We all sneak out, and I wonder how shady this looks. Four high school students sneaking out from behind the dumpsters before lunch. I feel my back twist, my bones and muscles in my arms stretching and pulling. I stop dead in my tracks.

“Desiree?! What is it? Are you ok?” Solila asks, concerned.

“What’s going on? What the heck?” I don’t understand. I feel like my body is changing its state. It’s so odd.

“Shape-shifting. She’s developed a new dimension to her gift. The rest of you will soon follow.” We turn towards the voice, and it doesn’t look evil. A small, petite girl, short blond hair. “We must go, before the humans see us.” Pain ripples through my back as I hear it crack. “NOW! Even if you don’t trust me, you must protect your identities. Come on!”

They all take off, but I can’t move. I can’t. One step, and I know I’ll become what ever it is I’m shifting into. Brayden runs back, and picks me up. Another tremor shakes me.

“It’s ok Desiree, we’re almost there. Hang on, I’m here for you.”

“I’m not dying; at least I don’t think so.” I don’t need Kenton to tell me what he’s thinking. Its plain as day on his face, pain, disbelief, like he’s been lied to. A painful thought hits me: he thinks I knew about this before.

Bingo Desiree hits the goal. Don’t worry; I’m convincing him right now. He’ll be ok.

Brayden stops running, and gently sets me on the ground. I’m still clinging to his neck like it’s a life saving device. He isn’t exactly moving away, though either, I feel his hands tighten around my waist. I feel the heat burning through the thin fabric of a school uniform. I feel my heart quicken. I keep thinking please don’t let me go. Protect me from what ever this is. Please. Don’t let go…

“Let go, or when you change you’ll rip his face off.” I let go like someone pressed a button to automatically retract my arms. I realize we’re in a clearing in the woods about ½ of a mile away from school. It’s ringed with oak, maple, and some birch trees. What little sunlight does come through falls in shafts to the ground. The ground is grassy, and surprisingly absent of leaves. Instead, a lush, springy grass covers the earth. Brayden’s doing, I suppose.
Another tremor.

“Allow you’re body to do what it wants, don’t think, but try to follow what its doing.”

“What she wants, huh? Brayden, you better back quickly away.” Kenton jokes; apparently my thoughts didn’t escape him. Brayden smiles and takes a purposeful step back. I start to smile but wind up grimacing. Brayden takes a step forward, concerned. I remember what the girl said. I relax all my muscles, and poof! Suddenly, I’m on all fours.

I look around. I honest to God don’t know what I am.

“Desiree?” Brayden takes a step. I feel a tail swish. Well, that narrows it down. Just about every animal on this d*** earth has a tail. I look down at two, huge, white paws. Again, narrowing it down by oh so much.
I hear my self whimper. Whimper? That one stumps me.
The girl pulls out a mirror. I look, and I’m a huge wolf, with a strange marking on my forehead, with my green eyes in the wolf’s face. I take a step backwards in shock.

“It’s ok. Desiree, I’m not going to hurt you.” I see Brayden walk carefully towards me. I don’t know how else to show him I know that it’s ok, so I lay down. And put my head on my paws, just look up, like dogs do when they’ve done something wrong.

He walks closer, hesitant. I roll my eyes at his slowness. “Hey, settle down. Isn’t everyday your girlfriend turns into a giant wolf. We’re all kind of in shock here. Gee, Desiree.” I start laughing, but it sounds like coughing. I see him smile, and I feel my heart warm at the sight.

“You didn’t know this would happen? Didn’t “they” tell you? It’s much too dangerous to be walking around when you could shift for the first time at any moment.” The petite girl speaks again. I slowly get up, trying to be come accustomed to moving with four legs. I cock my head.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Solila speaks up.

“You didn’t know? Honestly? And they make us out to be the bad guys.” She looks disbelieving as she shakes her head. We all look at each other, confused. I want to speak, but I obviously can’t.

“Know what, exactly?” Its Kenton’s turn to question this stranger.

“Well, this girl here (points at Solila) has the element air. You (pointing at Kenton) have the element of water. You, I heard them call you Brayden, obviously have earth. And our wolf here, is fire. You’re the elements, of course. Air and water are a bit more… ingrained? So they make themselves known slowly.” The girl is explaining slowly.
“Kenton, have you tried to read her thoughts?” Solila asks. He shakes his head. “Do it.” He concentrates. I deliberately think Hey wow. Water? Seriously? Ha-ha. Watch out, or it’ll start raining!
“Hey wow, Wolf? Seriously? Yeah, I got her. I have to focus a lot and it’s difficult, but I got her.” He grins and I resist the urge to swat at the back of his head like I usually do. My paws look like they could cause some serious damage. I don’t want that, I would never do that to Solila, she would MURDER me if I hurt Kenton.
“And the ‘watchers’ never told you? Something so…necessary for you to protect the secret? Leave it to the ‘bad’ guys to break the news.” She says, with obvious dislike. She isn’t messing with us. She feels genuine distain towards the Watchers. They did seem a bit over protective. I focus on my “natural” species, and feel myself shift.
“I think you’re right.” As I go on to explain what I just thought about. They all look thoughtful.
“They do keep a lot of secrets. And this...shifting? If it is going to happen to all of us, some innocents would be in serious trouble. Hmm… and they were in a rush to persuade us over to their side…” Solila trails off.
We look at each other, suddenly doubting everything we were so sure of, the people who “helped” us when we didn’t know what was going on.
How do we know who to trust?