Page 37 of Training my Human

“What?” the woman exclaimed.

Only the man didn’t reply. The deep silence didn’t bode well. I began to shake, not from fear, but because my fever suddenly increased tenfold, causing my muscles to spasm. Not now. I couldn’t afford to be incapacitated with danger literally inches away.

When the hatch opened, the sudden bright light made me shut my eyes.

“I found it!” screeched the woman. “Where’s the tranq gun?”

“I don’t think we need to worry. Look at it. Shaking and sweating in the grips of its morph. It can’t do shit right now,” Graytemples claimed as he reached down to grab me.

While I might not be feeling my best, I resented the claim. However, their foolish belief gave me an advantage. Let them think me incapacitated.

The man reached into the cubby and lifted me from the hole, the grip rough and only further adding fuel to my agitation.

The woman clapped her hands. “Goodness, look at the size of it already. We found it just in time.”

“It’s wearing a backpack.” Graytemples tugged at it.

“Remove it and get it into the cage.”

I didn’t dare move as they took my bugout bag. Let them bring me outside where I wouldn’t be trapped when I made my escape.

The door to the trailer opened and fresh air hit my face. The moment Graytemples headed down the steps and hit level ground, I acted. I whipped my head to the side and bit. Couldn’t have said what I clamped on to but Graytemples screamed and dropped me to the ground.

“It was faking sleep. Shoot it!” screamed the woman.

I hissed in her direction. Before I could lunge and give her a well-deserved chomp, one of the tinmen emerged from the trailer while aiming his gun. He fired and I dove to the side, the missile narrowly avoiding me.

Noise from behind made me whirl to see another man in a shiny suit coming for me.

Surrounded by the enemy!

Panic filled me.

Rage too.

Add in my fever and the fact I’d not yet had my afternoon snack and I exploded.

Quite literally.

The skin on my back split as I bristled. My throat and belly tingled as heat built.

As the second tinman went to press his trigger, I opened my mouth and breathed. Not just air, though. Flames jetted forth.

“It’s a fire-breather,” the woman squealed in panic, stumbling away from me.

“Get behind Kalvin. His suit is fireproof,” Graytemples ordered.

Well, that explained the gray shiny apparel and helmets. The tinmen, not fearing my heated defense, advanced on me. One of them even dared to fire! I quickly huffed and the tranquilizing dart hit the ground in a melting mess.

Before another missile could be aimed, I ran towards the man in the tin suit standing between me and the forest.

“Catch him!” screamed the annoying woman.

The tinman dropped into a crouch and opened his arms wide as if to hug me. Despite the protective suit, I blew flames in the direction of the helmet. The male’s instinct made him recoil, letting me scurry past.

“You idiot. His fire can’t hurt you. Don’t let him get away!” The woman continued to screech as I raced for the forest.

As my clawed feet dug into the dirt, I strained and grunted.

---