Chapter 37

Gone

"I did not even hear him go, or even think about going." I said frantically.

"He took a nap a while back." Shadow pointed out, "Maybe he rolled of a cliff."

"As much as I wish that were true, the clearing is too far away from the cliff." Iggy sighed.

"He could have been sleepwalking." Nudge suggested.

"He would have run into a tree and woken up." I said hurriedly, "Now can we please stop assuming he's dead? You're freaking me out."

"Sorry, Star." Shadow apologized. "Maybe he was kidnapped? Is that better?"

"I guess." I sighed.

"Maybe he ran away. Maybe this whole time he's been a traitor." Iggy accused.

"He wouldn't have been able to step foot on the island. Besides, we would have heard him think about it." I assured them.

"I don't know, he was created by evil scientists." Iggy persisted.

"So were you." I pointed out.

"Toche."

"I still think he was kidnapped, it's the only logical explanation." Shadow argued. "I'm going to fly around and see if I can spot him. Iggy you come with me and the rest of you stay with Star. Okay?"

"Okay." we all replied at once.

I watched Shadow shake out her wings and grab Iggy's hand as she took off. 'Be careful.' I thought to her.

'I will.' she assured me. 'Watch them.'

"What are we supposed to do, just sit here?" Gazzy complained.

"It's the only place where were safe." I explained.

"Apparently not." he muttered, marching over to his backpack to grab a snack.

Sighing, I turned to Nudge. "Do you want me to do your hair?" I asked.

"Sure!" she giggled.

I had been doing her hair multiple times a day since we've been on the island. I was getting pretty good at it.

I once asked Shadow if I could do her hair and she had yelled at me for hours on end for it. No one had tried since.

'I see fresh tire tracks, we're going to check them out.' Shadow thought suddenly as she angled her way downwards.

'Okay, be careful. Take off at the first sign of danger.' I replied hastily.

Once I was finished with Nudges hair, which looked amazing if I do say so myself, I got up and started to walk around the perimeter of the cliff, looking for anything that might show where Nova was.

'What if he's in the bathroom?' Shadow mused, 'Wanna go check?'

'Already had Gazzy check, thanks for that.' I sighed.

I sensed that Iggy and Shadow were following the tracks. Luckily they were doing it slowly and cautiously. This whole thing had us so nervous we jumped out of our shoes at the slightest noises.

Shadow and Iggy kept searching until night fall, I told them to come back then because the darkness would probably attack Iggy now that it was dark.

Once they had returned we all went into the clearing. Gazzy made a campfire out of I don't want to know what and we all climbed into our sleeping bags around it.

'What if he's hurt? What if Two got him? Or the darkness? Or even worse, the whitecoats?' Shadow worried.

'He's probably fine.' I comforted. 'Knowing him, he's probably taking a loooong nap in the tree's or something.'

'I hope you're right.' she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

The rest of the flock was quick to follow. I planned to stay awake in case Nova came back, but as I listened to their oddly soothing snoring, and felt the fire's warmth on my skin, I followed them into dreamland.

(end of chapter 37)