Chapter 4
Karen looked around, but it was a limited view. There were more cages, a few tables with lab equipment, some of the wolf-guys, and a bunch of scientists.
"Hey Murphy, she's awake!" shouted an excited scientist to another. Karen groaned. These people definitely weren't on her side if they were looking at her like she was some new species.
"This is O'Grady's daughter?" asked Murphy's friend.
"Yep. We're starting the radiation treatments this afternoon," Murphy said, beaming.
Karen scowled and flipped him the finger. Murphy frowned for a minute. "Hmm," he muttered. Trying not to lose face, he kicked the cage. He hopped away holding his stubbed toe.
Eventually they all left. Karen looked around again, to see who or what was in the other cages in the room.
She spotted five other kids who looked about her age, a lizard with some sort of lump on his back, and a few...things. It was really the only way to describe them, unfortunately.
For a while she just sat there, unsure if she should say anything. Then one of the kids in the room spoke up. "So what's your name?"
Karen looked up to find out who had asked. She found herself looking at a pale-skinned girl with blue eyes and black hair. "Where are we?" Karen asked her.
The girl hesitated for a moment when she realized that Karen was completely new to all this. "You don't know?" she asked.
"No."
The girl sighed. "We call it the University – they act like a bunch of stuck-up morons." She paused.
Karen was still confused. "And... what do they do to us?"
The girl paused again; then decided to go through with it. Carefully, and as far as she could in the cramped cage, she extended her dolphin-gray wings. Karen stared.
"You know, I'm surprised you didn't notice Leti or Luna first," the girl commented, smiling.