I was a little more nervous walking down the side walk to school today after last night. Trying to keep a cool mind, I turned up the headphones.

I put my hood up as to hopefully not be noticeable. I was wearing a blue sweatshirt with black sweatpants, I would blend right in. The sound of a car driving slowly slightly behind me sent my heart racing. Do I dare to look back? Should I ignore it? Start running? Different scenarios started running through my mind. CALM DOWN KATIE! I mentally yelled at myself.

Quickly I glanced back. What were you thinking Katie? It was a black Infiniti QX80. How did I know? This girl knows her cars.

My walk started to became a little faster, it's like my legs were saying 'Why are we still walking? Run you idiot!'

Part of me was still curious about who it was and I wanted to know, my brain wanted me to complete that task. SO either i'm not that smart or my survival instincts suck, one of those is probably true. In the hunger games, my face would be among the dead in the first day, maybe, I don't know, you can't be sure.

"Katie, don't run, I won't hurt you," The person in the car said and I became fully aware of my surroundings once more.

The window had rolled down and a woman with long black hair, that I didn't recognize, was in the drivers seat. She had a pair of large sunglasses on her face and silver earrings.

Nope. I'm done. I started jog down the sidewalk to see what would happen but she followed me.

I stopped, a dumb decision.

"What do you want?" I blurted and felt like biting my tongue off.

"I'm sorry if my message last night was a little mysterious and or threatening," She apologized, "I don't have the best social skills."

"That was you!? Well clearly you aren't from this country if you think that wasn't cryptic or threatening!" I said with anger, trying not to be too loud and draw people over.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she said, "But come with me, I have something to show you."

I snorted, "I am fifteen, not five, I know to stay away from strangers. Plus, you didn't even offer any money or candy."

"You really don't know me?" She said with confusion and I nodded frantically before starting to walk away slowly.

"Uhh, did your mother tell you nothing? I am your aunt, my name is Brianna," my new claiming to be aunt said from inside her car.

How could she be my aunt? She looked younger, like in her later twenty's?

"We need to go get your brother before it is to late," Brianna said as I warily sat int he passenger seat of her car.

"What does Luke have to do with this?" I almost yelled.

Brianna started to drive quickly down the road, "It's not just Luke, it's your whole family. You children are in danger and your parents asked me to take you to headquarters."

"Headquarters for what?!"

"You'll see. You are no ordinary girl Katie, our family is well known where I come from. The stars say you and your brother, the son and daughter of two of the most powerful Shifters in the world, will defeat Jay."

"Wait. Hang on a second. You are saying that my brother and I have powers? What are The Stars? Who is Jay? What powers do I have?" I said my mind swirling.

"All those will be answered safely at Beacon, the name of our headquarters. But, I can answer one here and now. The Stars are the same stars you look at every night, they are also our ancestors, they tell prophets important messages. Just by reading the stars, only few can read and understand their words," Brianna said and we pulled in my driveway, or what was left of it.

I felt my heart crack and tears start to roll down my face. My house, it was burning to the ground.

"Oh no! I hope we are not to late, stay here," Brianna ordered and ran to the house.

I couldn't stop crying. The memories made here could never be replaced. Never.

Brianna came running to the car with Luke. Luke looked shook and scared and confused, kinda like me right now.

"Luke! Are you OK!?" I asked as Luke climbed into the back of the car.

"Yeah, but mom and dad-"

He trailed off, his voice cracked.

"Stop. I don't want to know," I rasped and turned my head back forward.

"At least you two are safe. I wish my sister was still alive but, it cant all be perfect," Brianna sighed and drove away.

The car was dead silent. No one spoke a word. And for some reason, Brianna was heading to the Maple Woods on the other side of town.

"Follow me, and be very quiet," Brianna said as we started walking to a part of the woods that had been closed off.

"We aren't allowed here," I whispered.

"Normals may not be, but we are," Brianna responded as we crossed the yellow tape into a apart of the woods I had never thought I would be in.

"See this tree," Brianna pointed to the tall maple tree before us, "Hold on to my arms, i have training you don't."

We did as we were told and Brianna touched the tree. My world spun around as we were brought to a new place. I opened my eyes and we stood in a rain forest!?

"But how?" I muttered and looked around.

People were everywhere! So were jungle animals! It was a building, but it looked like a jungle! I could see different levels and rooms and places and a big crystal clear fountain was in the middle.

"Welcome to Rain Forest Beacon, where all the most powerful Shifters are," Brianna said with triumph.

"What. How. What?" I didn't know what to say at this point.

"Come on, come on! Your parents always wanted to take you here," Brianna said as she tugged us along.

People were staring at us, it was unnatural, weird. It was like we had sprouted two heads. I stared back and they quickly dropped their eyes to the soft and cushioned ground. Luke was barely paying attention to where he was walking and tripped on a small root sticking out of the ground.

I started laughing and he glared at me.

"That's what you get for not watching where you are going bro," I laughed and Brianna helped him up. Or at least she tried.

He pushed her away and said he could get up himself and he wasn't a little kid. Too me, he would always be mu little brother.

"This is my home," Brianna opened a dark wood door.

There was a wood couch with moss pillows. A dark wood table with a set of chairs. Everything was so natural, a little to natural. This placed was either a real rain forest or it mimicked the humidity perfectly.

"Why do you live in the rain forest?" I asked as I sat on the couch.

"Well, my main form is from the rain forest, and you live where your main form is from," Brianna explained as she settled in.

"What form?" Luke asked and Brianna placed her hand to her forehead with frustration.

"Dang it. I forgot to tell you. Well, this will be a lot to take in. A Shifter is a person who can turn into two different animals based on their heritage. For example,if your mom's primary animal form is a arctic fox and your father's is a polar bear, you will have a arctic or antarctic primary animal form. The secondary is usually random," Brianna explained and my mind was blown.

My parents could turn into animals.

"WHAT! THAT IS SO COOL! What else can you do?!" I asked frantically as my brain rushed with ideas.

According to Aunt Brianna, my parents were Shifters, so, what were my animals?

"You get powers from the animal. But it is hard to predict them because they don't fully develop until ten years of age. But usually they will have to do with your primary animal's natural habitat. Your secondary animal will have the same powers.

"What are your forms?" Luke asked and Brianna stood up.

Her shape became distorted and I couldn't see her face. Within seconds and ocelot stood before me. A pretty large one too. I had only seen them in books before. This one had bright amber eyes and cool markings that looked like a mix between a jaguar and serval.

"Wow," I muttered under my breath and stood up.

The ocelot purred and what shocked me even more was that she was speaking, "I know, I love ocelots."

"What! You can talk!?" I yelled and my mouth hung half open.

Brianna sat down and nodded, "Yes and no. Only other Shifters can understand me in my animal form. Normals can't."

"What is a Normal?" It was Luke's turn to ask the questions.

"You know, a normal person. A human being. With NO powers," I told Luke in a purposeful know it all voice, "Right?"

I looked back to Brianna who was still in Ocelot mode and she nodded.

"Whatever," Luke rolled his eyes, "What other animal can you change into?"

Luke turned to Brianna. Brianna nodded and once again started to change until a beautiful red, yellow, blue, white,and black scarlet macaw.

"Wait, you can fly," I realized and Brianna nodded before she changed back.

"So how do we change," I asked and different animals from the jungle started to run through my mind.

Brianna stood up and dusted off little clumps of moss that were clinging to her hair in large clumps.

"It is something a Shifter learns early on and learns to use. It will get easier and you will get quicker but right now clear your mind and imagine living in the rain forest. Your animals habitat," Brianna instructed.

I let my tired and worn out mind take me on an adventure to the rain forest. The vines, the trees, the humidity in the air. I felt it aground me now in fact.

What animal did I want? Ohhhh! A tiger would be really cool. I ended up imagining myself as a tiger, a white tiger, in the rain forest, walking on the forest floor.

"Nice job Katie!" I heard Brianna congratulate.

The world started to spin and I felt myself become more powerful. I felt stronger, smarter, faster. Pretty cliche in my opinion.

I opened my eyes and looked at the horrified look on my aunt's face.

"What?" I asked and looked at my hands. Or rather, large white paws with black stripes.