I've been deliberating on whether I should put this up for adoption. It felt like I was rushing some parts then slowing others and it wasn't how I wanted it at all. But, rereading it, I have decided that I will continue the story! So, I am very sorry to you avid readers who hung in there for me. I appreciate you waiting! Without further ado, I present you with the long overdue to chappie! ;)

Refresher:

I had no such luck. As soon as the thought had occurred the dog began to speak.

"My name is Total!" he said. And that was just the beginning of our long trek to town…

Chapter 12:

You know how Revelations predicts that hellfire and brimstone will rain down on the Earth in End Times? Well… I guess you could say it made a pretty accurate prediction.

About a mile from the town, thunder began to rumble in the distance. I froze as dark clouds began to amass just over the mountains from nowhere. It sounded like a thunderstorm was brewing, but thunderstorms didn't come on that fast. Even I, with my weird memory, knew that much. A bolt of purple lightning shot to the ground, rocking everything around me.

"Run!" I shouted as I spurred myself into motion. We had to get to shelter before that storm hit or we were dead. That wasn't normal lightning.

Angel began to sprint too, sensing my urgency. Total made a few sounds of protest, but fell into step with us. Annie quickly fell behind as we all raced desperately towards the town. She didn't have a lot of endurance and couldn't keep pace. I slowed down just enough to swing her onto my back then started running again. Annie's extra weight slowed me down a little, but we were making better time than before.

That is, until a bolt of purple lightning struck inches from me. I stumbled then hitched my butt into high gear. That lightning was way too close for comfort.

Annie said something, but I couldn't hear her over the thunder that echoed across the sky. It was loud enough to impair my hearing for the next century or so. If I lived that long…

I felt Annie squirm then fall off my back. I flipped around, ready to grab her into my arms, but she backed away from me. Was she stupid? She was going to get herself killed!

She made a shooing motion and began to run again. I headed towards her, determined not to be the cause of her death. Of course, I didn't reach her in time. Just as I was about to grab her arm, the stupid lightning struck her dead on.

I know I may sound cold to you, but I didn't hesitate to swerve around her quaking body and catch up with Total and Angel. I forced all emotion from my mind and shut out the temptation to look back. I had to keep my head facing forward. After this was all over, I'd have time to grieve. For now, I needed to get myself and my flock to safety.

My flock. The thought gave me a warm feeling, but I couldn't place why. It was odd to feel so happy when a small girl had just died before my eyes. I shook my head and pushed on, barely skirting another round of lightning. I needed to stay focused. Pondering life and it's mysteries could get me killed out here.

We finally crossed into the city, a little worse for the wear. I didn't hesitate to barrel into the first building I spotted. Whoever resided in there could just get over it. I wasn't going to risk my, or my flock's, life by making niceties and knocking on the door.

Besides, it was unlocked. If the owners didn't want random strangers barging into their place then they should keep their front door locked. These were desperate times, after all.

I took stock of my flock as I leaned against the brick wall, trying to catch my breath. Angel and Total appeared to be okay for the most part. Being the person I am, I still had to ask.

"Ya'll okay?" I asked between deep breaths.

"Yea," Angel and Total replied simultaneously. I nodded and slid down the wall, letting my butt hit the floor with a muffled thump.

I ran my fingers through my longish hair, observing the room we were in. It was circular and had three archways that led to different parts of the building. A sole chair rested in the corner, long abandoned.

I tilted my head up, realizing that this building had three levels. The architect was either extremely crazy or this building hadn't been used in an extremely long time. The walling that had given the upper floors privacy was crumbling and torn in places. The openings would provide excellent getaways if we were ever in need of them.

Snick.

It was a small, trivial sound, hardly heard over the monotonous thunder. It was probably the plaster breaking loose from the reverberations of said thunder. Nevertheless, I was on my sore feet instantly. I focused all my senses on the silence, listening for anything else.

Thump.

I stiffened, motioning for Angel and Total to move towards the front door. They complied with little urging on my part. Some piece of me found that weird. Angel never listened to me without hearing some sort of explanation.

"Hello," someone said, causing me to flip around and face my opponent. His skin was dark, almost like a creamy mocha on a cold day. He was a bit taller than me and had a superior gleam in his dark eyes, which I didn't like at all. "Welcome to the 'Crank House'."

"What's a Crank?" I asked, refusing to act submissive to him. I hated that I didn't know what he was talking about.

"It's you, me, her," he pointed to Angel. "Anyone who's contracted the Flare."

"So, that's real?" Total mumbled. I surreptitiously stepped on his paw, hard. That shut him up quick.

"Duh. I'm Jorge," he said. He must've assumed that Angel had mumbled the question. Good thing, too. I really didn't want to explain the talking dog. If we got out of this alive, I was going to skin that dog alive and make him into a winter coat.

"I'm Max," I said then pointed to Angel. "That's Angel, and the Scottie is Total," I supplied. "So, are you crazy?"

"I wouldn't call us that," he warned. Ok, sensitive.

"Then what would you call yourself?"

"Is your memory lacking already?" Jorge asked, taking a good look at me. I think he was trying to judge my sanity level. We're Cranks; people..."

"Yeah, yeah. You already told me that. What you didn't tell me was what the Flare was."

"Are you daft? The flare is a sickness. It's all over the news. You must be farther along than I thought. First it's mental deterioration. You're mind goes a little at a time."

"What sort of sickness?" I asked.

"The Flare is a disease that's the result of a solar flare that occurred a few years back. That's why we're here," a girl said, making me jump. She'd appeared from nowhere. If she'd been a smidge closer to me then I would've hit her. "It spreads a lot like the flu. They quarantine us in these ghost towns, trying to stop it. Fat lot of good it does."

Jorge took over from there. "I think it's the really rich people who are keeping the virus alive. They pretend they're not sick until they're put on so many drugs that they don't even realize they're mad. When it gets to that point they're shipped off to some comfy, isolated place where the infection finally sets in."

"People like us aren't so fortunate. The second we test positive we're brought here and left to our own devices. We're contained like a bunch of wild animals that are slowly going insane," the girl sighed.

"Wow," I said. They were insane if they believed that crap. There was no way that a solar flare caused such an infectious disease.

"Since you're memory is a little faulty, I'd imagine you're parents had a little money. At least, they had enough to buy you some time. You've probably been on enough drugs that you don't recall the last few months well."

"I do not have the Flare!" I put my hands on my hips and stamped my foot for emphasis. "We stumbled across this city after walking through a stupid flat trans thingamajig."

"Okay," the girl said, trying to placate me. Ugh! I hated people! "I'm Brenda."

"Max, Angel, Total," I grunted.

"Might as well get some sleep, you know," Jorge said carelessly. "This storm's gonna last for a while."

Jorge might be a little OOC. Haven't read the books in a while. I apologize dear readers for the long wait. Thanks for hanging in there. New chappie coming soon. Third trimester, less hassle.