Chapter 15
Chapter 15
4:30 a.m.

Who am I? Where am I? And now another question stirred that could not be fully determined. What am I? I looked down to a pair of hairy arms and long, abnormal claws. This can't be happening. God, help me! This must be a dream. No, a nightmare! Let me wake up and be at home with my family. My family...I know I have a family. My wife...I have a wife! April was her name....and...a daughter named...Shadow. And then there were...those... Turtles and a rat...Splinter...yes...What happened to the people and friends I knew? Try not to think too hard. Head still hurts from...what was it? I remember something hit me hard...in the back. A staff. A wooden staff. The pieces were like trying to fit into one big jigsaw puzzle. Becoming a monster, getting captured by strange people and at this moment, stuck within the walls of torture. I was living in a beastly form with the feeling of what to do and what to kill. One thing I knew for sure-

"He went down that way!"

I had to get the hell out of here!

"Arms ready!"

The blood was pumping furiously throughout my body. Oh, the things I could smell, hear, and see, was this a gift or a curse? The scent of men was approaching. They're close. Very close....

"He couldn't have gone far." "Where's Lark?" " Still with that creature..."

Creature? Could there be another? What was it that neighbored my cage? It was something green...and someone...I know...could it be one of those Turtle friends?

"Sound the alarms!"

I couldn't wait around to find out. The night air was calling me. Boots clomped in my direction followed by clicking guns.

"There he is! Get him!"

All of a sudden, the strength inside me grew ten times more than before. On all fours, I felt myself pounce onto two startled men. Bullets flew in the sky like hail above my head as I couldn't help but claw and swipe with a ferocious obsession with nothing but the word 'kill' on the brain. The pain on their faces made me attack harder. The screams was music to my ears. Three came at my back using the handle of their rifles to knock me unconscious. I spun around and with the cursed extra set of teeth, lunged at them.

"Security, this is Darryl! Get backup! Oh...shit..."

Enjoy eternity, Darryl...in Hell. I enjoyed watching this one die. One swipe across his tender neck sent him gagging and hitting the ground with a thud. Darryl twitched before going stone cold. Dead at my feet. I stared down at him, a perplexed look washed over my face. What have I done? What has come over me? I staggered back and blinked away the sight by high-tailing for the nearest exit. That is, my own departure through a solid wall of wood.

Crack!

I ran much faster on all fours out into the welcoming forest. I could feel them hot on my trail with shouts and screams to catch me. Yes, fast as I. But not fast enough. The support of a low spruce was my hiding grounds. I slinked I as moved on. Further and further down the fields and shrubs of the surrounding woods. Pant, pant, pant...my tongue hung out close to the ground, making drool marks as I trotted the remainder of the way. Way? Which way? Any way that was far from that dreaded holding.

Morning was approaching. It won't be long before my body is restored and I would blend in with the human race once more. I read enough fictional stories to know that after the night time of the wolf creature, the curse ends. For the time being. The next full moon will send me to question my fate as well as where I will live my life out. April can't handle this. Shadow would never come near me. The Turtles, being turtles, won't accept what I've become. I saw their faces. I felt their fear rising. They will all fear me. They're not my family. They're no friends of mine. From this moment on, we are and will forever be....enemies.

Drip...drip...

Hmm? Either I'm still drooling or...those are tears between my paws. The last time I cried was when...can't remember. No matter what, through thick and thin, someone was always there for me. I had no reason to be sad. But now with no where to turn, no one to turn to, the sorrow is hitting deep within me. Within this beast, this freak of nature. April accepted the Turtles. Would she do the same for me?

"Aaaaaawooooooo!"

A cry was heard. Not an normal cry from the sound of it. A high-pitched whine. A howl. My ears perked in the direction of the noise. Standing high on a hill were a pack some familiar friends.

"Wo...wolves..." My strange lips uttered with a whispered growl.

Their beautiful gray and white coats gleamed in the early rays as they stared lovingly at me. It looked like a family welcoming home a new member. One of them started to walk up to me. One dainty paw at a time. Definitely a female. She stopped right at my feet and sat down like when a dog is begging for a treat. If I could have, my lips would have formed a smile. Instead, I took in every detail of this gorgeous creature. Her eyes were a bright, piercing yellow that mirrored into my own gaze. Between the eyes was a diamond-shaped patch of white fur, making it look like she were wearing a princess's crown. Female. A long stare at one another made me want to run away. But she stayed right where she was, licked her chops and blinked twice. I blinked once and cocked my head to the side. Her features were so human-like, I wondered if she was encased like I was in the body of an animal. Her mouth suddenly started making strange garble sounds. With a twist, she started to trot away, garbling as if to say, "Follow me!" I slowly followed and stopped a few feet from her group. What did they want? How could they allow me to join them if I were still human?

I was welcomed with opened arms, er, paws. They stared at me, blinking and sniffing with the utmost curiosity. The one with the diamond-shaped mark (I dubbed her Di for short), nuzzled her face below the scruff of my neck. She was falling for me. Falling in love with my animal form, not the human form inside. I always said I wanted a pet but not like this. If I took her home, she'd probably do more than play fetch! I made an attempted move-

"Sluuurp!"

Her eyes widened and she returned my kiss. All over my face, hair, ears, and sides. I looked to see the others watching, incase jealousy should arise from another male companion. None made a movement to stop her. Must be her brothers. But they don't the difference and wouldn't care about incest. Brothers and sisters would-

"Gggggrrrrrrraaaaaah!!!"

My body was thrown backwards with a tumble. Growling, snarling, and biting started to erupt between me and another wolf whom pounced on top of me. A little slow but, damn! Powerful creatures they are. I fought back the assailant with rolls and slices with my nice set of claws. His eyes, yellow as the morning sun, were filled with rage and anger. I've seen those eyes before. Somewhere awhile back. He went for my injured arm and ripped at it. The memory suddenly flooded back into my head.

"Y....youuuuuuu!"

The wolf ignored me and made unusual grunt. Before I knew it, three more of his pals rushed over to aid him. Whatever happened to fair fight?! One attacked my legs, another went for my back while the third, aimed to my face. The first wolf resumed attacking and hit straight for my middle. I went ballistic, snapping and rolling everywhere, causing the smooth patch of new fallen snow look like when children play in the sandbox. Di and the others watched stupidly with ears perked. Um, was this how they welcome new comers? To see how strong they are? Or if they can survive combat?

Bang! Bang!

Gunshots. Gunshots were fired. The wolves ceased attacking and bounded back into the concealing woods. I sat up and looked left to right. He was hiding but I could easily smell him.

Bang!

Bark flew off the tree next to me. Eep! Time to get out of here! Not thinking, I followed the wolves, thinking they knew where they were going. I ran up to Di whom continued to scamper. She didn't know I reached her side till I gave a little whine. She looked to me, then back to the trail in front of her. Gunshots were going off all around us now. This time, in a long time, I was very scared of what was to happen to us.

We reached a clearing where a frozen brook separated the path. Some of the wolves, in a mad dash, slipped and skidded along it's icy surface. Di, me and the others saw it ahead and paused just before reaching it. We watched in somewhat horror and amusement as the wolves skidded and slid, some regaining their footing and continuing to run on the other side. One wolf bashed into a fallen tree stump, yipping from the pain. Another was thrown forward from too much speed and knocked against a large rock. He had to be dead on impact. Bright-colored blood started to trickle from the injured wolves and seep onto the frozen lake, making it now more slippery for us to walk across.

I gulped and did a few circles as if pondering what to do. The men were getting closer. Not by the smell but by their loud footsteps crunching the snow and crinkling the fallen leaves. Di looked to her dainty feet and slowly began to cross the frozen lake, her legs wobbling to remain upright. I looked to her and smiled inside. This gals got guts. She paused and looked to us as if to say, "Walk this way!" That was a true statement. Her group started to follow her, doing the exact same wobbling walk. I took a step onto the foreign grounding. Walking on all fours was tough to learn but I had to be a fast learner if I wanted to live.

I started to walk and glance down, a memory shot through my head. That one winter we had to retreat to my grandmother's farmhouse after we were attacked by the Foot Clan. The battle tore everyone up. All of us sort of moped around, hardly on speaking terms with one another. I spent most of my time with Raph. Fighting, telling bad jokes, and doing projects. The others said we did more damage when trying to fix things like that damn car, But other than Raph, I never spent so much isolation from so many that surrounded me. Then the ice broke, literally, when April had an accident by falling into the frozen pond. If Leo wasn't there to rescue her, she would not be with us today. I remember seeing him carry her inside; her face was pale and lifeless. I was dumbstruck as I watched them and Splinter quickly remove her soaked jacket and wrap her in warm blankets by the fire. It was then the moping had to stop, and our lives had to start up once again. Lives that continued as well as suffered with many bizarre twists. This for me, being one of them. I was suffering in this form. Di was the light at the end of my tunnel. Since the attack back in New York, she has been the best thing I've ever come across so far.

Bang!

Shit! That was too damn close! I yipped when I felt the ice behind me sting my hind legs. The bullet grazed the surface, just missing us by inches. Di crawled away much faster, whining in fear. One of them aimed at her.

Bang!

Di wailed and scampered violently, causing her to slam into two of her friends. I tried to run but stupidly fell down onto my chin with a thud. If I were human, my bottom teeth would have been knocked out. Instead, these set of canines were much stronger and supportive in my mouth. Still hurts, though! Damn!

We reached the opposite bank and made a quick getaway, still hearing gunshots as we ran. Two of us were shot down but I didn't stop to look back. I just kept running until my lungs felt like they were on fire. I reached the forest's end where I paused to look back for anyone following. Anyone other than humans. I frowned inside, suddenly wanting to cry out. Di wasn't at my side, nor was she behind me. I sniffed the ground and trotted the way I came, hoping to find her. Maybe she went off another way and escaped. I went back to the lake's end just to make sure. Yes, there were two dead wolves by the edge. As I got closer to inspect them, the gunshots went off again, causing me to turn and run. I couldn't detect if one of those wolves was Di. I prayed to God it wasn't and hoped it was two of the jerks that pounced me. They don't deserve to live.

The sun was peaking up more brightly than before. I could feel my insides start to warm up. Was it the rays making me feel toasty? Or some other transformation occurring at this moment? I felt myself hit the snow, going into sudden spasms all over. The pain, the utmost pain was striking me in every inch of my body. I groaned, I yelped, I said-

"God, help me!"

I spoke! My lips were normal again! I looked down to see a flesh wound on my leg. A human leg. The hair was slowly decreasing and I counted five toes with one hazy eye. I suddenly went from warm to extremely cold. My bare, naked skin formed goose pimples all on my body. My teeth, the old pair, started to chatter. My ears, small and frosted, picked up no sounds except for what surrounded me.

"Di...Di!"

"No, not today, my friend."

A voice spoke overhead. I glanced up to a face well-hidden in a scarf and heavy clothing. As he reached down, I passed out, remembering nothing afterwards.

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