Shift

Alex’s POV:

Luke excused himself from the living area of his home. I looked at the man he earlier explained was his butler, Kahn. There was something about him, something about the way he looked at Luke. But, I ignored it.

After a few minutes, I heard the first gunshot.

I had the nerve to run, but I knew I couldn’t. I was frozen.

Luke.

I have to know if he is ok.

But I couldn’t move. I have seen it too many times before.

*flashback*

It was my first time at a zoo. My poor mother had no idea. I alone had no idea. At the time, I was only five years old.

Most five year olds are terrified of snakes. I on the other hand, was fascinated by the way that they moved.

“Mommy! Mommy, Mommy, Mommmmmy!” I whined pulling at the end of her flowing purple sundress.

“What, Alex?” My mother replied, smiling, looking down on my small frame.
I was standing between a mirror and a glass container holding a snake. I looked at myself briefly. I had bright green eyes that changed color frequently, and curly blond hair, that in a few years would turn brown, and I would dye regularly.

I pointed at the snake.

“Pretty snake.”

My mother laughed.

“I want to be a pretty snake.”

And then, I screamed. Mostly because it hurt.

My mother gasped.

I looked in the mirror again. I couldn’t see myself.

I stared at the mirror. I only saw a small gardener snake.

I moved, and it moved, too.

It was mimicking me.

It WAS me

I don’t remember anything else from that day. I don’t remember becoming human again, or how I got home. But I know that was the first time I had shifted. I also remember, that after that day, I wasn’t allowed to go to school anymore. My mother told them I had uncontrollable and sporadic seizures, and that I needed to be homeschooled. It was true, that I seized, but only after full shifting. And the worst part, I couldn’t control when I shifted.
************************************

I heard three more gunshots. I flinched, trying not to think about it.

Something shattered.

I wrapped my arms around my legs, rested my chin on my knees, and shut my eyes.

I rocked back and forth.

I heard more men screaming.

More gunshots, more screaming; it was all breaking an eerie silence.

I heard a cry of pain.

Luke was shouting, though I couldn’t tell what.

I sprang up, and ran toward the hallway. I saw two dead men lying at my feet and the front door wide open. I let my back hit the wall as I slid to the floor. My fist was in my mouth as I tried not to scream.

I heard another gunshot. I ran toward the sound.

“Luke, oh my god, what happ-?!” I grabbed him arm, twisting his body around, and holding him tightly.

“Nothin’ happened, okay. All that matters to me is that you’re safe.” He interrupted me, looking me in the eye.

We stared at each other for a long time.

I suggested we clean it up, and then go watch movies.

I went back down the hallway, to find a laundry room, where I found some towels, bleach, and more cleaning supplies.

When I got back, I started wiping the blood off of the wood floors, the bleach burning my nose.

“You’re not hurt, right?” I looked at Luke skeptically.

“Alex-“

I glared at him.

“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”

I smiled. “Good.”

After about a half hour of cleaning a debating what we could do about the bullet-filled walls, we headed for separate bathrooms to take a quick shower before the movies.

Not really feeling like straightening my long hair, I pulled it up into a sloppy ponytail on my head. I wore a black tank top, some COD sweatpants (epic, I know), and as always, eyeliner.

Walking into the living room, I spotted Luke, walking in from the opposite direction. I glanced at him; he was wearing blue plaid pajama pants, and no shirt.

We met about halfway through the room. “Well hello there, someone likes to show off their six pack.” I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

He smirked, and then pressed his lips firmly against mine. I let my hands slide from his shoulder to his hips, my fingers gliding over his toned stomach.
It became a makeout session in a matter of seconds.

Pushing him back onto the couch hardly broke our heated kiss.
A few minutes later, I pulled away, resting my head on his shoulder. “I love you, Luke,” I mumbled into the crook of his neck.

He put his hands on both sides of my head, and lifted my face, so it was level with his. Looking me right in the eyes, he replied “I love you too, Alex.”
We looked at each other for a few seconds, then I placed a soft kiss on his lips, and sprang up from the couch.

“What movie do you want to watch first?” I asked happily.

Luke only looked at me amused, so I went on, “my vote is the Resident Evil movies. OMG totally the best zombie movie/ action movie EVER. Orrrr, we could always watch Uunderworld. Or we could watch Cowboys and Aliens! And we have G.I Joe, because come on, who doesn’t love that movie? And then there’s I am Number Four, which isn’t that much of an action movie, even though it kind of is, but whatever, that movie wasn’t bad. Ha, I guess we can watch the James Bond movies, because who hasn’t seen them. UGH. You have to choose. Too many choices.”

Luke looked at me and laughed, “lets go with Resident Evil.”

“kk.” I smiled and slid the disc into the blue ray player and headed back to the couch, dimming the lights on my way.
As the opening scenes started to play of he first movie, I looked at Luke. I was so lucky. And, at least this time, I wasn’t alone.

*flashback*

“Divorce?” I shrieked at my mother.

“Your father and I, honey, things just aren’t working.”

Two moths later…

The divorce was final.

My mom was leaving to Europe for three weeks to help find a cure to some type of outbreak over there. I learned, at a young age, to quit questioning my mothers work. I was supposed to stay with my dad during that time, because they didn’t want me traveling with my mom.

I never made it to my dad’s house.

My driver was shot down in the car on the street.

I woke up in a white room. I was drugged and beaten, and was planned to be tested on. They knew I had some type of ability. They wanted it. They wanted to figure out what was in my genes; recreate it. They wanted to sell it for millions, and kill me. The man behind it, the one and only, Joseph.

I had only opened my eyes once, but it was my worst mistake.

I was never sure what time it was, because the constant buzzing of people, computers, and medicine was never ending. It was like being in a hospital. But I was the only patient.

I’m assuming it was late at night, because they mentioned something about not waking me up.

I heard gunshots.

On instinct, my eyes flew open.

Many men in black ran around shooting at each other, each side was careful to avoid me.

One man screamed to me, “Alex, RUN.”

I still didn’t know what was going on. Ripping the IV out of my arm, I ran toward the open door in bare feet. I was shot in the leg. I fell instantly. I tried to make it to the door, but I wouldn’t move. I blacked out.

I woke up in my bed at home.

I had been missing for almost a month. My parents instructed me not to tell the police anything, so I told them that I couldn’t remember anything.

The bullet tore up so much in my leg that I was in a wheelchair for a good two months.

I swore that, after that, Joseph was never going to hurt me again.
And then, I learned about Luke.
******************************************

Around the time all of the Resident Evil movies ended, I started to yawn.

“Wanna go to bed?” Luke asked me.

“I’m kinda afraid to go to bed” I stated sleepily, then added, “I would rather sleep right here.”

Luke chuckled, and agreed.

I laid my head on his warm chest, and as he kissed the top of my head, I fell asleep.