Hi! Third chapter is here! Hope you like it! (even though it is a bit supernatural).


"Bryan?"

"Hi Mariah. Um...d'you want to...do something?"

"Like what?" Bryan shrugged.

"I don't know. Do you want to go on any of the games? Or...we could go bowling, if you want..."

"Well I was -going- to go on Dancing Stage but Tala's on it." Said Mariah, spitting out Tala's name sarcastically.

"What's wrong with Tala?"

"I hate him!" Bryan turned to her fully, frowning.

"Why do you hate him?"

"He's a SLUT! And he said he'd hit me!"

"I'm sure he didn't. Tala's not like that. You must have mistaken what he meant."

"He was in bed with my -brother-!"

"You were in bed with me. What's so wrong about it?"

"Because I don't like him! He made Lee get angry with me!" Mariah hissed. Bryan shifted away from her.

"Are you sure it was Tala's fault? Or did you do something to annoy your brother that had nothing to do with Tala?"

"See Bry, what she -isn't- telling you is that she smacked me off a wall and knocked me out. And then she called me a freak again. And a slut. And I wasn't even being slutty, because I didn't sleep with Lee at all. So get your facts right, you horrible pink -disease-."

Mariah turned and lashed out at Tala, catching him across the face. He put a hand to his cheek and drew it away. There was a scuff of blood along one of his fingers. He took a deep breath, trying to control himself, but he was too angry. He grabbed Mariah and lifted her bodily off the floor. "WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" He shook her forcefully. "KEEP YOUR FUCKING HANDS AWAY FROM ME! I WARNED YOU!"

"Oh my God-"

"He's lost it-"

"What's he going to do-?"

"He's gone mad-"

"Oh God-" Whispers ran around the large room, and people abandoned their games to watch as Tala stood there shaking with fury, holding Mariah a few inches off the floor. His eyes glittered with passion and anger, and he looked almost dangerous.

"Tala, stop it!" Yelled Bryan, grabbing at Tala's wrist. Tala swung round and raised a foot, slamming it into Bryan's chest and knocking him to the floor. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM YOU STUCK UP PINK BITCH!" He screamed, whipping his head round and glaring deep into Mariah's eyes. She struggled and whimpered and Tala seemed to suddenly regain control of himself. "W-What am I doing?" He let go of Mariah and backed away. "I-I..."

"You freak..." Hissed Mariah. Tala bared his teeth.

"Shut the fuck up, you stupid cow! Just stop talking!"

"You slut..." Mariah advanced on him and he closed his eyes, trying to shut her out.

"Shut up! Stop it!"

"You bastard..." Tala's eyes shot open, and everyone gasped. His pupils were no longer blue- they were red... The whites of his eyes were no longer white- they were red too, only a darker, bloodier red. He shuddered and stepped away. "Stay back! Don't...don't come near me..." He fell to his knees, and clutched at the floor. His fingers went through it with a screeching scraping noise.

Needless to say, Lee was shocked by what he saw when he came out of the toilet- he had gone in when Tala was on Dancing Stage and Bryan and Mariah were by the bowling stands, and as he came out all he could see was Tala kneeling, hands buried in the floor, with Mariah standing over him, hissing. "Mariah! Get away from him!" Mariah obeyed, and not a second too soon- as she retreated Tala stood up, panting, fingernails growing out into two inch long claws, baring his teeth, which appeared to be growing too. "I told you to shut up..." Whispered Tala, voice slightly muffled by his teeth. "I can't control my temper...at biovolt...they..." He looked down at his claws and howled with sadness.

In the silence that followed, Tala collapsed to the floor, a shaking, shuddering, tearful heap. There was a soft clicking and he felt warm hands close around his waist, pulling him up into a loving embrace. "Tala, it's okay. Tala, Tala calm down. It's okay. I'm here." Someone stroked his hair and held him tighter, then let go of him slightly. He looked up into Lee's concerned face and degenerated into sobs again. "I can't help it! I can't stop myself!" He tugged himself out of Lee's grip and ran, executing a gravity defying leap across the heads of several people and pelting away into the darkness outside the hotel.


He climbed the wall of the hotel, digging his claws into the stone of the building and hauling himself up to his own balcony. He collapsed into the room, then crawled to the drawers and pulled out the nail kit. He attacked his claws with the nail scissors, tearing them off and leaving his fingernails at something approaching their normal length. He was still shaking; it had been so long since he'd lost his temper like that...so long since anything like that had happened...he'd forgotten how disgusting it felt... And he'd hit Bryan...and he'd assaulted Mariah...and no-one even knew why...they probably all thought he was insane or something, but... He sobbed brokenly, curled up into a little ball of hurt. It wasn't his fault! He hadn't asked to be the next step from the experiments they'd done on Bryan! Bryan had been able to get therapy, and he, Tala, was stuck with this...this monster...trapped in his genes forever!

He curled himself up tighter, feeling nothing short of awful. He could hear voices from somewhere far below him. "Look, claw marks!"

"He's gone back to our room...come on..."

Bryan, how could you betray me like that? He wondered, burying his face in his knees and clutching at his head, hands slitting through his hair. He was so scared...what would they do to him? Would they-

"Tala?" The door opened and he found himself sitting in a shaft of light from outside. He scrambled to his feet and held out his hands, as if trying to keep the world away. Bryan and Lee were standing just inside the doorway. "No..." He whispered hoarsely. "No...Go away...leave me alone..." His eyes glowed, reflecting the sliver of light and he backed away, into the shadows. Someone else walked in, someone... "Mariah-!" He choked. He felt a tugging sensation at his fingertips and his nails started growing out again. He whimpered and backed away further, feeling sick.

"Tala...Tala what did they do to you?" Asked Bryan, stepping forwards. Tala turned away, scared beyond belief. What would happen now? What would they do to him? He ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind himself, leaning against it. He felt his breath coming in sharp gasps, looked around, panicking. Someone banged on the door and he cowered. "Tala, open the door!"

"No! L-l-leave me alone!"

Someone pushed against the door but he held it closed, back pressed up against it, feet rammed under the skirting board. Someone else joined the pushing and he held them back as well. Fear added to his already magnified strength, so that even when they both pushed they couldn't move the door an inch. Tala sat there, mind reeling. They were coming for him, they were going to-

The window clattered and he cowered again. "Tala...I-I'm sorry..." Tala uncurled himself marginally and found Mariah standing over him, looking anxious. He covered his face again and sobbed in terror. "D-Don't hurt me...it's n-not my fault..." He begged. Mariah knelt down beside him and took hold of his hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling you names, and I'm sorry for thinking bad things about you."


Aww, poor little Tala! I was mean to him...but it gets better, promise!