Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or any of the characters mentioned.
Ghostly, pale walls, shifting in the light, surrounded Max on all sides. She could hear the faint stream of pop music flowing from Nudge's room, where she was undoubtedly dancing around and staring at posters of boys, Gazzy and Iggy's faint laughter as they watched television, and her mom talking to herself while she made cookies. She saw the dark blur that was Fang sitting in a corner, silent as ever, and Ella and Angel chatting to each other happily about who-knows-what. More than anything, Max wanted to reach out and ruffle Gazzy's blonde hair, or pull Angel into a tight hug and never let go. Heck, she would have settled for petting the black terrier that was sitting on Angel's lap, adding his input into the conversation.
A bittersweet smile made its way on to Max's face, lingering unsteadily amongst her features. She wished it was always like this, with everyone smiling and happy. She wished that she hadn't been chosen to save the world. But mostly, she wished it hadn't ended the way it had.
The scene before her flickered away, disappearing for a moment. It was grey now, and though she tried to push it away, it was still there, stubbornly stuck into place. All of them, completely still and unmoving. Gazzy and Angel hugging each other desperately, Ella clinging to Iggy like a life preserver. Dr. Martinez trying to lead everyone to safety. Fang grabbing Total because Angel insisted as they ran for cover.
It hadn't happened the way they'd expected it, and Max had been powerless to stop it.
She could only watch as her world fell apart at the seams.
But the dark, haunting images disappeared soon, being replaced by the glimmering place she'd come to love. Where they were happy and there was no danger. The life they'd all been waiting for. A ding sounded, accompanied by the far-away voice of her mother announcing that the cookies were done. She brought over a tray of delicious looking chocolate chip cookies, holding it out so Max could take one. As she reached out, the tray wavered and her hand passed through it. Dr. Martinez didn't seem to notice, and continued to give everyone cookies. She hear Angel's sweet voice exclaiming about how yummy they were, and it felt like someone had stabbed Max through the heart.
She wasn't able to be with them.
Dr. Martinez glanced over and gave her a worried look. Her mother lifted her hand to touch her daughter's cheek, but all Max felt was a light brush of air.
"Is something wrong?"
Max couldn't respond. While she loved this place, it pained her to be here. To see everyone. To be near them, but never be able to touch them.
Was she torturing herself?
But Max knew she needed this place. It was the closest she could be to them now.
Her mother's face was changing as well, switching back and forth from the concerned expression that had been fairly stable a few minutes ago to the terrified and frantic one she'd had the last time Max had actually seen her. The panic was evident in her mother's brown eyes in those moments, something the winged girl wished she hadn't seen.
But they were still burned in her memory.
The images once again flooded her mind. Screams of agony echoed through her head in a never-ending symphony of discord. Shouts for help, shouts of her name… The voices wouldn't go away. All of her loved ones, yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs, preserved forever in the fathoms of her mind. Max wanted to pretend they weren't there, that it was all a bad dream, but she couldn't. She had to face the facts, one way or another.
She focused back on the phantom world she lived in now, wisps of people surrounding her. All safe and content, as if tears and harm had never existed. Grins on faces, vaguely heard laughter bouncing around…
None of it real, but all that was left.
Delusions, yet the last remaining shadow of her family, of everyone.
Because Maximum Ride had failed to save the world.
When it had been the most important, she had failed. Max had failed everyone. The world, once happy and full of colors and people, was now grey and barren, devoid of all signs of life. Max was the only one left, and she hated it.
She hated herself for not being able to protect them.
There was no way to change that now. No way to change history, to fix the past.
No way to bring them back.
She hoped they were happy now, and their lives like the dream she'd created for herself to distract her from the pain. Maybe, wherever they were, they were laughing and playing without a single care. Perhaps there was no pain, no sorrow, and no regret where they resided now, far away from the lonely girl. They might be overwhelmed with joy.
Max wanted to be with them.
But it seemed that she would have to stay there, until she perished from lack of food or water. She would have to remain in that monochrome world, by herself, with only a daydream for company. She had to be at the place she'd let them down for the rest of her time, while the Flock, Ella, and her mother were nowhere near.
Even so, she could always submerse herself in her fantasy.
But it would never be the same, because the people she was with now weren't real. They were only distractions, only ghosts of memories.
The people that she truly cared about were gone.
Yeah... This was inspired by Castle on a Cloud from Les Mis. Feedback is appreciated. :)