I pull at the rope attached to my collar. I'm too weak right now for it to break, but I try again. I'd do anything to get out of this damn place and into the woods where I belong. I collapse in a heap as the last of my energy leaves me, my body shakes in fatigue and the cold. Winter would be coming soon and if it was as cold as last years, I wouldn't probably survive. I curl up and drifted off to sleep.

I was waken as rain water rushed in from the tiny barred window on the wall, groaning I stand up and move into the far corner. I sat miserably for the rest of the night as the filth in my cell turned into muck. It continued to rain until morning, when at last the rising sun broke through the storm clouds, but it did little to dry up the water. About an hour later on of the human caretakers unlocked my cell, he cursed when he saw the flooding. His footsteps caused sloshing sound as he walked towards me. He grabbed me roughly and dragged me towards the door, unhooking the rope he slipped a choke chain around my neck and lead me up the stairs and toward the labs.

I was placed in a small cage that was in a row of cages, each holding one or two creatures, Icefang looked up and smiled weakly after the human left. "How are you Flame," She asked in a raspy voice.

"I've been better, did your cell flood last night," I asked lying down.

"No I was moved to a windowless room after my last escape attempt," She answered. She moved closer to me so our backs pressed together through the bars of our cages. She was warmer than me and I knew that she could feel me shiver.

"I don't think I'll last another winter Ice, I can fell the life leave me each day," I said staring blankly out of my cage.

She sat up and glared at me, "Flamedread, don't you dare talk like that, you'll be fine."

"No, I won't and unless I get out of here, I will die."

Icefang fell silent and I looked at her, I had been here much longer than she had and I was the close thing to a family she had, I noticed a tear run down her dirty muzzle and I sighed put my nose through the cage bars and nudged at her. She turned away so I couldn't see her cry; I laid my head back down just as Dr. Connors came up to my cage.

Every creature here hated and feared Dr. Connors; who was the head scientist at the lab. He looked at me and then unlocked my cage. Suddenly Icefang attacked her cage wall hissing and slashing at the startled human, "Run, Flame get out of here!" she yelled and I leaped out of the cage.

With one last look at Icefang I darted as fast as my weak body could through the halls of the laboratory. As I made my way through the halls the alarm went off and I forced myself to run faster. I could hear the thudding of footsteps as the humans began to chase me, but I had set my mind on two things, I would get out of here and I wouldn't let them catch me alive.

I busted through the doors that lead to the main lobby of the building and ran to the glass doors. There where main gasps from the humans in the room, but I paid no attention to them, I could see the outside world and the wooded area that lay further on. I jumped up and pushed on the door, which flung away from my force and I was outside. I didn't slow down as a cold gust of wind blew across my face, I smiled as I heard the footsteps stop as I reach the thick forest, for first time in a long time I was free.