Chapter 8

Silence So Thick

I growl as I silently tread down the hallway. I have reverted to my human form. Much as I didn't want to, I know that they'll come after me with easier breathing, if I'm in my most harmless form.

I want their focus on me. Not on my mother, and not on my aunt and certainly not on her Big, Bad, Spiky friend.

If I can know that my mother is safe, I think I would die happy. Sure, I never got to see Paris, or the Grand Canyon. I have seen the Northern Lights, the full moon on a summer's eve, and beat my mom at chess. Yeah, I think I could die happy.

But who's talking about dying?

Not me, so stop looking at me like that! We've a mission to fulfill.

With a growl, I stop as I'm surrounded, front and back, by guards, who are suited up. All their guns are pointed at me. And a voice tells me, through the speakers," Very good, Hybrid. I'm glad to see that you've come to your senses."

The soldiers approach me, all of them very annoyed looking… murderous, actually. I must have killed some of their buddies. Remorse is quickly killed off as I think of my mom, with her bright eyes and her sarcastic mouth, which always gets us into trouble, and I hiss quietly at the soldiers," Ya know, ya'll probably lost some friends to me and my buddy, Psycho. But I'm about to loose my mother. So don't tell me I'm the bad guy, you government whores."

And with that, they chain me up again. I snap at the shock collar," No. You will NOT put that thing on me."

They ignore me of course, and there's not really anything I can do about it, if I want to buy time for Aunt Lex. I curse and growl, telling them all about hell, and how they'll love it there.

Great place for an eternal vacation. The lava is amazing, and wait till you see the red hot torture chambers… Perfect little get away for hypocrites and murders alike.

One guard growls," Shut up bitch," as he roughly snaps the collar around my throat. I look beyond them, over their shoulders, and barely make out Psycho's outline. He's watching over me for now, silent as an angel of death.

When did I become a poet, you ask?

Don't know.

Don't care.

So don't ask.

I'm led along, rather similarly to the beginning of this story, save the blindfold. My chains rattle around and chaff my skin. I hiss with pain, but I make sure to pay attention to my surroundings. Anything could be useful. I note a fire escape, an elevator marked: Helicopter Landing Pad, a metallic glass case with a fire extinguishers and an ax. Those could definitely prove useful.

I love axes. Nice, sharp things that pack a wallop. Chopping firewood is one of the funnest chores ever, if you imagine enough zombies at the block.

Focus, Kanani, focus...

I hear the faintest metallic ring and hear the last breaths of three men. Psycho just took out a quarter of my guards.

That must mean that Big Guy and Aunt Lex found my mom.

Either that or they're dead. Either way, time to dance.

When the rest of my entourage turns to see what's going on, he goes on a rampage. And I help as much as I can, spitting venom into one man's face as he brings up his gun, yanking my guards back, catching them off guard, but not before someone shoots my shoulder. I howl with pain, screeching every single obscenity I have ever heard, and a few that I invent.

When Psycho finally reaches me and cuts off my collar, we're both bleeding even more then before. Ruby red mixes with neon green on the floor.

I morph quick as I can, still in pain as I take down one man by swinging my tail, turning to slice another guard's stomach with my claws, fighting like an unprofessional maniac as we rebels retreat, back to the elevator I had seen earlier. I can hear them coming, more baddies. We have to get out of here, we have to leave, damn it!

I turn and Psycho's breathing heavily. He doesn't look too good. Oh shit. Someone stuck him with something. I pull the needle out the back of his shoulder and give it a whiff. It's not quite empty, which means he didn't get the full injection but still...

Tranquilizer.

It had to be a tranquilizer.

I want to scream, and I do.

"DAMNIT!"

He stumbles toward me, groggy and growling and I try to help him to stand, telling him quickly," I assume you attacked my entourage because they found my mother, correct?"

He gives a barely coherent nod and I scowl as he weakly opens this little computer thing that's attached to his wrist, tapping some buttons. He groans weakly as he tries to tug it off. I help him out, slitting the thing off with my claws.

"One good turn deserves another," I mutter ironically.

I know what the thing is. Aunt Lex told us about it. A tiny bomb that packs a hell of a wallop. I hope this one packs an even bigger wallop.

As it lands on the ground, I get an idea, seeing a garbage disposal. I pick up the bomb and toss it in there. Psycho breathes heavy and gestures to the elevator, groaning a little as I quickly shift his arm over my shoulder, helping him stay on his feet.

Well, barely.

"You'd better have set it for enough time for us to get the hell out of here... either that, or you'd better shift your rear into gear!" I growl as I brace my injured wings against the floor, to help gain some footage as we turn to get into the elevator.

8~8~8~8~8~

I think I may possibly loose it. Go absolutely barking mad. I thought I was already crazy.

Oh no, this takes the cake. I'm staring at a dead man… er, alien…. Uh, Hunter…

See? Batty as hell.

Scar… this is Scar. The one who saved me from a death trap nine years ago... and now, he's helped my sister escape another death trap. He's alive… he's really alive… Barely… I think I'm ready to faint now.

But fainting will have to wait. Cause we have an escape to perform. Scar's lost a lot of blood, and Rosy's bleeding too. So am I. And Yeti too.

Ok, we're all bleeding like hell. Never mind. Yeti seems pretty agitated. I hope Kanani's ok.

He keeps barking, and muttering, growling to himself.

I ask tentatively," What's wrong?"

"Young Blood will not respond."

"Oh shit."

All at once, he goes rigid and yells," Go! GO! PAUK, YOU OOMANS, GO!"

Rosy screams," Where's my daughter, damn it!"

I yell back," Rosy, she can take care of herself! C'mon!"

We run. Already, we're at the upper level, so we just need to get out, away from the building... and hope that the explosion doesn't

Rosy is sobbing, angry, her dark face is red, I'm practically dragging her along. We load up in the elevator. Yeti won't let us stop. We run hard, as hard as we can, down the hall, into the open sunlight.

Into the forest, farther out.

And then, there's a loud popping sound, which only gets louder. I scream as the ground beneath me ripples.

We're all knocked to our feet and Yeti roars as he shoves us all down an incline, ducking down as an explosion rocks the ground. Smoke and ash combined streak through the skyline like discolored fireworks.

Rosy's keeled over on the ground, sobbing, curled up. She's got bruises, a cut on her forehead, from the debris. Me? I feel a bit comatose as I slowly and shakily make my way to my feet, looking around. The explosion suddenly retracts, growing tiny and leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the forest. Well.

Talk about efficient.

But where…

Where's Kanani?

Rosy sobs," Nani… Where's my Nani?"

I crawl over to her and hug her, telling her," She made it. I know she did."

Rosy won't stop crying, though it soon turns to anger as she tears away from me like a wounded animal. With her hazel eyes full of accusation she turns on Yeti, snarling," Where is she?"

Oh crap. My sister's about to pick on a huge human-hunting alien who outweighs her by 400 pounds and is about three times taller then she is.

This is not good. Oh shit, I'm fainting.

8~8~8~8~8~8~

I thought I knew pain and void when Malachi died. I thought I knew what loss was then. But my daughter distracted my grief and filled my life with love and joy. Teaching her, finding out about her, learning all her thoughts, her secrets and her hopes and dreams occupied my time.

All that gone…

I feel like I could be sick. Instead, I pick on stupidity. As the alien grabs me by the throat, I kick and struggle. But then, he lets me go, and I realize that Lex has fainted. Oh no…

No no this is too much. I turn my back on the Big Guy and kneel by Lex, cradling her head, I robotically try to revive her.

Today is the worst day of my life.

Bar none.

I have never known such a silence. I never knew that noise could be turned into silence.

Kanani… Kanani, you can't be gone.

You can't.

Ok... yes, I left it there. I'm sorry...

The next chapter is giving me a bit of trouble... But don't worry, I'll have it up soon! I swear!

SHOUT OUT!

megan: ...Well, that's the ending we all imagine for them, isn't it? ISN'T IT? *cheesy fangirl smile* Of course it is. XDD

LynxbyLynx: I'm glad Kanani is a hit with you! And yes, Scar has scars. *giggles* I hope you liked this chapter as much. If not, I apologize and resolve to do better.

The Silent Hunter: Yes, Scar has survived... thus far. I debated a while about whether or not to actually do it and bring him in. You can see how THAT turned out. ^_^

Cc: I'm glad you think it is AWESOME! Here is your update! Thanks for your motivation!

So...

Reviews? Please?