Thump, Thump, Thump. Feet pounded against the tangled underbrush. The adrenaline rush pumping through the veins from the heart causing motor functions to speed up. Arm muscles tightened around the bundle of blankets.
'Gotta keep going. For Ali...' The thought ran through.
"Come on, girlie. Slow down, we're the good guys," an angelic voice called.
The underbrush slowly began to disappear as branches started to get in the way. Probably should have waited till we were in a clearing, but they were gaining speed quickly. Soon, the two of us were airborne. It was clumsy, but it would get us away from them. Even though they were fast on their feet, with the wind going in our favor, we were much faster.
Black strands flew in the sky blue color. Flying high enough, we were barely visible thanks to the blazing sun. We were free, and it felt awesome.
I stared down at the bundle in my arms for once since we left that place. The little girl was sleeping soundlessly considering we could've just died. I mean, it was hard enough on my own to escape, but to take another one about two units over and still make a clean get away—okay, maybe not clean, but it was a get away.
Just as I got distracted, bang! A gun shot rang through.
"Ready! Aim! Fire!" A male yelled from the earth.
I looked down farther and noticed I was over mountains as well as a forest. I noticed people down below, I was closer to the ground than before. How did that happen? I have no clue. I flew higher then as well.
My head snapped up as a presence approached. Was it a hawk? No, it was too deformed. What the fuck was it? I furled my wings back and dropped slightly. I was falling quickly then unfurled my wings. Groaning in pain I soared under what ever. I then shot back up in the sky and flew off.
Why was I running? Because there were a group of Erasers—wolf-like mutants, and I was trying to get away from that place; the School.
I kept thinking hard about where I was going to go from here. We didn't have a home, Ali and I. I needed to find some shelter quickly, or I fear that Ali won't make it for very long.
Ali was a little girl who was almost exactly like me. Ali was just recently born, maybe only a few months, and she'd been a major success—so she was kept. There was black fuzz all over her head, her hair still growing, but quickly. And so was she. The people in white coats had done something to her as a baby. I had heard them say that they increased her lifespan by making her age quicker till she was about 19.
That really sickened me.
I dodged another attack, or tried to at least. The shot had grazed past my shoulder. The explosion caused more hair to jumble in my vision. So wonderful.
My wings seemed to have a mind of their own at times. Insane right? It was like there was a strange hawk that hung on to me at times. Doing as it pleased. What did it please now? My death obviously.
My winds folded back and wind pushed past me like I wasn't anything important. You know, just breaking the currents.
I had to protect Ali. That was my goal—other than getting myself out of this mess. I held her tight and changed my position so that she was protected with my body. I felt her slipping from my grasp since she was almost as light as air.
That thing was back. You know, I saw it after squinting past the sun and my hair. It swooped down towards me like it was falling to. This thing seemed to have a better control over it's air force than I ever would. The thing suddenly vanished. If it wasn't for my hair in my face, I would have assumed it had already left me.
Then, two pairs of strong hands gripped each side of me. I freaked. Had I finally came close to the ground for those mutts to grab ahold of me? But when I looked around, I still wasn't in the trees.
My hair was still in my hair and I couldn't see much. I had reason to panic completely. But my wing was shot, and if these were the flock of six that Jeb had helped—which I totally prayed it was—then I had completed my mission. Or, part of it at least.
My feet gently touched the ground after a few minutes, and I was able to breathe more efficiently. At least, till the wracking cough attacks started.
I doubled over and had pulled Ali into me as my upper half popped out a little. I used a free arm to hold myself from the ground. I up chucked against my will, mostly spit, some fluids and blood. Yeah, I hadn't been treated right, none of us where in that place.
After a few nerve-wrenching minutes, I stopped and wiped my mouth from the excess blood. I then looked up at the two that saved me. There were three now, but voices were distant.
"Who are you?" I pushed out.
The third, the one in the middle, looked down at me. "I'm Maximum Ride. Someone, like you."