Vial 126

Chapter 14

I speed walked down the halls, my footsteps echoing behind me. I came to the first room. I opened the door and looked around the room. There was an bed against the far wall. It had ugly bedspread. Shelves with pointless trinkets and small machines lined the shelves. Pictures of various things were on the walls. They all looked like blueprints.
I opened the door to the next room down. Same stuff, but there were dirty hoodies and jeans on the floor.
The next door had a glass observation room and chemistry stuff all over the place. There were all different colors of vials.
"What the..." I gasped.
They are a bunch of freaking geniuses!
I think... Maybe this is not even their lab.
Well, on to the next room.
I walked down the hall some more to find a bunch of more bedrooms and 1 more lab.
I opened the door to the last bedroom. A small paper on the door read: Annie's room.
I think I was invading their privacy.
Oh, well.
Funny how easy it is for me to let things like this go.
Pictures of Annie were on the wall. One picture had Annie as a young girl, her hair was more red then.
I took another look at the room then walked back toward the door.
I feel kind of sick, so I sat down by the door.
I started to wonder about the others.
Just then I heard the dialing of the keypad lock.
I stood up and backed away from the door.
I fell down as a pounding headache came to me.
The high pitched squeak noise came back.
Oh great.
I started to run down the hall. I stumbled into a roll as I started to change again, but this time I continued to shrink and grew feathers.
I stopped shrinking and examined the new wings I had. I was a crow or some other kind of bird.
I started to panic, I tried to fly, but it turns out that I suck at flying and I fell to the ground.
I had an idea, I stopped and calmed down.
I counted in my head.
1,2,3,4,5...
I heard the door open.
6,7...
I heard talking
8...
Foot steps.
9...
The footsteps were getting closer.
10.
My body started to take form again.
I continued to calm myself.
When I was in full form again, I slowly stood up.
The others rounded the corner.
They freezed and relief flooded over all their faces, all but the newcomers. I still wasn't sure if they were on my side or not.
My friends ran toward me and pulled me into a huge hug.
"We were so worried about you! What happened?" Mika squealed.
"I don't really now." I said, "But I am sure glad it's over."
"Me too." Julius said.
"Well, what did decide about them?" I whispered to my friends, referring to the new people.
"We don't know." Nigel said.
"Let me go talk to them." I suggested, breaking free of the hug.
Suddenly a rush came to me.
'You can trust us, it's me, Annie. I was the one talking to you.' Someone said.
"What?" I asked.
"What? We didn't say anything." Reba said.
"Then who just..." I wondered.
'Me.' The voice said.
"You guys heard that, right?" I asked.
"What? I didn't hear anything." Eian asked.
I walked closer to Annie.
I gave her a questioning look.
"It was me. I was the voice all along. I can prove it, ask me anything." Annie said.
"What do you mean? How is this possible?" I asked.
"Look, I will explain it to you later." Annie said.
"When is later?" I asked.
"How about after we have a meal." Annie said.
"Well can't you give a brief exclamation?" I said. "I'm not even sure if I can trust you?"
"Look, they trapped us here in forced us to make a vial. They promised to let us go after we created a sort of knockout gas for the world. We weren't exactly sure why this, but it was our only way to freedom. But when they didn't let us go and we started to plan for our escape, but everything in here nailed together so I sent a connection waves to you little devices."
"This may be hard to believe, but I don't believe you." I said.
"It's true, they choose us to create the vial, it started out to be 7 of us, but..." Annie trailed off.
"You know what, I am hungry, I will get some food." I said, trying to change the subject.
I looked around and realized that everyone else had already gone.
Gone.
For some reason, the word reminded me of Steven.
The box.
I remembered the box he gave me.
"I will join you in a second." I said.
"How do I know that you aren't just going to raid the place?" Annie mocked.
I rolled my eyes and started to walk off. In search for a quiet place to look at the box, I opened a nearby door.
When I opened it I was pretty much scared for life.
I opened the door to see Mika and Eian kissing.
They stopped and looked startled as I opened the door.
We all grew wide eyed. They had been caught.
"Hi, Katherine. Wish I could stay and talk, but I think I hear my cow calling." Eian said as a lousy excuse as he ran out of the room.
I stared at Mika.
"Mom is not here, what did you expect." Mika said as she left the room. She probably went off with Eian again.
I didn't scar my mind for nothing, I was going to see what was in the box.
I sat down on the floor and pulled the tiny box out of my belt.
l opened the lid. A small note fluttered to the ground.
I reached down and picked it up. I unfolded it, the message read:

Dear Katherine,
Please forgive me for leaving you, but I was able to leave you this for explanations. I am a spy for v.r.a. I work undercover, it is what my dad did. The people that captured you were on your side, but we lost you guys after the bad people jumped us. This is bigger than you think. You have a gift, you need to use it. It is the only way to turn this battle around. There is a ring in the box, it is made out of a blend of rocks that will help you harness your power. Put it on and continue your quest.

- Steven Windbrush

I was in tears by the end of the message. I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked down at the box again.
Tissue paper was taped around a small object, I unraveled it cautiously. A small gold colored ring with a red gemstone on the top was laid in the paper.
The stone glinted. The deep cherry glow reflected on the wax paper.
I picked up the ring and examined it. I didn't see how this would help, although Steven gave his life for me, I should probably listen to the note.
I gently slid the ring onto my ring finger.
A tingling feeling spread across my body.
I felt sick again.
The ringing came back once more, but this came from a different source.
I was relying on the ring, hoping that my powers would stay under control.
As if on cue, my feet and the ends of my legs started to shorten.
My hair grew out and started the turn blonde.
The tingling feeling came back.
This didn't seem like the kind of transformation that had happened before, this was far slower.
Then suddenly it stopped, my transformation freezed.
I didn't understand. I wanted to know what I looked like.
I tried to stand up to walk to the nearest mirror, but I couldn't stand.
My legs were gone, they had shrunk to little stubs, I wore shorts and a tank top, both of which were too showy for me to wear in public.
I dragged myself forward. My weight dragged behind me.
I gave up and started to call for my friends.
The group was there in a second.
Mika stepped forward and let out a terrified squeak.
"Katherine, it's you." She said in a terrified voice.
"Of course it is, why do you sound so scared?" I asked.
"Because it's the old you. Your legs are gone! How will you fight?!" She exclaimed.
"What do you mean? How did this happen?" I asked, although I knew the answer. I had went to my original body because of the ring.