Chapter 2

I found out that these days nightshade only takes away some of my gifts. It spared me one or two. So now I am gratefully tried to figure out what they are. I found out that my eyesight can still zoom in and out but not to the extent that it used to. I don't have super hearing anymore. I hear like I used to before this happened to me. I can change my looks and adjust body temperature and climb walls. My reflexes were honed with repeated practice so so they were as good as they were before I ingested nightshade. I saw a group of people were installing a temperature sensor. So I walked past it a few times watching the monitor across the street on how I looked each time I passed the thing. An hour later I was the temperature of the zombies. I broke into a convenience store and stole some make up and disguised myself as one and walked into a group of these things. They moved at the speed of a glacier if they don't sense anyone had moved in. Obviously there was no humans nearby. But whenever they sense humans they can move as fast as an athlete. They can run forever without getting tired. They are that motivated to eat humans. Their bodies don't need rest to recuperate. Their bodies don't protest after a few minutes to take a break. My echolocation ability was dulled till the poison is done it's course through my body. I moved with the crowd and pretended to chase humans a few times while I avoid getting shot at.

I slowly moved towards the dead zone where zombies lived. A few days later I was in the safe zone. Where no human would dare go to. The military would not go this far on foot. They do fly over on their helicopters. While the machine city uses drones and special jets called Helix. I was happy when I realized that the poison was out of my system. I slowly started hearing things. The military was using an Urban Pacification Vehicle to go through here in the hopes of finding me. lt seats ten people, has a water canon and it is a ten tonne zombie proof vehicle. They have modified it so the water canon was now a flamethrower.

I started to run and slowly I picked up speed. I found a partially collapsed building so I hid there. I tied a bandana on my face, slipped on a pair of glasses and pulled my hoodie up so no one will see my face. I walked out casually and saw the zombie were absent in the area so walked calmly. I should have extended my senses first. I heard whispers so I extended my hearing. I heard a man say that he had people who were injured. Please send back up. He got an earful of excuses and he cursed till one of his buddies said that a civilian is walking fifty meters away. I looked to see that the UPV was tilted on its side. Somehow it broke as it landed in ditch. I froze like as a deer in headlights at the sight of this miracle. The men ushered me towards them but since I didn't budge they tried to walk towards me without attracting the attention of the zombies.

When they took a few steps towards me I ran and tried to sense my way around. Echolocation enhances my hearing so I heard what they said. Somehow they knew it was me so they released drones to follow my movement. The men declared that they had found me. I heard what the woman on the radio respond saying that back up will be there in ten minutes. They were told not to lose me. I jumped on the drones and used rocks like a caveman to smash them one by one. It took thirty seconds to break them and more drones arrived this time with Helix jets to defend it. I jumped into tree and saw a bunch of bats hanging upside down so I changed into one. I screeched my plea and the bats took me away. I happily flew to them. The military convoy and science division drove and flew past and they had no clue where I was.

They used all sorts of detecting devices but the answer was the same. I was not here. One of the soldier had injured himself so he stopped to clean his wounds. When he threw away the bloody gauze. I waited till he left to continuously lick it. I saw the guy who betrayed me from the salt flats was shot dead. The only thing he was able to say was that he had me but I escaped his custody. He was unable to tell them that I can change into animals which means that I can change into a dog or a wolf as a cover. I flew up to the perch I was on and a man came to collect the gauze and burnt. It was the person I met in Otonomous. He might get the notion that I can change into animals but it turns out that they don't believe that I change into anything. They had heard rumors that I can change my looks to appear to be anyone but even that was taken as a joke.

So I waited till nightfall and followed the other bats to where ever they went. I saw Annie amongst the soldiers. She wasn't alone. Her mother was by her side. The scientists were interrogating Annie wanting to know what I can do. I had never explained to Annie what I can do.She has seen a few of my abilities. She explained that I can change my looks, that I can camouflage myself with whomsoever I hold hands with as well. I am very fast and I have very sharp hearing and strong sense of smell. That was all she knew about me. Her mother was proud she was so forward. The military and the scientists were amazed by this. I on the other hand was repulsed that she dared to disclose my secret. She also explained that I had a blood disorder that is why the zombies won't come near me. She gave them my medical report. She made it clear that I hate the military for killing her mom. If I am provoked I might do something. Whatever it is they will be sorry. She looked up to see the bats and she blurted out that bats like to spend time with me. They seem very friendly with me. When anyone else comes close these guys rip them to shreds. They send drones into the trees but found nothing. They went to sleep and I hoped that they suffer in the morning.

The sun rose the next morning with the assaulted of flock of birds. Their eyes were bloodshot and they have lost feathers here and there. The hunting party had no choice but to run. Annie kept calling out to me but I didn't answer. Her mother reminded her that if I was actually here I would heard her tell everyone about me. So I wouldn't help her in a million years. This seems to register in her mind and she quickly sat in the assault vehicle. There was only two vehicles that had an iron mesh on the window. These were the ones that made it safely back to central command center. The others didn't make it. They were pecked to pieces by the birds.

The air was so thick with birds that both side withdrew their drones and went back to central. I was listening to Annie and her mom as I flew above them. She was telling her mother that she has had enough of her mother boot licking the authorities. If anything happens to her it is her fault. Her mother on the other hand brushed her off saying that she was being childish. The argument went on till they reached central. Then the person on the roof used a flamethrower to burn the birds. I managed to get out of the way in the nick of time.

I heard a familiar voice that was against the new regime and they couldn't do anything about it. It was Adrian. She was a someone that people trust and would anything. She was upset that these guys wouldn't just kill these things so life can go on. She accused them flat out that they are doing this for power. They would not be able to enjoy reigning nightmare if these things were killed.

The scientists were the first to argue with her saying that they are trying to domesticate these things. Some have lost family members to these things. They are close to a cure. Adrian thought this whole thing was nonsense. She reminded them that she was one of the people in charge of governing this city. They had better start killing these things or else. The emergency power they enjoy will be rescinded. That meant the military could lose a lot leeway that they had enjoyed. Since Adrian is against them. They understood that she wouldn't have said anything unless she had the backing of the rest of the governing body.