Project Starfall (Completed)

Chapter 1

Pierce sat cross-legged on her small bed, perfectly still except for her hands. With her right she leafed quickly through the pages inside a folder. Meanwhile her left absently tugged at the collar around her neck.

It was a habit that had developed over the previous years. At first the collar had itched and annoyed her, so she had messed with it constantly. Then as time passed the collar no long bothered her, yet the habit remained.

There was a rustling noise behind her, and Pierce turned to study the sheet-covered figure in the bed to her left. Guessing they would be awake before long, the girl wasted no time with her current task. She flicked through the last pages of the folder, absorbing all she could, then unfolded her legs and slid off her bed.

Pierce moved silently toward the door at the back of her small living quarters, which led to a simple restroom. It had a single all-white shower, sink and toilet. Pierce's gaze was focused on the latter.

In a swift movement she ripped the pages from the folder, then ripped them again, and again, until they were in hundreds of tiny pieces. Looking at the ruined papers with regret in her golden eyes, Pierce let them fall into the toilet. From behind, the figure in the other room let out a groan, and she flushed the drenched bits of paper and exited the restroom. At the last moment she shut the door behind her.

"Where the hell am I?" a bleary-eyed girl clad in a grey jumpsuit asked as she emerged from under the white sheets of the other bed. To many, the girl's appearance would be frightening, but Pierce watched her calmly, while inconspicuously sliding the empty folder under her bed.

"Well?" the girl demanded. She took a step toward Pierce, back arched and eyes flashing. "Is this some kind of prison? I thought they were supposed to tell you before a transfer."

"I guess it is a prison of sorts," Pierce finally spoke.

For a long moment, the girl stared at her as if something were terribly wrong. "This isn't a normal prison, is it?" Her eyes became bright and alert, the last effects of sleep gone.

"No, I guess it isn't," Pierce replied with a bit of amusement in her tone.

"Look, I don't know, and honestly don't care who you are, though I can see from your lack of prison orange that this is a strange place. So, just tell me what's going on. Why are we in this cell?"

"I like you. You don't waste words." Pierce smiled in a way that was almost friendly. "I think I could explain better if you would start by taking a look in the glass." The glass in question covered the front part of the small living quarters, or cell, as the other girl had put it.

"Despite your lack of caring, I think I'll go ahead and introduce myself. I'm Pierce."

"Madigan," the other girl replied, a frown creasing her forehead.

Madigan slowly made her way to the front of the cell, mint-green eyes widening in the reflection of the glass. "Impossible." Madigan gasped. A pair of furry ears sprouted from cascades of strawberry blonde hair, a striped tail moved around with a mind of its own, and in place of a regular human's dull teeth were sharp canines.

"You're part tiger," Pierce said. "A golden tiger, to be specific."

"Oh god this isn't real," Madigan said, stepping away from the glass. She brought her hands to her head only to jerk them back with a yelp. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no." The girl stared in horror at her hands. In place of her nails were white claws sharpened into fine points.

"Congratulations, you're now part of Project Starfall." Pierce grinned.

All kinds of noises began emanating from the cells surrounding them. Complaints, angry remarks, screams. All sorts of lovely sounds. "Why is this happening?" Madigan hissed.