To the Next Hour

Chapter One - Payton

((Written by Visionless_Wolf

Everything before the orphanage was always a blur to me. I never thought much of it and it never bothered me. I always thought that if my parents really cared about me that they would have kept me instead of bringing me to the dump I grew up in. But I just accepted the way things were because if I tried to find my parents than I might be disappointed with what I would find. I would rather stay in my bubble. Other kids left me alone because I acted and looked normal. I know about everyone in the orphanage. There were people who got picked on and people who were the people picking on people. That's the only two types of people in the orphanage. And I was lucky to not be the one who got picked on. Others saw me as normal. But... I could say otherwise,

"Have a good day, students! See you tomorrow!" the static loudspeaker sounded. Tell all the kids it was the end of the day, go get dinner and then off to bed. I grabbed my papers before standing up. I slid the papers on my teacher's desk before leaving with all the other kids in my class. I followed the crowd as we all shuffled into the cafeteria.

"Hey, Payton!" a soft voice called me from behind. I turned to see my friend Tashia. She wrapped her around my neck and we walked down to a few empty seats to leave out stuff. "So, how was school?" we walked up to get our dinner.

"Uh... a normal day." I smiled at her as we grabbed trays and waited to get food. She tucked her dirty blond hair behind her ear as a boy with black hair walked passed her. A blush slid across her face as he waved at her before walking away with his friends.

I giggled and punched her in the arm softly, bringing out of her daze. "What. Was. That?" I teased.

"IT WAS NOTHING!" she whispered at me and I shoved her a little. She giggled and we got our dinner and sat back down with our stuff.

***

I flopped down on my bed. It's familiar comforter brushing against my open arms. I sighed and got under them. I reached under my pillow and unplugged my hidden iPod. Pulling with it, was my headphones. I turned the screen on and logged into YouTube. Knowing that I would probably just get the board in a little while.

I watched YouTube for away before someone opened the window at the back of the room. I turned my eyes away from my iPod screen and watched as my roommate climbed through. Her overalls were soaked from the rain outside and her brown hair was turned darker. Water dripped onto the floor as she closed the window and sighed. She then slumped as she watched the rain outside drying off before standing up and walking over to my bed. She climbed the ladder next to my bed and lay in the bed above my head. Everything was silent once more. I drifted back into watching YouTube.

Sometime later I heard a scuffle from up above and the overall girl peered over the edge of the bunk bed down at me. She sat there for a few seconds before speaking.

"Uh, greetings mortal human." I held in a giggle at her greeting Has she ever talked to anyone before? I looked away from my iPod and up at her. She had an uncomfortable expression as she looked away and then back at me, waiting for my response.

"Do you even know how to greet someone normally?" I insulted her. Trying to make her leave me alone, "People are going to make fun of you even more if you talk to them like that, little miss overalls."

She sat there for a second before answering, "I don't talk to humans..."

"That's your problem. I can't help you with that." I said calmly and decided that was the end of the conversation. I Pulled my iPod and headphones close to me and pulled my covers over my head. I could hear her huff in frustration and pull away before I turned on my iPod on.

My heart dropped as she started trying to talk to me, "Well... It's lovely weather outside isn't it?"

I curled up and didn't answer, waiting for her to get the message as she kept rambling on to know one. I kept clicking YouTube videos before my eyes started feeling droopy and I fell asleep.

***

I woke up sometime later. I sat up and pushed the covers off my face, my iPod in my hand. I looked down at it and tried to turn it on. It didn't react and stayed black. It's probably dead... I thought to myself as I got out of the bed and walked to the window. Listening to my roommate breathing heavily, telling me that they were all asleep.

Reaching to the top of the window I unlocked it a with a click and slide it open. The cool night air washed over my face as I crawled, silently out onto the roof of the building. I could feel the cool, wet panels of the roof through my socks. I silently closed the window. Making sure that I didn't wake anyone. What I was going to didn't need an audience. I stood straight up and breathed in the cool air. I focused on my heartbeat. Feeling it pound in my chest as I walked closer to the edge of the roof. I picked up my pace and jumped. The air pushing on my face.

I felt myself begin to change. The world around becoming much clearer. I opened my eyes and a purple flash slid across my eyes and I landed. I was much higher, bigger, and stronger. I felt my large paws step on the mud underneath me. I breathed in now. Different scents filled my nose. Rabbit, human, gasoline... I thought to myself as I walked forward. I started running, feeling the wind ruffle my fur and I wagged my tail. My big paws slamming on the mud. I dashed into the woods close by.

It's familiar trees dancing in the breezes that as I swept past. Leaves under me were thrown into the air and then flutter down softly. I stopped and sniffed the air once more. Lots of scents filled my nose. Most of them gather into the woods but one was close. I sniffed some more before I recognized it. Squirrel! My heart jumped as I heard a small shuffle to the left of me. I dashed behind a nearby bush, knowing it would see me if I didn't hide. I watched it carefully as I hopped into sight. It's bushy reddish-brown tail twitching as it crawled on the ground curiously.

I lifted one of my large paws and slowly moved forward. It saw me immediately and dashed for the nearest tree. I dashed after it but in my case that never meant well. I tripped on a rock and slammed onto the ground with a large shatter. I watched it as it scurried up the tree away from my klutzy grasp.

I huffed to myself, "Darn you and my large, clumsy paws." I got up and shook myself off. A twig snapped behind me I turned. Breathing in its scent. It wasn't an animal, but a human. As quietly as I could I walked forward. When I was close enough to see them being I watched it. Her hair was brown and she wore familiar overalls.

The conversation from before sparked in my head. Little miss overalls... I giggled to myself as I watched her walk around. I quickly moved behind her, making her jump and turn. She then finally gave up and sat down in the middle of the forest. Did she want to be there? Confused I still confirmed to myself that I had to get rid of her. I jumped out of the bushes, snarling. I pinned her to the ground Her emotions flashed in her eyes but she didn't flinch instead she looked into my yellow eyes. She deepened my snarl and bent my face closer to hers.

"Go, ahead! Rip my throat out and let me bleed to death! Then, you and your wolf buddies can eat me!" I stepped back confused. What Is wrong with this person? Does she want to die? I held my stance one longer before seeing a flash of light behind me and sharp, fiery pain in my shoulder. It burned my fur, down to my skin. I yelped and let my stance on the girl go. I turned around to see a tall red and black cat. He stood on two legs and he tipped his hat at me before I dashed off. What... what was that?