Chapter 35: Live or Let Die…

I had seen it before in my nightmares, but never in real life. I turned around slowly, hoping that the image wasn't there anymore.

Wrong.

I stared at the horror. My face was cut up, bloody, bruised, the usual. But on top of that, it was ripped to shreds, gaping, infected and dead. My entire face and neck was blue, my lips purple. All the color drained from my eyes. This was my corpse. This is what I would look like when I died.

I reflexively brought my hands up to the worst part of my face, where there was a gaping hole in my cheek.

Nothing.

I ran my fingers across the deep wounds on my face in the reflection. There wasn't anything there. I was perfectly fine.

As I gently ran my fingertips under my eyes, I noticed it was wet. I reached for the bathroom door and flung it open. I ran down the small hallway and straight into Iggy.

"Max! Watch it!" He said.

"Shut it!" I screamed. My voice cracked when I said it. I tried so hard not to reveal that I was crying, but now Iggy knew.

"No, Max, come here." He demanded, "What's the matter?"

He sounded sincere. I really needed to talk to someone, and Iggy was willing to listen. He would have to do.

"C'mon." I said as I grabbed his hand and drug him to my room. He immediately found my bed and sat on the edge. He patted the spot right beside him.

"Tell me what's going on with you." He asked.

"Isawmyselfdead!" I blurted.

"What was that? One more time."

"Okay," I took a deep breath, "I've been having dreams and in them I see myself dead, and when I looked in the mirror just now I saw my corpse. The same one in my dreams." I broke down and started to sob.

Iggy grabbed my hand this time and pulled me on to his lap and wedged my head between his shoulder and his chin. I nuzzled my head deep in the crook of his neck and balled. He steadily rocked back and forth, cradling my head, just as I had done Angel earlier. He rubbed between my wings, like Fang would have done.

Iggy whispered into my hair consolingly. "Shh." He said, "You're all right. You're okay. Shh." He repeated over and over until I calmed down. He pushed my semi-knotted hair from in front of my swollen face and placed a long bony finger under my chin. Iggy tilted my chin up.

"Max, in the name of Fang, I won't let anything happen to you."

Before I had time to protest, Iggy leaned down and kissed me. His soft lips brushed against mine. I knew I shouldn't be doing this, but I didn't bother to stop it. His lips moved in sync with mine causing a guilty pleasure.

He broke the kiss. He picked me up and set me off to the side of him.

"Shit." He exclaimed, pacing my room. "God Damnit!" He finished as she jogged out of my room.

I stood up wiping my sore eyes with the back of my sleeve. I walked out after him.

"Iggy, wait!" I yelled as it echoed through the house.

I followed him to his room and stood in the door frame.

"What was that about?!" I demanded to know.

"Nothing, just… forget about it…" He mumbled incoherently.

"No, I won't." I replied.

Iggy started ruffling through some papers in his pack. He pulled out a small, folded, crumpled note and handed it to me.

"Here," He tossed it at me, "Take it to your room and read it. I don't want to be around when you do."

"Okay?" I said questioningly.

"It'll explain everything. " He said with a grim face.

I took the note and headed back to my room, slowly unfolding it as I walked.

It was from Fang. I guess Iggy had Nudge read it to him…

"Ig,
Flock member that's reading this to Iggy, keep your mouth shut. Understand? Something bad is about to happen; I can feel it. No matter what happens, I want you to take care of the flock. If I start to get violent, I want you to do what you have to, to keep the rest of them safe. Keep me away from them. Kill me if necessary. Do you understand? I would never forgive myself if I hurt one of them… especially Max."

He must've written this and given it to him before he attacked Angel and that's why Iggy ran down the stairs. I kept reading.

"Which brings me to my next point; I want you to tell Max I love her. Tell her I love her more than anything, and I always will. Don't let her think different. Show her the same love I would have, because if I leave she's probably going to need a shoulder to cry on. I'm writing another note I want you to give directly to her. I don't want you to read it either.

Tell the rest of the flock I'm going to miss them dearly, and I'm sorry for everything I've caused. Tell them I'll never forget anything, and if I see them again I'll do anything for just one more flock hug.

Iggy you're my best friend and my brother. I'm going to miss having to explain what the girls look like to you. I love you dude.

Fly on, Forever.

Fang."

Tears started to well up in my eyes. I slowly folded the paper back up and walked to Iggy's room.

"He wrote it before he hurt Gaz and I." He started.

"And that's why you went back…" I finished. He turned to me. His sightless blue eyes finding my exact spot; he looked directly into my eyes.

"And he gave me this," He said as he handed me an envelope with 'Max' on the front, "right afterwards and told me to give it to you. He said quote 'Give this directly to Max, do not pass Go, do not collect 200 dollars, just to her.' I haven't had Gazzer read it to me, in case you're wondering." He tried to smile, but it turned out as more of a grimace and my heart gave a little leap.

"You open it." I said to him. "You open it and I'll read it to you. You deserve to hear anything that he's said."

I handed him the envelope. He tore it open at the glued seam and handed the paper inside to me. I had no idea about what was to come.