Crater:

I smiled and made my way down town. Tony from the honey nut stand waved and I waved back. Everyone here knows me as a regular. I've lived here most of my life. Ever since I left the Building I came here and found a life of peace. Except for thugs running around ruining that peace but I shut 'em up. Its my job after all. I come around and smack some sense into who ever's causing trouble. Sure I look scrawny, bad messy bed head, looks like she can't even carry a picture book without breaking a sweat, but hey. I'm a freak and proud of it.

Well, I'm not exactly proud of the fact that I'm being held back as an unwanted mutt but no ones perfect. I walked around near the park as a big group of teens and kids bumped into me. They're leader, a tall blonde girl with pretty brown eyes looked at me surprised. "Gah! Sorry!" And then melted into the crowd but I could spot her just fine. I don't ever forget a face or voice ever.

Her eyes are what puzzled me the most. They looked like they knew what I've been through. That they've seen what horrors I've seen. Naw it can't be. I haven't met anyone like me in years. Suddenly this big burly guy with the sent of Hunter passed me. He was following the kids. Hunter for your information are genetically modified humans with wolves in them. They're freaks like me and have an uncontrollable thirst for blood. Monsters the lot of them.

Good thing I was born retarded! I don't have that thirst like they do but I do have killer instincts but I've evolved. I'm a good guy. I trailed them. Three feet ahead of the blonde. She had a blue eyes, blond 6 year old in her arms. No! No one hunts little kids like here. That's just low. Too low for my liking. The man grabbed the blonde on her arm and had a death grip. The crowd parted and starded not sure what to do. I ran over as quick as light and punching him in the face. "Hey let go of my sister!" I yelled and he got back up. He swung and I ducked and kicked his legs out from under him.

As he fell I noticed a barcode on his neck. He's due today. I backed up and pushed the two girls from before behind me. The guy stood taller than me and I acted scared. He grinned from ear to ear like a crocodile but then fall face first of the concrete like a rock. He's due right now. I planted a lighter near his hand and the cops showed up. I tapped the girl's shoulder and whispered. "Follow and don't ask." I looked over at the crowd and pointed to the lighter so cleverly planted. "Drug addict!" And ran with the girls and some other teens in tow.

We stopped after a while and going in a couple of circles to loose the cops. We walked and passed a tree that looked like it was eating away at the fence around it. The blonde grabbed something that was stuck in between the fence and showed it to a boy with long black hair. They whispered among each other but I heard it clear as day.

"I can use it if I can figure out the password," She told the boy

He nodded. "Okay."

She took a semi-audible gulp and stuffed it in her polecat and tapped my shoulder.

"Let's just get into the park," She said. "Nice, safe Central Park." I nodded at her request and led them back into the park. On the way there they all seemed twitchy and uncomfortable with me. I laughed lightly and all eyes turned to me. "What's wrong? You're kinda twitchy the lot of ya." No one answered and I shrugged. "What? Something i said? I'm Crater and you're in my city now so I'd like to know why you're causing such a hullabaloo." A little pre-teen with curly hair and dark-ish skin looked at me. "You sound like to southern people on tv," then she let out a gasp. "OMG! Are you one of those people on tv? 'Cause that would be so cool. Just like how you saved Max and Angel back there from that-" but the others cut her off. "Nudge!" They cried and she shut up.

I laughed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Well I ain't no hero or anything. I was just defending a couple of Buildingers for a Hunter that's all. What are freaks for right?" I smiled and they all took it in realizing that I knew. "Surprise, I'm from the Building too. Left that place as soon as I could. California Building in Death Valley?" The leader who I guess is Max nodded. "Yeah, so?" She said getting defensive so I put my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. Struck a nerve there I see. I'm just helping out a pal in need like I do to everybody here. I see trouble or smell Hunter I scurry on over and bring 'em to justice that they shall serve." They stayed silent.

"So, what's a bunch of kids like you doing all the way over in freak central? I can tell you ain't from around here so might as well speak. I know none of you are mute because you just all yelled at Nudge a while ago. I can tell a lot just by staring at you guy. Max, and the two tall boys are all 14, seen more than you'd like. Max is the leader and emo dude, you're her right wing man. The vanilla ice-cream guy is blind but defiantly not helpless. Little dude behind Nudge I can already smell the boomers you've pulled off before and you and Angle over there next to Max. Yeah, I'm feeling something like siblings. All of you alivian with different abilities." They all looked at me stunned. I smiled. "Hit bullseye didn't I?" They nodded stunned. Max glared at me.

As we neared Central Park I could feel her growing impatient. Finally when I thought she was about to pop a vein, she grabbed my shoulders and spun me around so we were face to face. "Okay that's it!" And I smiled. "Took ya long enough." She looked ready to slap me. "You're an eraser aren't you?" Her tone low and threatening. "Like what's at the butt of a pencil?" I asked but it only made her angrier. "Don't play dumb with me! You know what I'm talking about! Those-those," she turned to her gang. "What did she call erasers again? Hungry? Haters?" I spoke up. "Hunters?" She nodded. "Yeah Hunters! You're one of them aren't you? You just trying to lead us to a trap at central!" She jabbed a finger into my chest.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Woah slow down there pal. I'm just a freak like you except freaky...er. Freakyer? Freakish? Anyways I ran away from The Building because they wanted me to be like the rest of them but I have a brain. I have feelings. And if no one believes me, I don't care! I'm just trying to help out and show I'm not them. I'm not their puppet, I'm not their toy, I'm me." I felt anger. No, deep breaths. With anger comes the monster. Angel's little hand held mine as I counted to ten and took a few breaths. "Max, she's nice. Just misunder-um..." I leaned and whispered in her ear. "Misunderstood?" She nodded. "Yeah that! She's really nice and she help us from the eraser from before. Can she be with us? Just for tonight?" Her big blue eyes pleading it made me want to hug her.

"Angel she's not just a stray you pick up from the streets." Max pointed out. She looked at Angel dead in the eyes but gave in. She turned to me annoyed that she had too fallen under Angel's eyes. "Would you like to join us?" I nodded and then realization hit her features. "Wait you said your city right?" I blushed and nodded. "Well not my city but you get the gist of it." They all shared a look of joy. "Do you know where The Institute for Higher living is?!" I tapped my chin. "On the tip of me tongue. I swear I've heard it before, but where..." we walked and I thought, the institute, the institute.

Soon we had already reached central and they climbed up a tree. I sat down below it and Angel signaled me over. I shrugged and flew up there. Everyone looked at me shocked. "What? Something on my face?" Max shook he head. "You-you can fly?!" I nodded. "Yeah, can't we all?" They nodded. "So what's the big deal over me flying?" They remained speechless. They forgot about it and I hung high above them so I could see if any Huntes came. Why do they call them erasers. Makes 'em seem like smiley pencils. Angry smiley pencils.

"It is unlawful to climb trees in Central Park," Boomed a megaphone.

I opened my eyes and nearly fell off.

A black-and-white was parked below, its lights flashing. Like in New York they didn't have any more important crimes to work on than a bunch of kids sleeping in a tree. Don't they have the Hunter to deal with? Why waste their time on us? How looks up in a tree anyways!?

"How did they even know we were up here?" Angel's brother muttered. "Who looks up into a tree?"

A uniformed cop was talking to us through a PA system. "It is unlawful to climb trees in Central Park," she repeated. "Please come down at once."

Everyone pretended to climb down all clumsy bit I just jumped and landed on me feet. "Not you again." The cop said and I smiled. "Hey ya copper."

"Okay, guys," Max said. "Get down; try to look normal. When we're on the ground, we'll make a run for it. If we get separated, connect up at, like, Fifty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue. Comprende?"

They nodded. Emo went down first and Vanilla-blind-face felt his way down. Cool.

Angel went next, then Nudge, then Angel's brother, and Max went last.

"There are signs posted everywhere clearly stating that climbing trees is forbidden," one cop began pompously. We started to back away slowly, trying to look as if we weren't really moving. I smiled. "Long time no see officer Mega-mouth!" I said in a cheerful voice.

"Are you runaways?" asked copper mega lame. "We'll take you somewhere. You can make phone calls, call your folks." She turned to me with a frown. "And you, come on. Station time for you young lady. We've got you so now you're finally gonna be out of New York's hair." Max gave me a look that said you two know each other? I nodded.

Another cruiser pulled up, and two more police people got out. Then a walkie-talkie buzzed, and the first cop pulled it out to answer it.

"Now!" Max whispered, and the seven of us scattered, tearing away from them as fast as we could.

"Celeste!" I heard Angel cry, and I whirled to see her turning back to pick up her little bear. Two cops were racing toward it.

"No!" Max yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her with me. She almost fought her, planting her feet and trying to unbend her fingers from around her wrist. Max swung her up into her arms and took off, tossing her to Emo when she reached him.

I turned back and saw donut-head pick Celeste up and I almost ran back to get it but then I saw a man come out of a cruiser and it made my heart stop. It was him. The guy who mutated me.

"Celeste!" Angel cried, reaching back over Emo's shoulder. "Celeste!" She sounded heartbroken, it broke me to but hearing her like that. But I couldn't go back. I was too scared to go back. Not with him there. The man with the name of Jeb.

"I'll get you another one!" Max promised rashly, running so she was side by side with emo.

"I don't want another one!" she wailed, putting her arms around emo's neck and starting to cry.

"Have we lost 'em?" Angel's brother called back over his shoulder.

I looked back. Two police cars with lights and sirens were weaving through the heavy traffic toward us. Not yet we haven't.

"No!" Max called back and ran faster. We headed south-east and out of the park trying to mix with the always crowded sidewalks. Emo had put Angel down and she ran with tear leaving streaks on her face. I was about to shed my own because of the horrible memories that threatened to kill me but I stopped it. Never shall I forget that day. Never.

"Inside a store?" Emo asked, pulling up beside Max. "Then out through a back exit?"

If only we could get airborne then we'd be in business but by the look on Max's face I guessed it was a no go.

"Yeah, maybe so," Mad shot back. "Let's turn east on Fifty-first."

We did. Then we pounded down the pavement. Really fast. I almost laughed when I realized it was a one-way street going the wrong way: The cruisers would have to take a detour. Take that Megaphone-slash-teddy-stealing-jerk!

We need to find somewhere where they can't come in but we can,

"What's that?" Nudge called, pointing.

We all skidded to a halt, the way they do in cartoons. I love cartoons. In front of us was an enormous gray stone building. It soared up into the sky, all pointy and lacy on top, not like a skyscraper. More as if gray stone crystals had grown toward the sky, stretching up and thinning out as they went. There were three arched doors, with the middle one being the biggest. Yes! St. Patty's church!

"Is it a museum?" Angel's brother asked.

Max scanned for a sign. "No." Then I butted in and said. "It's Saint Patrick's Cathedral. It's a church."

"A church!" Nudge looked excited. "I've never been in one. Can we go?"

Max looked ready to give her a lectured but stopped when emo leaned over and said quietly, "Sanctuary." I opened the doors for everyone. "Trust me, they won't expect us here. They would have went to a store. I've been running from butterfinger-coppity-cop back there for years. Never caught not gonna try." They all nodded and walked right in. Max gave me a weird look like she was thanking me but still judging me by what I was. No whom.

Everyone looked around in awa and Max spotted a couple of people praying up front and she nodded to us. "Over there." We walked over and looked at the other people besides us. "What are they doing?" Angel asked. "Praying." I whispered and she nodded. "Lets pray too." Max was about to protest but she already started.

Max and Nudge talked about who they were praying too and Iggy copied Angel's brother somehow by lightly tracing his fingers across. his body.

"Dear God," said Nudge under her breath, "I want real parents. But I want them to want me too. I want them to love me. I already love them. Please see what you can do. Thanks very much. Love, Nudge."

Awe, I wish someone cared for me too but I think Nudge and everyone else deserves it more than I.

"Please get Celeste back to me," Angel whispered, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "And help me grow up to be like Max. And keep everyone safe. And do something bad to the bad guys. They should not be able to hurt us anymore."

Amen, i said since the others weren't saying it. Max must be pretty cool for someone to pray to be like her,

Surprisingly I saw emo move his lips and pray quietly and I didn't listen in because he probably wanted it kept private.

"I want to be able to see stuff," Vanilla said. "Like I used to, when I was little. And I want to be able to totally kick Jeb's butt. Thank you." Hey, I wanna kick Jeb off a cliff. Looks like we have something in common, cool.

"God, I want to be big and strong," AB(Angel's brother) whispered, and I felt my heart break for these guys. So young yet so strong. How? I can breath wake up on my own much less breath. "So I can help Max, and other people too."

I swallowed hard, blinking fast to keep any tears from falling. What should I say. Before I could say anything Max started.

"Please help Angel about Celeste," Max started muttering, and realized I had nothing much to say. I have nothing. Everything was taken from me. "And help me be a better leader, a better person," I said, moving my lips with no sound. "Make me braver, stronger, smarter. Help me take care of the flock. Help me find some answers. Uh, thanks." Max cleared her throat.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Dear god, if you do exist up there I pray that mom and dad are doing okay, I know sis has sinned but it was because of me. Let her be with our parents. Help these guys too. I want nothing but happiness for Max and her friends and my family in heaven. Keep them safe for me please. Amen." I had tears falling so I whipped them off. I caught Max staring at me like she was trying to find where a puzzle piece goes. To bad I don't fit anywhere.