I wanted this out sooner, but the kids I work with had other plans. They won't let me get over being sick before getting me sick again... They're lucky they're cute.

There were voices. The others were whispering to one another again. Sometimes they were urgent, hushed and agitated. Other times they were full of tears and hopeless whimpers. And then there were times when they were as relaxed as they could be for people in their situation. A laugh that didn't have any joy. A song that didn't have any life. Today was one of those days.

The tailed woman stood leaning against the cold door, listening to the sounds of conversation. Of words. It was strange to her that she found comfort in the murmurs that now were completely foreign. Then again, the soft talks were the only sign that they were temporarily forgotten about. That they were alive. It was the deafening sound of silence from the other cages that reminded them that their numbers were shrinking. That they could very well be hours away from their own time.

She hissed as her tail flicked on reflex. Her lower back was still tender, like it was bruised. It kept her from sitting comfortably. She would've much rather been laying down, but her cage was just small enough that she couldn't stretch out all the way. She wasn't too put off by its size. Though she would prefer someplace to hide from the door, she usually spent her time curled up into a tight ball to keep warm. Right now, it was easier to hear them talk by standing. If she stood straight she could see out of the little window. Catch glimpses of one of them through their little windows.

They had sometimes tried speaking to her, but had stopped when they only ever received throat noises. Well, all but one stopped trying. There was a male in the cage across from her. He was hard for her to see as he could hardly peek through his own window. She only ever saw a tuft of hair. He had a kind voice. Sometimes he tried to coax responses from her, regardless of what they were. Mostly he would just talk. She liked him. He was the one that tried to calm her when she was first brought in. She had lashed out wildly in fear and anger at her form being forced to a human shape, harming herself as she threw herself against the door.

There were only two voices now. The female that constantly scuffed her feet as she paced was one. Her voice was always scared and sad. She could sometimes spot the female if she stood on her toes. The other was a male that snored something awful. His voice was mostly angry, but sometimes it was light. Hopeful. She couldn't see him, his voice was always a bit muffled. She often wondered if she should attempt to communicate with them. They were mutants like her, but she was so far removed from them. She pondered if she would have ever been able to go about living with them when even her own kind spoke so much like humans. Like the humans that had locked her away from the sun. Like the humans that she watched curiously from a distance. Like the humans that chased her from her home.

She came out of her musings to find that the talking had stopped. She stiffened as the soft tap of boots echoed down the hall. She crouched low, sitting on the balls of her feet as she hunched up to the wall, facing away from the door while still being able to clearly see it. She learned quick that if she came across as to aggressive, the humans took it as a challenge. However, if she played too timid, the humans saw her as an easy prey for their frustrations. It was a delicate line she had to tiptoe to not be bothered during rounds. Of course, there were days where they would come in regardless.

The steps came closer, at a speed that suggested a purpose rather then a stroll. Her body tensed as several humans passed her, none sparing a glance. One of the cages opened, the humans sounded harsh, the male yelling in anger. A few seconds of shuffling and shouts, a hard hit, then something hitting the ground. The female was crying. The humans were quiet as they made their way passed her cage. The sound of something dragging mixed with their steps. One was still by the female, speaking in laughter. The female cried harder.

She closed her eyes, breathing deep. The male was taken. It wasn't her turn. She had another day or so before she was removed then. Well, what she thought might have been days. She mostly slept the hours away when the others weren't talking. Would the other female try to speak to her now that the male was gone?

She pulled at the ratty, oversized shirt they had thrown on her when she first arrived. It did nothing to keep her warm, but it was all she had. For whatever reason she was unable to shift at all since being brought here. She didn't know why. It had terrified her, her only means of protection gone. Now, she had more or less accepted it. Not being able to grow her fur for warmth and comfort pained her the most. Her natural hair was growing back though. She rubbed at the peach fuzz on her head. She couldn't remember what color it it used to be. The constant growing and shedding of multiple fur colors blurred together rather quickly.

Her door rattled, causing her to jump and hunch farther into herself. A small slot toward the bottom opened, a bowl being pushed through. She glanced up to the window when the slot clicked shut, watching as a human stood. He paused and looked in on her, but didn't move to enter. Odd. This human must have been new. No one bothered looking in unless they were going to come in.

She unnerved him, she could see it. She had her eerie, pupil-less eyes to thank for that. Probably looking even more so in the dull, soft blue of her cage light. She was hoping he'd get spooked from her stare and move on. To his credit though, he stared right back.

A shout from down the hall caught his attention, pulling away and out of sight. His steps stopped at the females' cage, the clanking of a food bowl being slid in, before moving on. She sat there watching the window for a few more moments, as if waiting for something to pop into view. She shook her head. She was staring off again.

She hunched down to the bowl, taking in the goopy, paste white substance that the humans fed them. It smelled sour and tasted just as well, upsetting her stomach terribly. She ate it regardless. As far as she could tell, they were only fed once or twice a day. She was already weak from lack of actual food and exercise. Didn't need to plummet any farther then she already had.

She curled into a ball shortly after emptying the bowl, letting her mind wonder as she did often. The other female would break out into quiet sobs every now and then. She listened to the sniffling without actually hearing it. When was the last time she, herself had cried? Was it when her anger wore off? When there was only fear and adrenaline rattling her being? She believed she did. It was the kind male that had calmed her, if her memory served right. She snorted. She could barely remember what happened during her times out of the cage, let alone anything having to do with being in the cage. The hours either snailed by or she slept them away.

…. How long had she been here?

She shook herself off. No point in thinking about it. It wouldn't get her anywhere. Instead she settled to try to sleep.

She drifted in and out of consciousness. Crying and grating metal disrupted what little peace could be found. It wasn't enough to pull her out of slumber completely, just enough to hear the cries fading away. What finally jolted her awake was loud, angry shouts and sounds of struggle.

She pulled herself up onto wobbly legs, trying to force herself to focus. The shouting was from many and very close. There wasn't anyone in view from her spot. She shuffled closer to the door, body tense in preparation for ducking out of sight if someone walked by. She was able to get right up to her little window. On her toes she watched as a handful of humans hovered around a cage. That was the other females' cage. She never gave trouble. Why were there so many humans?

A human walked out from the cage, turning and giving a hard kick to the inside. A heavy grunt came from the cage, much deeper then the females. A male. Someone new. Where did the female go then? She didn't remember the angry male being brought back, nor did she hear him yelling as he usually did. They couldn't both be gone. It took a while for each to disappear. Two people at near the same time was too much.

She hunched back down as they locked the cage, coiling tightly on herself to keep from shaking. If they thought she was sleeping they'd pass her without possibly coming into her cage. She waited for their echos to die before standing again. She glanced to the cage with the new mutant and saw nothing. Probably asleep if the silence was anything to go by.

She picked at a loose thread on her shirt in thought. At least she didn't have to listen to the angry males' snores any more. Hopefully, this new one didn't snore too bad.