We came down this alleyway expecting there to be nothing. The woman who ran past us was hysterical, screaming about a monster that saved her from a rapist and a wild animal and…oh, who could tell! Katie tried to get her to use her cell phone to call the cops but the woman wouldn't stop running, she just kept blathering about their being something in that alley.

So of course, we had to check it out. We had to see if there was an animal down here that needed to be reported, had to see what this "monster" was that the woman was screaming about. Expecting to see nothing but an empty alley.

At first that's all we see. It's very dark here. Then there's a soft thump and we see a black clad figure fall. There's a soft whimpering sound coming from it as it sits on the ground. The three of us come further into the alley looking for the something the woman saw, and Katie goes to ask the dark figure if they've seen an animal down here. As she gets close to it the figure looks up and we all freeze.

This is the something, the monster, the animal the woman was talking about.

It looks like a woman around our age, late teens or early twenties. Very petite, but still fully adult. She's dressed all in black, her clothes wet and filthy. I'm amazed that I noticed her clothing at all- because the rest of my brain is trying to decide if this is a woman or a cat.

She has short, thick black fur covering her head and the large feline ears that are pulled back in fright. Her skin is bright white, unnaturally white, and there are black marks on her face that somehow make her look even more like a cat. I almost smile to see there's even a little black smudge under her human nose that makes it look more truncated and feline. With the black lines around her eyes and on her mouth standing out so clearly against her white skin it is terribly easy to read her expression. We can all see how frightened she is, frightened of us.

Katie has frozen in her tracks but the …creature…is trembling, pulling back. It backs itself against the wall of the alley, pressing itself against the hard bricks. That strange mouth opens, revealing pointed fangs. Those white hands reveal retractable claws. It's so animal, so strange…

But its eyes are so human. Light gray and wide open, rimmed with black, they show us fear. Naked fear.

Katie finds her voice somehow and addresses it, keeping her tone soft. "Can you speak?" she asks, and I know she's using the voice she uses with wounded animals at the shelter she volunteers at. The creature nods warily.

"What's your name?" Katie asks and I find myself surprised at the question. I've been busy wondering what it is, not being anxious to get to know it.

The little feline figure looks at each of us, still pressing itself into the wall as it moves sideways. Hitting a dumpster it winces and grabs at its right arm. Those pale eyes squeeze shut in pain.

"What's your name?" Katie asks again, still very softly. She lowers her head a bit and gazes straight into those gray eyes as soon as they open back up. "We aren't going to hurt you. Just tell us your name."

"Zaphia…" it whispers, voice barely audible. I'm surprised to hear it…that's a perfectly normal voice coming out of that completely abnormal body. Strange name, but that voice could belong to anybody. But then she whimpers and squeezes her arm, and that whimper sounds just like a cat.

"Zaphia, are you injured?" Katie gingerly steps forward and the whimpering figure flinches. "We aren't going to hurt you- just tell me if you're injured." I look at Jake who's been watching this whole thing with a look of fascination, then I turn back to Katie and…Zaphia, I guess.

She nods. Katie holds her hands in front of her, palms up. "See, I don't have anything to hurt you with" Katie murmurs reassuringly. "I'm pretty good at first aide, so why don't you let me have a look at that arm?"

Zaphia raises her eyebrows questioningly. "What's your name?" she asks back.

"Katie."

"Katie…can I trust you?" Wow, this gal is pretty straight-forward. Katie smiles. "Yes, you can trust me" she replies. Zaphia leans forward slightly, sniffing the air while Katie waits patiently.

"You don't smell like you're lying…" Zaphia mutters to herself, then turns to me and Jake who have kept our distance. "What about them, can I trust them?" she asks. Katie nods, this cat-woman sniffs, then seems to relax somewhat. She holds the arm out for Katie to look at and we can all clearly see the slice across that white skin where the fabric was cut. As Katie gently grasps the arm to get a look this…Zaphia…winces.

"Does that hurt?" Katie asks, turning the arm to try to get some better light on it. The girl shakes her head. "No, it's more…I'm not used to letting anyone see me, not to mention touch me." She looks surprised that she said that out loud. Katie frowns a little, and the frown deepens as she takes a close look at the wound. Now the medical student in her takes over and the questions flow faster.

"How did you get this cut?"

"I interrupted a rapist and he had a knife"

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No, he only got that cut in because I was distracted by…you guys"

"Do you have anything to put on this?"

The feline laughs a little before replying. "I live in that box"-she points- "so no, I don't have much antiseptic on hand."

"You live on the street?"

"Yes." Those feline ears droop a bit, and as she turns away a bit I notice for the first time that she has a long black tail swinging behind her.

"For how long?"

"Since early June. Since I turned into…whatever I am now." She looks down at her hands and squeezes her eyes shut again. I notice that she's shaking slightly, swaying on her feet.

Katie frowns, then puts a hand on the girl's forehead. "Did you know you're running a fever?" she asks, and the feline merely shakes her head. With a sigh Katie walks back to me and Jake, keeping her voice low. "She's lost blood, and although that cut isn't deep it's sure to get infected if it's left untreated. She's also running a fever, she's soaking wet and she has nowhere to go. And it's only going to get colder out here."

I look at Jake, then back to Katie. Where is she going with this?

Katie turns to me, and her voice is quietly determined.

"Erin, we need to bring her back to the apartment with us."

Oh. So that's where this is going.

"Katie, are you insane?" I ask, keeping my voice at a low whisper. "We can't take her with us…look at her!"

"Well, we certainly can't leave her here" is my roommate's only response. I look at Jake for support on this one- surely he realizes how crazy this is. "C'mon Jake, back me up on this one" I plead.

"Two important things" he says, chin on his hand. "First of all- it seems like this…whatever she is…saved some woman from a rapist. So she deserves some help no matter what she looks like." He holds out a hand to silence my protest. "Second of all- she's injured, sick, cold, scared and probably half-starved. So she needs our help, whatever she looks like. Whatever she is."

"Third important thing" Katie throws in. I raise an eyebrow.

"She just passed out in the alley."