run

the dog sniffs out the night

the death of my brother fueled me to get the hell out of there. I didn't know where the betrayer was, but I knew I would stop at nothing to find him. I ran past countless people, monsters, and dead bodies, but I never stopped. The forest was eerie tonight. The darkness swallowed everything around me, and the shouting and screaming of people that used to shuffle past me in the halls filled me ears. but I never stopped running. I ran until I couldn't hear the sirens or the screams. I ran until I couldn't feel my legs. I ran myself into collapsing. I lay panting of the forest floor when I heard light footsteps approach from the southwest, about 2 kilometers away. immediately I slowed my breathing and curled up in a hunch, ready to spring out at whoever dared to cross my path.  The footsteps got closer and closer until they sounded to be only a few meters away. The noise passed right by me and kept walking. I looked to the ground and sure enough, footprints were marked by the smushed down leaves.  The person hasn't noticed me yet so I timed their footsteps and lunged out at them. My teeth clamped around the persons shoulder, and a cry of pain filled my ears. My hold only lasted a few more seconds until the person socked me right in the head. I dropped to the ground, shook off the blow, and crouched down, ready to attack once more.  I looked up and the girl was suddenly visible. She was wearing the clothes we wore right before we went in to be tested on , but just by glancing at her, my keen eyes picked up on the tattoo on her forearm that read S.11; the rest of her body was riddled with scars, burn marks, and recent cuts. My attack had left her bleeding out of shoulder, and as my eyes rolled down the rest of her body I noticed that she was gripping her stomach, for blood was pouring out of it.

"hey hey calm down!"

I didn't respond, there was no need for her to know I was a shapeshifter just yet.

"are you a lost dog? oh fuck, you don't have rabies right?"

I still held my tongue

"ok listen doggy, I am very hurt and I need to find a doctor, so please just leave me alone."

"look no further."

the girl jumped back in surprise, only succeeding in hitting her head on a branch. 
I shifted back into my human form, for I was wearing the rugged jeans and shirt I was issued when I was brought to the Orphanage. her eyes immediately darted to my forearm, where she saw my tattoo, S.5, and visibly relaxed.  Most people faint at the sight of a dog turning into a human, but I suppose she had seen stranger things. 

"what, uh, what do you mean?"

"at my time in the Orphanage I acquired the skills to tend to my wounds, and others.  I might not be the best doctor in town, but I'm not really sure where you'll find one in these woods."

That made her smile a little.

"do you think you could help me?"

"sure thing, just take off your shirt so I can dress your wounds."

The girl hesitated.

"what's wrong?"

she didn't have to answer. the look in her eyes told me all. she was a beautiful young woman, and there were lots of male guards in the Orphanage.

"it's okay. you don't have to tell me anything. I promise I will just dress your wounds and that's all.  I don't trust anyone either. not even you."

I felt somehow connected to that woman, and I knew that last part was a lie. I did trust her.
She peeled off her shirt and lay down, resting her head on a fallen log. I kneeled down beside her, and took a look at her stomach.  There was a clean incision that then seemed to rocket upwards, and cut a large, uneven hole in her stomach.

"how the hell did this happen?"

I knew the surgeons were very clean and skilled, and they never fucked around to hurt you. unless they didn't like you.

"haha well when the power shut off and the door opened, the surgeon was distracted so i grabbed the surgeon's pan on the table next to me and wacked him in the head with it. wasn't really a smart move on my part but it knocked him out long enough for me to put my gown back on and get the hell out."

"damn woman"

I chuckled for the first time in a long time.  luckily she grabbed some bandages on her way out. I always kept a needle behind my ear incase I needed to stitch something up. I turned into a horse and told her to pull out some of my hair to use for thread.  I stitched up her wound, and wrapped it in bandages. My bite wasn't deep enough to need stitches but I grabbed some water from the nearby stream and cleaned her wound the best I could, and then wrapped that in bandages as well.

"thank you so much"

"no problem stranger. hey by the way, what is your name?"

"well my friends at the Orphanage used to call me Spy."

"that fits you perfectly"

she blushed.

"I was called Hound; I turn into a dog most often."

"as I can see"

she averted her eyes to the wound on her shoulder.

"haha yeah sorry about that. do you think you can walk, we've still got a long way to go."

Spy tried to stand but ended up stumbling and falling back down again.

"oh dear, here climb onto my back and I'll turn into a horse."

"this is so weird, but let's just get the hell away from here."

"agreed."