Shapeshifter *ON HOLD*

Chapter Twelve

"Karmen!" Agnes screamed, then promptly hid behind a tree, knowing it wasn't safe. Through sounds of the pandemonium, she was able to pluck out a few words.

"We aren't arresting you. We just want to know what you were doing last night at the lake," a police's voice grunted.

"I was simply taking a walk, is that so much of a crime?" Karmen's voice was layered with exasperation.

"We'll have to look into that since we saw a...a little glint which may have been a weapon," the police clucked his tongue.

"Uh no. I think that was just my amulet, thank you very much? So you can now scram, and leave me alone, because I will not be telling you the real reason, whether you like it or not," she put so much force into her words that the police flinched.

"Disrespecting police under this kind of circumstance is a violation of law number 46, and not doing what a police asks you to do, again in this situation, is a violation of law number 39. And also—" he was cut off as he was slapped across the face.

Karmen had done that. She smiled as she felt her hand embed into his cheek, leaving a sore red mark. She then made a dash to the woods, but the other policemen stood their ground. 

"Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way." Her body was garlanded with green glitter, morphing. In her place was a cheetah, the fastest land animal. 

While the police were awestruck, she leapt off the ground, thrusting her forepaws against the earth. Sailing over the police's head, her fur ruffling in the wind, she found Agnes beyond the trees. Landing with a thump, she shot towards her.

"Are you okay?" Agnes asked concernedly, worry creasing her brows.

"Yes, it's just that from now on I'll have to be in a different form, to prevent the police from finding me again," Karmen scratched her head, "Now on with today's lesson. The dangers of Shapeshifting."

Dangers. There were dangers? Looks like Shapeshifting might not be such a wonderful power after all.

What are you thinking? Don't be silly, Shapeshifting has always been an awful power. Agnes reprimanded herself.

"You must know that you cannot be in a different form for more than a day, that is, only for the not-as-powerful animals," Karmen regarded Agnes seriously,"For the Great Seven, even the most skilled cannot surpass two hours on such a form. The Majestic Three now, can only be copied for up to five minutes. If you pass these time limits, which is pretty unlikely, you'll be that species forever. When that happens, you are 'Warped'. Also, once you're Warped, you will act like that species, and have no control over anything, including what you eat and what you do. There is however, a warning. When your time is almost up and you should shift back before you are Warped, you will feel a prickling sensation at your heart, and you'll have trouble breathing. That's when you should shift back."

"Scary," Agnes commented, shuddering, "well if you shifted into a certain one of a species, like a specific dog or something, and it dies, what will happen?"

Karmen hesitated, "You will die too."

Wow. Shapeshifting sure had more of a dark side than Agnes thought. Then her thoughts were splintered when she felt as though someone was watching them. "Uh...Karmen? I think we're being watched."

"Nonsense! Who would come into these creepy woods," Karmen snorted.

Agnes wrung her fingers, still uncomfortable. Ignoring the worries clamouring in alarming howls amidst her thoughts, she focused on what Karmen was talking about. 

"Now let's practice taking control of Shapeshifting. Find an object that you always bring with you to help concentrate your power, I use my amulet," she raised her amulet under the sun's amber rays, and it winked at Agnes.

"I don't know. I don't wear much jewelry," Agnes cast a sideways glance to the cluster of trees on her left. A prickle of danger scrabbled on her neck, a sense of dread jabbed her sharply on the stomach. She glimpsed a figure, silhouetted by the bright sun.

"Who's there?" Karmen whipped out a dagger.

"What?! You have a dagger?!" 

"Yes. And we Shapeshifters are skilled with weapons," Karmen explained.

"What? There's a we? There are more of us?" Agnes was flabbergasted.

Karmen paused, eyes darting. "Yeeeeeeeeeees. But I'd hate to break it to you now though..."

"You never told me there were more of us!" Agnes exclaimed, bewildered. Leaves crunched to her left. The sound of a being breathing came to her ears. "Who's th—"

Karmen clamped her hand over Agnes's mouth, motioning for her to stay silent. They crept silently towards the moving creature—person—whatever it was.

"Karmen?" a voice said. The figure had spoken. It climbed over a fallen tree, strutting towards them.

Agnes's arms became iced. Her blood turned cold. As the figure emerged into the puddle of sunlight, she recognized who it was.

It was someone who she hadn't expected to see.

CLIFFHANGER hahahahahahaha! Tell me who you think it is in the comments! Thank you for reading! Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!