Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 2-1

My reflexes might not be what they used to be, unless stress and exhaustion had lessened them. Anyway, I had only taken three steps when she was already jumping on me and I found myself on my stomach on the ground, immobilized by her weight. I tried to disengage her, I struggled, but nothing worked. Really curious. I was about five centimetres taller and ten kilos heavier than her, I should normally have had the upper hand. However, it would seem that in close combat, technique prevailed over the physical and regarding my skill level, to be honest, I was close to zero.

I had lived a precarious life for much of my life, but had always favored the gentle way over violence, or opted for fleeing as a last resort. Which, until now, had been quite successful for me - although at that very moment, I started to regret it. This surrealist situation had almost amused me at some point, but was now taking a less and less pleasant turn now that I found my head buried in my carpet.

I tried again to free myself and tried to unbalance her, without success. Especially since a dull pain hammered my temples and each sudden movement made my heart beat under my skull, preventing me from defending myself to the best of my ability. I must have hit my head harder than I thought when the madwoman hit me on the ground.

- 'Get off me! But what is it you want from me anyway?' I protested in a voice, who I hoped would not let my weakness show through.

- 'Pff... I told them it would be a waste of time!' she grumbled for herself as she pulled me back abruptly, my wrists trapped in her hands.

I had the impression that my brain remained on the ground, while my body suddenly found itself in an upright position. The furious pounding that reasoned in my skull intensified as my vision filled with a multitude of small yellow dots. I quickly closed my eyes to stop seeing the walls swaying around me, hoping that it would ease my headaches and nausea. She held me against her with an firm grip, my arms always behind my back. The position was not the most comfortable and I honestly believe that if she hadn't held me, I would have collapsed.

- 'Stop shaking me if you don't want me to throw up on you,' I moaned as she tried to push me to the door with the obvious intention of taking me with her.

- 'And that's what's supposed to help us... Pathetic!' she whispered coldly behind my back, granting me a little extra jolt.

I quickly closed my eyes and repressed a moan of helplessness. There was no way I was going to let that crazy woman take me away. As it was obvious that I had no chance of taking over physically, I had to try to reason with her. Which wasn't going to be easy because I was already having trouble concentrating so I could stand up without vomiting!

- 'It's okay... I understand you're not messing around. If you let go, I promise to listen to what you have to say to me,' I said in a trembling voice, which sounded like a plea in my ears and annoyed me.

Even though I had very good reasons for having a shaky voice, I hated feeling weak. I began to open my mouth to plead my cause again, when to my great surprise, I felt her grip weaken, and eventually loosen up as she pushed me abruptly forward. I was obviously not the only one paranoid, even though I hadn't done anything to attack her until now, unlike her.

The instant our skins were no longer in contact, the pulsating and disabling pain in my skull seemed to magically vanish, taking away my weakness and nausea, giving me back my full capacity for reflection. What the hell was that? With a face, I pulled my painful arms forward and backed away, making sure not to take my eyes off her. Obviously, given the size of the apartment and especially the living room, I didn't go very far and was quickly stopped by the sofa that came to bump into my legs. Although I felt much better, I was still a little restless, and it was with a shaky hand that I massaged my wrists. One thing was for sure, she had a hell of a grip!

We stood there staring at each other for long minutes without saying a word. While this heavy silence was getting on my nerves increasingly, it didn't seem to disturb "Blondie" who, always so stoic, seemed to be able to stay there for hours at a time, without it being a problem. She smiled arrogantly when she surprised yet another one of my glances at the door.

- You're not stupid enough to try to run away again, are you? I thought you were supposed to listen to what I had to say?'

- 'Yes, and I'm still waiting,' I replied with a loud voice.

- 'You could invite me to sit down?' she challenged me before moving in a cat-like manner towards the chair, where she sat down nonchalantly and crossed her long legs.

- 'Obviously you don't need an invitation! Not to sit down, not even to get in here, for that matter. What are you going to ask me after that? A cup of coffee? Why don't you stop playing games and give me the real reason you're here?'

I snorted and provoked her, but in fact I was a little afraid. After her little show of strength, I knew I had hardly any chance of running away, unless I distracted her long enough to foul her or knock her out, either way. Though, let's be frank, if the second option came to me, I would grasp it without hesitation and with pleasure.

Starting to feel a little silly standing in front of my couch, I sat down and tried to take a classy and relaxed pose. Which, in a bathrobe, was a lost cause! What was I playing at in the end? If there was one thing I didn't feel, it was relax! So I stopped pretending to enter her little game and suddenly got up to grab the phone placed on a wobbly table not far from the sofa.

She didn't move, she didn't even have a tremor. Only the cold and disturbing flash that flickered through her eyes made me realize that, no matter what I decided, she would not give me time to finish it. I stood there, holding the phone with a shaky hand and prepared to try my luck anyway, when I saw emotions on her face that I had never thought I would see. Discouragement, fear and resignation. It didn't fit the character very well, so I found myself confused for a moment. A moment in which she took the opportunity to put her cold, impersonal mask back on and to get up in one smooth movement. To my surprise, she did not come to take the phone out of my hands. She just turned her back on me and walked towards the door.

- You're leaving?' I asked stupidly before I had time to stop myself.

I immediately regretted it, because she stopped as soon as the words came out of my mouth. I was finally about to get rid of her and I was holding her back... What an idiot!

- 'I obviously have no chance to convince you or reason with you. So I'm not going to waste any more time in your company,' she said in a hard voice without even looking back. 'I don't even know why he thought you'd be interested in your origins... Pff... You're not even aware of what you are!'

The nasty tone and unfriendly look she gave me chilled me, but not as much as her last sentence.

- 'Excuse me? What did you say?' I asked in a breath, while putting the phone back.

I was aware that I was certainly falling into a trap, but it was stronger than me. This woman, whoever she was, had obviously looked into my personal background and knew very well which button to press to make me react quickly. The question was: why hadn't she done it before?

- 'This is the first time you've mentioned my past... Why now?'

- 'I talked about your origins, not your past. Have you never wondered why you are different?'