"Hff...Hff...D-dang it.." Sweat trickled down my forehead. My pitch black hair was not helping cool me off, nor the fact that it was down to my waist and not tied back.
I was running, in a sense, for my life. I mean, the GOE wouldn't kill me. But they might as well, since they would imprison me for the rest of my life with a bunch of lunatics.
Since I've been living on the streets since age four, on my own, I've learned to deal with being chased, being shot at, being attacked. Not to brag, but I'm very athletic. I could have been a 21st century olympian, and a top martial artist. I've picked up my share of tricks. Sure, I may have been on the streets for a shorter time then other guys, but being so young means I've had to learn fast. In other words, I am, at the very least, by your standards, super human.
"Aww..crap." Even though I'm so great, being the Grey, running for 3 hours straight through tough forest undergrowth does take a toll on me. But I had a good motivation. Overhead, somewhere, I knew, was a hovercraft, ready to swoop down and get me. Like a hawk, persistant, strong, a predator. I was the prey.
"Oh...owwwwww!" I heaved, wincing and clutching my side. Bad time to get a cramp. Very bad time. I ducked my head just in time underneath a low hanging branch as I zoomed through the trees. I swear, every stick and stone in the forest was trying to get in my way. Finally, after weaving through the bushes a little longer, I had to stop. I darted around, trying to find a hiding place, and finally found an old abandoned badger set. Still fresh enough other animals would be wary to go in, worried the badger would return. But I was desperate.
I shivered, barely daring to breathe. I kept my hands over my mouth, worried even my small frosty gust of breath might help them find me. Hopefully, the den was warm enough my heat would seem to be part of it, and I would appear some large, snoozing animal on their thermal camera. I scuffled up the musty, grassed ground, trying to cover myself as I lay flat on my stomach. There was enough to cover me, but not quite enough the cover the opening my face created, so one eye peered out. But that was good enough for me. Hopefully, the badger scent and itchy grass would create a strong enough smell to distract their dogs.
As I lay waiting, I felt an impending doom. I hoped to whoever's up there; that I would be alive after this. This little girl hasn't done anything wrong. Yet. The hovercraft sound was fading away. They were leaving. I sighed with relief, letting out a huffy breath and sitting up. Freezing, I realized my mistake. I stopped moving, breathing, everything. Waiting to see if I had given myself away.
I had. The hovercraft sound was getting louder. They were coming. I bolted up, all hope of staying unnoticed fleeing away. There was no way they were just coming back to double check. I could hear the determination in that humming sound. That wasn't a leisurely walking pace for the hovercraft. That was the full out run and go catch the stupid teenage fugitive that might ruin everything pace. I knew that pace pretty darn well by now.
When I heard that terrifying sound, I went for it, snatching up my small satchel and darting out in one fluid movement. Even with that quick, agile movement, I had already wasted several seconds trying to ensure I was not wrong about the hovercraft. Every second could decide whether I lived or died. As I burst out into the bush outside the den, I got caught in a twig, and one pale hand darted back to snatch the shoulder of my hoodie off the bush. Another 3 seconds wasted. I cursed under my breath. "Hurry, hurry Silver." I muttered to myself. This was not the first encounter I had with the GOE, but the nearest. I had already met them 3 times today, and it was only 10:58 am. My chances of getting through this were not looking good.
I had managed to stay low and out of sight for two weeks after that first chase on my birthday. (Which was a great birthday present for sure!) But now, they were catching up to me. I've probably hid from them successfully longer than any other fugitive ever has. What makes this feat even more impressive is that I am the most, or one of the most wanted runaways ever.
The Grey is humanity's chance of escaping itself. This new system may work great, but it's completely discriminatory and unfair. Only the Grey; who in this case, happens to be me, Silver Moon; can see that. The Grey is the only person who can possibly free the world. Don't take my word for it, there's a whole prophecy about it. The Prophecy of Blood. Ominous name, hm?
Oh, there's also that inconvienient bit about me dying to become the martyr of the people.
I don't really like that part.
Thinking about me dying, that's a dark thought isn't that? Well, it helped trigger a plan. A crazy plan, but a plan none the less. I stopped where I was, abruptly, and walked a couple steps forward and leaned against a tree, casual, waiting. I looked back the direction I came, waiting for my pursuers. They came alright. Fast, speeding, they were still expecting a speeding target, so much so that they almost didn't notice me. If it were not for their thermal sensors, they probably would have. Not that I would have really minded, all that much. I wasn't in a rush to die.
But Silver Moon is not a coward.
Two grown, armed men cautiously exited the hovercraft, holding their taser beam guns up, ready to fire. I was actually impressed. Taser beam guns, especially the kind they had, were as effective, or if not more, as tranquilizer dart guns at their purpose, and guarenteed to hit their target, no matter what it was, about 93% of the time. 0.002% of the time did it backfire. The TB Guns weren't deadly, either, and if they fired, I would eventually end up needing to wake back up into this nightmare.
But, as is trademarked for me, I did not even blink in the face of this threat, these intimidating and imposing people and weapons. Instead, I laughed. Light, long, quickly. A lilting, gusting laugh. "Two muscly men for a wiry teenage girl? Aww c'mon. The GoE is getting rather pathetic don't you think?"
Right then, I could tell, by their faces, by their body stances, they were ready for a full blown fight or flight just then. They were ready for me to come at them or away from them.
But what they didn't expect was for me to walk forward, past them, and plop myself in the backseat of the hovercraft as if waiting for a joyride. I sighed, relaxing.
I smirked once more as the hovercraft started up again and zoomed up over the trees.
And then I jumped.
I hit the ground running. In fact, I was literally running as I fell. I would have broken something, maybe died, if I had not been so... capable. Luckily, the guys in the hovercraft were still in shock, and could not process that I was getting away quite yet. They would soon though, and then the chase was on. I had to get as much of a head start as I could. Thank god the hovercraft could only go 10 mph. Thank GOD. I could do 20 for a mile. 10, I could do for couple hours. But keeping in mind that I had already spent those hours earlier, and with little time to rest, I needed to get away fast, without using the last of my strength. So instead of leading a chase, I went underground.
Literally. Closing my eyes, I could feel a soft glowing sensation, as if light and heat were radiating from me, brighter than the sun, yet invisible to the human eye. As this raw...power... filled me, consumed me, twisting and weaving on itself into a unique pattern, I kept as still as possible, stiller than death. I could feel myself changing. Finally, I opened my eyes, still that same, soft, dark, dark, gray. My eyes glinted, an underlying storm, with a cloudy cover. Grinning, I scurried quickly. The distances were so much GREATER. Why, oh why, had I not shifted near the roots of the birch tree that was my ever distance goal? Hurry, hurry. I may have finally gotten the time and regained the energy I needed to shift, but now I felt weak, and vunerable. If they found me, like they could when I was near the spot where I shifted, I was not going to escape a second time. Finally, after what felt like millenium, I darted in between the roots and started down. Using my sharp rodent teeth, I ripped up any root daring to get in my way. The other inhabitants of the tree would have scolded me for my impatient use, if I had let them, but no way was I letting a squirrel be the cause of my capture.
I felt safe, after getting far down into the tangled mess of the tree roots, and paused for a moment, to catch my breath and let my fast-beating rat heart calm.
Along with my superhuman abilities, I can shift. Did I mention that before? Sorry. Well, I have now, anyway.
