Chapter 9

I was running. From what I don’t know. I just remember running. And the fear. I remember the fear too well. But, fear of what?

I was panting, my lungs on fire. I had to keep going. That, I knew for certain. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I willed my legs to move faster. Sweet soaked my back. I kept running.

I realized now that someone was racing beside me. Someone I had seen before but could not place. He was tall and lean and muscular with dirty-blonde hair. I knew him; I know I did.

  “Keep moving,” he said. “No matter what, don’t stop. Not for me, not for anyone else. Just keep on going, sis.”

  

Somebody is gently shaking me. My eyelids seem glued shut. I don’t want to open them. I don’t want to go back to the nightmare that is my life.

“Leesha,” a deep voice whispers, “Leesha, get up.”

Another voice joins the first. “Is she okay? Is she breathing?”

“Leesha. Wake up.”

“Are you sure she’s"“

“Yes! For the millionth time, yes!” The frustrated yell makes me sit up quickly and open my eyes in shock.

BANG! “Owwwwww!” I howl. I had banged heads with the genius person that was trying to wake me up just a moment ago.

We both rub our heads where they collided. “Who’s brilliant idea was it,” I ask, disoriented, “to wake me up while you were leaning over my head? I’m surprised you didn’t win an award for that piece of genius-ness.”

I start to notice my surroundings now. The person who is also rubbing his head is Cole. The other voice I heard came from the tall kid who was in the lab basement with me. We are in a cave. Not at the lab, a cave. And Cole is here. And that kid. What the heck happened?

“I told you I’d come back for you,” Cole says. I decide to ignore this comment.

I am about to flood them with questions and accusations when the other kid spoke, “We’ve got food.” And I realize I am starving. I could eat a… I am way too tired to think of animals at the moment. I just want to eat and sleep. Unfortunately, I rarely get what I want, these days. I remember my way of life before the boarding school. I was on a schedule of school, food, whatever I wanted, and sleep. I miss that schedule. What I would do to have it now.

I get to eat, though. They had potato chips, soda, more potato chips, water and, you guessed it, even more potato chips. Not the healthiest… whatever meal this was, but who am I to complain?

 “Alright,” I say around a mouth full of food, “spill it.”

“My name is Ian.” The blonde guy begins. “And-I-we-wel…”he is staring at me as if I had suddenly grown five heads. Cole sighs and takes over the story. I pig out while he explains the events leading up to here.

“Well, I barely know either of you,” I say, “and I’m not sure I can trust you guys,” I look pointedly at Cole before continuing. “But you seem…okay I guess. Better than the lab guys, at least.”

Ian beams, as though my approval means the world to him. Cole just looks at me with a steady gaze as if saying “don’t forget who freed you from that prison.” By the way, I haven’t forgotten. But I also haven’t forgotten he left me when I was captured. But he did come back and rescue me. I’ll have to keep an eye on him.

Cole gives me a lopsided smile. I just glare back at him. All is not forgiven. There is an awkward silence as the three of us try to figure out what to say to each other.

Next, I get the shock of my life. “Hello,” says a voice coming from a black-haired, pale-skinned head that had appeared suddenly at the mouth of the cave.

“Ah!” I am ashamed to admit that I screamed like a little girl. I’m fifteen years old for goodness’ sake. Anyway, back to the plot.

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Says the head as the rest of the body entered our hiding spot. I mean, the head was attached to the body the whole time. Oh, never mind!

“Who are you?!?” I am seriously freaked. Just when I thought I had escaped…

“I am one of you,” She says simply. Then suddenly the teenage girl was gone and in her place was a cougar (um…I mean the cat). Or, she was the cougar. Well, it looks like we have a new member in the club of renegade shapeshifters. That was fast.

“Uh. Okay. Um…welcome to… uh…the cave. We have cookies. No, not really. But we have potato chips,” Cole welcomes her.

“Well. Hello.” She responds raising her eyebrow as she sees Ian and Cole against the far wall. “I had no idea that you have been traveling with two callipygian guys. I would have come sooner.”

“Callipygian?” I ask.

“Adjective. Having a attractive rear end or nice buns,” She replies. The guys blush and I am speechless.

“Uhhh…thank you?” Ian replies uncertainly just as Cole says, “Wait! Repeat?”

Something snaps inside of me and soon I’m laughing so hard I need the wall for support. I almost calm myself, but one look at their bright red faces cracks every ounce of composure I possess.

“So,” I say as serious as I can be after that, “I’m Leesha. That’s Cole and that’s Ian. What’s your name?”

“Alina.”

I think back to the “callipygian” comment. Wait. Hold the phone! “What did you mean by ‘I would have come sooner’?” I ask suspiciously. “Did you know about us?”

“Well kind of. Not really. I had an idea.”

“What do you mean? How did you know?” My voice is rising. She is making absolutely know sense.

“Well, I didn’t know about them. I knew about you. I… saw you.”

“Saw me? Like on the news?” Well, that’s how Cole found me.

“No. Like, in a vision. I can see the future.”