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Lau
05-22-2009, 12:35 AM
(OOC:bringing back a revised version of an oldy o mine but I will continue it no Hacker will stop me I tellsya)
A Sheep In Wolf Skin
By Lau Stalk74
Chapter I

I don’t know exactly where I should start, I’ve told this story to so many people, but no one takes me seriously anymore, so I’ll try something different, and maybe, just maybe someone will believe me this time....

I remember this speech from my 7th grade history class.

The year 2058 was when it all stopped, it was the first time people didn’t hate each other it wasn’t about race anymore, for a brief few years there was world peace. Sounds too good to be true, but reason for this peace were those that revealed themselves; they were the Lycans; werewolves. The whole world paused with amazement as they came out from hiding, they were supposedly revealing themselves because they believed the world was ready to know the truth. Apparently the old myths were true, and Lycans had existed as long as humans have if not longer, after the facts had set in prejudice was no longer about skin colour, but species. The Lycan’s were wrong humans weren’t ready, human’s stood united for first time in history, but they were only drawn together by a hatred of something that was different from themselves. The Lycans had no rights according to human laws, and were treated like mere animals or freaks it was too much for them to take they responded in kind, and more hatred grew from those roots.

A war like none other before it caught like wild fire, and before we knew it the Lycans began to commit terrible acts killing innocents just because they were in the way. The death toll on both sides were high up around one hundred million lives had been lost. Humans had turned them into the worst enemy anyone could imagine, they were relentless, and nothing the humans did seemed to slow them down. Until the unthinkable came to pass eight nuclear explosions brought the war to a halt the humans hit every place the Lycans appeared to gather with one salvo, Lycans were forced into surrender; they had no nuclear bombs to retaliate with and their numbers were cut in half. Thus was the end of the Lycan war.

It was a young Lycan boy that did that speech, and he was failed because he didn’t follow the information that was in the our text books, but now I can’t disagree with him.

It was one hundred years ago, since that war, and four years since that speech, and I was just like everyone else; a bigot. There were, Lycans in my highschool, they were easy to pick out it was the golden eyes that gave them away, and we all treated them like dirt..Why? Because we could, laws had become one sided favouring humans, we could do nearly anything we wanted, and they couldn’t lift a finger to stop us, and if they did they could easily be sent to prison just on our word alone, and anyone that defended them were treated even worse. There were few left on Earth, but most of them fled to the colonies on the Moon, or even Mars, just to escape their life on Earth, the problem was there was no escape.

So this is where my story starts I was seventeen, a few days ago my mom, and dad announced we’d be moving, I blew up at the thought, and locked myself in my room, and spent the next few days out of the house hanging out with my friends.

“That sucks! Why are you guys movin’ anyways??” That red haired punk sitting to my left was best friend Garland, I know it was the weirdest name I’d ever heard, but he was a good guy.

“Some job my mom was offered, now they’ve got to drag me all the way to Mars, you know how many stupid mutts are gonna be there?” I leaned back in my chair before grabbing a controller, for Gar’s new computer game.

“Yeah I know man, least there aint too many around here, but doesn’t it take a month or two to take a shuttle there?” Gar grabbed the other controller, and flicked the switch on.

“Nah, my mom needs to be there like, right away so we have to use that MS transit.” The game flickered on, and we just mashing buttons.

“MS transit? I heard some guy got lobotomised using that.” I took my eyes off the screen for second, and an explosion sounded on screen.

“That’s just some guy runnin’ off at the mouth,” Stories like that were never true “I think it’s kinda cool actually.” I didn’t know a lot about MS transit, I was pretty sure what it stood for Mass Sentience transit.

“Yeah I’m not letting anybody cram my brain into an e-mail, and I wouldn’t feel right being in a clone body, gives me the creeps just thinkin’ about it.” I couldn’t understand what he had a problem with.

“It’s still your body!” He raised an eyebrow.

“You’re weird man, do what you want...” He glanced up at the clock, “Hey aren’t you supposed to be going today at three??” At first I didn’t think much of it, but once it set in... Shit! I jumped out my chair and booked it for the door. “Hey man, no good bye?”

“Don’t worry I’ll keep in touch just check your e-mail.” I smiled before I found myself running out his front door without my shoes, ‘Damn it!!’ I ran back in his mother with a wide smile trying not to laugh.

“Will miss you around here Thomas, you take care of yourself now?” She was always nice to me like a replacement for my mother who was more than a workaholic.

“I will Mrs. Hern.” With a smile, and a my shoes on I took off running again, checking my watch as I ran, fifteen minutes to run five blocks, it was going to be close, and my parent were going to kill me, but other than that it was a good exercise.

I just dropped down on the front step to catch my breath, when I sat back up I could almost feel my moms eyes burning a hole into the back of my head “We almost left you here you know!” That was something new, I was expecting some real serious scolding, but I guess she guilty or something for dragging me along. I just took it as a free pass, and left it at that.

“C’mon Thomas, it’s time to get going.” I preferred just Thom, but they insisted otherwise. My dad shoved me off the step with that crazy grin of his plastered across his face.

“Hey watch it baldy!” I got up and brushed the dirt off my pants.

He just smiled as he went to the car “Move it along burnout.” Real nice guy wasn’t he? That’s how me, and him were, the insults were just our way of having fun.

“Would you two stop, we’re going to be late now get in the car.” My killjoy of a mother, I suppose she was alright..sometimes.

We didn’t delay any longer, and were on our way; it was a quiet drive so the old man saw fit to crank the radio loud. It was his way of keeping the peace I may have gotten into it with them if they could’ve heard me, but not with the music he had playing. We rolled up to the Demyr.Corp building where they built the MS transit system it was basically like an air port. There were a lot of ‘them’ around, and it made my skin crawl.

I followed my parents to the main terminal Lycans’ waiting in a long line to register while we ust walked right up to the nearly vacant terminal just next to them. The woman behind the counter wore the typical blue blazer, and greeted us with a smile, “Hello, tickets?” My Mother handed them over with an oddly pleasant ‘here you go’ “okay now, Thomas is it?” she turned her attention to me “We need a sample of your DNA so place your hand here please.” There was a device on the counter with imprint of a hand, without really thinking about it I went ahead, and did what she told me to, I felt slight sting, and I pulled my hand away immediately the light went red “Sorry, but you’ll have to do it again, please don’t pull away.” My dad looked at me with a ‘what are you a wuss’ kind of expression on his face. Once it stung me again, and blinked green we were told to go to the east MS terminal and take a seat.

I’d never seen one before, but I really expected more all it was, were a couple rows of odd chairs with weird head rests. The operators were all dressed in the same blue blazers walking around, securing the head rests onto the heads of those that sat there, and with my luck I wound up with the last seat next a damn mutt. Once I was strapped in so to speak the chairs were leaned backwards until I was almost lying down, I started to get a bad feeling about the moment I heard the low hum of the chair. It was too late to do anything about it, so I waited my heart racing with anticipation. A high pitched noise exploded into my ears, and everything went black.

It was the first time I’d felt anything like it, and I had no idea what to expect from there on, even if I did it wouldn’t have helped me one bit, let’s just say I was thrown a curve ball, and it hit me upside the head.

Lau
05-22-2009, 12:36 AM
Waking up felt weird, cold, stiff, and a little dizzy I could hear the operators greeting new arrivals to Mars, and to stand up slowly. I was lucky I could hold my balance let alone stand, I looked around for my parents, but I couldn’t see them anywhere . I was wearing some kind of hospital get-up thin white pants a matching T-shirt, and the most uncomfortable shoes I’d ever worn. I felt uncomfortable, but I endured “Move along.” One of the operators addressed me with an annoyed tone. “Go receive your identification at the arrivals desk, you’re in the way.”

He was rude, I simply thought he was having bad day, but I should’ve picked up on the way he looked at me. I looked around again for my parents, but all I saw were Lycans, and strangers, I followed the signs, and stumbled to the new arrivals desk luckily it wasn’t too busy. “Yeah, what do you-oh Molly this ones yours.” What did she mean by that?

The other lady was a Lycan, and I was pretty sure that she was the first person to smile at me since I got here “You’re the late arrival right?” That would explain, why my parents weren’t there, so I nodded not thinking anything of it. “Alright here you go,” before handing them to me she read off my name “Rith.” WHAT? That wasn’t right!

“That’s not my name.” I didn’t even look at what she was trying to hand me.

“Alright then what’s your name?” She was more understanding about it than I thought she would be.

“Thomas, Kelber.” She went over to a console, and I spelt out my name for her.

“I’m sorry, but you’re not this Thomas Kelber, if you’re going to lie at least try to impersonate your own kind.” What was she talking about ?

“My own kind??! I’m human of course it’s my own kind!!.” She looked at me like I was an idiot, I knew who I was.

There was a security guard looming over me the second I raised my voice “Keep it down!”

“What? This damn mutt is blind! She-“ He moved to the desk, grabbing up the papers Molly tried to give me and stuff them into one of my pockets.

“I’m telling you this once take these, and go home.” This wasn’t right, he couldn’t treat me like that!

“What are stupid?” He was having no more of it, and grabbed me by the collar nearly hoisting me up off my feet. He wasn’t gentle despite my protests, a pulled me to the front doors, and tossed me outside into the nearest puddle. He said nothing as he left me there, I was ready to get back in there, but I caught a glimpse of my reflection in that muddy water, it wasn’t me looking back that face those eyes they weren’t mine!!

Lau
05-22-2009, 12:38 AM
Chapter II

Was it all a dream? It had to be, something like that couldn’t happen it was impossible, I woke up once more in a strange place, a hospital leaving me to fill in the blanks... did something happen to me during the MS transit? Did I really dream that all up, my eyes found the nearest window, showing the skies that burned red. I was Mars, and that was as much as I would know for a few hours. I felt terrible, like I was about to loose my lunch, but the empty pit of my stomach told me the worst I’d get were the dry heaves if it came to that, I suppose that’s what kept me in bed.

“How are we doing today?” the nurse greeted me with a toothy grin, as she passed through the doorway.

“What happened? Why do I feel sick?” It hurt to speak and my throat was dry, so it made sense that my voice sounded weird to me.

“Well a girl saw you collapse, and she brought you here must’ve been the side effects from the trip to Mars, I think you got off easy some people wind up delusional for a few days.” Side effects huh? I probably was delusional it’d explain a lot. “I’ll go tell the doctor and get you something to eat.” I was too relieved to notice the slight glint of yellow in her eyes, as she turned out the door.

It was an half hour before she came back with a food tray in one hand, and the doctor trailing closely behind her. An older man with no hair and glasses, he reminded me of my dad. The nurse wheeled over the tray table, and set down a typical hospital type of lunch, a few cubes of green jello, a couple slabs of mystery meat with an equally odd looking sauce, and a cup of orange juice, how wonderful. Either way I was glad to chow down, regardless of how nasty the food was.

“Glad you’ve an appetite,” I was too busy chocking down my food to even look at him “you just suffered a neural misfire it’s pretty common in for first timers using MS transit.” he just blurted it out like it was, no more serious than a cold.

“What does that mean?” I asked muffled by the remaining food.

“Well, to keep it simple your brain was sending the wrong information to the wrong place, it explains the scene you caused in the Demyr Corp. build before passing out, apparently you thought you were a human.” The moment I heard that food exploded from my mouth ending in a severe fit of coughing. My mind repeating ‘you didn’t hear that right’.

I had to catch my breath, gasping in between words “WHAT?*gasp* there’s *gasp* gotta be a mistake or something.....My name’s-“

“Rith, Calihan.” He stated adamantly.

I’d regained my breath, and screamed “NO I AM NOT!!” I saw his eyes he was a Lycan too “I’M A HUMAN BEING, I’M NOT A DIRTY MUTT!!” I couldn’t contain myself, everything in my head came crashing down, and I wouldn’t stop screaming at him, they had to bring in a few people to hold me down, and shoot me full of drugs, in my haze I could hear feint voices “Is he going to be alright?” “His mind hasn’t recovered, we’ll have to release him if he wishes to leave, he’s completely healthy, if he refuses to cooperate we’ll have to admit him to a psychiatric hospital, if he does we can release him to his guardians, but the catch there is he’ll have to visit a therapist on a weekly basis.” “But his information says he’s signed up for a foster family here on Mars?” I too out of it to remembering anything more than that, but knew that I wasn’t going to land myself in the looney bin.

I realised I was kinda screwed, no one would believe me, and if I went on trying to prove who I was I’d end up in a nice room with padded walls, and maybe if I was real enthusiastic I’d get one of those extra long sleeve jackets. Once I was free of my drug induced haze, I worked up enough courage to find a mirror. I needed to see it just to be sure, but I was hoping to see myself in the mirror instead.

I stepped into bathroom the stalls to my right, and sinks and mirror to my left, I so afraid to look I was shaking my eyes sealed shut, as I position myself in front of the mirror. I breathed slowly just to keep my heart from bursting out of my chest like those monsters from those old sci-fi movies Gar was so proud of. I started to wring my hands, and talk to myself saying things like ‘it’s only a reflection’ ‘don’t chicken out’ ‘how bad could it be?’ The moment I pried my eyes open, and saw that stranger staring back at me I rushed up to the sink, and threw up until there was nothing left. Again I looked up at the reflection, the kid staring back was about 6 foot, pretty fit, kinda like the jogger type, shaggy, ash-blonde hair, average face, and last but not least those creepy bright yellow eyes. I couldn’t stand it any more I almost ran back to my room, trying to force my self to wake up from the most realistic nightmare of my life.....no luck.

I couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I tried, by the time I started feeling even the slightest bit tired the room already started to glow with the sunlight pouring through the window, making this white room red. So I just laid there for hours, not even looking to see the nurse bring me breakfast. She left without a word, and I took that as the sign of a good day, and decided to at least fill my empty pit of a stomach. Breakfast was better than the last meal I had there, but it still reminded me of chewing on cardboard.

The Doctor from before trudged into my room with another Lycan trailing behind him, I didn’t even want to look at them, all that would be was a reminder of what would stare back at me from a mirror. “Rith?” The Doctor talked to me as if I’d suddenly accepted all this. My only response was a disgruntled huff as I choked down more food. “He hasn’t gotten any better I was hoping his condition would clear up on it’s own.”

“Why do you always have to bother me when I’m trying to eat?” I was rude I know, but at that point I was holding back, I could’ve told them off or say ‘go to hell you stupid quack’ and I’m pretty sure I thought about doing just that.

“Difficult, just like Lynn said.” The lady Lycan started up as if she knew me.
“That’s not a surprise, even though he thinks he’s someone else he’s basically the same person.” A complete load of bullshit, as far as I was concerned.

“That’s alright I’ve dealt with this before.” I wasn’t going to like this lady, call it a hunch.


The Doctor left leaving few words of encouragement “I’ll let you take him from here, I think you can help him better than we can at this point.”

“I’d appreciate that you didn’t talk about me as if I wasn’t in the room!” I’d finished, my morning meal, but I was still hungry, and more than cranky.

“So Rith?”

“Don’t call me that it’s not my name!” I hated that name, well not the name, it was just that it reminded me of everything, and it wasn’t me. Maybe I was afraid that I might end up forgetting who I was.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that if I give in to your condition it may harm you even more.” Everything she said was pissing me off, and it was everything I could do, not to fly off the handle. So I just clenched my fists, and grinded my teeth. “The doctors say I can take you with me today, so I brought some clothes.” She walked over to the bed, still avoiding the sight of her, as she put, blue jeans, a red hoodie, socks, and a pair of black running shoes just at my feet. “What? Are you afraid to look at me?” In spite I looked her in the eye, and found her smiling.....She tricked me. She was in her thirties by my guess, short blonde hair, round face, and dressed pretty casually in a yellow sweater, and white pants.

I thought of refusing the offer, but I remembered what I heard after they doped me up, it was either go with someone like her, or off to the funny farm, the choice was pretty obvious. “Fine just let me get dressed,” I waved her outside, and she politely closed the door behind her. Less enthusiastic I got dressed, the clothes a bit baggy for my tastes, but they’d do for now, I took a deep breath, to prepared myself for a long day, as I opened the door, and walked through.

“You look handsome.” She said with a motherly smile, nearly made me gag.

“I don’t need the comments, okay.” Not the right response, but in my case she took it in stride.

“You really are just like Lynn said you were. “I took offense, but she just smiled, with a slight chuckle under her breath. I had no real interest in this Lynn or what she had to say, it wasn’t me no matter how much they tried to tell me otherwise.

“Can we just go already? I’m already sick of this place.” I just wanted to do something rather than sit there listening to her yammer on about what some lady thought of who ever they thought I was... That was kind of a mouthful wasn’t it.

“See! impatient, she was right. Okay let’s go.” Yep....I had a looooonnnnngggg day ahead of me.

I followed her through the hospital, hands in my pockets, and hunched over as I walked, presenting a scowl to everyone who cared to look. From everything I saw this hospital was one of those low budget Lycan hospitals me, and my buddies used to call the Vet’ just to get on the Lucan kids’ nerves. I felt ashamed just walking through those halls, let alone having spent the night.

It took forever for her to find her car, while I just surveyed the surrounding city remembering some of the news shows, back home talking about Mars. Mars used to be a massive waste land, but with genetically engineered plants, trees, and a few million gallons of water they made huge forest, somewhere around the size of North America in about 100 years give or take a few, cities were built smack dab inside these forests, but other than that I couldn’t tell anyone how it all worked nor would I really care if I did, I knew the basics, and that’s all that mattered.

“Enough sightseeing Rith, it’s time to go.” She had found her car, and I reluctantly got in. She turned the key, and we were off to god-knows-where.

McKitty
05-22-2009, 09:03 AM
Figure since the fresh-start and what not, I should, you-know, actually participate so ...here goes.

I remember reading this piece a while ago. You have the basics of good storytelling down, but there's a few tense mixups that jar the flow of Thomas' narration.

Beyond that, it's a nice piece. I wonder, since this is from a while ago, did you ever continue it?

Lau
05-22-2009, 09:17 AM
well not till recently, I'm working on the next bit, I really felt like I cold go a bit more with this story but since I haven't written for it in so long it's hard to see where I was going with it in the first place, but I will no doubt push forward with this.........eventually:whee:

McKitty
05-22-2009, 09:25 AM
Ugh, I hate coming back to old stories. It's like I look at them and they sap all my creative strength out of me.

Usually, I never finish chaptered stories because of that. It's a horrible habit I'm trying to break.

Pinnz
08-09-2009, 09:49 AM
Lau, I'm here to continue to make you hate me, or something along those lines lol This is actually a pretty intriguing piece. I like the concept quite a bit. Need to see some more of this. Must. . .continue. . .to write. . .for me :beerchug:

Pinnz
08-12-2009, 04:24 PM
It just hit me: the story that this reminds me of is "The Jaunt" by Stephen King. I know you can't stand him but you should read it lol