A/N: I do realize how similar this is to the first book 'The Angel Experiment'. You don't have to remind me, I face palm myself all the time about it. All rights go to Mr. James Patterson. I am not trying to copy his work. I began writing this Fanfiction about two-three years ago. Now, after we got all that out of the way... Let the story commence! (And I do hope you enjoy!)
The branches around me reach out and claw at my pale bare arms. My breath drums in my ears and I pump my arms at my sides, propelling myself forward, faster. I frantically zigzag between the green vegetation as I try to catch up to my sister, Ella.
"Max! Max! Help me!" Ella cries. My heart pounds in my chest.
"Ella, I'm coming!" I shout back. The Flyboys are chasing her for the first time and I am absolutely terrified. Humans, like Ella, are not supposed to get messed up the School and their inhabitants. Yet, here I am trying to stop the School's evil creations from taking my sister as well.
"Max!" She wails again, her voice distant in the forest. Suddenly, my foot catches on a tree root and I sail through the air until I fall, sprawling out in the dirt and leaves. Quickly though, I vault myself back onto my sore, bare feet. To save time after my incident, I launch myself into the air, unfurl my wings, and fly up above the tree line. From above, the forest looks beautiful, peaceful even. But before I can relax into the beauty before me, I spy Ella dashing through a small clearing between the trees and I race after her. She glances back over her shoulder, her eyes wide in terror, and screams. The Flyboys, replacements of the original Erasers, don't seem to have any ravenous dogs. But the dogs, much like the Erasers, must have as well been exterminated. When I finally see Ella running through a large, open clearing, I dive down to the ground.
"Ella, I'm here!" I cry, tears of relief welling in my eyes, blurring my vision. I quickly wipe my face with my cold, dirty arm so Ella doesn't see me as the weak one. Nothing makes me seem weaker than crying. Roughly landing on the mulch covered ground, Ella runs straight into my outstretched arms and I hug her tightly.
"Thank the Gods you are here, Max. I was so scared." She whispers between sobs into my ear. I don't understand how Ella, a human younger than me, could outrun the Flyboys and their guns. The whole Flock can run faster than a grown man, even Angel and she's just seven years old. Then, all of a sudden, the Flyboys burst into the clearing, all three of them with their big murderous guns pointed at Ella and me. On instinct, I forcefully shove Ella behind me, causing her to stumble, and I spread my legs in a stance. They growl at me, they want Ella for new experimenting. Not while I'm alive, not ever. They train their red laser dots on my chest. I look down at my tattered jeans and tee-shirt. Fang used to say it was his favorite shirt of mine as he smelled my neck. I almost smile at the memory but it shows as a half-smirk instead. I smirk back at them, tempted to say 'Do it, I dare you'. But I know the Flyboys wouldn't hesitate doing so. Their fingers flex on the triggers. The center Flyboy growls at the others, keeping his focus on me, and they back off, lowering their guns. The middle Flyboy seems to say 'Don't worry, I got this one'. I just continue to smirk at him and I hear Ella swallow loudly and choke back more salty tears. I close my eyes and swallow the lump in my throat.
"I love you, Ella." I whisper. "Tell mom I love her too."
"No." Ella says. "No, Max, you are not dying." I nod, but I know in reality, I will anyway. I was engineered with an expiration date, I could drop dead at anytime. But next thing I know, I am clenching my teeth and the bullet is fired. Then it is over. No pain, no anything.
Is this what it feels like to be dead?
I wonder to myself. I open one eye and see the Flyboys standing there, completely still. Next thing I know, one grunts and they all peel away and take cover into the woods. Suddenly, I hear a half-gulp/half-gasping sound. I look down in front of me, my eyes widening. My dirt caked hands slide up to my mouth as tears escape from my eyes and chase each other down my face. My worst fear has come true, Ella, my sister, is dead. Her eyes stare up blankly towards the sky with that same childish glimmer in them. Her hand barely twitches and I sit down beside her, taking her hand in mine.
"Max." She says, her voice barely audible. Her eyes continue to stare straight up at the sky. Blood blooms on her ruffled shirt and I soon realize her own blood is spattered on my shirt, Fang's favorite shirt, and my pale arms.
"Yes, Ella?" I choke, squeezing her small hand tighter so she knows I am here. Ella's eyes flitter towards mine for just a second, moist from unshed tears.
She's in so much shock that she can't cry.
"I love you, Max." She utters.
"I love you so much, Ella." I whisper. Then I hear her last, uneven breath, and she is gone forever. Ella.
I was supposed to protect her. She saved my life and sacrificed her own for a mutant, a freak of nature. I should have never been created, and then Ella would have had a normal, happy human life. But instead, a tiny hole in her chest killed her.
The Flyboys killed her.
I lay my head on Ella's unmoving chest and let a few tears loose, sending ragged sobs through my body.
Let them hear how much pain they've caused me.
But before I get much mourning done, I hear the leaves rustle in the forest just beyond my weeping form. I glance up, tear stained, with an furious expression on my face. Before me stands my own brother, Ari, with a big gun and a wicked grin on his wolfish face. I shake my head at him in disgust.
"Haven't you done enough, Ari?" I ask. My voice sounds strangely steady and calm as I speak.
"Not quite, sis." He answers, targeting his gun at me.
I bolt upright in bed, screaming myself awake for the fourth time this month. I am drenched in a layer of sweat and panting as if I went for an early morning jog. Momentarily, I am paralyzed with fear that Ella really is dead. Relief courses through me as I remember it was just another horrible nightmare. The same one for the fourth time this month.
Restless, I get out of bed, wrap a fuzzy blanket around my thin figure, and walk into the bathroom across the hall from my room. I let the blanket pool around my ankles and I turn on the faucet, cupping my hands and splashing tepid water on my face. Before I can dry my face off, two hands come down on my shoulders and I jump, blindly cuffing the person behind me.
"Ouch, Max." Dylan exclaims. I grab the hand towel on the side of the sink and dab my face with it.
"Sorry, Dylan, you frightened me." I say guiltily, tossing the towel on the floor. "Serves you right. Why are you up so early scaring people? Namely, me?" I ask him, folding my arms.
"Oh, you know. Just getting a midnight snack." Dylan answers lamely, scratching his neck. "Why are you awake?" I shrug.
"Couldn't sleep." I say vaguely. He laughs a bit.
"Yeah, I heard you scream again." I turn away and blush.
"Oh, uh, sorry." Now everything is getting kind of awkward. I yawn and bend over to pick up my blanket at my feet. "Well I'm tired." I tell him. "Night." Before I can protest, Dylan picks me up bridal style and cradles me in his arms, pressing me against his warm body. "Dylan…" I beg softly, my eyes drifting close. He quietly shushes me as he carries me into his dark room. Dyaln lays me down on his bed and drapes my blanket over my body, then pulls his soft comforter up to my shoulders. I yawn again, my eyes heavy. He leans over and gently kisses my forehead.
"Good night, Max." My lips go up in a slight smile before falling into a deep dreamless sleep. This time without any nightmares of Flyboys chasing my half-sister, Ella. Just sleep, blissful sleep.