I stumbled backwards, further into the shadows, as six pairs of eyes burned into me. One of the five humans, a tall blonde, stood motionless where he was, though he cocked his head to the side as if listening. The small, black dog jumped out of the young boy's hands and onto the ground, turning to face me with a his lips drawn back to show pointed teeth. I noticed with suppressed surprise that the dog had a pair of black wings protruding from his back, not much larger than the dog himself.
The dark boy, apparently in command, stood and placed himself at the front of the group. The young girl peeked out from behind his leg, her eyes wide with surprise and curiosity. His body was rigid, but a light sparkled in his eyes, betraying his carefully contained joy.
"Max?" the boy - Fang - called again. I studied him carefully, trying to find a hint of threat in his voice. I stepped timidly out of the shadows, choosing my next move carefully. I heard the young girl gasp loudly, then she shook herself free from Fang's leg and ran over to me, embracing my waist in a constricting hug. I tensed momentarily, but then relaxed a little. The girl's hug seemed genuine, like she was greeting a long-lost friend, but I could not remember ever meeting her before.
The young boy who had been holding the dog rushed over as well, a big grin pasted on his face, and hugged me tightly, somewhat squishing me. I watched as an African-American girl pulled the tall, white boy - who must've been blind - over to me. His hands gently ran over my wings, feeling the feathers individually. Even the dog came up and started to lick me legs, then seemed to think the better of it.
Fang; however, hung back, watching me with cold, dark eyes. I stared back at him and saw a touch of emotion on his face; pain, remorse, fear. I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to hug him, but with my human bonds, I could not.
Who were these people? I could not remember any of them - I only knew Fang because of my dreams - and yet they seemed to have known me for a very long time, judging from their hugs and my possibly bruised ribs.
The dirty blonde girl pulled back and looked at me with wide eyes. "Max, I'm so glad you came back!" she cooed. Came back? Maybe I have met these people before . . . The girl's eyes widened even larger (I don't know how that was even possible) and she stumbled backwards in shock.
Fang appeared behind her quick as a flash and steadied her with concern. He whispered something into her ear. The girl shook her head and whispered back. I strained to hear what they said, but I could only make out the words ". . . doesn't remember."
Fang let go of the girl and walked towards me, calm and composed. "Max? Are you alright?" he whispered softly, so only I could hear.
I started to tremble. "I . . . I don't know." I said, keeping my eyes downcast. "Who are you people? I mean, I know you. Your name is Fang. But who are the others?"
Fang's eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm so, so sorry Max." He only mouthed the words, but I heard them as clear as day.
The blind dude tapped Fang on the shoulder. "Fang, what's going on?"
Fang sighed heavily. "She doesn't remember anything, Iggy. Nothing, not even our names." Then he added a bit more softly. "It's like she's been brainwashed."
Iggy's face screwed up in pain. "Then we better refresh her memory." He turned to face me. "Hey Max."
I looked at him. "So, your name is . . . Iggy?"
He smiled softly. "Yep. I'm Iggy."
"I'm Nudge." the African-American girl said from behind Iggy's lean form.
"I'm Angel." a voice said inside my head. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the small blonde girl waving at me.
"I'm Angel's brother, the Gasman." The small blonde boy grasped my hand tightly.
"Fang." Fang said. He still looked rather detached, like he was away in his own little dream world. I reached out and grabbed his hand, but he still didn't move, so I let go and pulled my hand back to my side.
Suddenly, I felt something scratch at my leg. I looked down and there, nearly on my foot, was the little black dog. "Sure, forget the dog." it grumbled. "I'm Total." Total wagged his tail limply and smiled at me. Strangely, I wasn't surprised by the fact that the dog was talking. It seemed so . . . right.
"So." I stuttered, still uncomfortable. "Now that I know who you are, I have to ask. Who am I?" My cheeks flushed with embarrassment for asking such a stupid question. "I mean, you seem to know me pretty well, and I . . . I don't remember anything."
This would have been the moment when Fang and Iggy exchanged glances - that is, if Iggy hadn't been blind. "I think you better sit down." Fang suggested. "This might take a while." I placed myself beside Fang, feeling strangely calm in his presence.
"As you know," Fang began, "all of us have wings." He stretched out his, as if to make sure I knew they were there. "There are six of us, DNA life combatants from a secret laboratory in California, which we call," Here he lowered his voice. "the School." The name stirred dark memories inside of me and I shivered, even though I wasn't cold. Shattered images of needles and chemicals and blood flashed across my eyes, accompanied by strong feelings of pain and fear. Lots of fear. I returned my attention to Fang. "Anyways, all six of us were taken from our parents . . . or sold," he glanced pointedly at Angel and the Gasman.
"Our parents sold us to the School for research," Angel said inside my head. I smiled sadly at her.
"They graphed avian DNA into us in the early stages of development so we would gain the qualities of birds; different blood cells, lighter bones, greater speed, and the ability to fly. But a whitecoat named Jeb helped us escape to an isolated house in the mountains . . ."
I listened as Fang wove a story of their family, our family, as we traveled across the country, searching for the answers to unlock our past. I could have sworn I could smell chocolate chip cookies when he mentioned my mom, a lady named Dr. Martinez, and I almost began to cry when he described the heart-wrenching death of my brother, Ari. Finally Fang finished and as we sat in silence, I could tell that he was holding something back. Something important.
I cleared my throat. "So how do I know that this isn't just some elaborate hoax?" I pressed, hoping to trip him up.
Fang looked at me with curiosity. "That," he said, "you will have to find out for yourself."