well I for one am soooooo sorry it's taking this long to update. I messed up my knee, so I've been out with that for a while and in school, we had a major project in every class. I hate it took this long. But enough complaining, here's the next chapter! Actually I had fun writing this one, I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 14: Living a familiar Life
IPOV
For the longest time no one did anything at all. No one moved or even made a sound, while I silently cursed myself. They must think Luke is crazy now, all because of me!
"Uh, Luke," Jason cleared his throat, I sighed. "I'm pretty sure Iggy doesn't have wings. Nobody does kiddo. He's an angle for saving you buddy, just not literally though."
I exhaled slowly. Luke squeezed my hand tugging on my shirt, not ready to give up.
"But, but-"
"No buts. You have quite a wild imagination dear brother." A girl's voice laughed. She sounded like she was probably Angel's age, or Nudge's. Must be Amanda.
"Thanks for helping find my brother!" Another little girl's voice said happily. I managed a smile at Krystal still just standing there. They seemed like a nice little family.
"So are your parents looking for you or-" Jason began and my heart sunk at the thought of the Martinez', then sunk lower at the thought of dad.
"Um, I don't have any parents." I coughed rubbing the back of my neck, dryly. Robin leaned over patting my back solemnly.
"Don't worry. Neither do we." He sighed standing back. I raised an eyebrow. Five kids with no parents? "So Iggy where are you headed to then? We're going anywhere but here."
I chuckled shaking my head. If they only knew. "Same here. Same here."
Suddenly an arm wrapped around my neck, making me walk along side the person. "Well, then welcome to the group Iggy." I did my best to smile at Jason, feeling a bit less empty on the inside. I felt just a little bit more whole now, since my entire departure.
What exactly was I doing?
"Up you go." I heard Jason help Krystal up into the boxcar, while I munched on my bag of chips. Why were we on a boxcar, you ask? Well after wandering, and getting some well deserved food, the family had spotted a train station. Reading the sign to me, I found out the cars were going to California, thanks to Amanda. Bingo! Just where I needed to go.
Telling the other guys that's where I was heading, I hoped on just before it left the station. Taking a free "ride" to California. To my surprise they had decided to follow me there, and hoped on with me. Only making me fidget and worry for them even more.
"I still can't believe you helped us get all this food. And we didn't even have to pay for it Iggy!" Luke cried excitedly, biting into something. I grinned sheepishly.
Okay maybe we shoplifted a little, but hey – it was to survive! This family needed the food too.
"Yeah using Luke to get the shop keeper to give us food, was like genius! He felt so bad for poor little Luke." Krystal agreed giggling. She sounded so sweet and innocent.
"You're a sneak hermit dude." Robin said, mouth full of food. Even Jason managed a laugh. Maybe companions for the ride wouldn't be so bad, as long as they didn't find out my secret.
Just until we reached California. Then I was on my own again.
3rd Person POV
The man grinned to himself watching his assistant dump the last of the gasoline. Gallons and gallons of it. He coughed, relighting a new cigarette, when he heard the train's whistle down the line. His health didn't really matter right now.
In his other hand the silver syringe twirled in his hand, as he watched the serum move around in it. The cure and also the curse for his heir.
"What's the date?" He asked gruffly.
"10/12/10." The assistant mumbled knowing his boss did not mean today's date. He meant the date the victim was to end. The man laughed hoarsely, sounding like a dying man rather than an evil mastermind.
Only a couple more days my boy." He grinned darkly. The assistant shivered. Both spun on their heels walking away from the tracks.
"Let's see what strength you have left son." The man laughed. He slid the syringe into his pocket before flicking his cigarette away.
Right onto the tracks, that were coated in gasoline.
"Let's see you survive this.
Ari's POV (for the first time!)
I beat my wings again, harder, to keep me up in the sky with everyone else, trying to keep up. Everyone else was so much bigger and faster than me, I really didn't want to hold them up to find Iddy.
Why did he leave? Why didn't Iddy stay with us, I thought everyone else said he loved us! Fang looked down at me thankfully slowing his pace.
"Ari you okay? He asked moving next to me. I looked up at my oldest brother, feeling the tears against my cheeks, looking at his sad face. His missed Iddy too.
"Yeah. Just hungwy." I admitted looking down. Fang smiled at me, making me smile back at him.
"Don't worry kid. We'll find Iggy." He said before moving over towards Max. I think mommy said Max and Fang liked each other. A lot. Like mommy and daddy liked each other a lot. They call it love, I think.
I nodded giggling as we passed through clouds. They tickled. I had never flown this high before or even this long. Now I knew why; it made me tired. Tired and really hungry.
"How ya holding up?" Gazzy was next to me now. I looked at my other brother, when we both heard my tummy growled. Gazzy laughed.
"Hungry? Yeah me too." He ruffled my hair. I felt better knowing I wasn't the only one hungry. I looked at Gazzy hoping to look cool, like he did.
"We find Iddy, wight?" I asked. His big blue eyes softened. A look, I had never seen before, passed over his face suddenly.
"Guy's we're going down. Stop to eat the dinner." Max called over the wind, interrupting Gazzy. I followed my siblings landing shakily to the ground. I tripped on my feet ready to face plant, when Gazzy caught me.
"You did good Ari." He smiled along with everyone else. I clapped. They were proud of me, I had done good just like them. Everyone walked into the diner looking strong and so much bigger, I stayed behind. They were all so much stronger and bigger than me. I still need to hold people's hand, because I want to. Not just because I had to.
Surprising me, Max wrapped her hand in mine, squeezing it. I looked up at her, to see her caring grin.
"Don't worry Ari. We'll always hold your hand. You're still a little kid after all." She said. I laughed, seeing Fang holding max's hand, and Gazzy holding Nudge's hand also. I guess I wasn't the only one.
Angle froze at the doors of the diner and looked at us. The biggest grin in the world, stuck on her face.
"Guys Iggy's been here! Someone saw him!" She cried. I jumped up and down with a smile. Iddy had been here! We would find Iddy, we really would!
Angel moved over, bending down to my height, so she was now inches from my nose.
"Ari, this means Iggy was here okay. He's not right now. He left." She whispered. I stopped jumping. Iddy was still gone. "Yes but we know we're going the right way now. And we will find him soon, I promise."
I nodded wiping my eyes trying not to cry in front of everyone. We would find Iggy. Angel never broke a promise. Never.
IPOV
It was hours later when chaos broke out again. In the cramped boxcar, my legs had fallen asleep, up against my chest. It was about the same time when everyone else seemed to be bored.
"How much longer?" Krystal asked. Her voice muffled with sleep. I shifted closing my own eyes, not that it made any difference.
"I don't know. But man I'm so bored." Amanda groaned. I suppressed a sigh hoping maybe to get some sleep finally.
"It's boring." Luke announced again sleepily. I sighed yet again. "Hey Iggy why don't you show everyone your wings? Show them how cool they are!"
Everyone else groaned in annoyance, except the two of us.
"Not this again Luke." Amanda sighed.
"It's true though." Luke protested.
"Luke I told you no one has wings. It's impossible." Jason sighed tiredly. Everyone just needed to shut up and go to sleep right now.
"You're wrong." Luke mumbled sounding hurt. "He really does!" Luke cried. I sighed feeling guilty. "Iggy show them. Tell them they're wrong about you."
"Luke-" I tried only to be cut off.
"Luke, Iggy does not have wings." Krystal said.
"Does too." argued Luke. Oh great a fight on the bird boy. Already.
"Does not." Amanda chimed in.
"Does too!" Luke protested fully awake now. Did anyone just want to sleep and forget this whole matter? Or was it just me?
"Could you all please just shut up and let me sleep?" Robin spoke calm as calm finally. He didn't yell, scold or even raise his voice. But there was a sign in his voice, as clear as a bell that shut everyone up. Shut everyone up fast.
As I felt myself begin to fall asleep, I suddenly felt a numb pain in my neck. I winced, reaching to rub it.
"Iggy you oka-" Luke was cut off by the sudden jolt of the train, sending everyone flying everywhere in the boxcar. The wheels of the train screeched loudly, jolting once more. I could feel the sparks rising from under the sliding wheels, of the train as it began to move faster. And faster, and faster. Toofast. Everyone was jerked back into the side of the boxcar, as it screeched again.
"What's going on?" Asked Amanda and I sat up. My acute sense of smell had picked it up before anyone else. Crap.
The smell of gasoline and fire.
Jason's POV
I rubbed my head after being slammed into the side of the boxcar. We could not be in California already, there was no way. So we couldn't be stopping yet. Then, just what was going on?
This Iggy kid had frozen completely where he was sitting, not daring to move an inch. Which meant what exactly?
"You okay?" I asked moving over to him, out of panic and concern. Iggy shook his head once, as if trying to snap out of a daze, directing his clouded sky blue eyes at me.
"Don't you smell it?" He asked in complete seriousness, and for a moment I thought he was maybe high on something. I raised an eyebrow.
"Smell what?" I wrinkled my nose, smelling nothing. Iggy crawled on his hands and knees towards the door, ignoring me. His hands swiftly ran across the door, landing on the large handle. Frowning Iggy began to pull.
"Someone help me." He called out. No one moved even an inch, which made Iggy angry. Eventually Robin moved next o Iggy, both pulling the door open with their strength, but the door only opened up about a heads width before it collapsed, and was jammed like that. Were they simply, just crazy? What was wrong with this kid now?
"Damn." Iggy and Robin hissed. Right then though, right there was when I could smell it. With the door opened now, the smell had jumped straight into my nose. The smell of smoke and fire burning.
"Uh, Jason. Come here for a second." Robin mumbled, there was something in his voice I had never heard before. Fear? I moved over towards the door, sticking as much of my head out as possible, and gasped.
The engine and tracks were blazing in a bright flame. The engine had derailed already sliding off the tracks, literally skidding along the sides of the train. Dozens of cars before us had twisted, catching on fire themselves, and slammed into one another. The trees around us crashed and burned in the roaring fires, sending smoke into the dark night. Fires roaring had become larger and greater as cars derailed one after another into the wreckage.
Our car was steadily speeding towards the wreckage. It would only be a matter of time before we all roasted in the fires. Our car jolted sharply again, as the train slide off even more; a small explosion occurring.
"Oh man." I squeaked, face paling.
"How bad?" Iggy itched next to me, unable to see what was happening. I opened my mouth only to find no words coming out. "Oh god bad!"
"Help me open the door! We need to get the door open, now!" I yelled suddenly, heart racing in panic. Shoving to open the door I saw my entire family, and Iggy, pulling as hard as they could to get the door open. The little kids all shook in fear and I swallowed, as the door wouldn't budge.
Open up damn door! Open! I pleaded mentally. They can't die here, not today! No, no! Open up!
"Dammit!" I yelled aloud.
Iggy let go of the door then, and moved away from us. He began to unzip his jacket, and I blinked. What the hell did he think he was doing, with little kids and on the edge of death? The car jolted again, now intensifying the heat.
"Iggy come on. help-"
"Does the ceiling look hard and strong?" He cut me off impatiently. We all kept silent unsure of what he was doing. "Come on!"
"How will that help?" Amanda yelled, tears streaming down her face by now. Another jerk of the car, sent us all crashing to the floor.
"Guys!" Iggy was pleading with us now.
"It looks old really. Worn out and maybe even rotten." Robin said calming helping Iggy up. Iggy nodded thanking my brother, before screwing his face up in concentration. "But why do-"
BAM! We all practically fell to the floor, as two wings burst from the back of Iggy's back, and flapping open before us. His wings stretched from end to end of the box car, as every grey feather aligned. Even now in the dark, Iggy looked like an angel. A real freakin' angel.
No one took a breath, when we stared at the guy before us. Iggy tossed his jacket to the floor, shaking his head once again. I swear, if someone would have dropped a pin then, we all would have jumped, even Iggy.
All except Luke, who smirked in my face. "See, I told you so." He said simply, and for the first time in my life I had no snappy comeback.
"Give me the two youngest." Iggy ordered quickly, folding his wings closer to his body. I simply just stood there. "If you want to live, listen to me!" Iggy pleaded out of desperation.
The strong and overwhelming heat of another fireball, sending our car sliding even faster. Our car was starting to turn on its side like the others.
Ouickly I shoved a smiling Luke, and a bug eyed gaping Krystal over at Iggy. Iggy pulled Luke up in one arm, and Krystal up in the other. He took a breath before bending down slightly.
"Be right back." He whispered with a wink. Then before I could even blink Iggy had shot into the air, flashing straight upward and smashing straight through the roof outside. Until he was gone.
I stood there frozen in my spot, unable to comprehend what just happened. Did he just leave with my youngest sister and brother? What was going on exactly?
It felt like forever while I stood there, still frozen. In a flash someone had shot back down in the boxcar, before standing next to me. It was…it was…Iggy.
He had come back? For us?
"Where's-" I tried to ask, but Iggy moved tensely before us.
"Next. Who's next?" He rushed waving his hands. Our car jerked again, this time the side wood had begun to splinter. Wood shot everywhere, opening more holes. Allowing the car to fill with smoke. Okay the angel rescue first, questions later.
I looked at Robin who was the next youngest. But Robin shook his head. "Ladies first." He pointed to Amanda.
"Both of you. Come now!" Iggy demanded harshly. Amanda made her way to Iggy first, still crying. Robin grumbled but followed his sister. "Robin get on my back. Just do it!" Iggy snapped as if he could see the face Robin was making at the comment. Slowly Robin had climbed on Iggy's back, holding on. Igggy swooped Amanda off her feet, as she clutched his shirt tightly. Iggy struggling to hold them both, shot through the hole in the roof once again.
Iggy had saved my family. He really was an angel like Luke said, wasn't he? He barely knew us, and now he's risking his life for us. I fell back as the car jerked one mroe time, this time falling straight on its side. I hissed as the train slid on its side burning along the rails. Smoke literally began replacing oxygen, in my lungs.
"Jason!" Krystal's voice screamed dimly. I coughed in my heads, moving on my knees wearily. There I could hear Iggy once more. "Jason!"
"In here!" I coughed, as loud as I could. Minutes ticked by until-
BAM! Iggy burst through again, through the side of the train sitting on the "roof" and looking down in the hole, wobbling as the train jerked once more. "Jason grab my hand!"
Swatting away smoke, I squinted looking up at Iggy as he lowered his hand. Iggy wheezed raising his hand lower, for me to reach. I jumped grabbing it.
Only to be jerked back down, when the car slammed again, almost pulling Iggy in with me. Iggy snatched his other hand down, grabbing both my hands tightly and yelled. He yelled pulling me out of the car, as he rose into the air, flapping his grey wings frantically. This was literally taking all his strength as far as I could see.
When we were free Iggy moved back east away from the wreckage, just as our car smashed into the fire blaze. After another explosion roared in flames, I could feel it heading our way.
Iggy folded his wings in around us, just as the roaring blaze and wind pushed us farther ahead. Only to send us rolling in the ground.
I laid there watching cars burst into flames, exploding in the wreckage in disbelief. We had been that close to death, that close to being just…gone. But we were alive, because of Iggy.
As the kids ran towards us, I ran towards Iggy, who lay face down in the ground. His wings had long, dark, black lines running all along them. With burnt, ruffled feathers all over.
I rolled him over gently. relieved to see his chest rising and falling. "Everyone, 'kay?" He mumbled, voice hoarse from the smoke.
"Yeah we're all safe." Luke said kneeling next to Iggy. Iggy sighed coughing into his hand once.
"Good then. I'm gonna rest, if 'ya don't mind." He mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"Go ahead." Krystal whispered. Iggy closed his eyes slowly, falling into a deep sleep, leaving all of us to smile down at the true angle sleeping in our hands.
So there you go, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! well this week I have spring break so I can bang out the next chapters soon. I'm soooo happy because I have all the chapters until the end written out on paper! Now this will be better, and easier to update! Anyhow this story should be like 19 chapters, so it's beginning to wind down. Until next time, please review, they truly make my day! Please read and review, thank you all.