[here it is, took a while, but that was just because of some days in which I had writers block and other days in which I was lazy. Alex's flock will come in in the next chapter, and Max's flock soon, not sure when, but soon. If you think I screwed up your character, I'm very sorry and please tell me so I can change it. I'm so sorry to all the people whose characters were not picked. Also, Eurwen de Vrill, sorry about not fixing Kayla's crush, I'm thinking Iggy maybe. so, i think that's it, enjoy!]
Ren's POV
The word is a big place. It's full of creepers and sickos who torment the people like me. Who do things that no one should have done to them. Like kill them for instance.
I have died so many times by now, each time was something different, I have been burned to death, ripped in half, starved, I feel it all, it's actually interesting, though, I have died over thirty different ways, and lived, I've been caressed by death, over and over again, because I happen to be project Phoenix. But that was three years ago, today I'm with my flock, my family, and I love them, now and forever.
And today was a new day. Albeit, my flock and I were starting our new day by waking up under a bridge in New Jersey, homeless, dirty, and with no money, but it was still a new day and we were together and free. And we could make anything happen. Well, almost anything.
I rolled over and sat up, rubbing the back of my head, tangling my hair just a little more. What I would give for a hot shower and some clean clothes, uh, starting with my right hand.
"All right!" I jumped to my feet before I let myself think of a good reason to go back to sleep. I would, given the chance. "Up and at 'em guys! Rise and shine! We have stuff to do!" I said brightly.
"Like wake up before the freaking sun?" Crim asked groggily. "We don't have school or jobs, why get up?"
"'Cause Ren said so." Issac said, giving his head a little shake to fix his hair. The ultimate in cute behavior, if you ask me. I would have swooned but I had to wake up the weirdest child in the world, because she was deaf when she slept.
I knelt next to Ember, and shook her shoulder gently. "Emmy?" I said softly.
She shifted and mumbled. "Finished with my woman, 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind,"
Whoa, were those Ozzy Osborn lyrics?
I shook her harder, "Wake up!"
Her eyes opened scary fast and she stared at me for a moment. "It is not good to wake the Master of the Fruit People like that. He'll spit oily boots at you." She said conversationally.
"He?"
"Yes, Issac of course," She kept a straight face. "But he must keep it secret, so shhhh!"
I tried really hard not to laugh. Issac is the Master of the Fruit People, go fig!
"Okay, I'll try to remember that, sweetie." I said, ruffling her hair. Yes, she's weird and we all love her for it. She keeps things- interesting.
"Yo, Ren, what's for breakfast?" Crim asked.
"Well, let us see," I dug around in my backpack. "An almost empty bag of Cheez-its, strawberry gum, and some chapstick, if anyone is really hungry."
Cam snorted. "Who wants to say grace?"
"Crim, do you think you could lift something?" I hated asking, but we had to eat.
"Yeah," Crim smiled shiftily. "Easy."
"Nope," Flynn suddenly jumped into the conversation, "got something here." He held up four fat, dead squirrels.
"Are those kosher?" Cam asked.
"Nice, but they need to be cooked." I pointed out. "Starting a fire here might bring attention to us, just maybe."
"But hobos start fires in oil drums all the time," Ember said, looking at something spray painted on the bottom of the bridge. "I'd love to start a fire. Can I burn your socks, Ren?"
"Aren't those toxic?" Crim asked.
Issac snorted and I went red. "No, you cannot burn my socks. Yes, they might be toxic. Yes, hobos make fires, in the winter, it's June."
"We could all have colds…" Ember trailed off, and spun around in a full circle, then clapped her hands twice, she just- does really, really strange things sometimes.
"I will return!" she shouted.
"I'll watch her." Issac said. He chased her as she dashed across the street.
Oh, Issac, he was a piece of work, his mind was almost always miles and miles away, somewhere quiet and thinky, and Ren-less. He didn't ever seem to notice me unless I was tripping over something or giving straight-up orders. But he was so- gosh, I don't even know a word for what he was, hmm, is hot-and-gorgeous-and-soo-out-of-reach-that-he-never-even-looks-at-my-face a word? For all he cares, I'm his grandma, that's how out of reach he is.
The thing is, as far as I can tell, there's no other girl. Unless it's Ember. EW. No, there's no other girl. He's just totally out of everything. I could be wearing a heart shaped party hat and can-caning in my underwear and he would probably ask me what was for dinner. The only time anything close to romantic happened between us was when we first met.
"So, can you get us something?" Cam asked Crim.
"No, I think Ems got it."
"Huh?" Flynn said, the dead squirrels still swinging from their tails in his fist. Poor squirrels.
"look." Crim nodded at the sidewalk.
Crazy Ember might be, that girl is a genius
Imirie's POV
There are four things in life that bother me, one is needles, another is cages and the third is dying, it just kind of sucks, a lot. It hurts, too, but mostly it just sucks. That statement is not one most people can make, because, unlike my luckless self, they only die once. And as I've made pretty clear, dying sucks.
But enough of how much dying sucks, I still have one more thing that bothers me, and that thing is breakfast at McDonalds. I kid you not. I can't stand the things they pass as food there. It's just gross.
"What is that?" I asked as Ivi plopped her tray down across from me. I was skipping breakfast, and having some coffee instead, because they hadn't ruined that, yet.
"They said pancakes." She flipped one over with the tips of her fingers. "Yummy, you want some?" she asked sardonically.
I held up my coffee. "I'm good."
"This is nasty." Eli said sitting down on my left. "How do they get the cheese so frigging yellow?"
"Beats me, Sharpie?" Zero took the seat across from Eli.
"Isn't that poisonous?" Eli asked, "Sharpie, I mean."
"Yeah, I think it is, then again, so is alcohol, but people drink that all the time," Zero noted. "And I've seen girls with Sharpie all over them, like fake tattoos, so it can't be that bad."
"But if you eat it?" Eli frowned. "It can't be good."
"No, they're fine." Fletch slid into the chair on my right. "They used to let me suck on sharpies when I was little." There was a little spark in his eye.
"Really?" Eli asked, awed.
"Yep." Fletch grinned.
I glanced across the table at Ivi and we shared a look, boys.
Later, once everyone had finished choking down the gritty, greasy substance with overly-yellow cheese that passed as food, we filed out of the small building into the early morning sun. It was Saturday, and small groups of people were already rushing past us on their ways to shopping or meeting up with friends.
That's when everything changed, though no one would know it until it was too late. It's weird how little things lead to bigger things and bigger things can kill people. Little things like magic shows.
"Come one, come all! See things that man does not know!" a small, black haired girl was standing on the corner, waving her arms and jumping up and down. "The maddest magic on earth, performed by yours truly, right here, right now! Don't miss this once in a thousand life time's opportunity! That's right ladies and gents! Watch as I turn back time itself!"
People were stopping to stare, to see time turned back, to feel bad for the girl, who was sort of grungy looking with old, faded clothes.
"Oh, my," Eli breathed. "She's so…" he paused, looked at me and then finished. "Beautiful."
"She's too young for you." Ivi said shortly.
"Can we watch?" Eli asked.
"Fine, but just for a few," I said after chewing it over for a second. I didn't see any harm in sticking around for a while.
"For my first trick, I shall do what we all do, pull a rabbit out of my hat." The girl announced.
"But you don't have a hat," Someone called.
The girl's hands flew to her head. "Oh, flippermuffans, I must have left it on the other side during my last visit, could I borrow a hat from anyone?"
A floppy sun hat was passed to the girl. She balanced it on the fire hydrant that she was standing next to and reached inside. A moment later, she pulled a stuffed rabbit out. I clapped with everyone else: that was pretty good.
"now, you must see the must see," the girl said. "I will turn back time, but I will need a helper."
Hands shot up. She picked Eli. "What's your name?" she asked him as she fished around in her pockets.
"Eli." He smiled at her.
"How old are you Eli?" she asked.
When he said "eleven." I flinched. He knew better than that.
"Fantastic. Aha! Here it is!" the girl pulled a Swiss Army Knife from her back pocket. "Do you mind if I cut you?" she asked, acting really businesslike.
He was a little freaked out, I could tell because he didn't look so dreamy-eyed for a second.
"It will be really quick, I won't cut deep or anything, it'll go away, I swear." She added.
"Okay," he finally said.
"Cool, just the back of your hand." She took his hand and he flushed red.
"Folks, this is time going forward, I am cutting Eli here, he is now damaged." She held up his bleeding hand. Some of the people made little shocked sounds.
"But now you will witness time going backwards, away from the damage." She tugged a worn bandana from her hip pocket and wrapped it around Eli's hand. "Would you be so kind as to close your eyes and count out loud to five?"
"Sure," Eli shut his eyes. "One, two, three, four, five."
The girl whipped the bandana away, and showed everyone his unmarked hand. Then she forced Eli down in a low bow. When she came up she shouted. "If anyone would like to give a small sum of cash for the performance, please do so." She toed an old Starbucks cup. Then bowed again.
That's when the first shot was fired. That was when the change was cemented. There was no going back now.
[right, then, what did you think? REVIEW or Ember will sic the Fruit People on you!]