Shapeshifter *ON HOLD*

Chapter Eleven

Agnes froze as Karmen's face came onto the screen.

How did anyone manage to get a shot of her? 

~🔹last night🔹~

Karmen was still taking control of her unsteady breath. She had been on the brink of death, close to falling off the cliff of life and plummeting into abyss. And Agnes, Agnes of all people, had saved her life.

Then abruptly, a blinding light flashed. She glance upwards, terrified. 

She was staring straight into the eye of a camera.

She yelped, staggering backwards. Realization pulverized her, and she ran at full tilt towards the forest, away from the camera. The arms of the dark forest hugged her, protecting her, shielding her. Though there was no one who could shield her from her fate, or save her from her predicament.

~🔹back to reality🔹

Agnes struggled to halt the gasp forming in her throat from escaping, but couldn't.

"You know her?" Her mother scrutinized Agnes's guilty face.

"No! I...I don't know her at all!" Agnes lied, heart thundering.

"Aaaaaagnes..."

"Seriously! I just...I just gasped because of the...the...Serpent! Yeah the Serpent! I mean, have you seen anything like it? They're a mythical creature, actually, so who would've thought that they would see one? Isn't it just...just...so...um...exciting?!" Agnes winced at her own lie, a scared expression on her face, "anyways, I...err...got to go to school now!" Agnes called, pumping her legs to get out the door to catch the bus.

As the bus rumbled down the smoothly paved road, Agnes thought to herself. What if people discovered Karmen? She was frightened for her one and only friend.

What could I possibly do without her...? 

*           *          *

Recess.

The worst time of day.

Agnes sat down on the bench, watching the wind bending the branches. The birds fluttering in the branches, and the insects humming in the background played a soothing sing.

"Hey girl. Watcha' doin alone?"a male voice sounded at her ears. Agnes swivelled her head to see Kyle, her classmate and his gang.

Kyle liked Agnes. More than an average person would—but more than that, he cared about her... a lot. At dances, he would be the first to ask her, though she rejected him many times. When she was upset, he would walk with her as her bodyguard. And when she was lonely, he was always there to be with her. Agnes didn't know if she like him back, though. She gazed at his faint smile and his golden blond hair that he was running his fingers through. 

And when her sight trailed to his ocean blue eyes, her heart did an odd flip.

"Nothing much."

"Shall I accompany you?"

"No need."

"But Agnes."

"Shush. Go take your gang somewhere else and stop annoying me," Agnes replied calmly, flashing Kyle an attractive smile.

Kyle rolled his eyes and left.

The bell signaling the end of recess rang, sending the sensitive animals scattering. Agnes sighed. This was going to be a long day.

*           *          *

The end of the day finally came. As Agnes was parading out of the school doors, Kyle appeared.

"See you later dear," he smirked.

"Don't call me that!" Agnes protested, face turning beet red.

"Ok, ok. Yeeshers." He held his hands up while backing away. The red faded from her embarrassed face. Did Kyle really like her that much? But she had more worries to consider than that.  Agnes continued her walk to the woods, where she was supposed to meet Karmen. 

Sunlight trickled from between the gaps on the leaves. It was autumn, one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. The ground was carpeted with leaves, which seemed like chunks of garnet, amber, and citrine. The lucky leaves still atop the trees were budding their flight feathers and unfurling their wings. The dead leaves amid the ones with draining life were rotting and black. The smell of them was mixed with the tartness of berries and twangs of smokiness from a nearby barbecue.

"Karmen?"

No reply.

"Karmen? Come out."

Dead silence. But the silence was immediately shattered by the wailing sirens. Even the bird calls stilled.

Agnes sprinted through the trees, brushing brittle bracken out of her way. 

And she saw it.

Karmen.

Surrounded by policeman, with no escape.

Hey guys, if you read this far it means that my book isn't so bad. There's gonna be a little draaaaaama...so if you enjoy drama read on! Also, don't you wonder what will happened to Karmen? Hmmmm...I wonder too...hehe.