Chapter Three; How to loose a shoe
I crouched down just behind the fence, barely able to hear anything besides the roar of engines. I'd be surprised if I wasn't deaf before the end of this night. I looked at the security, taking my time at working out their routine.
(We have thirty of your minutes left in morph) Ax informed me from somewhere on my head. It was the safest place for them right now.
(They're your minutes too Ax! And by the way, I really don't want to be stuck as a roach for the rest of my life) Marco said from under one of my many sleeves.
"You won't. Now shh and let me think of a game plan" I whispered, then ducked as a searchlight passed over me. I froze as it went over the place where I'd been seconds before, then continued scanning the area. I got up and looked around again.
The plan; for me, as a different kind of human, to get us, and our own cargo, into the plane that was set to leave at ten thirty. The others were just along for a nice ride. Two roaches, three fleas, and a fly were all in different places on my body. Ax and Tobias were on my head, along with Jake. Marco and Cassie were up my sleeves, and Rachel was just above my left ear.
"Which one is it again?" I asked Marco.
(Um… flight 433 to Australia. It should be at gate nine)
"Okay, I see it. All right you guys, hold on; this ride's gonna get bumpy"
(We're latched on and ready when you are) Tobias said.
"Okay, here I go" I shifted the weight of the camping pack, as well as the shoulder bag I had, then grabbed onto the chain link fence and hauled myself up it. With this body, it was much easier to climb. I reached the top, flipped over, and then dropped to the ground. That's when the real fun began.
"Hey you! Yeah, I'm- hey wait!" The young guard didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence before I was off and running. I heard dogs barking, and more guards came into view.
"Police! Hault!" Came a much older, more authoritive voice.
"Bite me!" I yelled, running as fast as my packs would let me. Which was surprisingly fast, believe it or not. I dodged around a baggage cart, then nearly tripped as I saw two more guards running at me. I dodged left, running with all my might at the wheels of a plane that was starting to move.
"Stop!" Someone yelled. Yeah, like I'd stop for them!
"Emergency! We have a Asian male running around on the tarmac!" It sounded like they were talking into a walkie-talkie. I ignored them, running full tilt around the plane, dodging a guard that was trying to grab me.
"What the hell has he got!"
"A bomb!" Someone screamed.
Eeep! Wrong!
"Get 'im!" Seconds later I was tackled to the ground, my chin hitting the pavement. I felt that I'd bitten my own tongue as well.
"Get off me!" I snapped.
"Not a chance buddy!" it was the young guard, who was trying to put handcuffs on me. I kicked him in the shin, and when he fell to his knees I kicked him in the chin.
"Serves you right!" I snapped, scrambling up and looking desperately for the right plane. Seconds later I was down again, two burly guards pinning my arms and legs.
(That's it! I'm gonna become a grizzly and-)
(No!) I snapped at Rachel (Not yet! Everyone, HANG ON!)
I shifted again, feeling as a Chanaiben tail sprouted from my spine. One of the guards jumped back, yelling in confusion and fear. The other, however…
"Changeling" he snarled. I whacked him with my new tail, probably knocking him out for a good three hours. I jumped up, my tail slurping back into my spine, then running towards the open cargo bay of the plane. I jumped in, quickly discarding my gear, then tucked myself between two boxes and waited, listening.
"-got to be here somewhere" one was saying.
"I saw him come this way"
"You take the third, I'll take the first. If we don't find him, we'll know where he is"
Seconds later someone came up the cargo ramp, and went to the left side, turning on a small torch as he did. If he found me, I was done for.
(I have to think of something!)
(What? What's going on?) Jake asked.
(I felt you hit the ground, but… where are we?) Cassie added.
(Just a second. I'm in a tight spot. Just let me think) I managed to look out the ramp again, seeing the cargo bay of the plane opposite to us. If only…
Then, it hit me. But… I needed something to throw. I looked down at my shoes.
This is one story I'm not telling my kids.
I grabbed my right shoe, aimed for what I hoped was a golf bag, and threw it with all my might, ducking back into the shadows and crouching, stock still, hearing it hit, then a gigantic crashing sound.
"What the-" the officer bolted out of the cargo hold. Seconds later I heard both of them going into the other plane.
"All right, shut it up" a new voice. Probably a bag loader. There was a bored shout, and then the whole place went dark.
(Guys? We're in)
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We found a smallish space between three large crates to set up. I grabbed out their clothes as they demorphed, then shifted back to myself, shaking my arms out when I was done. My bleeding tongue vanished, replaced by my real one. Good thing I shifted.
"Good going Jade" Jake commented, slipping on a jumper over his shirt. Marco was pulling on his jeans, and Cassie and Rachel were sorting each other out too. Tobias perched on my shoulder, and Ax shifted his feet from beside me, restless.
By then the plane was in the air, and the cargo bay was already starting to cool down. I got out the four blankets I'd managed to fold up and put in the camping back. Once they were dressed, shoes and all, we sorted ourselves out into sitting positions near in the small space, laying the blankets over each of us, snuggling up as it continued to get colder.
"Great. Now we all get to freeze to death" Marco muttered from beside me. I was snuggled in close to him, my knees folded up against his lap. After all, they all had pairs of shoes. I just had my one poor shoe on my left foot. Ax was on the other side of me, his four legs folded beneath him, tail safely out of the way.
"You know Marco, you could always go back home" Rachel suggested, smiling slyly at him.
"I wish I could. It's kind of late now though"
"Well, let's just make the best of it. And hopefully, we won't have to go through this again" Jake sighed, looking at me. He was between Rachel and Cassie. Rachel was holding tightly to Tobias, who didn't look much better off than the rest of us.
"Yeah. I hope they're okay" I sighed, and felt Marco's arm slip securely around me.
"They'll be all right" Cassie said, shifting her weight under the blankets.
"Thanks guys. For… you know" I said, shivering at the thought of my three friends not being there anymore. It was a tough thought to process.
(You have helped us out. I believe that requires us returning the favour) Ax said.
(Ax is right. Although I don't like the idea of being a bird-cicle any more than the rest of you)
"Sorry" I murmured again, huddling closer to Marco. I felt Ax huddle in close too, and the warmth from the two of them was beautiful. I started to doze, knowing what waited ahead for us.
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6 years ago…
"Hey whoa-aaaaaahhh!" I cried landing squarely on my butt. The coach shook his head, tsk-tsking me.
"Jade, my dear, you have so much potential. You just need to focus more!"
"But I am focusing!" I cried as I got up, with Coach Meeley grabbing my arm to help me up, and stay up.
"Not hard enough. All right, class over. Go home and get some rest"
He left the rink, and I just stood there watching him, feeling as low as I'd ever felt.
Seconds later I heard someone call my name.
"Jade!"
"Huh? What?" I turned around and saw Amanda waving at me, her other hand tucked into her jacket. She looked worried. I skated over to her, leaning on the small wall that separated us.
"What's up?"
"Uh… Jade… something… I was playing with Sammy this morning. And… something happened"
"What? Is he all right?" Sammy was Amanda's little dog. He was a small black m-x-breed she found hurt on the side of the road. A year later, he'd become socialised and jumped around and barked just like any other little dog. He was lucky to have Amanda.
"No, it's not that. It's… something else. Come with me to the girls room and I'll show you"
So I did. I packed up my things and went with her, wondering what she was hiding in her jacket.
"Mand, what is it? Is something wrong? Did Sammy bite you?"
"No, no, he'd never!" Amanda came to his defence "It's… it's this…"
She pulled out her hand, and I almost fainted. It looked like a deformed dogs paw. It was black, and the hands were fused together, looking like they were collapsing in on themselves.
"What'd you do?"
"Nothing"
"Doesn't look like nothing"
"Well… this sounds stupid even to me… I was looking at my hand, wondering what it would be like to have a dogs paw, and… it did this" She held up her hand, then realised we might not be alone and stuck it back into her jacket, out of sight.
"It does. But then again, after what we've seen…"
"I know"
"Hmm. Maybe Ithiell will know"
"Do you… think?"
"He's an alien. Of course!"
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We trekked up the small hill, Ithiell's cave suddenly popping into view. Inside, we saw a small fire going, and beside it Ithiell looked like he was meditating. The light from the fire illuminated his face in a way it made it almost scary. But I knew, Ithiell was harmless to us.
Amanda explained what happened to him, and then produced her hand. Ithiell's eyes widened and he bolted up like he'd seen a horde of ghosts.
"No… it cannot be…"
"What? What is it? Is it a disease?" I asked him. He shook his head.
"No. It's… you have shifted your hand into a dogs paw"
"Shifted? What?" Amanda looked terrified "Is there any way to reverse it!"
"Yes. Think of your hand… your real hand… in place of the dogs hand. Remember how it looked, how it felt… and hopefully, your hand will shift back"
She did, and we both nearly fell over from relief as it went back to normal.
"Now what's going on? What's this shifting business?" I pressed as we all sat around the fire again. Ithiell stared into the fire, thinking hard. Strange, how I'd gotten used to this blue thing beside me in only a matter of days.
"I… I am not sure. But… I believe, when your bodies absorbed my DNA, your own was altered. My Chanaiben characteristics seeped into your skin, not only mending you completely the first time, but giving you my abilities"
"Uh… in English, please?"
"My blood is now inside you. You are now Changelings as I am"
"Does someone have an English/alien dictionary around, cause I'm still not gettin' ya"
"It's… it's too hard to explain. Please, bring the boy… Robert, was it?... bring him here, and I will attempt to explain all"
"You'd better. I don't want this happening again" Amanda said, still staring at her hand like she could believe it was real.
"Oh, but it will. If I do not help you now, your lives will never be the same again"
"Oh goody" I muttered.
I really hope you're all liking this story. RR please so I know. Please? Pweety pwease?
