"Hey,
watch the street kid!" said a shabby man who was leaning on a
parked car.
I
saw the street. I knew it was there with cars racing across its worn
surface. I also knew what was on the other side. The homeless guy
obviously did not.
Unperturbed
by the warning, I ran on. My bare feet slapping against the pavement
and my breath coming in short gasps.
To
a passerby it would have seemed suicide; a 14 year old girl running
flat out onto a busy highway street.
The
man realizing I wasn't stopping, jumped up and started waving his
arms around and yelling about how I was going to get killed. When I
made no move to stop he started to run after me.
To
late.
I
felt the road beneath my feet, cool from the coming night.
Suddenly,
bright light!
I
looked left and saw a Volvo racing at me at 55 mph.
Seemingly
in slow motion I saw the details of the woman driving. Saw her eyes
widen with shock. Saw her futile attempted to swerve out of the way.
She
was to slow. I knew. She knew.
About
two seconds before she hit me, I jumped in the air with all my might
and...
I
opened my wings.
I
felt the roof of the car brush against my toes as it zoomed
underneath me.
The
squeal of tiers on pavement filled the air as the Volvo skidded out
of control onto oncoming traffic.
As
I struggled to gain altitude, I heard the sickening crunch of metal
against metal and to my horror saw cars began to hit one another like
a awful stack of dominoes.
With
horrible realization I realized that I had started this chaos with
that Volvo.
How
many life's have I just taken? I wondered. What have I done?
I
tried to focus on the task at hand; tried to focus through the
screams and shouts of terror that filled the air around me.
I
flapped my chalk white wings frantically.
Sweat
beaded my forehead and I panted heavily from my exertions but still I
remained in one place; poised in the sky above the turmoil below.
"c'mon,
c'mon, c'mon!" I muttered as my wings strained to keep me in
the sky.
Suddenly
there was a strong downward gust of wind that sent me tumbling
crazily to the street below.
"No!
someone help me!" I screamed as I fell in front of a truck.
I
heard it before I felt it. The loud screech of the cars Horn filled
my ears as I plummeted downward.
Then
sharp,unimaginable pain seared through my side.
I
heard my ribs and bones snap underneath metal.
I
felt my battered body being thrown into the air by the impacted, then
felt asphalt tear into my skin as I landed in a heap in the road.
I
lay there unmoving as the trucks windshield shattered and rained bits
of glass on me
I
was barely aware of the shouts and curses around me I just lied there
and felt the pain seep into me. Let it block out everything else.
I
tried to cry out but only a whisper came from my blooded lips.
I
cracked my eyes open and peered around me.
Broken
bits of glass spread out around me, reflecting the last of the
remaining sunlight. Wet, sticky, blood soaked my clothes and seeped
onto road beneath me.
I
closed my eyes against a nauseating wave of pain.
Before
I fell into unconsciousness I heard voices around me;
"What
is that thing?" "Is it some kind of bird?" "Its hurt pretty
badly." "SOMEONE CALL 911!"
Then
there was the voice that cut through all the other noises.
A
voice I knew. A voice I grew to hate and fear.
That
voice, full of hatred and menace leaned down beside me and spoke into
my ear;
"You
have been a naughty girl, experiment 665. Why ever did you run away?
No matter. You will come with us and will be punished by your unruly
behavior. To the School we go experiment 665."
The
voice cackled with triumph.
I
felt a cold, tingling sensation in my arm as hands injected me with
something then, I fell into darkness...
