Escape

My breath is heavy, and the concrete is cold on my feet. The five of us pant as we run through the dark hallway, the alarm loud and echoing through this hell hole, “Which way?!” Julia shouts. We all look to Andy; Andy is the one who is going to get us out of here.

“This way,” Andy motions to us. The five of us have become friends in this compound made of grey brick. We aren’t wolves here, were numbers. A private company practices genetics on us. It’s time to escape, we are getting out. We won’t let them hurt us any longer.

“It’s just a little further,” he tells us, and we follow him, looking for the door that holds our escape.

I was the one to snatch this keycard. We all hatched a plan a month ago to get out of here; we had to. The experiments are getting more extreme as we get older.

Last month was the last straw; we can no longer stay in this lab. We are used to the experiments, it’s why they bred us here but last month, they gave us a drug that made us all turn on each other. We are best friends, more like family. We aren’t allowed to talk to any other wolf here and we don’t have parents.  The drug forced us to try to tear each other apart; all just for their sick games. Colt is already weak from what they give him and he almost died.

We no longer want to be puppets.

Suddenly, gunfire blazes and we all scream as Andy finds the door and opens it. Light blinds us and we look outside. This is the first time any of us have seen the outside of the compound that holds us; besides the outdoor fenced yard that we fight and train in.

Gunfire blazes past me, the bullets whistle by my ears as we step outside and run, “FASTER!” Andy screams. We all hail to his calls and run into the sun, running away from this place. Only when we get far enough do we realize one of us is missing.

“Where’s Colt?!” I ask, stumbling and out of breath. We all turn around, looking but he is nowhere to be found, “COLT!” I scream but Andy covers my mouth, “Hush, we need to get away!” Tears fill my eyes. The plan was for all five of us to get away.

My best friend was left behind.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

The alarm wakes me from my nightmare and tears stream down my face, “Colt.” I whisper to myself. The room is dark, and I roll over, turning off my alarm. The nightmare was harsh, and I am almost glad to be back to my new life, if only it wasn’t hell too.

I quietly get up and sneak out of the room, I need to make breakfast for the rest of the children. I age out of here in only three days and I have no idea what the future holds. Where will I go? I haven’t a clue. I am a werewolf that’s been hiding in this human orphanage for 9 years. They found me out in the wilderness naked and cold. No one knows what I am, and they never will.

I flip the eggs and get the toast out of the toaster, setting the plates on the table when a creak is heard behind me. I gasp and turn around to see Lila, “You scared me to death!” I whisper yell. She giggles and smiles, “Sorry, I was just seeing if you needed any help.”

I smile but then frown, “No, if Mrs. Stevenson catches you helping me, we’ll both get punishment. Go back to bed. I’ll be up soon to wake you all.” Lila sighs but turns on her heel. I wish she could help me, but Mrs. Stevenson says since I am aging out, I need to learn how to be an adult. I need to take care of the 29 other children here and figure out the world. In reality, I think she just likes having a break.

Mrs. Stevenson is a cruel woman. She hates children which is funny since she runs an orphanage.

I set the table and the food and hear another creak, “Lila,” I start but when I turn, there she is. She is wearing a moo-moo and her grey hair is still in braids, “Lila?!” she questions. I take a step back and shake my head, “No, Mam. Lila is sleeping. I am sorry.”

She huffs and rolls her eyes, “Where is my coffee?” she asks, looking at the pot. I rush over and begin to make it when I feel a sting on my back, “That should have already been done.” She says, holding the whip she just lashed me with.

My eyes sting with tears that threaten to fall but I shake my head, “I know, I am sorry.” I apologize again.

She rolls her eyes, “Sorry gets you nowhere in the real world, remember that.”

I nod and make her coffee, almost shaking but then I remember I am almost out of here and I have survived worse. Flashes of the lab enter my mind and I shake them off; a whip is nothing compared to what they used to do to us.

I hand her the cup and she smiles evilly, “Three days and you will leave here with nothing. You’ll thank me one day.”

I nod and she smirks, walking past me, “Wake the other children and get them ready for the day and chores.”

“Yes, Mam”

She walks out of the room, and I let a few tears fall and then put the food down on the dining room table.

Three days, three days and I’ll be free. I can make it and I can get through this.

Suddenly, I feel cold, and I drop the pitcher of milk, falling to the floor as my body seizes. I have no control over my movements as the vivid, terrifying picture comes racing through my mind. Flames are burning the orphanage and I am watching. Screams are heard from inside, but I can’t get to them, I can’t save them. I can smell the thick smoke. It burns my lungs and I scream but that’s not all of it, there’s a shadow figure by the door that’s on fire. It’s tall and familiar and my heart pounds when I see it. Who is this?

“Maddie, snap out of it!” I hear Lila’s voice calling me out. I open my eyes and I am wet and sticky “What the hell happened?” I ask her. She sighs, “I don’t know but we need to get this cleaned up before she comes down.”

I look at the floor, it’s covered in milk and so am I. I am shaking and I feel scared of what I just saw, “Hurry, go change and I’ll deal with this.” Lila tells me.

I have tears in my eyes, but she urges me again, “She is busy now, go. We won’t get caught.” I nod and run upstairs to change.

I escaped that hell 9 years ago but found a different one. What I just saw terrifies me. I have been seeing lots of things like that lately and they haven’t been dreams

 they have been visions of the future.

And this one just told me everyone I love and know dies at the hands of the shadow.