LEVON

I had finally been able to go home. How long I had been tested on, I have no idea. I just hoped I didn't miss too much of my life—maybe I could've impressed the girl I loved in this time. The thought of missing that made me feel sick.

They guided me to a car and three sat in it, one in the back by me.

I realized quickly these scientists were not taking me home—they had turned the wrong way. I watched as they pulled into a lonely road and I vigorously attempted to escape. I would've done it, if there wasn't that guy in the back seat, who held me down with great strength.

I watched as barbed wire fenced houses were passing the window. Each one had a different name on their oversize, padlocked gates. Evan. Grace. Dana.

Levon. I noticed a house that seemed built in the last half decade, but strangely seemed a bit older and familiar. They shut me in a dog crate and carried it to the door. Honestly, where will this end? A dog crate!?

No words were spoken as they threw it inside and quickly unlocked it only to shut the house door in my face and prevent me from opening it again with heavy objects and things I could not see. I still felt a great pain, but not as great as the previous pain.

I sat up to look at the door. There were numerous locks on it. Clearly it did not end with dog crates.

Brushing dust and dirt off me, I climbed out of the overturned crate and looked around my new surroundings. I could not stop from gasping—it looked just like my house.

On the outside it looked familiar because it was shaped like my house, but it wasn't the same color. It was white outside, but my house is really a faded green.

I cautiously peered around the corner, and sure enough—the next room was exactly like my house. Walking to the kitchen, I dreamt of food. I don't care that I'm not hungry from the nutrients they gave me through an IV tube—it just isn't the same as food, which I desired.

Sure enough, I found my favorite foods in the cabinet, along with a note. It had read:

Dearest Levon—

You may be wondering why we have done this to you. It was merely for the sake of science and human development. It may help us in the future. You are Subject 001 of three remaining subjects. I am sorry to inform you that four subjects have not survived the beginning of the experiment, so they are no longer needed and most of them have been dead for a while now. Subjects 002, 003, 005, and 007 are the ones dead.

It is May twenty second of 2020. I know this may shock you that exactly four years have gone by, but it took a long time to do what we needed to do. All we must do is wait, but we have a feeling your new—features—will come soon. Very soon, in fact. Pain will certainly be common, but yet again, it is for the sake of science.

Live your normal life here. We have given you the normal comforts of your old abode. Cameras and ways of observing your actions have been set up all around the area—just so you know. Forget we are watching and act instinctively and naturally, and you may even be out and about shortly.

Do not worry about water, food, or any other necessities. They will be given to you through a secret passageway that only a select few here know its placement.

This information is from a scientist working for GMETC (Genetic Modifying Experiments and Testing Company) hoping for the best results.

Yours truly,
Aaron Smith (a man who hates his too common last name)

I put the letter down and furiously pounded the counter with my fists. Four years have gone by. I missed a whole lot of time to get closer with the girl I've loved since the first time I set my eyes on her—who also had been subject to this pain and had lost four years.

At that I sickened. There was only a third chance that she survived, I thought. Did this Aaron guy truly believe I could comprehend who lived and died by a set of numbers? I may be their unwilling subject, but I am not a robot who understands only zeros and ones.

I was about to think to myself that I was still human, and then I finally realized I had no idea how I looked after four years of testing. I raced into the bathroom to look into the mirror.

I saw a slightly familiar figure standing before me in a shiny surface. It was me, but not me—or not the me I remembered. I had grown so much since I was twelve... Wait a minute. This meant I was sixteen. Disbelief and surprise was nearly swallowing me. I was extremely angry at those scientists for taking away my life. Four years—just gone.

I began to plot an escape. Could I break a window? Could I find that secret supply tunnel?

The answer was no. The windows were unbreakable and the supply tunnel was extremely well hidden. I lay down on the bed in the room that resembled mine, utterly frustrated. I had hardly noticed the extreme pain building up in mainly my hands, feet, and shoulders until I collapsed.

Time passed while I could not get up. At an unnatural speed, I felt something happening to me—something unpleasant, for sure. I was not sure of the amount of time, however, that it happened over.

I stood when the pain receded and I just felt extremely odd, almost like I grew a fifth limb.

The mirror. I stood up and glanced at it reflecting my appearance. I didn't believe I was seeing this—it must have been a dream.

I saw a paper airplane flying toward me and a person fleeing, back facing me. They disappeared down my stairs. I felt the urge to race after them, but the paper airplane had writing on it.

Dear Subject 001—

I guess you saw what we did to you now. It happened quicker than predicted. Again, it was for the sake of science.

How, you may ask? We genetically modified you—I guess you're not really human anymore. We used the bald eagle's wingspan and different, vibrant birds' colors. We used cats' claws on your hands for fingernails and eagles' talons for feet. Strength from many different animals combined was given—since beginning muscles depend on genetics.

I would stop trying to break out, if I were you—you'll only dig yourself into a hole. News crews have alerted the whole world of the scientific breakthrough our team has just made. GMETC and your classmates are rooting for you and the other subjects' survival.

Yours truly,
Daniel Mansfield—a GMETC worker

I couldn't believe them... They did this to me. If you're wondering...

I had sprouted magnificent wings I would say are about my height in wingspan, and a neon green color. My feet replaced with eagle talons. My fingernails replaces with cat claws.

Awestruck, I noticed I still looked like myself—well, my older self—limber build, deep brown eyes and short hair. Some say my eyes have a nice bit of green, and I see it now too. I seemed okay and natural other than the wings and talons and claws.

I suddenly thought of the chimney. Would the scientists think I wouldn't be that dumb? Because I can assure you, I am that dumb.

I raced down the stairs to the chimney. I was thankful I always had a large one. I shoved the thing that was in between me and the fireplace for safety. I noticed the grate had nothing inside to have placed wood on, and that gave me more room to fit inside. My elbow brushed one brick out of every other brick, and a secret chamber opened.

I had found the secret passageway.

It was certainly wide enough for me to squeeze through and dash away—it went under my house and I saw daylight. I doubted anyone would be able to follow me quick enough.

I reached the great outdoors for the first time in four years. Free at last! I thought.

News stations were all around the house, and their camera views quickly changed as they got their first glimpse at what the scientists had done. They had proof now, too—in case anyone thought it was rubbish.

I saw a man in a white lab coat charging toward me, and I turned to see others doing the same all around me. I knew I only had one hope... to fly.

You can do it, I thought to myself. Breathe. Takeoff in three, two, one...

Just as a white coated woman had been about to grab my leg, I flapped my enormous wings and was above her head. She had hold of my leg, but quickly whimpered and let go. I would have stopped if I were her too, but this was my only hope.

I had been afraid of heights my whole life—or at least after my mother died. Airplane crash, coming back from a business trip. I was devastated and my father couldn't handle it. He left me behind to try to get to her—he took his life, and I never forgave him.

I tried to forget my mother falling from the sky in an airplane and my father leaping from his work building's roof. I tried to forget, but that's nearly impossible.

I landed on the tallest building I could find—which was pretty tall. I had searched for one for a while.

My heart seemingly stopped. The most beautiful thing walked over to me from the corner of the roof. I would have sworn it was an angel. I was pretty sure, anyway, because it even looked just like the girl I had desired for years, but with large wings—like a value scale from fluorescent pink to white to the tips of her winds on feathers.

I was shaking, and I couldn't help myself—oh, the nerves were too much as I gazed upon her beauty. I realized I sounded like some cliché dude from a movie nobody bothered to see. It was then I realized she too had cats' claws and eagles' talons. She survived. I could not have explained my excitement and happiness in that one moment.

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ALEXIS

"Levon?" I asked, recognizing another classmate. He was in a few of my classes before and we spoke on a few occasions. He had a habit of sweating.

"Alexis!" he shouted excitedly. So now I knew who Subject 001 was.

"Dana!" I called, whipping around to the tent she brought. "I found Subject 001!"

"Who is it?" Dana wondered, stepping out of the tent. She glanced over at me and Levon to see it was him.

"Oh. Him." She rolled her eyes.

"Dana, come on. Give him a chance. I've had a few conversations with him before, and he's not that bad," I defended.

"Not that bad? Oh please. I'm smoking hot." Levon smirked.

Dana made a disgusted face and pulled the tent shut behind her. "This is what I mean," she said to us through the tent, voice hard to hear from the wind, and also the fact that she wasn't facing us.

"So you don't like smoking hot dudes?" Levon asked, pretending—or I thought so, at least, since I could never be sure with him—to be surprised. "You are one messed up chick."

Dana made a gagging expression and a smile tugged at my lips, and I had no idea why. Maybe I just liked knowing this world could still have fun and games in it—Levon was almost the fire to the darkness, I guess.

"So... you two were the ones to survive?" Levon asked me. "What lucky women you are." I would have sworn I heard Dana mumbling a retort.

"Not what I'd call lucky. We now have wings, talons, and claws, and we're pretty much fugitives now. We'll be searched for and news stations will eat up all these juicy stories on us and the search—and how we probably gained animal behavior," Dana replied, having turned around.

"Wow, okay. You just ruined the moment." Levon frowned mockingly. "How can a story be juicy? Oh, look, this story is so juicy and tasty!"

Dana shook her head. "Boys."

"Stereotypes are rude," Levon began in a teasing tone. "You of all people should know that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dork, nerd, goody two-shoes, loser. Labels people gave you. Stereotypes based off of those. People judge you, Dana. You know that."

Dana's face hardened. "Shut up. You know nothing about how people treat me, and now we're three of seven survivors of this abuse—not to mention we're all fugitives together as well. It doesn't help to argue."

"I wasn't arguing—I was just telling you." Levon looked regretful, for just a moment, then it was gone. His enigmatic expression was back, one that made me think he practiced to hide emotions. I don't know why, but I wished he'd open up.

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DANA

We had laid out a third sleeping bag I snatched from the nearby outdoor themed store. I had been the best at flying—or at least they said so—so I was the one to snatch anything we needed. I know, it was stealing, so I left a bit of money I had on me for school lunch that day years ago on the counter. I'm sorry, but I didn't want to steal.

I laid it down beside mine and Alexis' that I had already snatched from the store today. The sun was setting, and I was tired, so I decided to crawl into my sleeping bag. They did too. From above, Levon was on the left, Alexis in the middle, me on the right. Poor Alexis—she just seemed on better terms with him than me, so I sacrificed her.

It was my birthday again—I had sprouted wings, feet and fingernails morphed into talons and claws, strength increased, and becoming a fugitive with Levon and Alexis all on my birthday. At the same time, I had always yearned for an adventure of my own, but I didn't mean this.

We all climbed into bed. Disgustedly, I turned away from them both and stared out an opening in the tent toward the sea and waves crashing in at the coast of the city.