Inhuman

Chapter Two; Visions of the Outside

Phew! Promise kept! I finally got this update out.

"Kota, we've got a problem," Victor called, his fingers drumming anxiously against the keyboard.

Kota cupped a hand over his phone's microphone in an effort to muffle his conversation, turning his startlingly green gaze on his brother. "What happened?"

"Communication is down. Luke's trackers place him in both a storage closet and the main office. It's been two minutes since either of them have moved." Victor paused for a moment, glancing at another opened tab on his laptop's screen. "Nate and Gabe are still in position."

Kota yanked his phone away from his ear in an effort to preserve his hearing, North's shouted curses very audible even to Victor, who was sitting across the room. "Call Mr. B," he said, his commanding tone leaving no room for debate. "Let him know what's going on. I'll call back Nathan and Gabriel."

Nodding, the boy in question whipped out his phone, opening an app and hitting a button.

~Meanwhile...~

I sighed, shifting to rest my head on my paws again. I was growing restless, tired of being cooped up inside, but afraid that if I left now I would miss today's meal. All there was to do was wait- staring at the sleeping boy only had my anticiaption growing. I had so many questions for him. Was he from the outside? What was it like out there? What did the sun feel like on your skin? The breeze through your fur? Were there really giant trees stretching up to touch the sky? Did people really roam free? Or was it all made up- just stories told by unreliable voices?

Eventually, my sensitive ears picked up on faint footfalls as they quickly approached the door. There was a familiar click- one I knew to belong to the locking mechanism on the outside of the door- and the door swung inward, revealing my father's apathetic face. "I'm going to start delivering meals daily," he said as he placed a plastic bowl on the ground. Without waiting for any sort of response, he left.

The food's savory scent had my mouth watering and my stomach rumbling, but I knew I shouldn't eat it. The boy would get today's meal since I ate yesterday. I wasn't sure if I'd last until he woke up, though...

Calling upon every last ounce of self-control I had, I climbed to my paws, passing the bowl to pad to the boy's side. Glancing at his peaceful expression, I pawed at his shoulder.

The boy rolled over, turning away from me as he groaned. "Go away North," he mumbled. "You aren't getting your key back until you tell me where my chocolate is."

I huffed. North? Chocolate? Why was he so confusing. I pawed again at his back- this time jumping back as he shot up in his makeshift bed.

"Holy crap," he breathed, eyes wide as they searched the room, coming to a stop on me. "It wasn't a dream."

When he fell silent, I jerked my head towards the bowl of food laying out, indicating it was for him. When he just stared at me, looking clueless, I padded over to the bowl, shoving it a few inches in his direction with my snout.

He blinked, glancing between the bowl and me. "Is that for me?"

I confirmed with a nod.

The boy reached out to grab the bowl and I sat down, trying to ignore my rumbling stomach. "Can you..." he trailed off, sounding unsure. "Can you shift or whatever you call it so we can talk?" Hastily, he added, "Before you do, take my shirt so you can cover yourself. I'll look away."

He stripped his shirt off, turning to face the wall as he held it out behind him. I shifted back to my human form and grabbed it, shoving my arms through the sleeves, proceeding to fumble through the buttons. I only ever wore clothes when I left the room, so it was a strange feeling to wear something in here. Sitting up straight, I found that the shirt reached past my hips, piling up on the floor, the sleeves nearly slipping off my slim shoulders.