off the bus, as usual, her hair hiding her face. She looked up to see her pack waiting for her, and smiled.

The trip was about building relationships with classmates, learning to trust them. Before they were allowed into the room, they were all tested with a breathalyzer for drugs. After her pack was checked, they made their way into a small corner and sat down, Tanya and Rachel on the floor, Jason, Greg, and Shia in chairs behind them.

The room was spacious, big enough to fit fifty or so people. Blue carpeting covered the floor, marked with green tape. As the instructor explained how to rock climb, using terms like “belay” and “equipment check”, Rachel sized up the wall with her eyes. It was forty or so feet off the ground, definitely a bone breaker if you fell.

Her heart started to pound faster, her hands clenched. She didn’t like this at all. A gently hand took her shoulder, while another took her hand. She smiled reassuringly at Jason and Tanya, then closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

Split into pairs to climb and belay with, Jason and Rachel were the first climbers in their group, being the oldest. Tanya would belay for Rachel, and Shia and Greg for Jason. Apparently, belay meant you stayed with your climber, sitting on the ground about ten feet away from the rock wall, and taking the second pulley in your hand. You held the extra rope, while watching your climber. If they fell, you jerked the rope backwards, then waited till they found a hand hold and grabbed on. This way no one fell to their deaths.

One of the instructors helped Rachel get into her belt, tightening the leg straps and waist strap, then hooking her up and giving the okay. Jason similarly equipped, watched her, concern in his eyes. Rachel shook her head at him, then slowly, ignoring everything else, put her hand on the cool plaster/rock. It wasn’t real rock, but it felt like it. She hoisted herself up, then found another hand hold, pressing her tennis shoe into a crack. Her heart sped up again, she could feel it pounding.

Swallowing nervously, she used her arm to pull herself up another step, then found another foothold, using her leg muscles to push herself up to another hand hold. She kept up this pattern, then stopped for breath, panting. That was her first mistake. Her second was looking down. She felt herself freeze, her eyes grow wide. Her breath sped up to gasps, her palms clenched the rock below her. She was maybe forty feet off the ground, almost to the top, but that distance looked miles long. Rachel felt her canines grow longer, her hair on her head grew thicker. She was going into panic mode, shifting into her other side. That would be disaster here. Her harness would wrap around her throat, choking her. The thought only made her panic more.

Suddenly a hand on her shoulder made her go still. She looked up, to see those blue eyes and blonde hair. “Rachel.” She could see Michael’s lips move, but couldn’t hear his voice, the rushing in her ears was too loud. “Rachel, take my hand.” She looked down again, her pupils slitting. Slowly his hand gripped hers, gently prying it off the rock. “Rachel, let go.” She held on tighter, tight enough to break her fingers. If she let go, she would fall. If she fell, she would die. Suddenly another face she knew, someone she trusted, appeared next to Michael.

“Rachel, let go, and take the next hold up.” Jason was cool, calm. He didn’t appear concerned, or even bothered. “Do it.” Rachel swallowed, then slowly let go, taking the next hold up. Jason let a small smile touch his lips. “Good job, Rachel. Now push yourself up with your leg.” A part of her mind noted how he pushed Michael in to the background, keeping himself in her view. She did as he said, grabbing the next hand hold. “Three more, Rachel.” his voice was calm, soothing. She pushed herself up with her legs, then her arms, keeping her eyes on his, not looking. Suddenly he smiled, then held out a hand. They were closer then she realized. She grabbed his hand, pulling herself up. “You made it to the top, Rach.”

_________________
Sorry for the lateness, but I'm having my life getting ****ed with. Those of you who have been talking to me lately know what I mean <:

 

Haven't had much time to read properly so I missed a couple weeks of updates but I'm caught up again and I have a few things to say. You are staying fairly consistent with the quality and style, good thing. There are some slight incongruities within grammar and style but it's minimal enough so as not to impede reading much. My only issue is that you don't always start a new paragraph for each change in speaker for dialogue. It's not a real rule but it's common practice and should be done to keep things organized and readable unless done for a specific effect. Keep up the good work, if I think of something else I'll edit.

 

Pain
Getting down was almost too easy. She just let herself go, like she was freefalling, then felt herself being lowered. Her pack crowded around her, patting her shoulder, smiling. They were proud of her. She lowered her eyes, then allowed a small smile to form on her face before taking off her harness and handing it off to Shia. The smaller girl was up and down in less then five minutes. Next it was Greg’s turn, with Jason belaying for him. Tanya went up last, Rachel belaying for her. Tanya and Rachel headed to the bathroom, while the other three left for the rooms assigned for them, since it was a stay over trip.

The cool water felt oily against her skin. Rachel dried herself off, then looked over at Tanya, almost wishing she hadn’t. The blonde girl had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, washing her hands off. There were bruises, older, yellowing ones and newer purple ones. She had several white scars that marked her skin, remnants of an accident.

Seeing her look, Tanya, dried her hands quickly and rolled her sleeves up. “He‘s been better.” She whispered defensively, straightening her hair in the mirror. “He just…get‘s thirsty easily. I can‘t always be there for him.”

Rachel sighed, then gently touched the other girl’s shoulder. “You know how it‘s going to end, in my opinion. But I‘m here for you. I always will be.” She smiled reassuringly, then headed for the door. “We should get back.” Life issues was not something she was good at discussing. Sensing Tanya behind her, she opened the door, stepping into the hallway flooded with light.

Everything seemed to slow. She remembered feeling something cold on her neck, and she whirled, her hair flying over her shoulder. She remembered something snapping, a cracking sound, and darkness spreading its wings over her vision. Then nothing but the cold sleep of unconsciousness.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jason paced the room, his eyebrows furrowed. The sleeping arrangements were set, the teachers and volunteers patrolled the hallways, supposedly. He had spoken with Shia via text message, but there was nothing from Tanya, or Rachel. Greg watched him, dark eyes quiet. Jason sighed in frustration, then flipped open his cell phone again, typing out a quick message on the keys. He sent it, then started pacing again.

A short buzz, followed by another fast one, startled him out of his revere. He opened the phone, eyes confused. “Jason?” the voice on the other end was cracked, and fuzzy, like its owner had just awoken from sleep. “Tanya. Where the hell have you been?” he was relieved, and irritated. If Tanya was okay, then Rachel should be okay.

A pause, then, “Rachel‘s gone.” The short felt relief was gone, replaced by coldness. He took a deep breath, facing the wall. “Greg and I are in a room….Home Ec. Can you find us here?” She would know where the room was, they all had agreed on it. Another short pause. “Yeah, I‘ll find you.” He could hear her take a deep breath, then the line clicked. Jason snapped his phone shut, then turned. In short sentences he explained what he knew to Greg, who watched with quiet eyes.

“That means you were probably right about Michael.” He murmured, propping his chin up on his hand. “We‘ll have to be careful, then. He‘s more dangerous.” Jason nodded, then leaned his head back against the wall. Why did Rachel have to go off by herself? But he knew that wasn’t fair. She was only doing what he would have done, and she had taken Tanya with her. Rubbing his head, he waited for the two girls to arrive. They would have to find Rachel, and take down Michael. What an interesting trip this was.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rachel opened her eyes, groggily looking around. She twitched her ears, stretched her legs, her tail twitching. Wait….tail? Her thoughts moving slowly, she looked down, to see her hands covered with dark fur, semi changed into paws. She must have gone into her half and half form. Trying to gather her thoughts, she slowly shifted back into her human body, until all that remained were her cat eyes.

Something shifted, and the next second blonde hair and blue eyes were in front of her, concerned. “I‘m sorry, Rachel. Are you alright?” Michael. He was very cute, almost too cute. She grimaced, showing pointed incisors. “Just fricking fine. How are you?” She smiled sweetly up at him, still showing her teeth. “I hope you‘re doing good, because when I‘m through with you, you‘ll be wish you had died. Because you have died, before, haven‘t you?”

It was the answer of course. He was one of them. She tried to move her numb wrists, ignoring him as she tested out her limbs, trying to move. “What happened to Tanya?” she asked, sounding nonchalant. Hearing no answer, she looked up, and stopped moving.

Michael had drawn his lips back in an almost grimace, his teeth, all of them, were getting sharper, his eyes glowing. “You know, I really did like you. You are different. But we just can‘t exist, can we?” Slowly his hands changed, and she felt a little irrational fear. He hadn’t seen her change, he hadn’t known she was almost like them.

A snarl brought her out of her revere, and she flinched to the left just in time. Teeth snapped inches from her throat, and she felt hot breath against her skin. Dog breath. “Time to die, human.” Michael whispered, before jumping on top of her and tearing her throat out.

 

Friendly, or Not

Tanya was pale, shaken, but alive. Greg was especially careful with her, treating her like she was made of glass. They all knew about her life, how much it sucked, but they didn’t talk about it. Jason rubbed his head, thinking quickly. She didn’t know much, but she knew enough. Michael wasn’t human, he was after Rachel for something, and he had left Tanya.

Tanya kept her head tucked down, as though she was afraid of the light. Jason grew wary, his eyes more focused on her body positioning, the way she cringed from the reassuring hands touching her. He gently sat down in front her, trying to catch her eyes. Instead he met Greg’s, who were just as concerned. “Tanya, look at me.†He made a command as her superior in the pack, not as a friend. She had no choice but to obey.

Slowly, her head raised up, her dark eyes looking into his. They were off color, darker then brown, denser then black. His gut clenching, he tilted her chin up, and felt his own brown eyes widen. There were four fangs marks on her neck, two on each side, still raw. Jason backed off, turning his eyes to the window, beckoning Shia to him.

“Do you think she‘s safe?†he asked, keeping his face on the window. Rachel had taught them all how to read lips efficiently. The small red headed girl beside him, shook her head thoughtfully, her grey eyes staring into nothing. “If he did more then incapacitate her, she could be. I‘ll stay with Greg, help keep her calm. Rachel‘s the only one who can assess her at this point.â€

Nodding slowly, he looked back at Tanya. Her head was leaning against Greg’s and his against hers, the black against blonde making her light blonde hair look whiter. Ebony on ivory. Greg looked up, nodded slowly. Jason nodded back, then nodded to Shia, and slowly left the room. He lifted up a small blonde hair, short, then smiled. Tanya hadn’t failed. He could find Michael, and then Rachel. Gripping the hair, he ran silently down the hall, towards them.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Of course, if he had wanted to rip her throat out, he would have torn at her. Instead, he wanted to make her one of them. Good thing she had moved her neck three centimeters to the right. His teeth missed her by that much, snapping over what should have been flesh and bone. Hearing the growl of rage, she bunched her knees under his chest, kicking him off over her head, then struggling to sit up. She wiggled her wrist, hoping maybe it could come loose, but the bonds were too tight. Her hands ached, a small trickle of blood making its way down her wrist.

Michael panted, looking more wolf like by the second. “No where to run.†he said through long canines, his eyes wild. Rachel felt her stomach muscles tighten, her blood pumping adrenaline through her veins. He was losing his humanity, becoming a beast. The thing she tried to fight so hard, the battle to keep her humanity, he was losing, and losing willingly. Struggling to her feet, she took another step back.

The room was small, mirrors everywhere around her. A yoga studio, maybe. No weapons, just bare floor and mirrors….unless……Taking another step back, she swiveled her gaze back to Michael. “Why can‘t we exist?†she asked calmly, trying to talk past her elongated teeth. It was much like trying to talk while wearing fake vampire teeth, not that she had ever done that.

“You‘re a cat, I‘m a wolf. Opposites attract.†His voice was deeper, changing with his loss of control. “Besides, taking down a known shapeshifter assassin will definetly up my status.†His eyes became less human, more maniacal. She would have to move, and move fast. “I promise, it won‘t hurt. Much.†The laugh that escaped from Michael raised the small hairs growing along her arms, her back and her neck as her body reacted to the danger. Her hands stung, growing into larger paws, straining, then going numb against the cords. “I really am sorry.†Rachel murmured, her voice slowly slipping into a snarl.

Just as Michael leapt for her, she shoved herself off the ground, flying backwards, right into the mirrors as she intended. The shattering glass rained around her like an icy rain, cutting her skin. She felt Michael’s teeth close on her arm and snarled, kicking at him with her back paws and grabbing his neck scruff in her newly sharpened teeth. She felt him tearing at her just as she was pulling him off her, rolling around in the glass.

A sudden crunching sound, and her own scream startled them both. She was suddenly lying under Michael, her arms pulled to her chest, in her half human form. Her tail lashed in pain and fury, her fur bristled, her ears lay flat against her skull. Michael shook his head, his blue eyes wide, the pupils dilated. He was in half and half form too, his long teeth showing through his open lips. “Rachel….†the next second he was rolling in pain, clutching his shoulder, receding into his human form.

Jason stood in the doorway, cool and calm, a .45 caliber pistol in his hand. “I‘ll spare your life if you run away right now.†He said slowly, calmly, enunciating each word. Michael spoke through clenched teeth. “You can‘t help her. She‘ll go insane on you one day, and tear you to shreds.â€

“What makes you think she will?â€

“What makes you think she won‘t?†Rachel watched one guy, then the other, confused as to what they were discussing. She must be going into shock, she realized, closing her eyes as naseoa took over. “Leave, Michael.†The tone in Jason’s was that of a final warning.

There was a small breeze, then stillness. Crunching glass alerted Rachel to Jason’s movement, but she still didn’t open her eyes. Her hands stung, then burned, making tears of pain come to her eyes. Gently using her right hand to push herself up, keeping her left hand against her chest, she bit her lip, feeling her teeth recede to normal. Something warm settled over her. Opening her eyes, she realized it was a blanket. Jason watched her, concern and anger burning in equal measures. She managed to smile. “Hey.â€

“You okay?†The question was short, but full of more questions. She sighed. “Just multiple cuts, some bruises. My arm is shattered.†Rachel gave a short laugh. “I wasn‘t fast enough.†She looked up to see Jason watching her skeptically. “Rachel…when I came in you two were rolling around the floor so fast I couldn‘t tell where you were. One second you were here, then there. I think the problem was you two didn‘t want to hurt each other.â€

Rachel grimaced, then slowly leaned against the wall. “Is Tanya okay?†she asked, looking up at Jason. He was imposing, suddenly, a black figure against the shattered bits of light. She couldn’t see his face, couldn’t make out its features. A jolt went through her as she realized she was receding into unconsciousness. She fought to stay awake, to ask more questions. A gentle touch made her eyes flicker open. A hand, warm, gently stroking her cheek.

“She‘s fine.†Jason murmured, but there was a strange light in his eyes. Rachel slowly slipped away from his touch, from his gaze, into the cool darkness waiting to embrace her instead.




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Updates will be slowing down, I'm having a hard time keeping up with school, soccer, and this. Once playoffs are done, I'll have more time.

 

Sorry for the lateness. Several surprises came up. Short chapter is short.
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Fixing

There was nothing, just blackness. Pain, increasingly constant pain, followed by a searing light, a scream, and then more darkness. This time, instead of warm damp, there was cold, loud noises, and rough touching. It was enough to make one scream, and that’s what this being did. It had no idea what was happening to it, what potential it had. All it knew was that the blanket was not the warmth of its mother, and that the loud voices of the people around it were not right.

This being was the future. She was a hybrid, a future weapon of war. She shift like a chameleon, but with her shape. Everything would be advanced. She was the first of her kind. Now they had to test her. The squalling baby was settled into a dark room with minimum noises, to quiet her. She was given a name, something to know her by. Rach045.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rachel opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling above her. She didn’t know if they were the dreams, or if they were actual memories. Groaning, feeling a headache come on, she rolled over on her stomach and buried her face into her pillow. Pillow‘s too soft……Pillow!? She sat up, the blankets falling to her waist.

A bright light filtered through the blinds, gently showering the room with thin lines of sun. The bed she was in was small, with the typical hospital like white sheets and blankets. White washed walls held no grim reminders of past inhabitants, only pictures that were a stark contrast to the plain color. The floor was, of course, white tiling accented with a little tasteful blue.

Rubbing her arms, Rachel slowly stuck her feet out the side of the bed, and pushed back the blankets. She flexed her right arm, then winced slightly. Still tough. Even super human healing couldn’t do it all. Standing up, she went over to the window and peeked through it. Dizziness washed over her as she stared down at cars, made toy like by the height, wove their way through stick like people, humans, as lights flashed. She stumbled back, into something warm.

Whirling, she punched instinctively. “Who the….†Rachel felt her eyes widen as she gazed at her mother. Mary Ann had been a lively woman, her hair short, but the same color as Rachel‘s. She had often said Rachel only had her father’s eyes as a rememberance, before slipping back into her alcohol induced coma.

Now she stood in front of Rachel, grey eyes solemn and quiet, unblinking. “You have failed me.†she said in a monotone.

“What do you mean?†Rachel was cautious. How could this be real?
“You‘ll start remembering. It will all come back.â€

Rachel reached out to her mother, desperately trying to hold onto this moment. What the hell? She blinked, and the white room flickered, changing to red. Blood splattered the walls like paint, it’s scent making her stomach revolt. Her eyes moved back to her mother, the source of the smell.

Instead of the white hospital gown, it was splattered with blood, staining it red. Her mother stared with the vacant eyes of a druggie, her mouth slightly hanging open. Rachel followed her mother’s gaze, and screamed. Her hands were covered with blood, her mother’s, dripping with it. She kept screaming and screaming, and sat up, gasping for air.

Her pack looked up, surprised. They were gathered around an object on the floor. Jason looked like he had been discussing something with Shia, and now they all stared at her, slightly surprised. Rachel gently reached up, touching her teeth, closing her eyes. They were sharpened, the teeth that had ripped out her mother’s throat now ready to rip out her friends’.

It wasn’t real, it was a dream, it wasn’t real. She felt her teeth shorten, become blunter as she sighed. Getting up, she walked over to the group and sat down. “Fill me in. What‘s the deal?†she asked, crossing her legs. Shia patted her shoulder, then spoke first. “Tanya is alright for now, stabilized. We‘re watching her to see if she has any more effects. She needs to be looked at later. The guy is missing, but we‘re going to look for him as soon as you woke up.â€

“Do you have teams set up?†Rachel asked, rubbing her temples contemplatively.

“No, we were waiting for your call. Jason said-â€

“Let‘s just get going.†Jason said, his voice impatient. Rachel glanced up, confused, but quickly looked back down again. Something was up with him. She brushed her hair back from her forehead impatiently with her fingers, thinking. “Shia, go with Greg. See if you can find a sign of Michael, anything he left behind so we can scan it and run a back trace. Jason, check on Tanya, then get a ride to town and grab me salt, sugar, and purified water.â€

When she looked up, Shia and Greg were gone, but Jason stayed, watching her.
“You should rest.†he said finally, his eyes darkened, but unreadable. “You can‘t keep going forever.â€

“Yes I can. I‘m Jesus.†Rachel grimaced, twisting and turning, then stretching her arms over her head. Feeling her muscles loosen, she sighed with relief, then lowered her arms. “Who‘s going to do this if not me? I have to see this through, then I‘ll rest.†She smiled at him, gently smacked his shoulder, then jogged out the door, shifting as she ran.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tanya let her eyes slowly shut, trying to keep her heart from beating too loudly. Fear wasn’t what made her, she was better then that. It just took a lot to be better then that. Slowing down her breathing, she kept her eyelids shut, making herself feel at peace. Still, something was off. Maybe the room was too hot, or the air too heavy. It kept getting harder to breathe, harder to make sense of things.

Letting her eyes open, Tanya winced. The small window was so bright, she could barely take it. Struggling to roll over, she realized her wrist was chained to the wall. A sturdy one, not the wimpy ones that Michael had used. Tugging absentmindedly, she sat up, keeping her eyelids half shut to keep the headache away. The air kept getting heavier…..what the hell? She glanced down at her arm, the chained one, thinking hard, when her eyes froze. There had been three bruises, two that wrapped around her arm, just below her elbow, and one that was yellowing just above. They should have taken weeks to heal, so why were they gone now?

Thinking quickly, gasping for air now, the tall girl wrapped the chain around the bars of the window, then the loop in the floor. Tugging it, she lay on the bed, trying to catch her breath. Now she couldn’t hurt them, when they came to check on her. Slowly letting her eyes shut again, Tanya curled up, suddenly shaking with cold. She had never felt so alone, not even before she had known her friends.

A sudden creaking on the door made her start, but she could only manage to raise her head. A large black shadow stalked into the room, and stopped. Tanya held back tears, knowing that Rachel sensed the same thing she knew. She tried to smile, but couldn’t bring it to her lips. Not even a word of apology, what could she say?

She watched as the shadow came closer, two yellow circles now evident, Rachel’s cat eyes. She felt the slight, small breeze as Rachel smelled her hair, the burning scent….Tanya wondered dully why Rachel had mentioned the smell of their enemy burned her nose. Maybe it was a natural defense, but they doubted it. She felt Rachel take a deep breath, and cringed, preparing for the death bite.

Instead, something raspy, like gentle sandpaper against her skin, touched her face. Tanya opened her eyes, then closed them as Rachel licked her again. She laughed quietly, then slowly reached out and petted the other girl’s fur, something she had never been able to do. The big cat sat patiently, a deep rumble coming from her chest as she cleaned Tanya’s face. Not exactly what friends were supposed to do on a weekend, Tanya thought wryly, before falling back to sleep.

 

I realize this is a bit out of order, but I have no time otherwise this weekend, so here is part two of this last update.
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Part 2
Rachel licked Tanya one last time, ignoring the burning in her nostrils. The poor girl….it was all her fault. She padded away softly, her eyes letting the light filter in, her pupils slitting. Pushing the door open with her bluntly shaped head, she trotted down the dark road, her tail twitching. The stars were out, and the moon was dark, giving almost no light. She vaguely wondered if the school had missed them, or if Michael had taken care of that. Glancing back down, she sniffed, then stiffened. Turning off the road, she headed into the woods, her pace picking up until she stopped at a large tree, then slowly shifted to human, gazing up at it.

Michael looked down at her, his blue eyes bright in the darkness. “Didn‘t think you‘d find me.” She heard him say, his eyes never leaving hers. Leaning against the tree, Rachel smiled, not nicely. “I love being underestimated. It makes the ending so much better.” She looked back him, he wasn’t there. Closing her eyes, she counted to three, then snapped her hand out, curling it around his throat.

Opening her eyes, she stared at him, and he, at her. Green gold into baby blue. She squeezed her fingers gently, thinking. She could end it all now. But that wouldn’t make Tanya better.

“I have some questions.” She whispered, never taking her eyes off his. “If you don‘t answer, I‘ll kill you. If you do….” she let her sentence drift.

“Your friend. She‘s changing, isn’t‘ she?” Michael smiled, the *******. Actually smiled at the suffering Tanya was going to go through. Rachel kept her self control, barely, then squeezed tighter. “Tell me how to reverse it.”

“You can‘t.” the words were like stones, shattering her lake of calm. She shoved him back against the tree, her grip vice like. “I‘ll finish what I started.” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. Her grip tightened, and she was satisfied to see his face start to change color. “You can at least pay for hurting my friend.”

“That won‘t change her fate, but it‘ll make you feel better?” He whispered, his voice barely able to be heard. She closed her eyes, the better to not see his face. “Why not?”

There was a pause. “I‘m sorry.”

Rachel opened her eyes in shock, her hand loosening. “What?”

“I‘m sorry. I didn‘t mean to hurt her, it just happened because she smelled….” Smelled like me. The thought was enough to make Rachel release him, let him fall, gasping, to the ground. It was her fault. Were the two sides destined to do this forever? He had only hurt Tanya because she had smelled like Rachel. He had been designed by someone or something to hunt her, and kill her.

She slumped against the tree, her head bowed. “Go away, Michael. Just go.” rubbing her head tiredly, she kept her eyes on the ground, then closed them. She was so tired of hurting her friends, of not being good enough for them. She had tried to go solo, but she was eventually found by them.

“I can talk you through this.” So Michael hadn’t left. Rachel raised her head slightly, looking up at him through the curtain of her hair. “What do you mean?” she asked dully, her teeth starting to lengthen into a panther’s teeth.


“I‘ll talk you through Tanya‘s change.” He murmured, watching her, his hands clenched. They both were fighting the instincts to lunge at each other. She almost had to smile. This was classic. “Why would I need your help?”

“She‘s going to be hungry, she‘s going to be violent. You need to know what can contain her and help her be fed.”

Rachel inclined her head, then sighed. “Fine. Then we‘ll be even, and I won‘t kill you.” She smiled, violently, then held out her hand, almost shifted. He held out his, and they shook hands, then let go as quickly as possible.

 

Changeling

Jason tapped his foot, waiting for Shia. She always took so long to get a job done. It annoyed him how Greg was always so willing and patient to go along with the girls. He was like the only voice of reason here. Greg, sitting opposite him, smiled a little, then inclined his head, and went inside.

Thinking back later, Jason would have wondered what the hell he was thinking. All the signs had been there, everything Rachel had taught them. He could only think that worry for his friends, and his own mind, was to blame. It was the screech that brought him back, the scream of tires against pavement. He only had a minute to dive to the side before a black Suburban crashed through the front window of the store.

Rolling to his feet, hands already pulling out hidden knives, he searched for an occupant, or driver, anything, in the vehicle. People were around him, screaming, calling for someone to call someone else. Mentally rolling his eyes, he crept forward, still watching. Something was off. There appeared to be nothing in the vehicle, but then how did it…..

Cursing, Jason jumped to the side, into the vehicle as something big, and apparently clawed, landed on top of the fan. Hearing the scream of metal on metal, he looked up, to see a big metal claw making its way toward his face. Scrambling backwards, he heard a sound that made him almost laugh with relief.

Shia, with her usual smirk in place, pulled out her pistols, and fired rapidly, hitting something. It almost sounded like metal, to Jason. She kept firing, then leapt forward, offering Jason a hand out. “You‘re such a loss.” she remarked, still grinning, unaware of the metal creature coming toward her back.

The split second as she was turning, reaching for her guns, the creature’s head flew off. Shia and Jason’s head turned at the same time, to look at Greg, who coolly reloaded his rifle, then slung it over his shoulder, and smiled. “New weapons?” Jason remarked, pulled out of the wrecked car by Shia. She grinned, pushed her curly hair out of her face, then looked back at Greg, grey eyes meeting blue.

It was then Jason noticed the crowd gathering. “Let‘s move.” he muttered, slinking away into the crowd, simultaneously hiding his knives. Not looking back, he kept up a fast pace, rounding the corner, then stopping, looking around before climbing up the fire escape.

Sitting on the roof, he was reminded of Rachel, how they had met. He had never seen someone so guarded, but so hurt. It almost made his chest ache again to almost see her in front of him, bedraggled and bloody. The vision disappeared as Shia and Greg appeared over the side of the roof, alert.

“Is Rachel out of her mind!?” Shia whispered harshly, her eyes narrowed. “He‘s our enemy, he tried to kill both her and Tanya, and now she‘s letting him help her.”

“There must be some agenda we don‘t know.” Jason murmured, watching Greg. His friend’s eyes were focused on the horizon, and he knew that Greg wasn’t really there with him, but back with Tanya. It had never been common knowledge what those two meant to each other, but everyone knew.

“She‘s going to get both of them killed!” Shia spat, pacing the roof, her hair alight in the blazing sun, almost like a waterfall of fire. “Jason, maybe we should-”

“What can we do? Challenge her? She’s leader.” he watched her. Shia was hot tempered, but would she really go up against Rachel on this? Maybe she would, knowing her past….

“Of course not! But we could sway her. Just because she‘s fallen for some pretty boy doesn‘t mean-”

“Rachel has a debt to pay.” Greg interrupted, turning to face them both, his face shadowed. “She hasn‘t forgotten what Michael did, but she can‘t pass up a chance to help Tanya. Or have you forgotten that night?” His voice was oddly sharp, emotional for Greg.

Jason and Shia both bowed their heads. He had forgotten. He could tell Shia was still angry, but more ashamed now. She had forgotten too.

“Let‘s get back to base.” he heard himself murmur. “We need to report the metal creatures, and we need to help with Tanya.” Glancing sideways at Shia, she nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the ground. Looking up, Greg nodded, his face still quiet. All three turned and leapt to the next roof. It was just as they landed that Jason laughed. Shia looked over at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly. “They destroyed the van.” he reminded her, grinning. She grinned back, and the three scaled down the next building, then ran through the streets, making their way back to their home, the nonpermanent one. Didn’t matter, it was still home, right?

_______________
Another part to this chapter will be posted sometime soon, hopefully.

 

Part 2

Rachel paced the hallway outside Tanya’s bed, waiting. She sighed, then raised her hand to pound it into the wall, only to stop herself. Complete quiet…that meant no sudden noises. She clenched her hand into a fist, then kept pacing, her footsteps deathly silent and quick. She wouldn’t have gone through with this if it hadn’t been for that night, and that person…..

Rain, falling. Was it rain? The girl opened her eyes, reaching her hand up. It was cool, almost freezing…but it wasn’t blood. She lowered her hand, expecting to see stains, but only that clear liquid covered her hand, running in small rivers down her arm to soak her skin. Barely conscious, the girl stumbled on, her feet small and white among the dead leaves. Rain……it pattered among the leaves, making more noise then the child, almost like a heartbeat.

Opening her eyes, Rachel looked out the window, then sighed. They were back…but without the van. Frowning, she went outside to tell them to be quiet, then to demand what had happened, when something cold landed on her nose, almost like a kiss from death. Looking up, she blinked as more droplets fell, landing on her face and neck. She slowly smiled, then beckoned her pack inside, as the rain began to pour.

Inside, all was quiet. Shaking off water droplets, Rachel led the way, then stopped, completely still. Her eyes widened, then she took off, almost shifting before remembering herself. Feeling Shia behind her, she tore open the door to Tanya’s room, and leapt down on the girl, holding down her arms just as her eyes opened, blank as paper. It was then the screaming started, climaxing to a howl, as Tanya, or what was left of the old Tanya, tore at Rachel, shrieking.

Shia clamped Tanya’s legs down, chaining her to the table just as Rachel managed to wrestle one arm in, with Greg’s help. Jason was holding down the other arm, barely, as Tanya tried to claw her way up his face. Helping him, Rachel managed to get the other arm in, then stood back, panting. The girl in front of her writhed, still howling, not even stopping to breathe. The noise took her back, back to that darkest memory………

Howling, panting. She could feel the dogs’ breath on her neck, but the girl kept running until they took her down. She let no sound of pain escape her lips as she shifted, painfully, her skin ripping to shreds as fur surfaced underneath it. Lashing out with her claws, she sent the poor animals back, her teeth lengthening painfully. It would be only moments until she felt the last pain of the rifle but until then…..

She ran, four legged now, dashing through the trees, their still forms becoming blurs in the dark landscape. Thunder crashed through the woods, making her flinch. She pressed on, her tail streamlining behind her as thunder crashed again, this time filling her body with agonizing pain. Dropping to the ground, tumbling to stop, she ground her teeth together. A dark shadow appeared over the girl’s body, a gun pointed at her head, ready to end it all. Rachel closed her eyes as a bang filled the air.

 

I'm kind of lost as where to go on this one without copying another story, so any ideas would be appreciated. Here's the next chapter.
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Questions

Jason rubbed his face, leaning his head back against the wall. The bed was comfy, for an abandoned dorm. Apparently Rachel had pulled strings with Michael to get it leased for a while. Pulled strings. Who was he kidding. Getting up, he prowled around his room, feeling trapped. Michael was interested in her, probably. Meanwhile Tanya was sick, and Greg wouldn’t leave her. Shia was who knew where, probably getting into trouble.

Sitting back down on the bed, he pounded his fist against the soft coverlet, trying to find a release for his frustration. So many things happening at once. First it started with the stupid guy trying to hit on Rachel, then it had just progressed to Tanya getting in the way, Shia questioning their decisions….something was building up, but where would it stop? It was like a volcano, there had to be some pressure release.

A soft knock brought him back to reality. “It‘s open.” he muttered, staring up at the ceiling, his back now on the bed. Soft footsteps, then the sound of the door closing.

“You missed dinner.” Rachel’s voice echoed slightly, a sound barely audible to the animal ear. So how could he hear it?

“Wasn‘t hungry.” he muttered, his hands folding behind his head. Just then his stomach growled, loudly.

“I can see that.” She murmured, sitting delicately down beside him. That was how she was, delicate. She acted strong, but she could break so easily. All it took was the wrong landing, and she would get hurt. Turning his head slightly, he studied her.

She was looking at her hands, her hair hiding her face. As a normal girl, she would have been striking, but there was something feral and wild about her, about the way she sat, almost like she was constantly coiled to spring. “You never relax.” Jason murmured, closing his eyes, turning his face up to the ceiling again.

There was a quiet laugh, then silence again. It wasn’t uneasy, or tense. Just quiet. Slowly sitting up, leaning his back against Rachel’s, Jason tilted his head back, then slowly exhaled. It had always been easy like this, was always easy like this. He wanted it to stay this way, to always be this easy. The problem was that things could never stay easy.
“Hey, Rach……you know when you said you made a deal with Michael? What was your end of the bargain?”

Hearing no reply, he turned, and Rachel’s head fell into his lap, her eyes closed. Smiling, then shaking his head, he gently tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead, then closed the shades. “Silly girl.” Closing the door, he leaned against it, thinking.

*********************************
The kitchen smelled good, like flour and sugar and something burnt. Jason watched as Shia made her way around, taking this and that and mixing it all together. She actually wasn’t a bad cook, despite her size and upbringing. They all voted her to make the meals, and it was an unlucky day when she made someone else do it.

Head resting on his palm, he watched her, thinking. If something was wrong, but it wasn’t obvious, what could he do about it? Looking down, he placed his hand on the counter top. If Rachel was hiding something, how could he get her to tell him. She trusted him, but then why wouldn’t she tell him?

A light tap on the shoulder brought him back. He daydreamed too much, Jason realized. “Greg says Tanya is stabilized, she‘s just sleeping now.” Shia murmured, setting a plate of brownies down in front of him. That’s what she had been making…but then how long had he been asleep? Not bothering to check the clock, he wolfed down three of the brownies before stopping and thinking.

“Shia…..do you ever keep secrets from the pack?” he asked, considering the fourth brownie he held, letting the light glance down on it. He knew Shia was watching him, but he ignored her questioning gaze, eating the next brownie.

‘Yes…I did. Now there‘s nothing to hide. Is something up between you and Rachel?” she asked tentatively, her hands behind her back. Looking up, Jason watched her, this time while she looked away.

“Why would you think that?”

“You went into her room, and you came out, but not her.” Shia’s head was up now, her eyes defiant. “Something‘s up, we just don‘t say anything. Whether you guys are arguing or just not talking, we just go along with it. You guys wouldn’t separate, right?”

It hit Jason just how much of a family they were then. Shia sounded like the five year old daughter that knows something is wrong and wants to fix it, but just doesn’t know w hat to do. “We won‘t separate the group.” Jason replied, finishing the brownie and getting up. “I‘m going to go check on Rachel, and bring some of these to her.”

As he turned, plate in hand, Shia remarked, her back already turned, “She hasn‘t been able to keep a thing down since three nights ago. She must have some cold there.” It was like each word was a spear of ice. Rachel hadn’t been eating? But at his house….she had only had coffee and one thing, and she had looked pale….keeping his shoulders relaxed, he waved, and headed back. Now they had to tell all the secrets, because he was sick of being in the dark, and sick of not knowing.

 

Back to Basics
The wall of fur around her was warm, but it smelled funny. Like dirt and smoke and wet. The girl pushed her head away, mumbling, then opened her eyes. Two yellow orbs stared right back at her. She didn’t make a noise, but stared right back. They wouldn’t hurt her. There was something similar in them that she knew…but then why was the hair rising on her back.

A low growling sound filled the cave, and it surprised her even more when she realized it was her. The gray fur settled back, watching her, then opened it’s mouth. “You can‘t help but hate me.” It answered, sounding….rough, deep. “Hopefully you‘ll curb your hate and learn to alliance yourself with us, so we may defeat our enemies. My name is Harrow.” The girl nodded, then slowly came forward, shifting back to the form with two legs, but keeping her fur and claws. “I‘m….Ra…..Ra….Rach..” she couldn’t finish it, couldn’t remember how hard she tried.

“Rachel.” The deep voice spoke again, then a long nose came into her vision and licked her, smoothing her fur. “Your name will be Rachel.”

Rachel punched wildly into the air, her eyes opening with a jolt. A hand caught her fist. She registered that it was Jason before relaxing, letting her arm go limp. “I‘m sorry.” she whispered, sitting up. Looking around, she realized where she was, that there was no danger, and let her eyes close. “I‘m sorry.” she whispered again.

She felt his eyes appraising her, and opened her own, staring at his. “I heard you weren’t eating.” He said finally, holding out a plate to her. She realized it was brownies, and smiled a little. “Shia found the kitchen.”

“Yeah. She‘s the one who mentioned.” There was silence, this time it was awkward. He wanted answers, and the ones she gave weren’t comforting or ones that would make him happy. Finally, “You gonna tell me what‘s wrong?”

More silence. She wanted to, he deserved more then this, but….this was something she had to do alone, right?

“I…..I keep having these dreams.” The words left her mouth unwillingly, quietly. “I don‘t know whether they‘re real memories, or just things my mind strings together to fill the whole.” She rubbed her eyes, leaning forward. “They‘re so violent, I don‘t want them to be true, the things I do, the people who have done things to me. I don‘t want it to be true, but if it is, I regain my past. So what has the more sacrifices?”

Trying not to cry, Rachel looked away, hiding her emotions the only way she could. She took a deep shaky breath, trying to calm herself, when a hand guided her face to something warm and solid, Jason’s shoulder. She took another breath, closing her eyes, letting him hold her there.

They stayed that way for a second longer, then his hand slowly dropped. She looked up, her eyes meeting his lighter ones for a second, then looked away. “I‘m sorry. I‘m probably going insane.” she murmured, rubbing her neck. “Thanks for the food, I‘m just not hungry…”

They stayed there for a bit more, him looking at her, her looking at the floor. What could they say that wouldn’t tear them apart, push each other away? More awkward then it had ever been, she supposed.

“Rachel…Why exactly is Michael helping us?” Jason finally asked, his voice quiet, but even she could detect the hidden menace. “What did you promise him?”

She looked down at the bed, smoothing it with her fingers as she thought how to answer. “He changed our original deal….so he could help Tanya. I won‘t hurt him, and I‘ll listen to him. In exchange, he would take care of us, when we needed it. He even took care of our families. They think the school trip is delayed because of a storm.” She smiled a little, folding her hands in her lap.

“He‘s obviously interested.” Those three words made her shiver, but she hide it. “I know. I‘m prepared to decline his….affections.” They both knew what would happen to her if they got together. “Rachel….I have to go home.” This made her look up, not bothering to hide the curiosity.

“There‘s a complication..I didn‘t expect any of this to happen and…” he was avoiding her gaze this time. She watched him, waiting. He would talk when he was ready.

“I‘m going to have a little sister.” He finally said, meeting her eyes. She knew the shock showed, and quickly hid it. “That‘s wonderful.” she murmured, keeping her eyes lowered. That meant he wouldn’t be coming back for….

“I‘ll be gone for a few months.” he replied, finishing her thought. Rachel smiled, knowing the tears showed, though they weren’t sadness. He and her had been apart, just not that long since they had met. She was going to be alone, throughout all this. He reached out to her, almost instinctively, but she backed away. “Sorry….You better go say goodbye to everyone.” she kept up the smile, knowing he couldn’t say anything about it, but knowing that he was worried.

Saying nothing, he finally got up, still watching her. “I‘ll give you a call when I get home.” he murmured, then turned and left. “Goodbye, Rachel.”

Those two words sounded like a gong through her heart, and like knife into her heart. It’s not goodbye….She told herself. She kept repeating that it wasn’t goodbye to herself. But why did it feel like a last goodbye?

 

Prelude
Time to move. Rachel ran, her heart pounding, then jumped, shifting in the air. Her paws landed on the ground, and she raced, panting. She could hear the beasts behind her, the ones she had hunted her whole life. She had to draw them away, had to try to save the others. Even if she had no life, they all had a chance. That was all she had tried to do, really, she had just tried to prepare them for a better life.

She didn’t notice the precipice of the cliff, and tumbled over, the cat scream almost human as she scrambled to grab something. Two of her claws ripped out as she clung to the rocky face, shivering. Down below, hundreds of feet, was a river, and if she hit it from here, she would die. There were shots….

Something on the opposite bank caught her attention, and her predator gaze zeroed in on it. God….The creature paced, and it was trying to find a way to get to her. Another bang, close by, and the creature jumps. Rachel could see this moment in slow motion, almost like time was slowing itself just for her.

She didn’t scream, just like she had been trained to. Because she had been trained, hadn’t she? Shifting to human, she pulled her legs up to her chest, using her arms to pull herself up a little more. The creature didn’t say anything, didn’t scream or growl, just smacked into the rocks and tumbled down, breaking along the way. Whimpering slightly, Rachel tried to pull herself up, tried to get back onto ground, but she was too weak. Blood coursed down her arm, and in it she could see things….

A woman, her name tag reading Mary Ann, accepting a panther cub, putting it in a box. The image jolted, like a DVD that skipped. She was carrying the box out…..Driving away at high speeds…the cub climbs out, breaks a car window…runs into the forest….creatures following her….Mary Ann, shifting out of wolf form…..the two at home…the cub shifting in and out of forms, becoming a human girl with green, gold flecked eyes, and dark brown hair. Rachel.

Her fingers slipped a little more, her heart pounding. Whatever that had been, an epiphany or waking dream, Rachel didn’t know or care. She slipped a little more, her fingers screaming in agony. Just as she was about to let go, a hand grabbed hers, pulling. “Come ON!” Shia. She pushed with her legs mucles, propelling herself up the cliff. Shivering, she shifted back, then cat smiled up at Shia, nuzzling against her. It was her silent thanks.

Together they headed back, keeping a wary eye for any of the creatures. Just because they all seemed to have died didn’t mean there wasn’t more. Greg and Tanya were in the clearing, Tanya’s eyes glowing. The two groups smiled at each other, then at the same time, sat down in exhaustion. In the distance they could see the smoke and orange sky of the college on fire. Maybe Michael had led the attack, maybe not. Whoever had, her pack now needed a new home. Tanya handed her some clothes, and Rachel went behind a bush to change. Coming out, she listened to the reports, thinking. It was as if Jason had never been….was this how it was meant to be?

She blinked, then blinked again, her vision focusing on something. What was it? Maybe just a leaf or something. Blinking again, she heard it. That sound that haunted her since childhood. The click of a bullet being propelled out of a gun’s barrel, a second before the exploding noise and whatever it was aimed at was blown into the next world. In that moment everything became clear to her, and she made her choice.

Jumping, she pushed herself forward, towards the bullet, and felt the searing heat. Then the bang. No explosion. Turning to face her group, Tanya, who she had pushed out of the way, Shia, looking horrified, and Greg, his eyes wide in shock. Why did they look that way? Time sped up again, and it was then Rachel looked down.

Blood spilled over her stomach, staining the shirt. She pressed her hand to the wound, almost shocked herself. “I can‘t feel it…” she murmured, before collapsing to the ground. The pain never came, surprisingly. In all the stories she had heard of people being shot, there had always been excruciating pain. There was none of that, now. She heard the screams and yells of her friends, her pack as they tried to help her. Shia blurred out, talking on a phone, Rachel thought. Tanya was stroking her head, holding her hand as Greg tried to stop the blood.

Rachel knew this was all happening, but she didn’t feel it. She just knew. Slowly, as if watching herself in a mirror, she took a step back, fading into the shadows. As she did this, her green eyes slowly closed, the colors and smells and sounds of this world, the world she had been brought into, receding into black.