Chapter Three

I chucked an undershirt across the room over my shoulder. It landed perfectly in my backpack, still folded. Point. I found my switchknife in the back of my drawer and slid it down my almost-skin-tight sleeve. I had a sinking feeling about this mission. It helped to be on guard.

A light knock on my door and my head whipped around. I couldn't shake the feeling that I should just hide in my closet for the rest of my life,

"Come in," I called, throwing a pair of socks in the backpack.

"Not feeling well?" Fang asked, sliding through the door and massaging my shoulders soothingly. I relaxed under his hands. Another thing about the telepathy chip is that we're able to feel each other's emotions in extreme cases.

"Not feeling good at all," I sighed, "I don't want to go now. Something horrible is going to happen."

Fang's brow furrowed, "Really?"

"I think so," I said. That disturbing dream I had had was an omen. I was sure of it.

"I'll protect you," Fang said, striking a heroic stance. I threw a shirt at his face, giggling.

"Yeah right," I snorted, "Like I need protection. I'm fine."

"I know," he said, smiling, "I just wanted to make you laugh." I looked into his eyes, soft and melty, all for me. Aw.

I glanced at the clock and mentally cursed, throwing crap in my backpack at double speed. It was almost time to meet in the cafeteria with Poise and Frederick.

Fang soundly handed me the full backpack and strapped on his own. We were good to go.

We met Poise and Frederick, and Jeb, who gave us a GPS. They must've gotten a tracker on each of the kids. We also got spiffy camping supplies and some canned meat. Yum, yum. Dead tin-covered animal. It was always better fresh and bloody anyway.

We left, running north-northwest into the forest. Poise had trouble keeping up (as always, the slowpoke. We weren't even going half-speed!). I let my mind relax. It was just amazing though, to feel the wind ripping through your hair and your eyes streaming from the speed. And your snot getting plastered to the back of your skull . . .

ʚI never had this trouble while flying.ʚ

Flying? Wait, what? What had I just said? FLYING? I never flew. I was an Eraser, born and bred. I wasn't a weak bird kid!

ERASER.

I am an Eraser.

ʚI wonder what it would be like to fly again.ʚ

Eraser, damn it, I was an ERASER! I slowed suddenly, tweaking my right ankle in the abrupt stop. Ow. I winced in pain for a second and then the pain was gone.

ʚI never had regeneration powers this fast. Lucky.ʚ

Oh my god where was that voice coming from?!

Fang and Frederick circled back to me, Poise catching up.

[Max, what's with the insane stress reading?]

{You can't hear it?}

[Hear what?]

So only I could hear it.

ʚThat's weird; so I'm like my own Voice.ʚ

I clutched my ears with my claws, digging the points in. The sharp pain made tears come to my eyes, but it kept me alert.

[Hear what, Max?]

{Oh, nothing. I thought I heard birdkid laughter.}

I took my fingernails out of my ears and wiped them on my jeans. Maybe I'm tired. Yeah, that's it. I'm tired, stressed from that weird dream. I was imagining things.

"Let's go," I said to the befuddled Poise and Frederick, who didn't have a telepathy chip.

We ran until sunset, with me keeping my mind sharp and alert. Maybe I was tired and my mind decided to keep itself occupied with its subconscious. Probably. The four of us were assigned different jobs. Frederick, tents. Poise, water. Fang, fire. And me, dinner. Perfect. I was happy hunting.

I took an old shirt with me so I could carry the food without keeping it in some hollow. Did that once, never again. Disgusting. I heard Fang crunching off, deciding to take the leisurely way to snap off branches. Poise slinked off, while Frederick looked at me blatantly, probably wishing he could go hunting with me. I only hunted with the most intimate of people. It was sacred, hunting. At least to me.

I came across a rabbit almost instantly. It sniffed the air, not used to humans and trying to figure out what I was. It was cute, big eyes and fluffy coat.

I snapped its neck, put it in the shirt, and went on.

I found more birds, more rodents, and stumbled upon a deer before it fled. My sack of dinner was full, fresh, and smelled wonderful from my view.

I heard a soft footfall behind me and turned around.

"Oh, Poise," I said, "Hey."

She nodded, "Leave my dinner alive please." She slid back into the forest's shadows, carrying her bucket of water. She was a good friend, but as Fang said, creepy. She liked to 'play' (as she said, it was basically torture) with her food before eating it. Even I didn't do that, and I could be downright bloodthristy.

I picked up another squealing rabbit, holding it on the nape of the neck to bring to Poise. I almost wanted to let it go. The thing didn't really deserve this kind of pain. But Poise was first. She came first over any defenseless bunny rabbit.

ʚOh, drop the poor thing. She's only going to castrate it.ʚ

I dropped the rabbit in surprise and it bounded off into the night, probably glad to be free.

Why was it back?!

ʚShush already!ʚ

I sliced a gash in my forearm with a claw. The voice was silenced. If I had to be a cutter to keep the voice away, that was fine.

"Fang," I heard someone say. I crouched, springing up into the lower branch of a tree. I didn't recognize that voice. If somebody was attacking Fang . . .

I watched, automatically switching to night-mode. Better eyes, better hearing. The only downfall was that there was this one angle that showed my eyes shining. Not many people could see it though.

"What is it, Poise?" Fang asked. Poise! My whole body stiffened.

"Oh, nothing," I heard her whisper. My eyes watched as she suddenly stumbled and fell. Right onto Fang's shoulder. She seemed to collapse onto him.

"Poise?" Fang asked, holding her up and trying to push her back at the same time.

She sniffled. What the hell was she trying to pull?!

"I can't do this," she sobbed, "I can't compete with Erasers!" Fang looked mildly disgusted and amused.

"I'm just a lowly snake," she said, hiding her face in her pale hands and sniffling. She was playing the cute card, now was she? He was my mate and would not break before her.

"I need practice," she said, her tears stopping as if she discovered a purpose.

"You'll help me, won't you, Fang?" she asked, slinking a hand around his neck and flitting her tongue to his jaw.

ʚThat skank!ʚ

For once I had to agree with the thing.

Fang's eyes narrowed and he pushed her back, being very ungentlemanly about it. "WHAT are you doing?" he asked chillingly, "Max is my mate."

Poise hissed lowly, "I can give you more than that mangy cur can." She wove her sinous body over Fang's.

"Back off," I hissed as I slunk down the tree, throughly pissed off, "I've had enough of you playing slut-games with my mate."

She hissed threateningly, though melding into the trees. She knew where her place was. "You're not going to be the alpha couple much longer," she snarled, disappearing.

Fang frowned after her, "So much for friendship, eh Max?"