[cherie]

heres chapter 3

ali did the only thing she could do. she kept on running. trouble was, she wasn't sure where to run to. no way she was getting out the front gates and going back to the lumberyard would be pointless. the only thing she could do was run about blindly. she was skidding about the hallways of the main building when she heard the metallic steps of a slig. odd, there seemed to be a scrapeing noise accompying the footsteps. was the slig dragging his gun along?

" here girly,girly." a gravely voice echoed.

Ali stopped and looked about.

she saw him now, lighted by the sputtering hallway light. he was a big slig. not as big as a big brother slig but still rather bulky. he seem caught in a stooped postion, as if that bulk was too much for him to stand properly. a blood red stripe ran down his snout and over his left eye. what caught ali's attention though was the huge metal spiked gloves he wore. the gloves themselves were dull and splattered with rust. at least she hoped that was rust. the spikes however were sharp as the day they were made.

" there you are girly." he chuckled at ali as he strode forward. " ya wouldn't think of running from old impale would ya?."

" impale, what an apporite name." ali thought to herself, not dareing to speak to the menanceing slig. ali slowly began to back away, not takeing her eyes off of impale.

" there there little miss, theres no need to be frightened of me. waneseny wants you alive so i can't hurt you..."

the slig stopped and paused for thought before giveing an heart stopping smile.

" much anyways."

that was it. ali spun on her heels and ran for it ounce again. this only made impale chuckle before he stormed after her.

ali chanced a glance over her shoulder. she gasped as she saw how close impale was. she had thought that bulk would make him slow and ungainly. sadly it seemed to be the oppsite as he was only a few feet from her now. she turned her head back and tried to put on speed. unfortunely as she did so did impale. with a lunge he grabbed the back of her neck with his hard grip. ali let out a cry as she was yanked off her feet.

" ya shouldn't have tried to run from me darlin. now i'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

ali's eyes widened as she saw impale raise his right fist and aim at her face. she closed her eyes, readying to feel the impact.

suddenly there was a streak or gray and a metal tail wrapped itself around impale chest, lifting him up and squeezeing. impale gasped and released ali as he struggled for breath. ali opened her eyes to take in what was going on. her heart nearly stopped when she saw her rescuer.

xaiver.

ali didn't get it. why was the meanest slig in the lumberyard helping her?

" apprently you don't follow orders very well impale." xaiver snarled. " i belive the order was to bring her back unharmed."

impale only gasped, unable to get the air to reply.

" now, i suggest you start following orders before theres one less slig on the workforce if you know what i mean."

impale nodded quickly. with that xaiver threw impale to the floor and turned to ali.

" and i suggest you come peacefully."

ali sighed and got to her feet. she saw she had no choice but to go along.

" good girl." xaiver said with a sneer as ali walked over to him. impale snorted as he got to his feet.

" hmph, your no fun."

xaiver ignored impale and begin to lead ali off. impale was soon behind him.

" well, it's about time." matterson said as soon as he spotted the three.

" sorry sir. had a little trouble." xaiver said, casting a dark look at impale. impale merely snorted and looked away from xaiver.

" get her on the truck. i want to get going." waneseny said before turning away and heading off. xaiver started to lead ali off when without warning something hard and metal hit the back of ali's head, sending her to the ground. she heard impale laughing before the world turned dark.

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hours later a big bump woke ali up. she sat straight up, her head swimming as she did. her vision was still a bit blurry as she peered around but it didn't take her long to figure out she was in the back of a truck. now that she determined where she was she begin to peice togeather what had happened. she almost wish she hadn't.

now she rembeber the vykker, the chase, and being hit by impale. she also remebered now her desitnation. a vykker lab.

she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. she was to be an experiment, no doubt about that. she couldn't help but wonder why her? why had the vykker come all the way from a far away lab just to take her.

she was so frightend she hardly noticed the slig sitting in the other corner of the truck.

" about time you woke up." it grunted, keeping a hand on his gun.

ali jumped in surprize at the sligs rough voice. she quickly got over her surprize and studied the slig. he was a deep green color, almost black she thought. contrasting agasint the black was the yellow drop shaped marking on his snout.

" what are you stareing at?" the slig snarled.

" uh, nothing."

the truck suddenly took a sharp turn,makeing ali belive she had left her stomanch on that turn. the slig lost his balance and ended up on the floor. ali had to work hard to hold in a giggle.

" hey! watch it up there!" the slig snarled as he stood up again.

" aw, dry up zander." the slig driveing shot back. zander murmered something under his breath but then turned back to ali. ali tryed her best to avoid his gaze as she thought about her current prediciment. there seemed no way out of this. as the truck continued on ali's thoughts were filled with a lingering sense of dread...