Chapter One

We weren't always orphans. We weren't always freaks of nature. Don't let me fool you. We were pretty odd before the incident too.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning:

The whirring of ATV motors woke me up. I threw the covers aside, walked to the window, and pulled the curtains apart. A circle of flashlight beams revealed a beautifully colored stone statue in the shape of a human.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing everything correctly. It's moving! I thought. The dark figures surrounding it were holding a net.

The creature jumped high into the air and tried to escape. One of the dark figures attacked it. A faint cry was heard. It's hurt! I thought.

"We can't let him slip away again." A fierce woman's voice called out.

"We can't risk him harming us either." A man's gentle voice pointed out. "He has more power than any of us."

"I don't care. The boss wants him returned to the Research and Development facility in Japan. I don't want to disappoint." The woman called out again.

"Our people have been chasing this thing for years. Every time we attack it it's merely fractured. We're too busy chasing it to notice." The man persisted. "The pieces become wanted for the power they possess but we never find them in time."

The creature struggled with the several others that were attacking him. A steel net fell over him and wrapped around his body. He twisted out of it's grasp and leaped over their heads. He seemed to almost float for a few seconds.

"Follow him!" The woman barked. "Don't damage him too much, though. I'll get paid more if he's in good condition."

They chased him into the unplowed fields. The headlights on the ATV's followed every step he made. With one swift move he disappeared. The figures stood there for a moment. I heard muffled sounds of yelling. Then they vanished in thin air.