Caught!

Chapter Six

(Nyxton's POV)

~NIGHTMARE~

'I had just gotten home around 7 pm. after another uneventful and torturous day of high school. I worked a few hours after classes when I could or when anyone had work to spare. Just little things here and there till I was of legal working age.

Since my mother left me at a young age with my step dad I had to resort to taking care of myself. Cooking my own meals, cleaning up as best I could, and paying for my own supplies. All while trying to avoid my lazy-good-for-nothing step fathers' daily abuse.

There was no point in calling out for my step dad, Jim. He was never home. Most days he went down to the 24 hour bar and drink till he couldn't afford any more liquor or until Bill, the owner, kicked him out for indecent behavior. Night time and the rare days he was home were the ones to fear. I'd get beat even for breathing.

I shivered at the thought before washing it from my mind and going to the kitchen to prepare my dinner. Grabbing the week old expired bread from the cupboard and the ham, cheese, lettuce, and mayo from the fridge I constructed a fast sandwich with a small bag of Lay's chips.

After having scarfed down more than half the sandwich, the whole bag of chips, and a few other snacks found stashed in my backpack I sat on our rough looking couch flipping through the minimal channels on the small crummy TV I could afford. Jim complained about how useless I was for not buying a bigger one with more channels. When I told him to get off his ass and work for a change he got pissed and I ended up with a black eye and a few bruised ribs. Life was fucking peachy right?

A little past 10 pm. is when I heard strange noises outside the house. At first I believed it to be Jim because he gets home around this time or even later. Then an odd smell caught my attention. Gas. I got up and turned off all the lights and stalked slowly to my upstairs bedroom to glance out my window.

People dressed in black combat gear and holding guns were coming out of the brush surrounding the house. They were giving silent instructions to block any escape routs and finish "it" quickly and bring "him" in alive. Of course me being nonhuman, I heard and understood what they were here for. Me.

It could only be me. Mom told me I was special and others would be jealous enough to come for me. I guess it was today. There was no one around to help, no place to run, and our house was secluded far enough away from others that it took me one hour alone just to make it to the town for the two hour bus ride to school in the morning.

I didn't know anybody that could or would be willing to help me anyways. No one wanted to be friends with the bullied freak. Jim probably wouldn't notice me gone until we ran out of money to pay for beer. I was alone but I wouldn't be taken without struggle. I wouldn't let it end like a scene from 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

I rushed to climb to the roof of our house from my window. I had grabbed my "just in case bag", which I packed for running away with, and was waiting for the right moment to jump down and make a quick dash for my life. If I made it to a public area then I'll at least have less chance of being taken. Hopefully...

While waiting I failed to hear the masked man come up behind me. Being young and not fully developed I couldn't use my abilities as I wished. So seeing, hearing, smelling, healing, and shifting were not fully possible. I grunted as he slammed into my back and launched us off the roof.

Hitting the hard ground with a smack dazed us both but unfortunately injured my left leg. While the man passed out from the pain I struggled to stand and limp/flee into the trees. I could hear the group of other men gaining on me as I whizzed passed branches clawing at my clothes and skin. I stumbled over rocks and fallen trees but was losing stamina at an alarming rate.

For the first time... I prayed to God. I prayed, hidden behind a thick moss coated maple tree on my knees and palms together, that he would some how save me. In all my sixteen years of life I never wanted anything more. I never hoped for anything more. I never cried for anything more, no matter how hard it got, than to be safe.

......God didn't reply.....

Three darts were in my arm before I even had finished praying. The blurry image of the forest floor and a dead blue butterfly were the last I saw of the outside world. The last sounds I heard and aromas I scented before being taken from what I knew were the laughs of happy children playing games and eating delectable funnel cakes. That night, I was right at the boarder of town where the public carnival was taking place.

So close.

~NIGHTMARE END~

I woke to the sound of beeping noises. The strong scent of antiseptic and white bombarded my eyes and nose. Gasping for breath I struggled to sit up but felt the distinct constriction of leather straps hindering me from doing so.

A deep steady growl erupted from my chest at my dislike of the situation. Struggling with all my might I managed to snap the restraints, rip the IVs out, and shakily stand on my legs. I assessed what had been done to me while I was out and where I was. I remembered being in the back of a truck with those males that seemingly 'rescued' me and that scientist. I think I fell asleep but I don't remember anything else.

My body was cleaned, teeth brushed, hair washed and fixed into the faux hawk I like, and my wounds were patched and healed. Nothing seemed to be wrong but there could always be more than meets the eye. This could all be a trick thought up by the scientists to test me somehow.

'Doesn't matter. I want out of here. Now.' I thought as I checked out my surroundings. People would probably be on their way here after hearing the monitors go off. I shoved my pants on since they were all I had and made my way to a supply closet for a spare white t-shirt the hospital supplied. Then I proceeded down the halls to the elevators, ignoring the patients and nurses that gawked the whole time. My inner cats hackles were raised and I was on edge the whole time. I absolutely despised humans and yet now they were everywhere. Every turn, every nook and cranny, they would be there. Like cockroaches.

Three minutes later I was out of that hospital but faced an even bigger problem. There were more humans outside than inside. And second, I didn't have anywhere to go. I didn't know how to do much. I didn't know anyone. I had no license or ID to my name. I had no home to return to. I sure as fuck wasn't even going to THINK about going to my old home.

'I need to hide from everyone's attention first and for most. Maybe there will be a park I can go to.' I quickly thought as I started to briskly walk down the sidewalk. People were staring and pointing. Some even tried to touch me or talk to me. I snarled and glared at all of them. I may have even choked a person unconscious. Hey, for the record it was his fault. He was in my territory. Okay... it maaay have had something to do with the fact he was dressed as a clown. Fucking scary ass clowns. You get it right? Or is it just me?

I had no clue where I was but from the signs I was in America. The state was still unclear though. The buildings I passed had interesting things for sale that I had never seen before. I had stollen a few wads of cash out of the humans' wallets passing by me on the street so I could buy some supplies. Clothes seemed like the first necessity except I had to go into the store. With people. Lots of talkative touchy people. Is it getting harder to breath or is it just me again?

'Quit acting like a pussy and just get it over with' my inner cat kept telling me. Lovely guy right? Wrong! He's a total dick.

Deciding to just go in and get out of the streets, I opened the door and went straight for the men's section. I ignored the stares and grabbed a slightly tight short sleeved cotton red v-neck and a black leather jacket. I paid the male at the counter in cash, avoiding conversation and trying to contain my growls, and went to the next store a bit down the road for a pare of dark ripped jeans and black leather combat boots.

This time when I went to pay it did not go as I had wished for it to. The cashier was an elderly woman that seemed in her late fifties. She smiled and was kind to every customer. The problem, she talked to much and liked to touch. A LOT. She wanted to know allllll about the young hot guys that came in her store the most though.

When it was my turn I ignored her conversation and her eyes but she just wouldn't shut the fuck up. She started to touch me and get closer and closer. I was getting mad real fast and I was starting to panic slightly. Freak out? Of course not. I'm Nyxton. I don't freak out like a fucking girl. I slightly panic. Huge difference there. Huge.

She was holding up the line and I couldn't handle more humans, especially male ones, gathering so close to me. I acted on instinct in that moment. Snarling a warning with my teeth extended I attacked the guy behind me that got too close and was about to touch me to intervene. I punched him in the face it only took one blow to knock him unconscious. He was like a tiny twig of a man to be honest. I then snatched up my stuff, threw the cash at the elderly chick, who by the way looked to be having a heart attack and I mean it was a full blown 'I'm dying I may need CPR!' moment, and fucking took off like my ass was on fire.

I found a nice park with a small lake not 45 minutes later. I stripped out of my hospital shirt and old cargo pants behind a few trees and bushes then shifted into my black leopard form. I didn't give a damn if people saw me in this form or sitting in one of the trees. I just wanted away from all the people around me. I just wanted to be in a place close to nature that would help seeing as I've not been around others in over ten years.

It didn't really work. Some family got a lovely surprise added to there picnic outing when they sat under the tree I was in. The funny thing was that the twelve year old son they had was like 'Mom look at the cool cat in the tree. Can I keep it?' And the mom and dad both didn't even look. They said 'Yeah honey, whatever you like' before actually looking. Safe to say they spit their egg salad out half way through the meal when they decided to look up at me.

From then on the police, fire department, animal control, and zoo were being called in. Not really wanting to deal with all that I made my way out of the tree and stealthily escaped into a bathroom to shift and change into my new clothes. I didn't want to leave the park but I was getting hungry. There was no telling if that River guy and his male friends were out looking for me. I didn't want to stick around and find out. It would just be more trouble for me to deal with.

Food was my main priority. The issue was I didn't know how or where to get it. I eat raw meat. And I don't think anyone on this earth sells raw meat except in Japan, China, Korea, and tropical places. I'm in America where they cook everything at least to rare done.

'I wonder if I could just hunt something down around here? I mean even America has woods with deer and the like right? But how would I do that? Too much trouble. I'll just go to a grocery store and steal the meat.' I pondered as I scented out where a store was. It's great to have the ability to smell certain things that humans can't.

'Except when you get kidnapped for it or when you can small a dog taking a shit five miles away.' I bitterly exclaimed in my mind as I walked in the door of the grocery store.

I traveled all the way down to the meat aisle and just began picking up packaged meats. I grabbed around 3 ribs, 3 pork chops, 2 packages of 5 chicken legs, a fish, and 7 steaks. Can't forget the steak. Mmmm mmmm!!! I haven't had one of these in sooo long. Whoop whoop!!

I was about to just walk right on out of there when the glass doors opened and..... In walks a few of the males that were with River. They walked over to the cashiers and showed them a piece of paper and asked some questions.

I was mentally telling the cashier to 'zip it or die' while glaring but it must not of worked. She nodded vigorously and then pointed right at me.

"Ah hell." I grumbled under my breath as I tensed and gripped the meat to my chest like it was life itself. All the while thinking in my mind, 'Shit. She went and did it. I gotta kill her now. That chick.. HAS.. ta go.'