Thanks for the wonderful reviews and feedback, everyone. It's really really appreciated. Hahaha. Who reads Michael Connelly? I'm now a huge fan, he writes really well. :D
I should really stop getting ahead of myself with the "Coming Soon" part. \: It's like, I have an idea for what's next, but then, when I start writing, another idea just comes to me and I let it bring me to another place..
Yes, writing means a lot to me. I don't lead the characters, they lead me. I don't control the story. I let the characters do what they want to, and then I write about it. I don't set the situation, the character brings me to it.
And that is how I perceive writing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or any other characters associated with the story.
I was running.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
The fast, rhythmical sound of my footsteps echoed loudly in the strangely familiar narrow hallway lined with photographs of different people. There were several items or so placed against the wall; I vaguely remembered passing an umbrella stand, a small table and such. I was running for the door.. the door that seemed to be farther away with every step I took closer to it.
My lungs were aching, and my feet felt numb. But I kept running.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
"Max!" I quickened my pace at the sound of the frenzied shout behind me. I recognised that voice. That was his voice. His voice.
I started to break out into cold sweat as I gave it all I got and sprinted. I was gasping for air and my legs were so, so, tired. But no matter how fast I ran, that door seemed to be getting farther and farther away from me.
I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop. I didn't have the will to.
"Max!" he yelled again, with a hint of desperation in his voice. From that one word, I could also tell that he was out of breath, just like me. But why was he chasing me? What was I to him that he would chase me in this never ending hallway? Was this just a game to him? Then, why did he shout like that? Was it because the game was over and he was trying to tell me that it was dinner time?
Speculation. All speculation. I didn't have a clue on why I was running.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
So I didn't stop. I ran and ran and ran.
There had to be a pretty good reason why I was running away from him in the first place, right?
So what was it? Why was I running?
I didn't know. All I knew that I wanted was to put as much distance as I could from him.
"Max, please.." I heard the plea in his voice, and violently shoved it out of my mind. He was playing with my head.. He was trying to make me stop.. I musn't stop running. I couldn't. I didn't dare to.
Because I didn't know what he was going to do if I stopped and allowed him to catch up with me.
I threw a backward glance and instantly regretted it. I gulped and began to have doubts about continuing eluding him.
Fang was dressed handsomely in a black tuxedo. His black hair was in a mess, and he was drenched in sweat. It was the same Fang, ten-year-old Fang.
My mind started whirring. I looked down at myself and realised that I was in a plain white dress. But I wasn't ten. I was me, fourteen-year-old Max. And what the heck was I doing in a dress?
Suddenly, everything went dark. Bam. It was as if someone had switched off the dim lights of the hallway. It was so sudden, I halted in my tracks for fear of colliding into some unknown object.
Then, silence. Deafening silence.
The darkness was like blanket around me, but it was suffocating. It made me fear for what was around me. It made me long for the company of someone in the strange, unknown darkness.
"F-Fang?" I called out, and my small voice rang and echoed loudly in the hallway.
Silence. There was no reply.
I gasped when I felt chilly wind move around me. The bottom of my dress flapped with the wind. Was that possible? I wasn't in the hallway anymore? Then where was I?
I hesitated.
"Fang.." I whispered.
The only response I got was the sudden picking up of the wind and the sound of rustling leaves. I heard a pack of wolves howl in the distance, and I felt goosebumps on my arms. The sound was eerie and hair-raising.
"Fang, where are you?" I rasped, my voice smaller than ever. I slowly dropped to my knees on the ground. It was ice cold and rock hard.
"Fang." Why did you leave me alone? Where are you? I thought you were behind me..
"Fang." I'm sorry I ran from you.. Can you please, come back now?
"Fang." My voice got softer and that word was choked out as I began to feel tears sting my eyes.
Nobody. Nothing.
I was all alone.
All alone, lost in the world.
"Fang.."
"Who's Fang?"
The question went unanswered as Zephyr continued looking at his 'mother', who had fallen asleep approximately an hour ago. Her head was rested against Terry's shoulder, and he was looking mighty darned pleased about it.
She had stirred restlessly and mumbled incoherently in her sleep, and Judy had told them that it was not a matter of worry - she just probably had a bad dream. Once, Max had started turning around, moaning and muttering in a tone that sent everyone the car worrying. Everyone had eyes on her, and it was apparent that they were anxious. However, it had been agreed that Max needed her sleep no matter how bad a dream she had; she could handle it, after all. She was the invincible Maximum Ride.
Only Zephyr remained calm and composed throughout, looking and observing. His eyes never left her and it was starting to give Nathan the creeps. Tim, making an accurate guess on Nathan's thoughts, scowled at him and shook his head. Zephyr was just eight, for goodness's sake. He couldn't be that ..twisted.. to think about Max in that way.
Zephyr had learned a few tricks from Mr. B. Watching and waiting, he had learned, was sometimes the best possible option when there was nothing else that could be done. Nobody had wanted to wake Max up and face the wrath of her downright pissed side. So, Zephyr just observed and inferred.
Ten minutes after her restless stirring, she stopped and muttered a word so clearly they thought she had woken up.
"Fang."
Zephyr's heart stopped.
Max moved and snuggled up beside Terry, her head on his shoulders. He shot a smirk towards his two other friends, who gave no response.
"Fang." This time, the word was soft and mumbled, but clear enough. Zephyr was amazed.
She was dreaming about Nick.
And then, the wheels of his mind began to turn. Why had she been thrashing around, then? Why was she in such a state of unrest? He corrected his mental statement.
Max was having a bad dream with Nick in it.
That was, generally, not good. But the fact that she had been dreaming of him anyway made Zephyr's heart lift, for it meant that she hadn't - couldn't have - forgotten about the orphanage in those four years she had been missing.
"F-f-f-fang, don't.. don't leave.. me.."
Zephyr saw Judy's worried glance in the rearview mirror. He wondered if she knew about Nick.
"Who's Fang?" Terry asked. Zephyr detected the hint of jealousy in his voice. He also noted that the question was directed to him, but he ignored it and continued looking at Max.
"Man, how'd we know?" Nathan replied. He sounded put off.
"Do you know, Judy?" Tim asked her, and she shook her head, her eyes still on the road as she drove.
"I've heard her say that names a few times, but she never really talked about it. I didn't want to be a busybody." Judy's eyes flickered over to Tim, and his cheeks turned red when he understood what she was implying. Yes, Zephyr concluded, Judy could be a sharp woman at times.
"Where.. Fang.. Don't.." Max stirred, and her hands flopped on Terry, such that she was half-hugging him. Zephyr couldn't help but to feel a stab of disgust as he took in the expression on Terry's face. He decided that he would keep an eye on Terrence for the time being.
Zephyr looked out the window. They were close, and were almost reaching the orphanage. It had a name, but no one had bothered to learn it. The wooden sign that indicated the name of the orphanage was old, worn and rotted, such that only the letters "o,r,a,n,g,e" from "orphanage" were left. It was kind of stupid, actually. Nobody had bothered to replace the sign.
"Sorry.. Fang.."
Zephyr noticed Nathan furrowing his eyebrows, probably pondering over this mysterious Fang person. Zephyr almost snorted.
"We're almost there," Judy informed everyone. "Let Max rest until we're there." Everyone nodded silently, not wanting to get on Judy's bad side. The car turned and slowed down as Judy maneuvered her way to find a space to park her car.
"Fang.. Don't.. Please.. I.. love y-"
"WE'RE HERE!" Terry shouted, and bounced up on his seat, causing Max to jolt and hit her head on the top of the car.
"AWESOME!" Nathan shouted in an equally loud, booming voice. Tim just chuckled. Zephyr knew what was going on. They didn't want to hear Max saying 'I love you' to someone else. In fact, he had a vague idea about them and their feelings towards Max had formed in his head, and usually, his ideas were right.
"What the - " Max scowled, putting her hand on her head over the part which had hit the top of the car, when Judy interrupted.
"I do not," she emphasised firmly, "appreciate you doing that." Her gaze was steely as it ran over Nathan and Terry, who gulped. Zephyr realised that they had gotten a lot. Not that the car park was full anyway, it was always empty except for Jeb's car, and in today's case, Judy's.
Zephyr noticed that Max had not said a word since she set eyes outside the car. He decided to take the lead, while Judy was telling Terry, Nathan and Tim to behave themselves in the orphanage. He opened the door and pulled Max out by her hand, leaving the rest in the car.
"Come on, we're here."
While they surveyed the front of the orphanage and waited for everyone else to get out of the car, Zephyr wondered why his voice sounded dismal, and he hoped that Max hadn't picked up on it.
"There's people out there!"
That initial shout of excitement caused more noise and the message passed on as the children flocked to the windows excitedly, shoving at each other to get a good view of the people. Those who were right in front pressed their faces against the windows, trying to guess what the business of those people were.
Even some of the older children looked mildly interested. They leaned by the window, pretending not to be but they didn't fool anyone. However, the younger children were too excited to really care.
They had not had a visitor in four years.
We were here.
Those three recurring words rang loudly in my head, as if I was standing right under a large bell. We were here. I was here. I was just a few steps away from place that has been haunting my dreams for the past four years.
Dreams.
My palms started to turn clammy as I ran through the latest dream in my head again. It had started the same way – I was running from Fang. Running away.. from my past. Running, no matter how hard it was. I pushed myself and ensured that I continued running. And the thing was that I did not know why. Only once I would look back, and then, in the usual dreams, that had been it.
I was just running, and Fang was just chasing me.
But this.. this dream with it's desolate and frightening ending made me shiver. It was as if it was depicting my future.. All alone, in the cold world, because I couldn't make myself accept the past.
Was that it?
Did I have some power to predict the future or something?
I let out a shaky breath and chuckled uneasily to myself. The wings were one thing, but powers? Too far-fetched, indeed.
"Why are you laughing?" A serious Gazzy turned to look at me in the eye. I recollected myself and reminded myself where I was. This was certainly more important than ..mere dreams.
After struggling for a response, I just shrugged half-heartedly and threw a look at the car for Judy and the guys, who seemed to be taking a whole lot of time, to make their way here. Judy seemed more reserved than usual with the Three Musketeers, but Tim, Terry and Nathan were as merry as ever.
Somewhere, deep down inside, I knew that mine not opposing them in coming along would turn around and bite me in the butt.
I pushed that dismal thought aside, as I became aware of the many faces pressed against windows with excited expressions. The people ranged from all ages – in fact, I thought I recognized a few. From their gestures, I gathered that they were all talking animatedly about us.
Why, though? Wasn't it common for other people to visit orphanages to, I don't know, adopt children or something?
"Uh, Gazzy, why are there so many people looking at us?" I asked uncertainly, as Judy locked the car and started making her way next to me.
"They're excited," he replied simply, and smiled somewhat sadly at me. Whaaat?
"Why would they be excited?" I asked. He placed my larger hand in his proportionately smaller one and pulled me along to the front door, causing me to stumble in my first few steps. The wind suddenly picked up and leaves started dancing around, making it a rather dismal yet beautiful sight.
I coughed to myself and wondered what the hell was wrong with me today.
Gazzy pulled to a stop right outside the main door. I could hear noise coming from inside, and it reminded me of my first meal in the orphanage. My stomach churned.
"Remembering?" Gazzy said quietly.
"Yes," I rasped, my voice suddenly hoarse.
"Hey, Max, so this was your old home?" Nathan banged me on my back, making me jump, and let out a long whistle.
"The orange. Nice." Terry guffawed.
"Look guys, can we just drop this? Can't you see that this is difficult for Max?" Tim adjusted his spectacles, looking at them long and hard. "There must be a reason she hasn't visited this place in the last four years after all. She would've told us if she came."
I glanced over at Tim appreciatively, and he smiled encouragingly at me. I noticed Judy giving him a nod of approval from the corner of my eye before she stepped forward and rapped on the door.
The sound was loud and booming; I could hear it echo loudly in the hallway hid behind that door. I broke out into cold sweat – I couldn't do this. I couldn't. I just couldn't do this at all. What if Fang opened the door? How could I face him?
Just as the door ominously creaked open, I shot Gazzy a quick apologetic look and wrenched my hand from his, turned on my heels, and fled towards the nearest thicket of trees I could set my eyes on.
I ignored the sounds of surprise from the people around me. I ignored Judy's apology to the person who had opened the door. I threw all those out of my mind as I ran, like in my dream.
What I couldn't forget about was Gazzy's expression. He hadn't seemed surprised at all. In fact, he looked as if he had expected it.
Why is it that an eight-year-old can be so much more mature than someone who is six years older than him?
Why am I so afraid of confronting Fang and the orphanage?
WHY?????
I slowed down as I neared some trees. I was glad that no one had followed me – I needed a flight. All I needed was a flight. I would calm myself down.
I know that flying would help me calm down and sort my nerves out. I knew that flying would allow me to arrange my thoughts and think properly. I knew that flying would be the solution.
I came to a stop in what seemed like the middle of the trees. Leaves were in the air, and the trees were swaying with the breeze.
I know it would feel good if I could flap those wings in the sky and let the wind caress the feathers.
I don't know how I knew, I just knew.
I looked up at the blue sky dotted with clouds of all shapes and sizes. Overhanging branches blocked some of it out, but it was because of those branches that I got the idea. I pushed all my thoughts aside for the moment and braced myself.
I started climbing the tree.
I didn't know how to fly.
I was going to make myself learn how to.