Part 17: Where is Brandon?

Elyse enjoyed being a hawk. Her keen eyesight would be helpful in spotting Brandon, the guy she had briefly met in the base......and also on co-commented on a picture of Mariah on Facebook.

Her stomach still growled. The disgusting spaghetti and meatballs had not been enough, and after the disturbance at the base, she just wanted to get out. She now fought to keep her full mind and not let the bird brain take over, like it had at that ward place.

Peering down at the overgrown cane field beneath her (No need for glasses like this! she thought), Elyse sensed movement. She zoomed down and instinctively let down her claws, snatched the thing that had moved, and soared up again. Good thing this isn't Brandon...

It was a mouse. At first she was repulsed, but then remembered her hunger. After her two minds fought, the hawk one managed to win. She consumed the mouse (to what would have been her human mind's horror) and went in search for more.
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Preening herself on a branch, Elyse looked up. It was a girl with wings! A human!! She shrieked, but then remembered again that she was a human herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on that. When she opened them again, Elyse discovered Raven with her arms crossed, looking annoyed.

"And what were you doing? I searched for Brandon for at least half an hour!" she said.

"Ummm...I uh....was hungry?"

She shook her head, and continued to speak. Unfortunately, Elyse didn't hear any of it because a Makena-message spoke into her head. "Elyse? Are you there?"

Yeah, it's me. What's up?

"I tried to contact you earlier, but I think you were a bird. There was this weird chant that said, 'FOOD FOOD FOOD!' going on in your head. I watched for a little while through your eyes but uh...." Elyse felt her shudder through mind speaking.

We didn't find Brandon, she told Makena with her head.

"I know. But you and Raven had better head back to base IMMEDIATELY."

Why?

From Makena came a yelp and a flash of anger, presumably meant for someone back at base. "Listen, I gotta go. Get Raven and come back now." AN I'm not saying that Makena is bossy, but that's how I would act if I were in her circumstance.

There was a silence, and Elyse heard Raven talking again. "Okay, fine, I'm going to look for Brandon again."

"Wait!" Elyse cried. "Makena was talking to me. She said come back to base."

"Could she contact Brandon?"

Elyse shook her head. "I'm sure she would have said something if she had."

"Okay," said Raven hesitantly. "Let's go." She launched herself into the air.

Elyse hesitated as well and mentally scrolled through a list of intelligent birds. In the end, she decided on shifting to a dog and following Raven's shadow.

Makena, here we come. Oh Lord, please don't let us find total chaos back at base.