"Oh Ari, what a sssurprissse to sssee you here." The snake said coyly.
"Cut the crap! I let you out to give you a job to do, not to screw around."
Now that definitely sounded a lot like the voice of one Ari Batchler, or my name isn't Maximum Ride, and I should know that pretty well, because Ari use to hate me so much he repulsed at the mere sound of my name. In case you newcomers reading this don't have a clue, he and I go back to the same crib at the School years ago. I later on found out that he was actually my half-brother, but I was the one who escaped and he—well, he ended up going down a different path entirely. Simply put, he was turned into an Eraser, sent to hunt me and my flock down, and unexpectedly died by my hands...or so it seemed. When it seemed like the end of the world at one time, Ari had finally made amends with me, but only to die because he expired.
Now, this Ari-impersonator here was doing a good job sounding a lot like the familiarly-scary monster who haunted my dreams months ago, whether it was a clone or robot impersonator. I leaned over a bit from the branch to get a good look at the conversation below me. The Ari-impersonator was holding a green glow-stick up against his face. The light made him look eerie and menacing like the Wolf Man from the Black Lagoon.
"So, isn't time for you to repay your dues? Or do I have to cut out another pit on your nose?" Ari growled with that same decadent look on his face that he used to flash at me.
"Oh no, not at all," the snake curled up in fright. "I hate to—to inform you, but I have nothing yet to report at the moment. You caught me jussst preparing for my nightcap."
I didn't think that the Ari-impersonator liked that answer very well. If he did, then why did he just grab the snake by the neck?
"Are you so sure that you've got nothing for me?" Ari snarled. I started to cringe at his dangerous tone.
"But I…I…" the snake choked on every word. "I don't!"
"Then who's up there in your little tree?" I saw the claws on Ari's fingers beginning to draw out.
Double cringe.
I started to back up on the branch I was on, but the snake's coils were hanging loose around me. Oh man, they were heavy. I kept my balance as I continued to back up, until my back felt the tree trunk. Memories of the real Ari trapping me at an alleyway and clutching my throat started to flow back into my mind. I was almost on the brink of panicking and calling for help, but then I heard the snake saying:
"No, no, you've been totally missstaken my friend. There isss no one up there. I can prove it to you if that will appeassse your misssconception about my loyalty."
When I didn't hear anything after a minute, I peaked back over the branch. "Don't you dare insult my intelligence you gutless little worm," Ari glared with an ember burning in his eyes. "Because you're in no position to justify whatever it is you're not telling me. Now where are they?"
"W-I beg your pardon?" The snake started to ask. Ari gave him an evil look.
"Oh! The flock, that'sss right—now I remember. Well, um, I could tell you thisss, but it may not be much help to you. The flock are…are not in the village."
SQUISH!
Ari's gigantic hands squeezed the snake's head really frickin hard like a lemon. His whole body convulsed, and the coils around me squeezed me like a lemon too. I choked like the Gasman when I used to forced-feed him broccoli.
"I know they're not there!" Ari roared. "We sacked that place three days ago!"
"…oh, I…didn't…know…that…" I could hear the snake's barely audible voice.
"Oh how plausible, you didn't know? Well maybe you remember what happens to those who don't stop screwing around with what they're told to do? Do you remember what happened to Rosanna?"
I didn't hear the snake say anything after Ari mentioned someone called Rosanna. Who was she, another human experiment? Well, rest in peace Rosanna, I hardly knew thee. The silence went on for a few seconds, which I didn't like. Then it sounded like the snake was finally dropping his guise, so I held my breath even though most of it was already sucker-squeezed out of me.
"I sssaw them going down river. They were ssscouting the area trying to find the lab."
"Cool beans," Ari grinned. "See, now that wasn't so hard. Imagine how easy it could've been for us to be friends."
He let the snake's head slip out of his hand and turned back to the trail he came from. "I'll be back in the morning for your wake up call," he called back before disappearing into the night.
"You'd better have a good excuse tomorrow."
I let out the biggest sigh of relief I ever let out, as soon as Ari was out of hearing range of course. Then the snake came back to the tree with a troubled look on his face, which was weird for a snake to even have a face.
"Who's Rosanna?" I dared to ask, even thought it was definitely none of my business.
"Rosssanna…was my mate."
Whoa, did I feel more stupid than the time when I tried to bake cookies.
"We went over our headsss and so ssshe—ssshe was the one who sssuffered the full brunt of the white coatsss."
I nodded sympathetically, thinking about Total and Akila, his love interest. "That makes two of us I guess." I'd hate to imagine them being in this guy's shoes, or me and any one of my flock. Then I got a light bulb in my head.
"Look, I'm really sorry about your lost and what they're putting you through, but the time to stand up and say enough is finally here. Destroying that lab is just going to be the beginning of the revolution, but it'll hit them where it hurts real good. If you can help me and my flock out, I'd be very grateful."
I thought at first the snake was smiling in agreement—and yes for the millionth time it was weird for a snake to smile! Geez, if I had a doubloon for every time I said that…
Anyways, I thought at first he was smiling in agreement, but then I realized it wasn't a nice smile. More like, it was one of those criminally smiles.
"I have a better idea, Maximum Ride," he hissed. "How would you like to be my persssonal plaything? Free backrubsss are included."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I got ticked off when I heard that. "When I tell Fang about what you just said, he's gonna string you into a hangman's noose you—you—you freak!"
"Aw, but I already know ssso much about Fang," the snake said gleefully. "And after I've memorized you into a blissful ssstate, you will know ssso much about Fang more than you ever did."
Memorized…blissful state? It was suddenly coming back to me. I started to remember what must've happened this morning. I ran into the same giant snake before me, and the only other thing that I remember before passing out…passing out?
"You are my angel. Come from way above to bring me love." The snake sung.
"IT'S YOU!" I screamed. It was already too late though; he had his loathsome coils around my body. Crap.
"No, no! I'll kill you when I get lose! I'll kill you! I'm not gonna be a mindless slave!"
"Max, what's going on?" It was Fang calling out to me, at last! I started to call back when—double crap! The snake was casting his witchy eyes again. He was imitating the voice of my lover that creep, he tricked me! My eyes were glued to his.
"There's no need to fight it Max, just keep looking into my eyes. It will all be over soon, all over."
"No!" I cried, still fighting with all my strength. "You're not my Fang! Dylan tried to play love-fool with me, and I beat his sorry ass up. No one is taking me away from Fang, no one! You hear me! No one is gonna take me…take me…away from…Fang…no one is…not you…or Jeb…or Dylan…or Ter Botch…or the…director…or…Ari…or…or…or…Hmm, yeah! Fang, keep going—I love what you're doing! Harder, keep going, harder! Harder…harder…hard…hmm…zzzzzzzzzz."
