Shifters

Chapter 9

I jerked awake to the sound of my cage's door screeching as it was yanked open. The guard who threw me in here was back. He grabbed my shoulder and hauled me to my feet. My headache was still there, but muted.

Dr. Edmont was leaning against the bars of the cage across from mine. I strained my eyes to see past him and realized that Ivy and James were gone. Dr. Edmont must have seen the confusion in my eyes because he smiled coldly.

"Your friends aren't here anymore. But don't worry. You'll see them again soon. Come on."

He turned and walked down the corridor. The guard shoved me along after him. I got a sudden idea and sped up. The guard saw what I'm doing and opened his mouth. He was too late. I jumped on Dr. Edmont and landed a solid punch to his jaw before the guard lifted me bodily up and snapped a pair of old-fashioned handcuffs onto my wrists. Well, at least something I learned from the orphanage was helpful.

Dr. Edmont dusted the dirt off his lab coat and turned to face me. His face was devoid of emotion, but there was a glint of rage in his eyes.

"You will pay," he said calmly, as if we were discussing the weather rather than my fate. Blood seeped from a split in his lip. "Whatever pain you have encountered before in your little insignificant life will seem like a scratch compared to the gashes we will tear in you body and your mind. All of you filth will die. Slowly. Painfully. And no one will care."

He smiled at me, turned, and continued down the corridor. The fire inside me a minute before was gone. Frozen. Turned to a pit of dread. What had I done?

"Come on," Dr. Edmont snapped. "We haven't got all day. The Maze awaits."

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I lost track of the number of corners we turned. Finally, Dr. Edmont stopped and unlocked a door on my left. The guard, prodding me along in front of him, followed.

The bright flourescent lights and white walls were a stark contrast to the dim, grey cells. The guard directed me over to a sterile white table. He took off the handcuffs, but then bound my wrists to the table's edges. The metal was cold against the material of my shifting suit. I hadn't noticed I was wearing it. Odd.

The guard left and Dr. Edmont turned to me. In his hand was a vial filled with a dark red liquid, almost black. He held it up to the light as if checking that it was the right one. Slowly, he unscrewed the cap and stepped up next to the table. I clenched my fists, struggling against my bonds.

"Not very strong, are you?" Dr. Edmont hisses. "We'll fix that. And the lack of blood on your hands.  Just open wide."

I clenched my teeth, knowing that my rebellion was feeble and destined to be short-lived, but not caring. Dr. Edmont glared at me. I glared right back. But I realized my mistake as Dr. Edmont reached up and pinched my nose shut. I tried desperately to hold my breath, but it was no use. I barely managed a gulp of fresh air before the vial's contents were emptied down my throat.

Instantly, fire coursed through my veins. I swallowed a scream as my headache returned full force. Darkness clouded my vision and I felt a foreign presence take root in my mind. A dark hunger began to eat away at my conciousness.

The hunger for blood.