Congratulations. The fact that you're reading this means you've taken one giant step closer to surviving till your next birthday. Yes, you, sitting or laying there, scrolling down the page. Do not X out of this story. I'm dead serious-your life could depend on it.

This is my story, the story of my little family, but it could just as easily be your story too. We're all in this together on this site; trust me on that.

I've never done anything like this, so I'm just going to jump in, and you try to keep up.

Okay. I'm BlackHorse99, but you can call me Black. I've been a member of FanFiction for over a year. I chill with my family, who are three kids not related to me by blood, but still totally my family.

We're-well, we're pretty freaking amazing. Not to sound too full of myself, but we're like nothing you've ever seen before.

Basically, we're pretty cool, nice, smart-but not "average" in any way. The four of us-me, Isabella Elizabeth Haven Spear, Bella for short, Oracle Cosmos, Cosmos is her nickname, and Kris Warrior of Death, we call her Kris-were made on purpose, by the sickest, most horrible "scientists" you could possibly imagine. They created us as an experiment. An experiment where we ended up only 98 percent human. That other 2 percent has had a big impact, let me tell you.

We grew up in a science lab /prison called School, in cages, like lab rats. It's pretty amazing we can think or speak at all. But we can-and so much more.

There was one other School experiment that made it past infancy. Part human, part wolf-all predator: They're called Social Life Erasers, though we pretty much just call them Erasers. They're tough, smart, and hard to control. They look human, but when they want to, they are capable of morphing into wolf men, complete with fur, fangs, and claws. School uses them as guards, police-and executioners.

To them, we're six moving targets-prey smart enough to be a fun challenge. Basically, they want to rip our throats out. And make sure the world never finds out about us.

But I'm not giving up just yet. I'm telling you, right?

This story could be about you-or your friends. If not today, then soon. So please, please take this seriously. I'm risking everything that matters by telling you-but you need to know.

Keep reading-don't let anyone stop you, not even your parents.

-Black.

And my family: Bella, Cosmos and Kris.

Welcome to our nightmare.


The funny thing about facing imminent death is that it really snaps everything else into perspective. Take right now, for instance.

Run! Come on, run! You know you can do it.

I gulped deep lungfuls of air. My brain was on hyper-drive; I was racing for my life. My one goal was to escape. Nothing else mattered.

My arms being scratched to ribbons by a briar I'd run through? No biggie.

My bare feet hitting every sharp rock, rough root, pointed stick? Not a problem.

My lungs aching for air? I could deal.

As long as I could put as much distance as possible between me and the Erasers.

Yeah, Erasers. Remember those? Right now they were after me.

See? That snaps everything into perspective.

Run. You're faster than they are. You can outrun anyone.

I'd never been this far from School before. I was totally lost. Still, my arms pumped by my sides, my feet crashed through the underbrush, my eyes scanned ahead anxiously through the half-light. I could outrun them. I could find a clearing with enough space for me to-

Oh, no. Oh, no. The unearthly baying of bloodhounds on the scent wailed through the trees, and I felt sick. I could outrun men-all of us could, we all had advanced speed. But none of us could outrun an Eraser.

They were getting closer. Dim light filtered in through the woods in front of me-a clearing? Please, please… a clearing could save me.

I burst through the trees, chest heaving, a thin sheen of cold sweat on my skin.

Yes!

No-oh, no!

I skidded to a halt, my arms waving, my feet backpedaling in the rocky dirt.

It wasn't a clearing.

In front of me was a cliff, a sheer face of rock that dropped to an unseeable floor hundreds of feet below.

In back of me were woods filled with psycho Erasers with guns.

Both options stank.

I looked over the deadly drop.

There was no choice, really. If you were me, you'd have done the same thing.

I closed my eyes, held out my arms… and let myself fall over the edge of the cliff.

The Erasers screamed angrily, and then all I could hear was the sound of air rushing past me.

It was so damn peaceful, even for just a second. I smiled.

Then, taking a deep breath, I unfurled my wings as hard and fast as I could.

Thirteen feet across, midnight black with purple and green undertones, that was more beautiful than any night. They caught the air, and I was suddenly yanked upward, hard, as if a parachute had just opened.

Ouchhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Note to self: No sudden unfurling.

Wincing, I pushed downward with all my strength, then pulled my wings up, then pushed downward again.

Oh, my god, I was flying-just like I'd always dreamed.

The cliff floor, draped in shadow, receded beneath me. I laughed and surged upward, feeling the pull of my muscles, the air whistling through my even darker black secondary feathers, the breeze drying the sweat on my face.

I soared up past the cliff edge, past the furious Erasers.

One of them, hairy-faced, fangs dripping, raised his gun. A red dot of light appeared on my torn pajamas. Not today, you jerk, I thought, veering sharply west so the sun would be in his hate-crazed eyes.

I'm not going to die today.

.-._.-._.-.

I jolted upright in bed, gasping, my hand over my heart.

I couldn't help checking my tank top and yoga pants. No red laser dot. No bullet holes. I fell back on my bed, limp with relief.

Geez, I hated that dream. It was always the same: running away from School, being chased by Erasers, me falling off a cliff, then suddenly WHOOSH! Wings, flying, escaping! I always woke up feeling a second away from death.

Note to self: Give subconscious a pep talk for better dreams.

It was chilly, but I forced myself out of my cozy bed. I threw on clean pants and a tee shirt, and a large comfy sweatshirt-amazingly, Kris had put the laundry away.

Everyone else was still asleep: I could have a few minutes of peace and quiet, get a jump on the day.

I glanced out the hall windows on the way to the kitchen. I loved this view: the morning sunlight breaking over the crest of the hills, the clear sky, the deep shadows, the fact that I could see no sign of any other people.

We were hidden in the hills, safe, just me and my family.

Our house was a pretty modern, tree house looking structure with five floors and four bathrooms. The windows were all lined up with trees, providing a fresh air to blow abut the house.

Here, my family and I could be ourselves. Here, we could live free. I mean literally free, as in, not in cages.

LONG story. More on that later.

And of course here's the best part: no grown-ups.

Yep, no one telling us what to do, what to eat, when to go to bed. Well, except me. I'm one of the ranking users, so I try to keep things running as best I can. It's a hard, thankless job, but someone has to do it.

We don't go to school, either, so thank God for the Internet, because otherwise we wouldn't know nothin'. But no schools, no doctors, no social workers knocking on our door. It's simple: If no one knows about us, we stay alive.

I was rustling around for food in the kitchen when I heard sleepy shuffling behind me.

"Mornin, Black."

"Morning, Cosmos'" I said as the heavy-lidded girl slumped at the table. I gave her a quick hug.

Cosmos blinked up at me, her gorgeous blue eyes round and trusting. "What's for breakfast?" She asked, sitting up. Her long blond hair stuck up in little wisps all over her head, reminding me of a fledgling's downy feathers.

"Um, it's a surprise," I said, my voice strong.

I had no idea what I was making.

"I'll pour juice," the blonde offered, and my heart swelled. She was a sweet, sweet friend.

I was looking in the fridge with naive hope-maybe the food fairies had come-when the back of my neck prickled. I straightened quickly and spun around.

"Will you quit that?" I said, annoyed.

Bella always appeared like that, out of nowhere, like a jack in the box, but no control over the wind-up. She regarded me calmly, already dressed and alert, her dark brown hair brushed back.

"Quit what?" She asked calmly. "Breathing?"

I rolled my eyes. "You know what."

With a sigh, she moved over into the kitchen area. "I'll make eggs," She announced.

I surveyed the kitchen. Breakfast was well under way. "Cosmos? You set the table. I'll go get Kris."

My admin was the sleeper in the last bedroom. I pushed the door open.

"Hey, you're already dressed," I said, leaning over to hug her.

"Hi, Black!" Kris said, tugging her blond hair out of her collar. "Can you do my zipper?"

"Yep." I turned her around and started doing the zipper of her tight tank.

I'd never told the others, but I just loved, loved, LOVED Kris. Maybe because I was her first mod. Maybe because she was just so incredibly sweet and loving.

"Maybe because I'm like the perfect admin," said the other blonde, grinning, and turning around to look at me. "But don't worry, Black. I won't tell anybody. Besides, I love you too." She threw her skinny arms around my neck. I hugged her back, hard. Oh, yeah-must've said something out loud that should've stayed in my head. I seem to do that a lot.