I listened carefully to the noises around me. As a fox can hear so much more it's almost overwhelming.

I could hear rabbits running to their borrows, I could hear the birds perched above me and their claws scraping the trees bark, I could hear bugs crawling on the ground. From every direction, sounds I'd never heard in such sharp focus.

In my claws, I had a mouse. Slowly I started to demorph, making sure to keep a grip on it.

I had it by the tail, it twisted and squeaked in vain.

I placed my fingers on it's fur and it went into a trance. I acquired the mouse and I let it go.

I looked up into the sky. "How much time do we have before we need to head for the zoo?"

Above me was a hawk, Floran was keeping an eye out for any more people as well as trying to stay a little more under the cover. No one looks twice at a hawk, but a blue centaur? A little more likely to attract unwanted attention.

{We should leave towards the zoo in about an hour.}

"Sounds good."

So far today had been fairly slim pickings... though we did run into a hunter. I may have accidentally shot him with the shredder. But he was fine! It just stunned him. Floran was able to acquire some of his DNA too. Soon he would have enough to combine the DNA to create a brand new morph. That way we wont attract attention by having Doppelgangers running around.

Walking through the woods with no shoes isn't fun. Even less fun with the bugs and mosquitoes. But I was getting used to it. It was strange how quickly I was getting used to all this. I was camping in the woods with an alien! Hiding from other, evil aliens! A few minutes ago I was a FOX for crying out loud!

We headed over to the river to get a quick drink. That, and chances were there may be some animals there.

I washed off my hands that were pretty filthy with mud, then took a few sips from the river, splashing my face.

{Don't move.} Floran ordered, suddenly.

I looked up. "What?"

{There's something following-}

"RRWWWOOOWWWRR"

I turned around just in time to see a giant monster of golden fur pouncing at me. I hit the ground and it's large body pinned me. On impact I heard a CRACK.

Pain, I knew something was broken.

I looked up and realized what it was.

A cougar!

If would go for my neck next! I reached up and grabbed one of it's paws, the one on my chest. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't get up. It took so much effort to try and concentrate...

But it was working, the Cougar went into a daze.

"Help.." I cried out weakly.

THWAK!

Floran had demorphed and hit the cougar with the flat part of his tail blade, knocking it off me.

I had to morph, I was defenseless! I had to morph now!

My body grew, not only in size but in strength. My teeth sharpened and my jaw grew larger. My nails retracted and reemerged as claws. I pushed myself off the ground and felt the final changes of the morph.

I roared at the Cougar. It backed away from me, but I charged. I lifted my paw, claws out and brought it down on it's head. I smelled blood instantly.

It stood on its hind legs, I did the same and we began to swipe at each other with our claws, snapping at each other with our huge jaws. It bit down on my head biting down on my ear and ripping the flesh from my skull.

I dug my claws into its side. Jerking my head away the rest of my ear ripped off. I was free to launch myself at the cougar again. I lashed out wildly. There was no strategy. Only the cougar's need to survive and my own panicked mind cowering below the surface.

I let myself fall back to the ground at lunged for the throat, biting down into it's flesh.

I was gasping for breath, blood dripping from my razor sharp teeth, as I stood over the dying Cougar. The Cougars instincts finally subsided, I stared into the eyes of the doomed animal...

It's body was surprisingly small, now that I got a good look at it. I could see it's ribs clearly underneath the loose skin. It was a weak, starving animal. I wasn't sure how to feel as the creature stopped breathing.

I heard Floran walk up next to me and I began to demorph.

When I was fully human, walked over to the river again and wiped the blood from my face.

{Are you alright?} He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah.." I tried to smile, but it twisted horribly. "Thanks for saving me."

I stood, my legs still shaking.

{I think we should wait until tomorrow to fly to the zoo.}

I shook my head. "No, it's alright. I'm fine, I'm alright..."

It was my first kill. I know I did what I needed to... to save myself. But that didn't stop me from remembering the cougars face as it died. Remembering the taste of blood...