The Monster

Chapter 5

I ran for miles and miles with only a few water breaks. I stopped when the sun rose and thought about what I'd do. I wouldn't be able to go anywhere. I thought heard about the lab and how they tore it down. I didn't know anyone except for Oliver, but who knew where he was. The scientist didn't have any living relatives that he would talk about. I hadn't thought this through. I didn't know what I was doing, but at least I got out. I caught a whiff of the faint smell of people and gasoline. I was near a city. I put on one of the hoodies I brought and a pair of sunglasses. The only thing people recognized about me was my hair, my eyes and my teeth. I knew that there was occasional human that would wear fake, pointy blue nails and blue lipstick. I just had to be careful about my appearance. I found a road and followed it. I saw the sign. 'Welcome to California'. I walked along the road for a while until I saw big buildings in the distance. I stopped and thought if I wanted to keep going. I did. Among people would be the best place to hide. After sundown, I got to the city. A car whizzed past me on the road and people walked by without so much as a glance at me.

"Lost little lady?" a man behind me asked. I turned around. He was taller than me. I smelled the malicious intent wafting from him.

"No, I'm just walking home," I lied, trying to keep my teeth as hidden as possible.

"I can walk you," he said. I shook my head and kept walking. He grabbed my hand and spun me around. I kicked him in the crotch out of pure defense and ran as fast as I could away from him. I walked into a brightly lit dinner and sat down at one of the booths next to the big windows. One of the waitresses walked over to me.

"Hello, welcome to Sammy's Dinner. What can I get for you?" she asked looking at the notepad in her hand, waiting for my answer.

"I'm still looking," I said. She nodded and walked away. I took my sunglasses off carefully and got a few stares from people. As far as they knew, I was just a weird woman who liked wearing colored contact lenses. I saw the man outside of the diner. I casually picked up a menu and discreetly hid behind it. He didn't notice me. I felt my stomach growl and tasted the dryness of my mouth. I looked at the menu. They had all kinds of drinks and foods. Good thing I decided to come in here. I could get some food to go so I wouldn't risk people seeing my teeth. I walked over to the counter with my menu.

"Hi, can I get a bottle of apple juice and a cheese and chicken sandwich to go?" I asked. The man behind the counter nodded.

"And what would you like on your sandwich?" he asked, finger hovering over the buttons on the register.

"Just the cheese and chicken," I said.

"What kind of cheese? We have mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack," he said.

"Mozzarella," I said. He wrote down my order and I paid for it. He came back with a brown paper bag a few moments later.

"Here you go, thank you for coming to Sammy's Dinner," he said. I nodded and smiled without showing my teeth. I walked around town to find an empty place to eat. I sat down in an alley and unwrapped my sandwich. The smell of cheese, chicken, bread and cat pee filled my nose. The cat pee was from the alley. I took a bite and forgot how good food could taste. I heard cans rattle off to my left, near the street and people. My ears twitched and I wrapped up my sandwich. I put it away in my backpack and took the first sip of my juice. I put that away and pretended like I didn't hear anything. I thought it was that guy from earlier. I got frustrated and looked around in the dim lighting. I could see, but not too well. I had pretty good night vision, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I relaxed and leaned against the brick wall. A voice off to my left startled me.

"Why are you here?" It was deep. Definitely male. I could hear his heartbeat was slow and calm.

"Who wants to know?" I asked. The man stepped out of the shadows, where I couldn't see. I felt my stomach twist. He was dressed in riot gear, like the people at the research facility. He held a rifle in both hands.

"Novia, you're coming with us," he said.

"Never!" I shrieked and ran past him, shoving him into the wall and bolted down the streets. People screamed as they recognized me. My hair trailed behind me, my sunglasses long gone. I saw a white van drive alongside me. The window rolled down.

"Novia, stop. You're scaring the innocent civilians. Please come with us," a man yelled.

"No. I can't. I promised," I yelled back. I promised the scientist that I wouldn't let anyone find out. I wouldn't let another of me be made. I ran down an alley and found the exit blocked by other men. I turned to the other way. I was trapped.

"You can't do this to me!" I cried hysterically, "I won't let the experiments go on!" A woman, the same woman who met me before this mess, walked out in front of the men blocking the way I came in.

"If you resist, we'll have to force you to test," she said. I shook my head, desperately trying to find a way out of this.

"Why do you need to test me?" I demanded, "Why do you need my blood?"

"We don't want to waste time doing the physical tests. We have more lab equipment to look at your DNA to compare it to humans, pure humans," she said.

"I promised!" I screamed, making an attempt to run through the wall of me. I was tackled and pinned to the dirty ground.

"Let me go!" I pleaded, "Please! Let me go!"