Chapter 1

-And so it begins-

Not letting up, I keep running, I don't even know what I'm doing running in the first place. I try to turn and see what, if anything is behind me, but to no avail my head stays locked in place. I can feel a faint feeling in my body... Anger? Fear? Sorrow? There's like a hole in me somewhere, I can't even try to describe it. I keep running, running, and running. Then something starts to appear before me. A... Head? I saw a faceless head just floating in front of me. Without reasoning I just reach out for it, like as if I wanted to hold it. A set of eyes open up on the head then a mouth opens calling me, "Kevin." It would have shocked me, but I feel like I expected it. Looking into its deep blue eyes, I find myself getting lost just staring. As my hand is about to touch the face, everything just blacks out...

I open up my eyes to find myself back in my room, wiping the drool stains off my face. That dream happened again, it's been happening every other night recently now. I check my room again to make sure that I woke up. It's still as clean as I remembered it to be. The sun trying to come in from my small window, just giving enough light to see in my room. I pull of my sheets and jump out of bed to make my way to the bathroom. I hope this dream thing blows over, it's taking up way to much of my dreams and I'm starting to get mixed feelings. Looking at the bathroom mirror, I see my brown eyes looking back at me. I'm still 5,11" with my short bed hair. My Face, it reeks always of that one tired look. Maybe I just need a more peaceful sleep to fix that. Looking at the time remembering I have work today at 10:30am. Its 9:30am, Crap... Starting to rush, I only have an Hour to get ready and walk to work. I stop daydreaming so I can focus on not being late for work.

...

...Shit! Almost tripping over a raised Tree root as I run through the forest, I can't even think of what happens if I do fall. Looking back to my pursuers I see that they haven't lost any ground chasing me. My body is starting to feel heavy and soggy, that Snow is finally getting to me now. If I don't lose them now I'm going to cause more damage to myself than they will. I try to look around, trying to finding anything that can help me lose them. spotting a small stream up head, maybe I can lose them in the water, but what if I get too slow and they can catch me? "You have to try." I hear Laura speaking to me again. Keeping at my same pace I make my way over some Roots and rotten logs to get to that Stream. I don't even have to look back, I know they didn't even slow down, they haven't for the last mile or so. As I reach the stream, I just jump into it. It's pretty cold but it's bearable. Without losing much speed I continue to run in the water. With all that gear they have they can't possibly keep up with me in the water. I turn around in horror when I hear the splashing and see them not losing any distance. What the hell are these people? Before I can think any deeper about them the water suddenly gets deeper to a point I can't run, and the water starts to pick me up and carry me downstream. I can't control myself anymore I have to try to not get caught on anything in the water. Wait, the stream begins to come to an end as the water starts to drop down. I see some rocks barely over the surface of the water and I cling to them with all my might. Taking one more look around my surroundings I see that guards with the same suits at my pursuers. have both the sides of the stream locked up. "No escape now, X-34." I see one of the guards walk up closer to the water, I guess he's the leader or something. He continues, "Look, this waterfall is about a Mile long, you can't just jump off or you'll die from the fall. Just come back to the lab with us." I shout to him, "I can't go back! You know what she'll do to me!" He starts to take off his helmet, all I see is what looked to be like a half human, half panther mutant face. "You think we don't know that? While you were gone she's been experimenting on us too." He responds. She... She did it to them too now? That must be why they could keep up with me, but even if I go back I'll just be experimented on more and more... "Jump." Laura? I can't just jump, what if we- "I know you don't want to, but we have to try. I don't want to go back ether." Alright fine. I let go of the rock and start to get carried away. The guards cringe and the leader calls out. "You don't have to do this! We can wo-" As I went under I couldn't hear him anymore, the water was rushing past my ears. The water stopped pulling me and I was starting to fall. As much as I want to live, I think with Laura by my side always, I can just face anything, even death. I feel the water thinning out then I just blacked out.

"Yo!" One of my co-workers shouts out. "They got another box of damaged goods! It's your turn for first picks this week!" About time, it's felt like forever since I got that privilege. "Thanks for letting me know." I respond. Shutting my locker I head over to the backend of the store to see what's in the box this time. Looking over the large watermelon Storage box I find a lot of food items with cracked, dented, and broken containers as usual. Doing more digging to see anything else, I find some slightly stained Bath towels, Could use those since my other ones are pretty old, a broken first aid kit, could use the Band-Aids, and some stained clothes. Taking just the Towels and First Aid kit I start packing in my bag and head out of the backdoor going home. Checking the time on my phone once more, 5:17 PM. I better start getting home before it gets too dark to see. Coming out of the store I find that the sun is setting as usual over the snowy mountains in the distance, it always looks pretty nice whenever I'm coming from work... I walk around the back of the store back to the main roads, going past my small town that I live down the road from. Reaching the end of the town I make sure I didn't leave anything at my Job, patting down my pockets, I Got my: 1.Phone, 2.Keys, 3.Wallet. I'm all set to go as I resume walking to the road that leads me back home. Today didn't really get to cool, it was really boring actually, I've been working and living here for almost a year now and noting amazing has happened to me. Same Low pay, same people that shop at the store, same route home, it is really starting to get boring. Starting to stare blankly at the Forest on my side of the road, I start drifting off in a daydream. Maybe I'll just go home and just play some more video games with my friends. I've been meaning to get some more Raids in anyway. I look to the River that's slowly forming almost always hidden away from the road. Maybe I might uncover some really cool- I stop dead in my tracks, making sure I was seeing this right. I see a body or something on the side of the river.

I try to get a better look at it, without moving from the road. It looked like an animal, a wolf at that. Funny thing is wolves don't really come down this close to the open roads. Maybe if I can go in closer I can see if it's really a wolf. Common sense begins to kick in and I start thinking if this is a stupid idea just to see if it's alive, with that being a wild animal and all. I keep moving closer past the small wall of trees, ignoring it. Getting close enough to get a much better look over whatever this is, it is in fact a wolf, just... As I get close enough to touch it I see it's some type of humanoid animal or something. It has Fur like a wolf, Covered all over its body with a like aged copper color on the fur. It- or rather she from noticing the um... Cleavage... from her Rough tonic she's wearing, her face resembles that of a wolf just with a smaller muzzle. Remembering that she may not still be alive I almost go into a panic. Going over my Health class lessons I recite my teaching. To begin with I check her pulse from her wrist. It's really faint but she's still alive. Moving up to her muzzle I check her breathing, it's also as faint as the heartbeats. Unsure of what to do, I start to set up to do CPR just in case she has any water in her lungs. Without too much effort, I get my hands below her chest and start doing some compressions. Please, don't quit on me now, I think to myself. After 23 compressions she starts to cough up some water and I pull back as she comes back to conciseness. Starting to move on her own she pulls herself up a bit, opening her tense blue eyes looking at me. I see her mouth start to move. "Who the hell are you, Pervert?"

Almost as if a dagger to my gut I cringe, but I let out a "Kevin" in the process. She starts to sit up and I see her shriving a bit. Oh! The Towels I have! Reaching into my bag she flinches, and shouts "Hey! What are you trying now!?" Feeling smaller, I take them out and explain I have some towels she can use to dry off. "Why did you have the towels in the first place?" She questions. Feeling some type of hidden Hostility from her, I tell her that I picked them up from work. Looking at me blankly, she then sighs and accepts the towels. She starts to talk while drying off. "So, where are we anyway?" I open up my mouth but before any sound can come out she cuts me off. "Never mind, as long as I made it away almost anyplace is good. What's the plan now Pervert?" Another Dagger to my guts, but shaking it off I ask her name. "Jill, but what's that going to matter to you? You and me are just going our ways now." Jill starts to try to get up but her legs aren't letting her and she starts to just lie back down. It must be Hypothermia, I try to explain to her that if I leave her out like this she isn't going to make it far. "Alright, so what's the plan then Kevin?"

Holding my chin I try to think of the best options. Well I can just get her back to the town, but then again who know what she'll do or how the people are going to react. What if I just take her back to my place? I am "Living on my own" so no problem there. Looking back to Jill I ask if she's ok if I can take her to my place. "Oh, plan to grope me in your house now, huh? Well I don't have much of a say since YOU are carrying me." Oh crap, I forgot she can't even walk. Well I have to hope I can carry her home without passing out. Taking off my coat I give it to Jill to wear over her while I carry her back home. After she's struggles a bit to put it on her shoulders I crouch down and wrap her arms around my neck, then picking her up by the thighs lifting her up. "How far is it?" She questions. I tell her not too far, about half a mile on the road. Jill sighs, and then responds. "You better not try anything funny on the way, I can still move a bit." I'm not too worried that she can do any actually damage to me but I'll try not to disturb her in anyway. We both stay quiet as I take one of the back paths that run through the forest, trying to avoiding any type of contact. After what seemed like almost an hour, I can see familiar grounds, and the yard to where my family lives.

Jill starts to look over my shoulder and whispers, "So, is this it?" It really wasn't much to begin with, just about an acre of mildly kept land. A main house which is where my Parents and Siblings live in is closer to the road and a smaller house in the back where I live at. I look around to make sure my Parents and siblings aren't outside or watching from the windows. Looks like they may have all went out. Moving to my front door I struggle to find my keys with Jill on my back but managed to find them. In almost disappointment I open the door to my junky living room. I Jill let out a laugh, "I thought it would be worse, with like freaking rats just shitting around the place!" she chuckles. I swear if words were swords, I'd be dead by now. I walk over and lower her on my sofa with some relief. "Hey, this place isn't too bad. But now I'm hungry... Do you have any red meat or something?" The next time I see another body I'm just going to have to leave it... I ignore her pleas of food and get some blankets, at least she shouldn't be so cold anymore. I toss them over to her and I make my way to my kitchen. I start to remember I didn't really have much to begin with, just mostly good cheese and juices. Pouring a cup of Raspberry and Banana smoothie and putting a few slices of Swiss cheese on a plate. Walking back over to her I see her wrapped up in all the blankets reclined on my sofa. "What the hell is this crap?" she grumbles. Food I tell her. Making an annoyed face she accepts the food and stays silence. I pull out my phone to check the time, 8:42 PM. Did that much time just past by? Leaving Jill in the Living room I yell out to her I'm going to bed and shut my door. I hope I didn't miss out on any of the events on Monster Chaser, it's really a pain to have to wait again to it tomorrow. Powering on my PC as I get comfortable in my chair, getting more and more lost in the techy world...

...

A Group of armed Guards return to a small well-guarded research compound. They head into one of the smaller buildings inside. After going down 3 Floors in the basement they reach a long hallway with many doors, with all diffent beastly sounds coming from them. As they walk through the hallways, some pleas of help were heard from some of the doors, but ignoring it they continue on to the last door in the hallway without much care. The lead Guard pulls out a I.D. and swipes it on the door I.D. pad then punches in the PIN and an audible "click" is heard. As he opens the door a Female scientist can be seen sitting at a desk with many monitors. They all carefully work their way around all the lab equipment and tables. "So you made it back home, eh?" Before any of them could respond she states: "I want you to TELL ME EVERYTHING that happened while you were tracking her down." One of the guards takes off their helmets and a human/panther face appears before her. "Well, after you told the 2nd the cords, they couldn't keep up with her so then you sent us out ahead of where she was running too." He explains. "That I already knew. Tell me about what happened AFTER you got her to the waterfall..." The scientist exclaims. The panther continues, "Once we split up and got her to the river she was on the rocks just before the waterfall. Before we could even move in to catch her she fell down the waterfall..." "So I assume you stopped the chase right there? Well just for your information she DID live after the drop. Don't ever just give up just because you think she died. Even if they were to die I WANT THE BODY retrieved for the archives!" she shouts to them. "But never mind, at least I have SOMEONE to experiment on..." She looks over to the guards behind him as they cringe. She whispers "Unless you want to be fed to 'VII' he hasn't had any real food that fights back in a while... I'm Sure he'll enjoy it..." All of the guards shake their heads and the Scientist grim with a hidden joy. "You won't be able to choose the next time you fail. Now take off all the armor, I've already have the Vials and Shots ready, so no slacking!" She shouts at them. As they being to strip a door that's heavily bolted and locked in farther down the room begins to rumble quite a bit, and though the food port a large toothy grim appears.