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Rennae's Tale

Chapter Two

28th July, 2019

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

All Rights Reserved.

Rennae reluctantly returned to consciousness, to find herself in the darkened ward room, still laying on the bed. Tubes ran from pouches hung on hooks and ended in needles buried into her wrists. Not sure on what they were, Rennae was a few moments studying them, as she listened intently.

You have to get out of here - they have your blood, they'll know what you are and the others will come and kill you just as they killed your people...

Rennae blinked, hearing the words in her head, but they weren't her own voice - it was the voice of the _other_creature that lived within her. Her earliest memories were of hearing its voice, but her people taught her how to fight and overcome that creature, how to force it into submission and assert her dominance over it. Yet this time, she listened to it, and knew it wasn't just looking out for itself, it had her best interests in mind as well.

Grasping the tubes, Rennae grit her teeth and tugged them out, wincing as she needles slid out of her skin. Dropping them, she started to panic, wondering how she would get out of here.

I don't even know where here is..._Rennae's mind whirled. _They drugged me, brought me here...how can I...

You're not a fool young one - there would be many ways to escape, but think logically for a moment - you've seen the people here! They wear clothing different to - this - you have on, you could kill one of them, take their clothing...

No!_Rennae gasped. _I'm not a murderer, you know I'm not - you can't make me kill an innocent!

Can't I? Give me control little one...I'll show you how easy it is...

Rennae sat up, feeling the room spin as the blood rushed from her head, as she rested a hand against her forehead and shuddered.

Get up... Rennae told herself, as she slid her legs out of the warm bed, then gasped as her bare feet touched the cold floor. Standing up, she felt nausea wash through her and the room spun again, as she braced herself against the bed and shuddered from head to feet.

Carefully, she moved to the door, placing her hand on it and leaning close, but the door was thick, and she didn't hear a single word. Nothing made her more anxious, than wishing she could shift forms, as the human senses were severely lacking compared to her feral nature she preferred. Wrapping her fingers around the door, she cracked it open a bit, then nervously looked out. Rennae expected the hallway to be filled to overflowing with humans...and to her surprise, apart from a human in a white coat sitting behind a counter near the far end, it was deserted.

Carefully, she slipped out of her room, then began carefully moving down the hall, away from the stranger, until she come to a door that said 'Staff Only' - slipping inside, she found herself in what appeared to be a break room of some description. Smells from the fresh muffins compelled her, as she grabbed them and began stuffing them into her mouth as fast as she could eat.

Panic reasserted itself, as she looked around, brushing muffin crumbs from her hospital gown, her eyes fixating on some folded white pants, a shirt and next to them, was a white lab coat. Snatching it up, she quickly tore her hospital gown off and put this one on, as she turned on the sink and began washing blood off her wrists.

In her panicked mind, she stared down at her left wrist, then frowned. A red plastic band had been affixed there, with writing on it.

"Jane Doe, Female, Unknown DOB - "

Wrapping her fingers under it, she began tugging at the plastic band, expecting it to break with minimal effort. Surprisingly, it was quite resilient, and she was a dozen minutes softly gasping in frustration and pain as the wristband refused to let go - until at the last desperate tug, it snapped in her hand and she dropped it.

Frowning, Rennae pulled the coat closed, stuffing her hands into the pockets as she crept back out of the staff room. Her heart leapt into her mouth as she realised the Nurse had gone from her station, so Rennae wasted no time and quickly moved towards the far end of the hallway, seeing the bright green EXIT sign.

*

Making her way down the fire escape, Rennae thought she was clear, until a group of Nurses coming up the stairs nearly collided with her.

"Oh, excuse us - " One commented, as she stood aside and let Rennae pass.

It was only through extreme luck, that Rennae didn't break and run - she was so scared and panicked.

"Sorry - " Rennae murmured, as she moved between them and quickly down the stairs, disappearing out the next door.

"How strange - " One commented. "That Nurse didn't have her shoes on..."

'Can you blame her?" Sighed the other. "Mine give me terrible blisters..."

*

Rennae slipped into a ward room, shutting the door behind her as she panted and trembled in fear. A slow, beep, beep, beep come to her, and Rennae blinked, before leaving the door and peering around the curtain at the patient who lay unconscious on the bed. Tubes and machinery hissed, beeped and made other noises, the displays only some of which Rennae could decipher, showed heart rate and pressure. Seeing a young woman, not much older than herself, Rennae moved back in case she woke up, then an idea struck her.

She might have shoes and clothing...we could use them to disguise ourselves and escape this place, before its too late!

Rennae nodded her head, then fumbled at the cupboard, before she opened it and breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly, Rennae didn't think, just acted, as she snatched the clothes from the closet and dressed herself, dumping the lab coat in the closet. Finding a pair of shoes that almost fit, Rennae slid them onto her feet and moved out into the hallway.

Taking a dozen steps, Rennae almost run into a Doctor who was exiting a patients room.

"Oh, sorry miss - its a bit late for visiting hours - "

"No, I'm a patient here - " Rennae stammered. "I'm a bit of a...I don't sleep too good at night, thought a walk might ease my mind!"

"Insomniac? Ah, a curse that thing, well, you have a good night!"

Without a backwards glance, he walked off towards the Nurses station and Rennae forced her heart back out of her mouth. Fear clutched at her, as any second she expected someone to raise an alarm or cry out_Therian_ - but no one here seemed to realise what lived within Rennae's human-like body.

As if she knew where she was going, Rennae moved past the Nurses station, the Nurse looking up and giving her a weak smile, before she turned to the Doctor and continued their conversation.

Out in the hall, Rennae studied the signs, before she turned left and headed to the bank of elevators. Pressing the down button, Rennae tried to hide her fear and stood patiently, fearing at any second, the cry would go forth - or someone would try to grab her.

Finally, the indicator lit up and she waited with terror flooding her, before the doors slid open and she found it empty. Stepping inside, she hurriedly pushed the down arrow, then began quivering - she was so close to escaping from this nightmare - before a hand come through the doors and they opened again. Barely, Rennae held back to the terrified squeal, as two Doctors stepped in, never giving her a second glance.

Calm yourself! Rennae's mind screamed at her. They don't know what you are, and if you get out of here - now - they'll never know!

Patiently, Rennae stood and held her hands together before her, hoping to look disinterested and bored, as the doors closed and it finally headed downwards. Almost impossibly slowly, or so it felt to Rennae. Finally, it reached the ground floor and she stepped out, before glancing around. People of all kinds moved, talked and carried on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, as Rennae moved around and past them - none of them had any inkling - that a terrified Therian walked amongst them - barely holding herself together.

Stepping outside, Rennae blinked in the bright lights, finding herself trying to catch her breath and rein in her galloping heart rate. It was night, for this she was thankful - but the hospital forecourt was still surprisingly busy. Moving to the right, Rennae tried to remain calm as she walked the length of the forecourt, then quickly crossed the road and slipped into a dark alleyway.

Here, she tore the stolen clothes off, and she whimpered and moaned as she forced the change upon herself. For fifteen minutes, she lay sobbing on the ground, her newly transformed body aching with the residual twinges and pain of the change - before she crept to her hooves and blinked. Everything was so much moire vibrant and the _noises_nearly drove the Whitetail mad.

Without further thought, she turned and fled, trying to keep to the darkness as much as she could. Streaking across a road, Rennae's hooves skidded and she stared helplessly, as a car slammed on its brakes and illuminated her in its merciless gaze of blinding headlights.

"Guh - " Rennae grunted, her eyes wide, her body frozen like a statue.

Helpless, she couldn't move a muscle, until two human-like silhouettes blocked the headlights.

"What the fuck..." Come a masculine voice.

"Is that a..." Said a female voice. "How is a..."

Rennae blinked, the paralysis fleeing her body, before she bleated and took off like the hounds of Hades were on her cloven hooves. Staring at each other, the husband and wife shook their heads in bewilderment.

"How the hell is a Whitetail loose in the middle of town?"

"I...she has to be escaped from the zoo, or someone's pet..."

*

Rennae ran blindly, her lungs aching as she fled down this road, across that lawn and over the fences. She didn't know, couldn't know, where she was going - so badly was her mind in flight mode. All she knew, was she had to get away - somewhere where she could vanish into the forest. Every where she turned, was more overhead street lights, houses and barking of canines.

Finally, she smelt something her exhausted body craved - water - turning to slant across a playground, Rennae dodged around the children's play equipment and ran to the edge of the swiftly flowing creek. Dropping her head, she began drinking, filling her belly with the cold water and managing to catch her breath.

"Safety..." Rennae whispered, as she lifted her head, water dribbling off her muzzle.

As she blinked and looked at the forest that lay across the creek. Bunching her muscles, Rennae cleared the creek in one leap, then dissapeared into the forgiving wilderness...

*

Rennae found herself a quiet, sheltered glade and lay herself down, tucking her head under a hind leg as she began dozing. Suddenly, the scent of something woke her with a start.

That smell... Rennae's mind twitched. Canid...possibly someone's dog -

A low, menacing growl come from the edge of the glade, then another, and a third...

Rennae bleated in fear, as she leapt to her hooves, but it was too late - four canid shapes materialised from out of the forest, boxing her in. As her eyes widened in terror, she realised they weren't dogs - not by a long shot...they were huge, the biggest on par with her, standing about equal to her shoulder. Rennae spun around, seeing the bright eyes peering at her, then again she moved, seeing the muzzle curl back in a predatory snarl as they all took six steps forwards and boxed her in well and truly. Rennae kicked herself, for allowing her foolishness to put herself into what she was certain, was a death sentence....

To Be Continued...