The Animagem (Complete)

Chapter 2, Prudence

When Alex came to, she couldn't feel her hands, it was as if someone had frozen her wrist so that it couldn't move. She opened her eyes, everything was so big, like she was permanently looking through a magnifying glass. She tried to get up and could not, so she stood on all fours. She thought about how ridiculous she must look, standing like a cat. Cat. And it all came back to her. Jamie! She thought. Alex looked around for Jamie and only found a German shepherd sleeping on a bed next to her. She felt something hitting her back side. She looked back. A tail. A furry, ginger and white tail. She looked down at her hands now realizing what was going on. What once were her hands, now stood two paws. Now she understood why should couldn't turn her hands, she didn't have any. She also realized why she couldn't stand on two legs. She was a cat. She gasped and remembered her mother's necklace. Was it still around her neck? She looked down and could just barely see the necklace in its new form, it was a gold collar with a bell hanging from it. Phew. She didn't want to lose her mother. She pretended that it was her, and that she could use it to talk to her. Then she wouldn't feel so lonely.
Wait, if I'm a cat, then Jamie is- She looked over at the sleeping dog next to her. Oh my, she looked around and saw that they were in a kind of hospital. White walls surrounded them, and syringes and fake teeth lay on shelves. I have to get out of here, she spotted a door to their right. But she had to get Jamie. Alex tried speaking.
"Meow,"
This was going to be a lot tougher than she thought. What if Jamie couldn't understand her? She looked around again and saw a small white board and marker. She had to get over there. She decided to test the theory of "Cats always land on their feet," She jumped of the side of the hospital bed and landed on all fours. It hurt a bit but it was nothing compared to the pain from before. She trotted over to the side of the bench and jumped with all her might. She hit the roof.
"Meow!!" which was supposed to be "Ahhhhhh!" as she fell back down to the ground. Once again she landed on all fours. Alex figured that cats have incredible strength. Wow, she thought, this is amazing! Although, I kind of wish I could I could be a human again. As soon as she said that the pain came back, but this time it wasn't too agonizing. Alex tried not to scream (She didn't want to wake up Jamie,) She felt herself growing and turning back into her normal self. She closed her eyes as pain washed over her. When it finally stopped after a few minutes, Alex looked down at herself. Thank God she still had her clothes on. She grabbed the white board and then thought about this. Maybe he can understand me now. She thought. She put the white board down and walked over to the sleeping dog.
"Hey Jamie, time to wake up," She whispered into his ear while gently shaking him. The dog whined softly.
"Come on," Alex was getting impatient, "WAKEY, WAKEY!!!" The dog woke with a start.
"Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!" The dog barked unhappily and clearly shaken.
"Hey! Stop barking! It's me Alex!"
Jamie tilted his head, as if asking her, "Why am I a dog?"
"I don't know boy-, oh erm Jamie, but if you think that you want to change back into a human, well that's what I did, you should change back. Jamie closed his eyes and concentrated. He seemed to be very focused on the idea. Then he started growing, and growing. Alex closed her eyes to give him a bit of privacy in case he wasn't as lucky as she was.
"Ah! Where are my clothes?!?" Alex avoided looking at him while she searched the room. She found a small white shirt that you probably would wear under a lab-coat, and a pair of white work pants.
"Wait if I'm a, erm, sort of, dog, then what are you?" Jamie asked. Alex threw the clothes behind her hoping that Jamie would catch them, and went to the door. She tried the knob.
"Locked, Oh, and you'll find out." She said to Jamie. He pointed to an air vent in the wall.
"Bark," Jamie covered his mouth in surprise and tried to talk again, "Testing, testing is my mouth on? Good. Don't know what happened then, it just escaped from me. What I was trying to say is that we should do this super-secret spy style,"
Alex looked at the vent, they would never be able to fit through the-, Oh, she thought with annoyance. Now she knew what Jamie meant.
Alex felt herself changing.
All she had to do was want to change into a cat. The pain wasn't so bad now that she had experienced it a few times. She pounced up onto the bench, opposite to the one with the whiteboard, with a little less power than last time, and waited for Jamie. The bench was clearly polished so it was a bit slippery. Alex had a bit of trouble climbing it herself. This was her third attempt before she finally used the right amount of power in her legs. Apparently dogs weren't meant for jumping up benches because Jamie had to change back, (thankfully with his clothes on this time), climb onto the bench as a human and then change into a dog again. Alex was a bit worried about this, what if they were being chased by police or a robber for some reason, and they had to climb a fence to get out. Alex cleared the thought and wondered how on Earth they were going to get into the vent. It had screws on all corners. She gave Jamie a puzzled look and Jamie motioned his paw, (as if pointing), towards hers.
"Meow?" Which was meant to be, "huh?" Then Alex looked down at paw and realized that she had claws. "Meow!?" Which was meant to be, "What the hell?"
Alex tried to extend them. It worked. She took one claw, put it into the screw and turned. It came out easily. She got all the other screws out and pawed at the grate until it came off. They stared down the vent, it looked dirty and cold. The sides were all metal, but had been covered with a material to insulate. She hopped in with Jamie behind her.
They had been walking for a while before she started asking questions to herself. What if they could do more than just change into animals? What if the public or the media found out? Would they be arrested and tested for scientific research? Alex didn't want to think about it. Then she thought about Jamie. What did he think of all this? He was an adventurous type, so he probably wanted more of this.
She had always been best friends with Jamie, he loved making fun of her at school, but she would always get him back hard. Jamie was her only friend, so on most days Alex and Jamie would be sitting together on the oval while kids teased them while chanting: "Alex and Jamie sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Alex hated those girls, all they talked about was how George Presto was so handsome and how George Presto should be on Australia's next Top Model. George Presto had asked Alex out 5 times, but Alex said no to each and every one of them. She never wanted to be part of the popular girls. Even if she said yes they would be even more annoyed at her because they would be all jealous and whispering rumours that Alex had only gone out with him for so and so reasons.
Alex was thinking so hard that she didn't notice the wall in front of her.
"BANG!!!" She went head-first into the vent wall.
If dogs could snicker, she was pretty sure that Jamie just did. They continued walking until they reached a grate. They were about to go down it before they heard voices. Considering Alex was the smallest, she decided to take a look. Inside, Aidan and Kate standing next to a bunch of sleeping animals. At least Alex hoped they were sleeping.
"We have to get rid of them as soon as possible, cat and dog?! The boss will be so happy when we kill the leaders, they don't even know who they really are!" Aidan exclaimed. Alex stepped on a bar and it made a small creaking noise. Alex quickly withdrew her head. Aidan and Kate both looked up. Aidan looked at Kate and shrugged.
"Aidan, I don't really think it's right that we're killing the Lords of the Wild. What did they ever do to us? Oh wait," Kate said looking at her tail, "Yeah they need to die," They walked out of the room and closed the door with a slam.
"They're killing people like us?!" Alex tried to say, and then remembered that she couldn't talk. She motioned to Jamie for him to come and they kept walking. But they stopped when they heard voices down another grate. It was Aidan with a figure who which they could not see his face. Alex was pretty grateful to herself that she had the idea to leave their room.
"Oh dear Smoden, we have checked their room but they have escaped! We cannot find them anywhere!" Aidan exclaimed kneeling before Smoden. Smoden pulled a screw out of nowhere and said:
"What does this resemble to you?" He asked Aidan in an old, strained voice.
"Why, a screw sire," Aidan replied.
"Hmm, this is a, cough, repeateriserererererererererererererer, otherwise known as R.E. It reads your thoughts and tells you a clue to what you are looking for most."
"How will a screw help me to find a cat and dog?!?"
"Firstly, you should calm your attitude towards your creator," Smoden said angrily,
"Sorry sire,"
"And then, what screws the air vents to the wall? Hmm?"
"Oh,"
"Off you go, start with the one in their room, once you find them, kill them."
Aidan was about to go when,
"Sire, what do you see?"
"The two Lords, cough," Smoden lied.
Aidan nodded and sprinted out the door, he was probably gathering a search team.
Alex and Jamie had the same thought, run. They kept running, they past multiple entrances and exits until they reached a big drop. Alex gave Jamie a "Should we go down?" Look, and Jamie replied with an extremely determined look. They jumped.
A cold and wet substance whipped at their faces as Alex and Jamie gradually sank in the water. As a cat, she didn't really like water, in fact she hated it. It was as if it was burning against her body. Next time she saw a stray cat I the street she wouldn't even think about letting Jamie throw water at it. Alex tried to swim up but she couldn't, she had never swam before, the only time she had been in sort of water was when she took a flavoured water bath her mum gave her. She looked down and found that her fur was singed. There was a place where a whole patch of fur had been removed. Red skin replaced it. She was running out of breath. Surely no-one could save her now.
Then she felt a push, as if someone was pushing her forward. A helping hand she wanted to call it. She floated towards the surface of the water. When she reached the top she felt air being pulled back into her lungs, and quickly climbed onto the concrete bank where Jamie stood soaked but smiling. Human and everything. (Alex thought he was getting the hang of keeping his clothes on,).
"You should change back, we can cover more ground on foot," Jamie explained. Alex changed back and finally realised where they were. The sewer. Jamie was about to start running when Alex stopped him.
"Did you do that?" She asked.
"I think so, it was as if I could control the currents." He told Alex, he looked at Alex more carefully, "Why are your clothes singed? We were just in water,"
"The water burnt me," She answered with strain. She looked down and realised there was a big hole in her purple shirt. Her arms were pink. She was stinging all over. She collapsed. Jamie caught her before she hit her head and lay her down for her to rest.
When Alex came to, she was looking at a pink faced Jamie.
"Are you okay?" He said panting.
"What are you talk-" She coughed and a burst of flames came out. "What the heck-" She coughed again and more flames came out. She went into a coughing fit and she was like a dragon. Jamie had to quickly move out of the way before he was burnt to a crisp. When Alex stopped she was terrified with herself. It was like she had swallowed a match and a tub of gasoline to wash it down. The theory of hers must have been true, she could do more. She could summon fire. Maybe that's how Jamie had saved her from the water and why it burned her. Jamie had the power of water.
"I think I'm good now." Alex looked over at Jamie who had third degree burns all over him he was laying on the concrete. She rushed over to him and touched his face. It was boiling. She felt an absorbing sensation. As if she was eating something through her hands. Jamie's pinkness soon went away.
"Thanks," He whispered, and got up, "We'd better get going, you were out for at least an hour."
"An hour?!?" Alex replied stunned, "They've probably already searched everywhere but here!"
They were off, Alex and Jamie running side by side. It only just struck Alex that they were complete opposites. Boy and girl, cat and dog, fire and water. She wasn't sure what else was to come but she didn't really want to find out. As they ran, Alex summoned fire in her hand to light the way. But they were running so fast that it kept going out.
After a while they noticed a manhole on the roof.
"How are we going to get up there?" Jamie asked.
"No idea," Alex replied. They heard voices, shouting coming towards them. They started to panic. Then Alex noticed a red door next to her. It was labled, "Fire Escape,"
"In here!" She tried to open the door but it was jammed. She tried pulling and pushing. Neither worked. The shouting was coming closer. Then she had an excellent idea. She put one hand in a fist and trust it towards the door handle. It melted. She charged down the door and it fell from its hinges. Jamie snarled and Alex told him she meant to do it. They both ran in and Alex picked up the door and placed it the other way around. So that the non-melted handle was facing outwards.
"Ohhhh," Jamie replied. They pressed their ears to the door and waited for the shouting to die away. It didn't, instead they heard,
"Barge the door down. Barry, you do it," It was Aidan's voice.
"Why do I always have to do it?" Barry replied in low voice.
Alex and Jamie didn't hear the rest of the conversation because they were sprinting. They ran through a deep tunnel, it was made from concrete, and sewage dripped from the ceiling. It looked like one of those tunnels that you see at bike parks, only wet and dark. Alex changed into a cat to gain more speed and Jamie changed into a dog. "BANG!" They heard the door being barged down. They soon reached a ladder. They quickly changed back and started to climb, taking 2 rungs at a time. They saw a manhole in the roof again, but this time it was reachable. They pushed it off and quickly climbed onto the sidewalk. Alex looked around while still sprinting in human form. They were in a neighbourhood just before the beach.
"Where are we going to hide?" Alex asked through pants. Jamie looked around. He looked at a house and gave a look as if a brilliant idea had struck him.
"Meow," Alex said, "Meowwwww," The door opened.
"Oh daisy look! It's a basket with a kitten in it!" An elderly lady in a pink dress with a handbag had opened the door with what looked like her granddaughter behind her, "Oooh, and what's this? A note?" She read it.
Dear new owner,
I have brought you my puppy and kitten to tell you that you have been the nicest person ever, I asked my German shepherd to bring it here for you, also seeking love.
From yours sincerely,
Your secret admirer.
"I want the kitten!" The granddaughter exclaimed. The elderly lady looked at them more carefully, then poked her head outside the door to see that no-one was watching and took the basket inside with Jamie. It was a nice house. There was a vintage TV, flowery wallpaper, a soft couch. It could only be described and warm and comfortable.
"It's okay, you can change back now," She said to them, "I'm part of the animal rights group, and we know everything about the Animagem,"
If cats could look stunned, Alex did. She looked over at Jamie. But he had already changed. So she did too, if he trusts this lady, so did her. The old lady smiled. The granddaughter sobbed that she didn't get a kitten. The old lady invited them to sit down on the couch, and brought them cookies. Alex gave Jamie a look that told him not to eat them.
"First, your names." She asked. Alex didn't trust this lady enough to give her their names
"First, information," She replied back.
"My name is Prudence, I used to work for the Animagem before Smoden was introduced. We used to welcome all Lords and Maidens of the wild, then he came in and decided to kill them. Smoden is a Lord of Pollution. Killing all the Lords of the Wild will supposedly lead to endless smoke and dust. The only thing that he doesn't know is that they just keep coming, never stopping. He'd have to kill all the people in the world to get rid of them all."
"Why are we special? Why not someone a homeless person or something?" Jamie asked.
"When Lords are born, they have complete green eyes. Completely. No white, just green. After an hour or so the green will go away and you will be left with a cute, little baby,"
Alex didn't want to see any baby photos now. Prudence went into her kitchen and Alex changed back into a cat so that the granddaughter could play with her. She regretted this. The child pulled her tail while laughing like a maniac. When Prudence came back in and saw her granddaughter "playing" with Alex, she told her off and sent her to the spare room. Alex changed back. Jamie walked over and pressed his ear against the door. He gasped.
"Alex come here!" Jamie ushered her to him. Alex walked over. "Press your ear to the door," Alex did as he asked.
"What? Is it supposed to do something?"
"You don't hear it?"
"No," Alex replied
"Oh, well they've gone the wrong way for now, but they have someone on our sent. A guy with a dog face." Jamie explained.
"Do you have supersonic hearing or something?" Alex asked.
"Alex, all Lords have 3 different powers, I see that you have already discovered 2," Prudence butted in. Alex and Jamie both looked at her, then back. How did she know Alex' name?
"How do you know my name?" Alex asked.
"Remember how I said I used to part of the Animagem?" She asked with a grin while slowly advancing towards them, "Well I STILL AM!!!" She revealed sharp teeth and a wolf tail and leapt at them.