Reality
By Izzy
I sat at my desk, doing the usual. Someone on the radio was talking about global warming. I fed Lucky, my puppy. I ate, and then went to sleep early.
--
"Stormy, it's time for your-"
"Operation, I know." I woke myself up the rest of the way and stood, my cotton hospital gown fluttering around my ankles. For a thirteen year old, I'm particularly tall. Genetics- Beana and my father are both pretty tall.
"After this you get to change into normal clothes, and we'll have a tutor come in. Isn't that great?"
"Fabulous." I faked a smile, subconsciously checking on the 'flock'.
Fang and Max were politely ignoring each, Fang being so quiet that he blended with the sky; only his wings showed against the blue sky. Max spoke to Iggy, encouraging him with his sight. Nudge spoke rapidly to Angel, who looked totally different- basically Nudge with straight, tame hair. Gazzy was quiet too, and Total was flying contently, speaking to the Gasman.
I blinked. When did Total get wings? Crap. My condition is worsening. Not only am I crazy, but now I'm changing the hallucinations. I was lying back up on a bed, the operation already over. I could feel the stitches. Just as I was going to close my eyes I realized that I was wearing shorts and a tank top. Sudden blaring of alarms caused me to jump.
"Security breach. Step away from the building." A mechanical woman's voice said.
"Sure, as soon as you let us in." Another, more….real female voice said. All of it was outside.
"Please step away from the building." The mechanical voice said again. I couldn't move my head to look out the window.
XXXXXX And then chunks of wall, plaster, and brick were flying over me, but not hitting me. The 5'8 girl in the lead was holding her hands out, fingers outspread.
"Iggy, get her. The rooms completely white, so you should be able to see a little bit." She said. 'Iggy?' I thought, recognizing the name. Oh, no. There was a large hole in the wall. The tall strawberry blonde walked in, expertly finding me on the bed.
"Can you walk?" He asked, his milky blue eyes wide.
"I can't feel my arms or legs." I said dryly.
"Well, crap. What did they do?" he asked, seeing or feeling my stitches.
"I had an operation." I whispered, trying to push myself off the bed I got to my feet very wobbly, but finally managed to stand with my hip against the side of the bed.
"Hurry it up guys!"
"She can't move!" Iggy said, putting my arm over his shoulder- which lifted my feet off the ground AND ripped the stitches.
"OW!" I yelled, holding in immediate tears.
"Sorry; guys, I'm gonna need some help!" Iggy said. "How much do you-"
"Seventy three point eight pounds." I said quietly. "I think."
"I MIGHT be able to carry you, then." I grunted, the dust wasn't exactly helping my lungs.
"C'mon! We've gotta go!" Max yelled, just as Iggy's long arms scooped under my knees. I gasped when his other arm pressed against my already bleeding stitches, but I didn't struggle. I must've been heavy. All…five? Bird kids lurched into the air, with such grace that my breath was taken away…er, that is, if I had my breath. The pain from my back was already making it hard to breathe. I found that, though it felt real, I doubted everything. Of course, I knew that I was mentally insane and that I had imagined all of this. My only question was…Where's Fang?
"How is she holding up?" Max called over the high wind. Something I hadn't felt in years...Something I could believe, but wouldn't let myself.
"Her back is bleeding all over my arms!" Iggy reported, struggling very little. Nudge and Angel were watching intently while Gazzy and Total flew over us.
"You're not crazy!" Angel said sweetly. I smiled back slightly.
"Then what am I?" I replied, feeling light headed. How much was my back bleeding?
"Like us!"
"No wings!" I denied, my vision getting oddly sparkly. It started raining, but no one panicked. Partially because the wind slowed and partially because the rain just rolled off their wings. Everything was ever so slowly started losing color, and then fading away. I leaned my head on Iggy's shoulder, right by his neck.
"Uhhnh…" I groaned.
"Do not get sick, or I will drop you. Hey, don't stop breathing!!" Max was beside us now, looking worried.
"Hello! She can't die, the Voice said to save her! Ig, what's up with her?" She demanded.
"I…fine…Jus'…a lil' fuzzy…" I mumbled, trying to breathe…something was blocking my mouth…oops it was Iggy's neck.
"Kay, everyone get to those trees! We'll have to stop for a while!" Max ordered, swooping down.
We landed in the heart of the forest, I'm sure, but I couldn't really tell. Iggy gently sat me down but I immediately fell over. Nudge sat me up gently.
"Thanks, but I'll pro'ly just fall again…" I said blurrily.
3rd Person!
Nudge pushed the new girl down on her belly and lifted the back of her shirt. Judging by how much blood was on Iggy's arms, she must have been in a lot of pain/
"OHmygoth!" She yelled, seeing a gray feather barely sticking out from between the stitches.
"What Nudge? What's wrong?" Max skidded beside her. The rain, wind, and thunder had stopped. Everything was calm. Quiet.
"Look! A feather!"
"She has wings, but the white coats sewed them into her back" Angel said. "They convinced her she was crazy. She's been our guardian angel for a long time." Nudge and Max blinked while Gazzy and Iggy continued to wash blood off of their arms.
"Do you know her name?" Nudge asked, just as Iggy said, "This feels like the calm before a big storm." Angel smiled.
"Stormy. Her name- is Stormy."
"How are we getting her wings out?" Nudge asked.
"The stitches are metal…" Max hinted. Nudge wrinkled her nose.
"Gross." She said as the bloody stitches flew into her hands.
"Max, you or Iggy have to do this part. She's awake, by the way. You have to basically…rip her back open." Angel winced in sync with Max.
Being the great leader she is, Max took the grotesque job. She dug her fingers into Stormy's back, ignoring the squish of blood and flesh. She clenched her hands and pulled apart as hard as she could and feeling bad only because Stormy was awake. And boy was she screaming.
1st person
White blotches of pain entered my vision as Max pulled my sealed skin apart. And then I stopped screaming, was on my face in a flash, spreading out 13 ½ foot long, gray wings with black specks. They were bloody at the moment.
"Hey, did you guys rescue- what happened?!" I whipped around. Fang stood beside Max, eyes on my bloody wings. I shook them slightly.
"The white coats sewed her wings into her back. We got the experience of…digging them out." Max held her bloody fingers up. I started to falls sideways, but I landed on Iggy.
"Sorry." Why does my back hurt this bad if this is all a hallucination? I thought, wanting to cry in confusion.
"This is Stormy. Angel says that we can trust her. Apparently she's been watching over us. Right?" Max looked over at me. I just nodded.
"There's still blood coming out." Iggy said, pulling his hand away from my back (he'd been trying to steady me).
"We can't exactly do much about that." I looked directly into Max's eyes.
"Martinez." I mouthed, not quite sure why.
"You're almost paper white." Iggy muttered.
"No sunlight for years." I snapped, defensive.
"The wind." Max replied in a whisper. I looked directly above me, calming myself and the wind. I swayed, feeling blood trickle down my spine.
"Please," I mouthed, blinking when I realized I was on the ground. I got hastily to my feet- I have pride even in my hallucinations. Then I couldn't see. At all. I heard everything, but saw nothing.
"Max, she's still conscious. She's losing her vision."
"Permanently?" .
"Blood loss. Max, we've got to do something now. Before the storm picks up." Iggy said. Max spoke slowly after a moment.
"To Doctor Martinez's house guys."
3rd Person
As soon as they were in the air, Stormy passed out. Her blood was all over Iggy's arms. He felt bad, though he didn't know why. It's not like he did anything.
"Iggy, focus! No drooling!" Total snickered, making Iggy realize he was way below the flock.
"Don't…don't…shoot…please…SHE'S ONLY FOUR!"
"What?" Iggy asked, listening hard. Stormy was crying…
"Kam? Why? Don't…don't…kill yours-"
"Go down guys!" Max yelled, slowly descending.
"Max! What's wrong?!" Dr. Martinez called.
"Uh, Mom, we need help. I…we rescued this girl and-" Max started, but her mom cut her off, face stricken at the sight of blood all over Iggy and Stormy.
"Get inside! A storm's about to start!!" Angel only smiled.