There's a lady who lives in my neighborhood, she's a few shades away from being a crazy cat lady. She has five cats that she lets run around the neighborhood. None of them are fixed as far as I know so she's always got some kittens to sell or give away. My parents wouldn't let me keep one, but every once in a while I'd leave out some tuna for them and I could pet them.

"Here kitty kitty kitty." I whispered.

I Siamese cat came over to me, expecting a treat. It rubbed against my legs and I petted it, acquiring it's DNA.

{This is dangerous.} Floran said, he'd caught a hawk in the woods before he'd met me and was perched up high above me in a tree.

"I won't be too long. Besides... even if my parents are.. controllers..." Just saying it made me feel sick. "They'll need to keep up appearances, right? They'd be at work."

{It's possible that controllers are scouting your house in case you return.} He pointed out.

"Which is why I'll go in as a cat. My house has a cat door from the previous owners, we never got around to getting it fixed, so I'll be able to sneak in no problem. And you can keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

He still didn't like it but I didn't care. I would do it with or without his help.

I shooed the cat away, then focused on the image of it in my mind. I wasn't thrilled at the idea of morphing again... but I pushed it aside. I needed to do this.

My body shrank, my bones shifted and cracked and soon I was the cat.

The cat was very similar to the fox. But while the fox was focused on finding food, avoiding larger predators, and survival, the cat was more curious, playful even.

Once again, all my senses were heightened. My eyes could see in sharper focus and my sense of smell was beyond anything I'd ever experienced as a human.

Suddenly I heard a sound. Flapping, I could see a bird in a low branch in the tree. I arched my back.

I wanted to pounce! Catch it! Hold it in my claws and-

NO.

I was ready for it this time, the animal's instincts.

{I... Okay! Okay, I got it! Everything's under control!}

Floran's eyes focused on me. {Don't take too long. Don't take unnecessary risks. I still have an hour and thirty minutes in this morph, you need to be back here before then.}

{Thirty, forty minutes tops!} I confirmed, then took off towards my house. I tried to look casual, like any other cat strolling through the neighborhood.

On the way I came close to a telephone pole. I felt the urge to scratch it! Just for a second, I started kneading the wood. It was strange, it was almost like scratching an itch, and very satisfying.

That's when I noticed a poster on the pole, and the face on the poster.

It was my face.

It was a missing poster.

It had a fairly recent picture of my face, a detailed description me. Hair, eyes, height. There was even a reward!

Sydnee was last seen walking home from school when she disappeared. If you have any information about her whereabouts please call...

I didn't recognize the number, it wasn't my home number...

{Sydnee! Hurry!}

I snapped out of my daze. {Right, sorry!} I headed down the sidewalk with a quicker pace.

It didn't mean anything. My parents could have done it themselves...

Soon, I was at my house. The cars were gone, nobody was home.

I slipped in through the cat flap and into the house. It was just how I'd left it. Like nothing had happened.

Why should something have happened?

Before I demorphed I took a minutes to search the house. I was alone.

{Flo, are we clear?} I called out to him in thought-speak.

{There are no obvious signs of controllers... though there are two men sitting in a vehicle not far away from the house.}

I demorphed and checked the time. 11:30. My parents wouldn't be home for hours.

I wanted to take a shower, but I knew I couldn't spend too much time here. I went to my room. All the same. Nothing had moved since I'd been here last.

I grabbed some jeans, a t-shirt, shoes, and a hoodie to hide my face. Then I found my backpack filling it with some clothes and a few other essentials.

I went to my dad's study and turned on his computer and found a map of my town, printing out a few different copies. I'd told Floran about several entrances to the Yeerk pool, but it would be better to show him exactly where they were.

In a dresser, by the front door, was some money my parents leave me. It's only suppose to be for food and other emergencies. This seemed like it qualified. They were never really here so...

I shook it off. I didn't need to think about it now.

Before I left I paused by my room and walked over to my bed. I fell on it. My warm, soft bed. I felt sick. I never wanted to get up. I never wanted to leave. I wanted to sleep and sleep until all of this nightmare went away.

{Someone is coming! Get out of there!}

I couldn't respond, I couldn't use thought-speak when not in morph.

I forced myself off the bed and headed for the backdoor. I should be able to sneak out through the back and climb over the fence.

I ran to the back and just as I opened the back door, the front door opened.

"Sydnee!"

I turned and froze like a deer in the headlights. My dad!

He smiled and started walking toward me... slowly, carefully. "Where have you been Sydnee? We were so worried about you!" Not right. My dad wouldn't be so happy. He would be furious first. He'd think I'd just run off again to make them worry. "You're mother will be here soon, she'll be so happy to see you're-"

I took off. I ran out into the back yard.

"COME BACK!" I heard him scream. Not like Dad.

I jumped onto the fence about to pull myself over when I felt a strong hand grab my backpack pulling me off the fence and onto the ground. I hit hard, my dad grabbed my collar pulling me up. He started dragging me back towards the house. I saw his face, it was twisted in an expression I'd never seen on my dad before.

"No! Let go! Let go of me!" I screamed.

"TSSEEER!" I heard the cry before I saw him. I blur of feathers rushed down. Floran! He racked my dad's face with his talons. His grip slipped and I ran away, I jumped the fence and kept running.

"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY!" I heard my dad scream. "WE WILL FIND YOU! WE'LL FIND YOU!"

I ran across the street and jumped another fence and kept running. My heart breaking with every step.

There was no denying it now. If they had my dad, they had my mom too.

My parents were controllers.