Location: Earth

"Grab something to stop the bleeding!" Vaskin yelled in alarm. Leif rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a clean hand towel and handed it to him, trying to keep her eyes closed.

"That's not big enough!" Vaskin said, taking the small cloth and pressing it firmly on Manx's arm to act as a temporary stop to the blood flow until Leif could get something bigger.

"Where is something big enough then?" Leif asked nervously, her jaw locking up and her muscles tightening in her legs.

"Upstairs in the bathroom! Hurry!" Vaskin shouted in a panic. Leif ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her and ran back down with a large towel in her hand. Vaskin eagerly received the towel and pressed it onto the wound, wrapping it around to add more layers to soak up the bleeding.

"Why isn't she responding?" Leif asked nervously, her voice shaky.

"I think it's because when she does this she can't hear us. But I'm not sure." Vaskin replied anxiously.
"What about Khashmyr? Is she going to be alright?" Leif asked.

"She'll be fine, but Manx, well..." Vaskin said nervously.

"If she loses too much blood what are we gonna do, bring her to a hospital or something?" Leif asked with concern.

"I don't know how to get to a hospital here so we can't let that happen." Vaskin said, a tear running down his cheek.

"She can't live if she loses that much blood! We have to do something!" Leif replied.

"She's not from here, and neither am I, so how do we know a hospital is safe?" Vaskin asked.

"Of course! If anybody discovers you guys, then...then you'll be stuffed and put in a museum or something, or kept in a cage and poked at. Or worse! And most of the people who would do that have a connection to the hospital!" Leif replied in alarm.

"She won't make it." Vaskin said sadly, trying to stop the blood flow still.

"That's it! I'm calling a hospital!" Leif said

"WHAT?! But didn't you just say...?" Vaskin said angrily.

"You've hidden among humans for so long. Even had me fooled, yet somehow I knew. Isn't it those amulets that are hiding you?" Leif replied.

"It's dangerous! Khashmyr is out cold, and the amulets only work if we're wearing them. What if...?" Vaskin cried

"Trust me." Leif said, her eyes almost glowing a brighter shade of icy blue.

Vaskin nodded and watched as she dialed an ambulance. When the operator picked up, she said, "Hello? We need an ambulance. We have a girl with a severely injured arm. I don't know the address but it's off of 16th street. Red and yellow house. You can't miss it!"

She then hung up the phone and said, "Now all we have to do is wait. Hang in there, Manx."

Vaskin cried for a bit, wanting to stroke Manx's hair. Soon, he was startled by the loud high pitched chime of the doorbell. Leif ran to the door and answered it, saying, "Wow. You're fast. She's right this way."

Two humans dressed in uniforms rushed a stretcher in through the front door and effortlessly got Manx on it. Vaskin followed close behind with Leif, who had her eyes closed most of the way to the hospital. Before they left the house Leif had thrown a blanket over Khashmyr to keep her hidden from prying eyes in her vulnerable state.

A few minutes after the ambulance had left the house, Khashmyr opened her eyes, dizzy and disoriented from the loss of energy she had sustained. She had done her best to protect Manx from the wound getting worse, but even her efforts were in vain. At first she thought she had been taken somewhere else, but soon she broke free of the blanket. She looked around in alarm to find the house quiet and completely empty besides a bloody towel on the floor. Khashmyr sniffed the room and realized that it was Manx's blood, and she knew where she had to go. But she was too weak to change forms, and in her true form she could not drive her car. She could hardly even open the front door without jumping up and using her paws instead of using magic. She ran along the sidewalk, knowing she couldn't be seen. Her paws hurt after awhile, and she had to rest, but she also had to get to Vaskin, Leif and Manx. She stopped for a minute to lick her sore paws when the unthinkable happened. She felt sticky fingers digging into her fur, and heard an excited little voice shout "Kitty!"

Khashmyr was about to yell "Put me down!" when she realized that doing so could attract negative attention. Instead, she yowled in protest, trying to frighten the human child enough to let her go. If she scratched the kid, it would be straight to the pound or somewhere worse.

"Pretty Kitty!" The little girl exclaimed, and Khashmyr went limp in her arms, trying to use her body weight to slip out of the kid's hands. But the little girl had an iron grip and began dragging Khashmyr along the sidewalk to its house.

"Reeooowww!" Khashmyr groaned, as she felt her precious fur dragging along the ground. She would have to give that a thorough washing later. Khashmyr let out an indignant "Mereaooouw!" as her back bumped along the steps of the kid's porch, and another equally annoyed "Mrooooouuuw!" as she was pulled up the stairs and into a pink bedroom full of stuffed animals.

"Wanna play tea party, Kitty?" The little girl asked, dropping Khashmyr on the floor. Khashmyr replied by getting to her feet and licking her back to regain her dignity. She barely had a chance to lick her paws when she was stuffed into a tight dress made for a baby doll.

"Kitty you look so pretty now!" The little girl exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"You won't look so pretty once this is over." Khashmyr thought to herself as she rapidly twitched both her tails. She didn't have enough energy to teleport away, and she couldn't transform into her human form or any other form in front of this human child. She had to wait until she had enough strength and then she would slip out when the kid wasn't looking.

"Kitty drink your tea!" The little girl said, forcing a china cup to Khashmyr's mouth.

"You expect me to drink THAT? At your height the only place you'd be able to get water is the toilet! NO THANKS!" Khashmyr thought before meowing her disdain. But the little girl was too strong and Khashmyr found herself desperately trying to spit the water out.

"Aww! Kitty wants more!" The little girl squealed in delight, and Khashmyr flattened her ears to the side of her head and gave a small warning growl.

"Ooh! I know! Wanna play a game, Kitty?" the little girl asked.

Khashmyr purred and thought, "I know a really good game! It's called 'catch the kitty'! 3-2-1..." And then suddenly Khashmyr bolted to the door, realizing it was locked. She ran in circles around the room, trying to tire the girl out, but soon she was caught by the tail.

"I've got you now, kitty!" The little girl said, before the bedroom door clicked and opened.

"Laura...What are you...?" The woman who entered the room said.

"Look mommy! I found a kitty!" the little girl, apparently named Laura said.

"Yes! I'm saved! Free me from your child's iron clutches!" Khashmyr thought, as she let out a long baleful "Mereeeaaoouuuwww!"

"Laura, that kitty is a little bit big to keep it. You shouldn't bring wild animals into the house. Still, it seems pretty tame. Let me check with the shelter to see if anyone is missing a cat like that." The girl's mother said.

"Why would I be anyone's pet? Bah! The Idea itself disgusts me! Me, a pet? No thanks!" Khashmyr thought to herself while chirping out another meow as the child's mother made the phone call.
"Alright, Laura, the shelter has no missing cats like that one, and nobody called in recently, and so maybe this cat lost its owner. We can keep the kitty here until its owner turns up. But who would own such an odd cat is beyond me." The mother said.

"Yay! Kitty stays!" Laura exclaimed.

"Oh mother of Sardines help me!" Khashmyr thought with dismay. She was stuck here and unable to do anything about it until her strength was back up.

"In the meantime, we should take Kitty into the vet to make sure she's had her shots." The kid's mom said, kneeling down and looking Khashmyr in the eyes. It took all Khashmyr's patience to not bite the kid or its mother here and now, and she let out an angry wail as the larger human scooped her up. The woman gently freed Khashmyr from the frilly doll dress, but before Khashmyr could utter her thanks she found herself in a cat crate in the back of a car. She howled her protest the whole way to the vet's office, unsure of what horrors would befall her there.

"Don't cry kitty!" Laura said, as the crate was hoisted in through the doors of certain doom. The stench of fear was heavy in the air along with the smell of other animals, yet Khashmyr stood her ground, refusing to cower like the rest of the animals. She had to keep her pride, even if it meant not scratching or biting, despite how angry she felt. But Khashmyr was not a silent protester and she howled and wailed out her disdain for the place.

She was mercilessly yanked from the cat crate and set onto a cold slippery steel table, and she realized that she had enough strength to run away as soon as the door opened. She froze like a statue, standing brave and tall and ignoring the human child's grubby pats. The vet came into the room and nearly jumped at the sight of Khashmyr, never having seen a cat quite like her.

"Meroooouuuw!" Khashmyr said, staring into the vet's eyes to dare him to do his worst.

"Well you're a talker, aren't you?" The vet asked gently. Khashmyr smugly held her ears back and bared her teeth, daring him to come closer. He took a step towards her and she felt her heart racing. She knew every second she wasted was risking something, and she had to get to Vaskin and Manx and Leif. She had to be there. Khashmyr leaped onto the adjacent counter and swiped over a glass jar of cotton swabs and watched as the humans reacted. She knew they had to get a broom in there to clean up the broken glass, and that was her chance. The vet had grabbed her and was holding her firmly, so she went limp to get him to relax his grip. As soon as the door opened, she sprung into action, shooting out of the vet's arms like a rocket. She had no time to lose. Khashmyr threw herself at the door standing between her and freedom, using all her weight to push it open. Once in the parking lot, she dashed through the pavement and ran into the street. She ran along the road, faster and faster, ignoring the pain in her paws. The running was sapping her strength, but she had to get to that hospital no matter what.

Vaskin was tempted to hold Manx's hand on the way to the hospital, but he knew that doing so could further alienate him from her. He was grateful that Leif was there, even though her eyes were closed most of the way to the hospital. She had never been able to handle the sight of blood too well and he knew she was doing her best. The paramedics had asked Vaskin and Leif many questions about Manx's health history since she was unconscious from the loss of blood, too many questions in Vaskin's perspective. When they got to the hospital, Vaskin was taken aback by the sheer size of the place. As Manx was being carried into the hospital, Vaskin saw her twitch her fingers a bit, and he hoped that she would wake up soon.

"Leif! Open your eyes!" Vaskin said in annoyance as Leif walked into a wall.

"I don't want to!" Leif replied, her jaw clenched. Vaskin shook his head with disapproval before looking back over at Manx, hoping she would pull through. Manx was transferred to a gurney and wheeled down the hall into a small white room, Vaskin following close behind.

"What are you doing to her?" Vaskin asked in alarm, as the doctors took her pulse and blood pressure.

"It's standard procedure, kid." One of the doctors replied.

"She doesn't like it when people have their hands on her!" Vaskin exclaimed angrily.

"We have to do this to make sure she's okay. Calm down kid or you'll give yourself a heart attack and then it'll make our jobs even harder." Another one of them replied.

Vaskin saw Manx's eyes slowly open, before she opened them fully in shock and horror at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Vaskin?..." Manx asked quietly, wide eyed at the room around her.

"I'm here." Vaskin replied, hoping against hope that she wouldn't panic.

"Where am I? What...What happened?" she asked in fear.

"You're at the hospital. I'm sorry. We had to get you here. The bleeding was too bad." Vaskin replied.
"It was worth it." Manx replied shortly with a quick shrug.

Vaskin was quite surprised at her reaction, but he was glad it wasn't as hard on her as he thought it would be.

"Are you okay?" Vaskin asked her.

Manx shrugged and said, "I could be better. You don't look too good yourself. Are you...?"

"Don't ever do that to me again! You had us so worried, and I thought you were gonna' die." Vaskin replied.

At that, she smiled a little, and he wondered what she was thinking. Manx made a noise that sounded a bit like a sneeze, and he realized that she was trying to hold back her laughter. He raised an eyebrow quizzically and said, "What's so funny?"

"Your face! Just look at you!" Manx replied, letting out a little giggle.

"What's wrong with my face?" Vaksin asked with concern, blushing profusely.

She shook her head and replied, "Nothing's wrong with it. You just look funny when you're scared!"

"What's so funny about it?" Vaskin asked nervously.

"It just suits you. I like it." Manx replied softly.

"Oh...um...alright. I like it when you smile. I think it suits you." Vaskin replied.

"Don't get used to it." She replied with a playful smirk.

"I don't think I could ever get used to it. Your smile is like the sunshine itself, better every time I see it." Vaskin said.

"Oh don't be poetic!" Manx sarcastically replied.

"Um, hey, you two, I think the doctors are trying to communicate with you." Leif sheepishly cut in as one of the doctors handed Manx a clipboard with paperwork on it.

Khashmyr raced through a park, startling a group of onlookers and setting a couple dogs barking after her. She was growing more and more exhausted every second and she knew she would never be able to outrun them in time. She had to think fast, noticing the abundance of trees in the area and racing off into the nearby forest. The terrain there was easier on her feet, but still the running was sapping her strength. Khashmyr finally gave in and tore up the trunk of a sturdy oak tree, clambering into its high branches. Once she was safe, she hissed at the dogs and in her excitement she shouted, "Go back home, you mangy mutts! You'll never get a taste of my fur!"

Khashmyr then licked her paws and sat down on the branch of the tree, watching in amusement as the dogs' owners came racing after them, frantically getting their excited beasts back on their leashes. Khashmyr sat and caught her breath once the dogs and their masters were out of sight, before she heard leaves crackling on the forest floor as a human tore through the trees. Suddenly Khashmyr felt a sharp pain in her flank and she howled in surprise and fury.

"What was that?" Khashmyr heard a young male voice say.

"I dunno. It sounded like you hit some wild animal or something." Another one said.

"Whoah. Look up there! In that tree! It looks like a big yellow cat!" the first one said, and Khashmyr realized that she had been spotted. She growled in warning, flattening her ears to the side of her head and letting out a ferocious hiss. She had to do her best to scare them off because she couldn't afford to be captured or carted off as a pet. Khashmyr knew she couldn't go back to running until she had gotten plenty of rest, and she hadn't gained enough strength to use her magic yet. The human boys looked up at her in curiosity and awe, when one of them said, "I'm gonna' try to get it down from the tree."

The boy then raised his airsoft gun and pointed it at Khashmyr. The boy looked like the kind of kid who'd tell a lie or even the truth and nobody would believe him. She had to think fast to avoid further injury.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Khashmyr said calmly, looking him in the eye.

"Haden, put the gun down." The boy's friend said nervously.

"That thing just talked!" the boy supposedly named Haden said in alarm.

"Yeah right. I didn't hear anything." The boy's friend replied scornfully.

Khashmyr licked a paw before flexing her claws with mock disinterest.
"I can do much more than talk." Khashmyr spoke into Haden's mind, and the boy looked at her with shock and horror.

"Th...there it goes again! It talked again!" Haden yelped.

"Oh, shut up. You're just making this all up." the other boy replied.

"I'm in your head, Haden. Your friend can't hear me. I'm speaking only to you." Khashmyr said with a mischievous smile, thoroughly enjoying this.

"Ace! Help me! It's in my head!" Haden screamed.

Ace tilted his head and said, "C'mon, first the ghost in your attic, then accusing my friend of being a vampire, and now this? Please, I've had enough of your silly antics."

"It's...it's not real! It can't be!" Haden said with a nervous gulp.

"Oh, this is real alright. I can talk, and I'm in your head, drilling my magic into your skull." Khashmyr said slyly.

"Make it stop! Get out! Get out of my head!" Haden screamed in panic.

"I will leave you alone on one condition." Khashmyr replied.

"Anything! I'll do anything!" Haden yelped, his friend watching in amusement.

"Good. Now leave, put your gun down, and never harm another living thing again. I will be watching you, and the moment you do anything against your promise, I will be there. Now be a good little boy and run home to your mommy!" Khashmyr said, and Haden grabbed his friend by the arm and ran away without taking his airsoft gun and without looking back. Ace however was looking back, and he saw Khashmyr fade out of the tree as if she was never there, the last sign of her existence being the gleam of her sharp white teeth.