How was y'all's Christmas? Get what'cha want?

Wanna read something weird? All the toilet water in my house has mysteriously turned blue. And not the clear sink kind either. Like real, full-out blue. No idea how it happened.

Wanna read something else weird? My mom has recently taken an interest in my personal life and has been snooping. That includes all my stuff on FanFiction. So I have to be careful. Not that anything in this story is too bad. But still.

I got a laptop for Christmas so I'll have more time to write since Mom won't be kicking me off hers every five minutes. And I'm pretty sure she can't ground me from this one ;)

I watched the saddest movie the other day. War Horse. Any of you seen it? It was an amazing movie but I was practically bawling by the end of it.

Anywho, I'm super excited for this chapter! It may not make any sense to you (it didn't make sense to me either, so don't sweat it) but just bear with me, 'kay? It's really meant to confuse you. That was kind of my intention.

Thanks for all the reviews. They were sweet. We reached 200! Whoo! I love you guys.

Don't Touch My Seaweed Brain: Do they? Sorry. Let's just pretend they don't. And don't you apologize for sounding critical. I love those, 'member?

Bookdancer: No problem! It was a good idea.

Hazzah, Juli? Dude, I say that all the time! Awesome! Don't worry about not reviewing, I know how you feel. My house was a hectic mess! Actually it's always a hectic mess, so scratch that. Sadly, no, that's not my real name. It would be cool if that was my actual name but it's only my pen name. It's got similarities to my real name though. Thank you for thinking that last chapter was "totally amazing".

Toe, on the other hand, hit the nail on the head in saying the chapter was filler-ish. I think that, yes, it was a filler chapter. Good job.

Of course I'm not trying to annoy you, Toe! Gods why would you think that? I'm not trying, it just so happens that that's what happened. Ha-ha! Will I fix Percy? That's a question a lot of people would like resolved. You seem to have faith that I will indeed revive the young son of the sea. I suppose y'all'll just have to read and find out won't'cha?

And, no, I didn't delete your last review, Toe, you must have been signed in as a guest. that's what it came up as in my e-mail anyway. I only knew it was you 'cause, well, I don't know somehow I just did. And you signed your name at the bottom.

Max

It was the explosion that lead us to him. It was a big one, lots of smoke. A few bodies went flying into the air, caught by kids underneath. We should have known Gazzy would rig something like that up. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt – though Gazzy was about to be.

But when we got to him all I could do was hug him and lecture him and let tears fall down my cheeks so no real harm came to the blonde boy.

Angel was currently clinging to his arm and they were talking and laughing with the snazzy little eight-year-old snake kid who they named Jake. Jake the Snake. I still had to smile at it. Nudge and Ana were having an in-depth conversation about . . . something that had to do with clothes or hair I'm sure. Thaena was curling my hair around her fingers, cooing softly to herself. The other two snake-children – a boy and a girl newly named Cody and Jenna – sat silently.

They reminded me of Fang.

Our week in heaven passed quickly. Too quickly for my liking. In and out with the snap of your fingers. Thankfully they brought us back with much less panic and confusion than what was happening when they drove us down here. They came for us in groups, taking species at a time. Spiders were first to go. Then cheetahs.

Then us. We were hustled out the doors, barley enough time to say "See ya!" to our new friends before being poked and prodded with weapons and all that. It was a quick walk back to the School labs and it was clear they were in a rush, though I don't know what there could be any rush for. They just sent us out because of something big – at least that was my guess.

But who's to question the great and almighty whitecoats?

Certainly not me, of course. Gag.

The walk through the School was the worst part of it. Doors were always left open. Lights were always left on. Experiments were always left . . . out.

I tried not to look anywhere but at the ground or Fang in front of me, but I was a natural curious. I peeked into one room and saw a young boy dragging a cinder block across the floor. Another boy drove his fist into it and it exploded into tiny pieces.

In another, room two whitecoats were sticking a green needle into an arm. Just an arm. There was no body attached to it. No body anywhere in the room. Eew.

In yet another room, a whitecoat was sitting in a chair, watching a three-year-old figure out and explain the very important nonsense on a chalkboard, all the while writing down notes on her paper.

I looked away and forced my eyes to stay on Fangs back.

And finally (finally!) we were at our room. Locked safely back in our crates, where no cinderblock strong kids could get us. Where no no-bodied arms could get us. Where no super-smart toddlers could bore us to death with the details of . . . whatever that was written on the board.

I sighed and sank to the ground, pulling Angel against me. Gazzy gazed out the bars of the crate.
"Um, guys . . . ?"

I flicked my eyes towards him and we all looked to where he was pointing.

There was a new crate in the room.

There was a person in it.

The persons back was towards us and they were lying on their side. I felt a pang of familiarity, which was dumb 'cause I knew I'd never seen this kid before (right?). The only kids I'd ever seen were my flock and the experiments in the Safe Place. And they were all still back there except the spiders and cheetahs. And I knew for a fact that they were on the other side of the School. No way the whitecoats moved one from there to here in the time it took to move my flock.

All I could see of the kid was black hair, partly hidden so it was hard to tell if it was a guy or a girl. Pretty sure it was a guy though, just by their frame.

"Hey." I said. No answer. "Hey, you."

Still nothing. I stole a glance at Fang. He shrugged. He's a whole lot of help, isn't he?

"Kid, you awake?" I got a little irritated when there was still no answer. I opened my mouth again but Fang cut me off.
"If he doesn't answer I don't think he's awake."

I shut my mouth, heat rising to my cheeks. Of course he wouldn't answer. Fang was smirking at me and I wanted to tell him, Don't look at me like that! Everyone's entitled to be stupid sometimes! But I kept my mouth shut. No need to start something.

"Is he dead?" Angel wondered. I stared at the sleeping guys shape. His sides were lightly rising and falling, indicating life. But, I noticed, it was an incredibly weak rise.

"No, I don't think so. He's breathing, see?"

"Oh, yeah. He is breathing."

We were all silent, watching the boy's slow, labored breaths. I wondered how he got here, where he came from, was he one of us (which I doubted. No wings), was he going to make it, how did he –

"Oh, god!" Nudge. Of course, who else?

"What?" I asked her. "What is it?"

"I broke a nail!" Seriously? That was it?

"Oh, boo-hoo for you." Gazzy rolled his eyes. Yup, that pretty much summed up my thoughts. And everyone else's according to their facial expressions.

My attention found the sleeping (?) kid again.

"Hey, you awake yet?"

Still nothing. Good thing? Yeah, I guess. No questions that way. No terrified, hyperventilation. No way for him to hurt himself.

Bad thing? Another yeah, I guess. He may never wake up.

"Well, he's clearly asleep. I suggest we do the same. Uh, sleep that is." I added, just in case they didn't realize I was indicating sleep. Angel curled herself up next to me, gripping Gazzy's hand. Iggy stared out at the kid one last time before tucking himself into a corner and shutting his eyes. The others closed their eyes too and soon all breathing slowed and became deep.

I still gazed out at the still figure in the cage across from us, trying to figure out that feeling that I'd seen him before.

And that was what I fell asleep to.

Percy

I scanned my surroundings. It was dark but I was used to that. I don't remember much of my life but I remember darkness. Yet even through the darkness there was light.

Dark but Light.

Light but Dark.

It seemed almost unreal, the Light did. When looked at, it seemed to disappear but when you looked just to the side of it, it glowed again.
Curious.
That boy I was talking to – Nico, he said his name was – he turned into darkness too. Just stepped right into the shadows and poof! he was gone. The little girl Eloise had disappeared as well. Everyone in the tiny room had vanished.
Or maybe I was the one who had vanished.
Maybe I was like the Light. When looked at I vanished. Then I was back.
Am I a Light?
Of course not. I'm Darkness. I'm Nothing.

I glanced down at myself. See, Nothing. I couldn't even see my own arms. I took a – step, would it be? Could I take steps without legs? Nothing is below me. Nothing is above. I guess, then, I'm floating.
I floated forward reaching without arms towards the Light. The magic Light. The disappearing-reappearing Light. Could I be that Light? Can I be like that Light? Coming and going as I please? Crossing over to different worlds at will?

No, of course not. What a silly idea.
Hey.

What? Who said that? Thought that? No words. Just an echo – a memory? I ignored it and continued my floating.

Hey, you.

Are you calling me? Who's calling me? Should I answer?

Kid, you awake?

Am I awake? I don't know myself, really. Can you tell me? Can you tell me if I'm awake?

If he doesn't answer I don't think he's awake.

Oh! A new voice. Different though. New Voice, can you tell me if I'm awake? Can anyone tell me if I'm awake or not? I suppose if they could they would have by now. Correct? I went on my way; floating like a ghost . . . maybe I'm a Ghost then. Ghosts who can come and go as they please? Through life and death with no troubles.
Life and Death.
Death and Life.

After Life.
Before Death.

Is he dead?

Am I Dead? Can you tell me if I'm Dead as well as if I'm awake? Can you see if I'm a Ghost while you're at it? Are you Ghosts? Is that why I can hear you? Can I hear you? It's not really hearing, more seeing. Seeing the words in my mind. Etched there. On my brain. So I can read the words.

Not hearing.

Seeing.

No, I don't think so. He's breathing, see?

I can See. I can See your words. On my brain. In my mind.

Oh, yeah. He is breathing.

Breathing? What is Breathing? Do Ghosts Breathe? Can I Breathe? Am I able to Breathe? Tell me that too. Along with if I'm dead. And if I'm awake.

What is awake? Is it an ability? Like Floating? Is being awake like being able to Float? Is it a popular ability? Do a lot of people acquire it? Is it something you're born with then? Like I was born with the Floating ability?

Do you Breathe when you're Awake? Or perhaps you Breathe when you're Dead. Ghosts Breathe then, correct? No, Ghosts are awake. Or maybe they're Dead-Awake. Am I Dead-Awake then?

Dead-Awake.

Awake-Dead.

Oh, god!

God?

What is god? Is he Dead-Awake, a Ghost? Maybe he Breathes. Like those Awake people who acquire the ability to be Awake.

What? What is it?

Yes. What is it? What is Awake? What is Dead? What is Breath? What is Ghost? What is Hear? What is See? What is god? Why are you asking me? I don't know. All I know is Float. And Light.

Float and Light.

Light and Float.

I broke a nail!

Broke? As in . . . as in what? What is broke? Is it another ability? Along with Awake and Float? Is Breathe an ability too? Three abilities? And I only have one of those abilities, true? The Floating ability.

Oh, boo-hoo for you.

Boo-hoo?

Boo?

They were Ghosts, then? Did Ghosts say "boo"? Boo-hoo? What is hoo? Another ability? The Hoo ability? The ability of Hoo?
Hey, you awake yet?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. Can you tell me? Have you figured it out?

Well, he's clearly asleep. I suggest we do the same. Uh, sleep that is.

Sleep? Is sleep like Hoo? The ability of Hoo? The ability of Sleep? Like Awake? And Float? And Breathe? Am I Asleep, like the voice said? Asleep but Awake and Dead? And Floating and Breathing? A Ghost? Not a Ghost? A Floating, Breathing, Awake-Asleep-Dead?

Does anyone know?

Can anyone even hear me?

So? What did you think? Again, it really wasn't supposed to make sense.