I Am A Monster

I Am A Monster : Chapter 4

Chapter 4

We sneak downstairs so quietly that it's like we're not there. We hear the deep, slow breathing of people around us. Several pairs of eyes glow in the dark, but they look so glazed and tired that I decide that they're sleeping with their eyes open. But we both pause nonetheless, Amari's strong, pale hand gripping mine, until their eyelids finally droop, and then, slowly, eventually, close. She leads me through the darkness until we get to a facedown person, his head on his arm in a crude makeshift pillow. His hair is long, shaggy, straight, and brown, he's wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans like Amari, and black, worn leather boots, like a coyboy. They're filled with dirt and covered in mud but he wears them all the same. His face looks slack and peaceful as the weak moonlight shines through the windows. Amari leans close and whispers, "Marcus."

The boy's eyes snap open. His eyes are green like Amari's. He searches through her eyes and then hugs her. I raise my eyebrows at her, but she just whispers, "He's my brother, Bree!"

Immediately, Marcus looks around, and his bright, piercing green eyes focus on me. "Who's this?" he asks. "Who's--Bree?"

"A friend," Amari replies soothingly. "Are you okay?"

He flexes his muscles and stretches. "A few things are stiff, but nothing's broken," he whispers. "Let's just go."

Amari helps him up and grips his arm in hers, holding mine tightly with her other hand. We slowly make it across the floor, Marcus staggering, like he's weak. Amari, on the other hand, looks as healthy and strong as an ox. She helps keep us going as we make our way across the cold stone floor. It feels like forever, but finally we get to the doors.

"How do we open the door quietly?" I ask Amari. Panic bubbles inside. We never discussed this.

Amari curses. Then she wears a thinking expression. I can almost see the gears turning in her head. I think myself. There are no windows down low enough. Any sound we make will echo across the room and wake up the entire guard. The silence is tense. We're all breathing slowly, trying to control our fear. I can tell I'm not the only one on the verge of panic by looking at Marcus's face.

For a few minutes we stand there, frozen, until Amari finally whispers, "I know!"

She leads us to the space where I recognize immediately as the slot that the soldier had spoken through earlier. I've already forgotten his name. Dr. Gramm, maybe? No, that's not right. Dr. Graham? Probably.

She slides it forward slowly and quietly. It's about a foot, completely square. Amari lets go of Marcus's hand and slips through. Marcus follows. I go last. Once we're out, I gratefully breathe in the warm, clean air.

"We need to morph," says Amari. Then she turns to her brother. "You sure you have the strength, or...?"

He nods. Then he morphs into a dark, pitch black wolf.

"I'm brown," she tells me, "which will help me blend in the dark. What color are you?"

"Any," I say, "I'm a Free-Morpher."

She gasps. "Really? Wow!"

I look around nervously and then admonish, "You need to be quiet. There might be someone out there. I feel...exposed." It's true. The second I stepped out of the castle, I feel like a million pairs of eyes are all turned towards me, watching my every move.

"Me, too," she agrees in a whisper before morphing into a brown wolf. Both she and her brother stare at me, their bulbous yellow eyes slightly impatient. I sigh and imagine the color of Amari's human hair. My wolf self happily obliges and I morph into a large wolf with short, jet-black fur.