A/N okay people this is my first update in a while and instead of focusing on one story at a time I will be updating one chapter a week on BOTH stories and if I get the time maybe two on some occasions. XD Enjoy and you know the drill. 3 2 1 READ!!
Chapter 11
I was living in practically heaven. Nearly a month here and no one had experimented on me, hurt me, tested me, starved me, made me perform incredible feats for survival. And the best part was that no one had separated me from Chase or Sky.
I was still careful though, I rarely spoke and if I did it was to either my brother and sister or a very few of the other experiments hiding here. But could we live like this forever? A dull, blunt part of me told me that we couldn't. And even if we ran to the end of the world, they would still come after us, they would eventually find us. The others may have lived years and years here safe and happy. But it was a matter of time before the Arena decided to seek them out and destroy everything they had made here. I was certain the Arena knew about this place and for some unknown twisted reason only known to them they had let me and the others live a simple life here in the mountains. Probably to see how we would adapt and survive on our own. It was probably all just another experiment.
My entire life had been nothing but one huge experiment. It was hard to imagine that this wasn't just part of the regime. That at this very moment as I Walked through the twisting cave tunnels to a ledge whilst holding Sky's hand that the Arena didn't know. I clung a little tighter to Sky's hand fearing that I was right and my once thought of dream would become a nightmare.
"Hey what's the matter?"
I shook my head at her and dragged my mind away from my damned thoughts. And focused on what could free me. I had decided this morning when I woke up that I was going to teach myself to fly. No matter how many times I fell, by the time the sun had set I would be in the sky.
We rounded the last bend and nearly bumped into of the kids here. He was called Zee, like us he had wings but he wasn't from the Arena. They said he was from a place called the School, a section of labs. Chase told me when he was brought here he babbled about the other children there and how they were tested on always. He was lucky he wasn't taken to the school he was two years older than me, but he seemed more childish making me appear the oldest. He still had that spark of child innocence in him, I wonder what it was like to be childlike and carefree.
Sky took a step to the side to allow Zee past as he was carrying numerous blankets on his arm. They smelled fresh so they must've been hung out to dry at the cave entrance. "Do you want a had Zee?" Sky asked as I have hid behind her legs.
"Nah I'm fine. You okay Max?" See looked at me and smiled.
I slightly nodded my head and he seemed to lose his smile. His brown hair which stuck up at every angle had a shaven off patch and I could see a scar lining the rim of his skull. The school was probably just as bad as the Arena for its experiments.
"I'll see you both at lunch, don't be late hahaha. See ya Sky. Max." He seemed to skip down the tunnel, balancing the pile of blankets precariously.
We walked forward till we got to the entrance/exit. The sun was shinning today an it seemed the snow had melted.
"Max, you do know you can talk to everyone here don't you? They wont hurt you here, we're like a family." Sky said as she sat down and pulled out her sketch pad and pencil.
"I know." I assured her. When she started sketching the view around us (and millions of pictures of birds). Sky was an artist, with TALENT.
I walked to the edge of the hangover and looked out at the sky and clouds. It was so open here.
I was free. But not as free as I could be. Sky had been right, the sun was beautiful, it blazed across the sky and made everything seem wonderful, exciting and new. It almost made me think that there was no evil in the world. Almost. I wanted t be in the sky, my wings ached for the first time in my life to be used for what they were meant to do. I wanted to fly.
Sky could fly. She had beautiful burgundy wings. Mine were different. Mine where a clear light brown with splotches and mixes of light and dark colours. They were pretty wings, but not as beautiful or as amazing as Sky's.
I stood at the top off the mountain and flapped my wings. I even tried hopping into the air. I may have lasted a couple of seconds but gravity always won in the end. After ten minutes I huffed and sat down crossing my arms and legs, pouting.
A quiet laugh came from behind me. Immediately I got up, and with a huge smile on my face ran into Sky's arms. She picked me up easily and swung me around. She even started to tickle me, careful of my bandaged arms, legs and chest.
She smiled at me. "Were you trying to fly?"
I nodded.
"Max, your only four. You're too young to fly yet."
When she said that I hopped out of her arms. And stubborn but determined I started flapping my wings again. I tried rotating my wings and flapping them at different time and in synchronisation.
Sky sat down on a rock and started drawing in a notebook she had.
It took e three hours before I got into the air. I was wobbling a bit, but I had gotten the hang of it. You had to flap your wings at the same time and on the down pull you had to slightly turn your wings inside, the tiniest amount about this much -.
Sky looked up to check on me and saw I was in the air. Her jaw dropped and so did the pencil from her hand.
She stood up and yelled, "CHASE! Get up here NOW!"
A boy a little older than Sky came up through one of the tunnels in the side of the mountain. He had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, navy coloured. He was tall and muscular with strong features. He was only wearing jeans a white vest top and scruffy grey trainers. But he was incredibly good looking.
"What? What's wrong?"
Instead of answering Sky pointed up at me, I was beginning to learn the basics of flying how to angle my wings so I could turn, go up or down, all sorts. Was in the middle of doing a mid air flip when Chase saw me. His jaw dropped open.
"She's flying?" He asked stunned.
"Apparently so." Sky murmured awed.
I looked at the ground and flew shakily over to them.
"How long has she been at this?" Chase asked.
"Umm, four hours roughly."
Chase turned towards her in disbelief. Sky just shrugged her shoulders.
My wings were starting to get tired but there was a problem.
"Sky, Chase?" When I had their attention I continued.
"How do I stop flying?"
"Easy just stop flapping." Chase said in a 'duh' voice.
"No, don't tell her that!" Sky shrieked alarmed.
It was too late though. I had closed my wings and I dropped like a hailstone. I tried to flap my wings again. I didn't want to have an impact with the floor, I was already hurt enough as it was. The floor got closer and I thought 'this is going to hurt'. Then arms pulled me up from behind, I cried out as the arms banged against my bandaged ribcage. Chase lifted me entirely into his arms and I curled up against his chest. Feeling safe.
Chase flapped his brown wings with silver tints till we were level with the ground.
"You okay Max?" He asked worried.
I peeked out through the hair that had fallen over my face and saw both Sky and Chase looking down at me.
I smiled at asked "Teach me how to land?"
They both smiled and we shared a hug. Chase taught me how to fly, swerve in the air, do running landings sudden drops, take offs from a spot, everything. Sky sat back drawing sketches of us.
We had even gathered an audience, the people that lived in the mountain with us knew about us, like we knew about them. We were friends. Accidentally I landed right on top of Anthony, the man in charge. He had black hair mussed over his head, pale skin and green gleaming eyes. I tumbled down his back and over the side of the mountain. Quickly he snagged my shirt before I got out of reach and he had to dive after me.
I giggled as he pulled me up to his face.
"Having fun Max?" He asked.
I smiled and spoke for the first time to him. "Yes."
He smiled more and his eyes crinkled at the side, giving him a fatherly look.
"How's about we give Chase a break and I teach you a few things about flying?" he snapped his raven black wings out and flew with me in his arms.
Chase landed gracefully and sat down next to Sky taking a bottle of water from a young boy.
"Don't drop her Anthony." Chase called up to us playfully.
I waved down to Sky and Chase but other thought I was waving to them and waved back. I hardly ever spoke to anyone but Sky and Chase, now Anthony as well.
Anthony flew higher than what I had been able to manage. It was fun I even tried to reach out and grab some of the clouds. I looked around at the mountains that towered up beside our mountain, the acres of woods that surrounded the mountains. I thought for a mad moment that if I could see everything, could they see me. I didn't want to ever go back to the Arena. But I felt so vulnerable right then, I curled up in Anthony's arms and we stopped in mid-flight.
He must've guessed what I was afraid of. Because he raised my chin so I could look into his eyes that seemed to old to belong to him. They had seen too much.
"Never be afraid of living Max, otherwise they have won. Death holds freedom for us, not an end. We will always be here for you. You may feel like you're alone but you're not."
I felt safer with Anthony, the way I felt in Chase and Sky's arms. It was a comforting feeling.
Anthony chuckled to himself and grinned at me.
"I just came up with a motto for you kid." I looked confusedly at him at he carried on regardless.
"Live life to the Max, and have the Ride of your life. What do you think?" I grinned with him not understanding what he just said but liking the way it sounded.
Then he let go of me and I started flying, he was beginning to direct me on how to do a spiral when falling, when I heard a distant boom and something clipped Anthony's shoulder and wing. It was only a graze but still, feathers burst into the air along with blood.
Anthony unintentionally dropped me. But I caught myself with my wings and started flying back to the cave. I could hear Sky screaming amongst the others. As I got closer the gunshots fired louder.
And I realised something.
I knew all along this would happen. Like I had said how could the Arena no know of this place. They had been watching all along. Now they were bored. Now they wanted us back. Or dead.
A/N I'm so sorry its been ages since I last updated. So I made this chapter a little longer to make you smile and forgive me so enjoy it. And reviews are always welcome. By the way the flock will appear in around five more chapters
