We flew from the cave soon after sunrise, scattering the tracking devices in three directions to confuse anyone trying to follow us, letting them think we had gone separate ways. I searched my visions to see if there were any others they might have planted on us, but there were none. They didn't seem to think we would find the first ones, or if we did, they never expected us to risk getting them out.
We wandered aimlessly through the skies, no longer sure where to go or what to do. We couldn't enter normal society, not ever again. I mean, come on it's a bit hard to hide the fact that we aren't normal, no-ones going to miss the pair of wings we have on our backs, or the fact we heal a lot faster than normal. We had nowhere to go, but anywhere was safer and far better than Haven.
I coasted on the air waves and the thermals rising from the ground below. For those who don't know, thermals are bubbles of warm air that rise from the warmed ground below. Birds use them to gain altitude without flapping their wings, worked the same way for us. The gentle northerly breeze flowed over me and through my flight feathers. I let it blow over me as I coasted along, just following an instinct to head south. It was after a few hours of flying that I began to recognize the land below us. It was the forest near my school; I was back in my hometown.
I flew further, following the track I used to walk home everyday from school towards my house, towards where I had lived for most of my life, the only place I had left to go and even now, I could never come back here, it's what they expect, that I would return to what I know. We couldn't stay here long. I landed in the backyard, out of sight of the houses in the neighborhood and walked to the back door. The house was lock, all signs of the fight a week ago, fixed. They had covered everything up well; no signs showed that there was ever a fight. I tried the back door but it was locked, the key was not in it's usual hiding spot in the pot plant next to the door, my mother must have moved it.
I turned the handle and applied a bit of force to the door. The doorway began to creak and groan. There was a crunch of splintering wood and the door gave. I walked inside through to the kitchen and dumped my bag on the table.
"Grab a bag from by the door," I ordered, "Empty it out and fill it up with food, drink, spare clothing, medical supplies and anything else that will be needed. We can't stay here long."
"Why not?" Dean asked, "It looks like no-ones been home in weeks, we'd be safe here, wouldn't we?"
"No," I replied, "We won't. This used to be my family's house. I used to live here. They would be searching for us now they realize we were on to them. They want us back. The first place they would check is places I'm familiar with, this house for starters. Laura can you pack some food, I'll get some things from upstairs, some of my sister clothing should fit you, there are some medical supplies in the upstairs bathroom, I'll get those while I'm up there."
"Ok," Laura replied, "We'll keep an eye out while we're here though. I don't fancy being attacked again. Don't take too long."
I nodded and headed upstairs. I moved to the bathroom first to gather the first aid kit and other medical supplies we might need. Once I had them I walked down the hallway and into Danielle's room. It looked the same as we had left it, bringing back old memories I would have liked to keep buried, but couldn't. Tears began to fall down my face as I silently cried for her, not able to help myself. I missed her so much, I missed both Danielle and Jake so much, but they were out of my reach now. All thanks to my parents, both of them. I gathered the clothing quickly, not looking at what I picked up, wanting to spend the least amount of time in her room, to get away from the pain of her loss. I was about to walk out when I saw her favorite necklace lying on her dresser. It was a hawk, wings outstretched frozen in mid flight. The wings were filled with Topazes and Diamonds for the feather colors, ruby for the ends of the tail feathers and amber for the eyes. It was meant to be a red-tailed hawk; I had bought it for Danielle on her sixteenth birthday. It had cost me a fortune to have it hand made. About two thousand dollars at least. I had raised the money for it by taking odd jobs here and there collecting the money so I could pay for it. Danielle had loved it.
I took it off the dresser and tied it around my neck to remember her by. It hung over my heart, the cold platinum and gold shape the stones were set in easing the pain I felt there. I walked back downstairs and dumped the clothing on the sofa in the lounge next to the kitchen. Laura and Dean walked in carrying the bags full of food drinks and first aid kits. They saw the damp trials on my face but didn't comment on them. That earned them a few good marks in my books. I hate people who always ask are you're alright just after you finish crying. Of course the answer would be no. I wiped my face to dry the trails and pointed to the pile of clothing,
"Sort through that," I said to Laura, "There should be clothing in there for you to wear. You're welcome to change into something clean. I think we all need to. There are two showers if anyone feels like one. The downstairs bathroom is down the hall third door on the right. Upstairs bedroom is shared between my room and Danielle's. I know we said not to stay here long, but one night should be alright. All of us are tired and it's near dark already."
We all agreed upon it, too tired and hungry to argue although we had a small argument on whether to use the lights after dark or not. We agreed not to, so people wouldn't know anyone was home. We preferred it that way. Danielle used the upstairs bathroom and Dean used the downstairs one. I started cooking some food for them and once Dean was out of the shower I got in and let the water run over my wing, loving the feel as the water beaded and fell down through my feathers. The hot water helped me relax muscles that I hadn't realized were tense and left me feeling like dead weight. Once I was finished I got dressed and returned to the kitchen. I was so tired but managed to scoff down at least three helpings of the food Dean and I had cooked before we curled up in the living room next to the fireplace. We all agreed to start a small fire, it was cold tonight.
I was awoken in the morning by the weight of a booted foot on my chest, too heavy to be human and looked up to see a familiar face smiling down at me. It was Jake…
Chapter 32
"Hello Bird-boy," Jake snarled at me, shoving his boot further into my chest, "I'm curious as to how you got into my home? How did you even know where my home was? I thought I could get away from your kind here, and yet here you are."
Jake grinded his boot further into my chest, making it hard to breathe properly. I tried to shift out from under his weight, but the more I struggled, the heavier his foot got.
"You don't remember me, do you?" I asked Jake. "Man it's pathetic how they control you Jake, making sure you can't remember your past."
"Don't toy with me bird-boy," Jake warned, "I can remember my past well, up until you're fugitive little behind got my sister killed."
"My little behind?" I said, laughing out loud, although it hurt to do so, "Man they have seriously messed with your head, Jake. I didn't kill her, our parents did. I'm your Brother, Jake. I tried to save her and now, I'm about to save your sorry behind before I do serious damage to you."
I had sensed the darkness' unrest at me being in danger and was seriously close to losing the restraint I had placed on it. I grabbed Jake's foot and twisted it, throwing his balance off centre and forced him to lift his foot off me. I darted out from under him quickly and tackled the Eraser holding Laura to the ground. I heard a crack and Saw that Dean had managed to distract his Eraser and had cracked its head on the mantle of the fireplace. I saw a bruise on Laura's face and guessed an Eraser had hit her to shut her up. I felt something deep down in me awaken, some force of pure power, like a beast within. I wanted to hurt the person who had done that to her, I wanted to protect her. I shoved the urge aside, now was not the time to worry about that.
I ducked through the doorway into the hall, pulling Laura along behind me and Dean following at the rear. I heard Howls of anger and frustration coming from the lounge as Jake and his flunkies recovered and moved swiftly through the house Picking up the bags we had left beside the door, we slammed our way through the door, the hinges pulling out the door frame as we bashed it open. I grabbed Laura's hand, gave her a bag and then gave her a hand in taking off. Dean lifted off after her and I spread my wings to follow, only to have a wolf collide with my back as he charged me down. I recognized the unnatural dirty blonde hair that covered the wolf as Jake's hair.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you, liar," Jake growled into my face, human words coming out his wolf throat, "You were the one who tore my family apart."
"First off," I replied, kneeing Jake in the stomach and winding him, "I didn't tear our family apart. Our parents did with their experiments to make us what we are now. So go ask them about that, and secondly…" I punched his jaw to stun him, "Secondly, I was the one who took care of the family, the one who cooked all our meals, cleaned your wounds, the one who took you to the doctors when you were sick. I was the one who kept our family from falling apart because Mum was never there and Dad faked his own death three years ago. So don't you dare say I was the one who tore our family apart. Don't. You. Dare"
With each of the last words I said, I punch Jake. Once in the chest, once in the stomach and once on his nose, freeing myself from him and I launched myself in the air out of his reach. As I caught up with Dean and Laura I looked back and stared at the hatred in Jake's eyes. They had turned him into a monster. I was turning back when a group of shadows launched form the trees, claws out and wings beating. Wait claws and wings? They were holding back on us, it looks like they had the flying Erasers held in reserve all along. If I ever get my chance at revenge, now the payback has been doubled. The Flying Erasers were going to be upon us soon, but I noticed they were like flying tanks. Sure they could fly, but they weren't exactly agile in the air.
They were getting bolder in their attacks to get us back. They sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon and light up the world. People would be getting up for their normal lives. And right in the middle of it, three flying teenagers with wings fighting with a group of flying wolves with wings. I wonder how badly they wanted to finish this fight. I didn't get to answer that question, a jet of fire flew out through the air between the Erasers and us, stopping them dead in their tracks. The Erasers snarled at us, but decided to back off, they didn't want this continuing in broad daylight.
I landed in the trees that we were flying over. We were still in the suburbs of town, but we would be safe here. It was a park. There were plenty of trees to hide us. I landed on a branch and turned to face the stranger that had just prevented a full out aerial battle happening. I recognized her, she was the Pyro from back in Haven. How did she escape?
"Hey," She said, "I'm Sophia. I'm a Pyro if you can't guess."
"I know you," Laura replied, "We all do. We saw you during that training session in Haven. How'd you escape?"
Well," Sophia began, "after you kind of caused a bit of a stir at Haven, a few of the others decided to take you as an example and escape. We weren't so subtle with our escape, blowing a hole in the wall and all, but we got out."
I looked at Dean and he looked back at me, we both understood what the other was thinking. If they had escaped, did they also have tracking devices in their wrists?
"Sophia," I said, "Let me see your wrist."
"Why?" She asked, suspicious of us.
"Because they might be tracking you with a chip implanted in your wrist." I replied, "Laura, Dean and I had to cut ours out. Laura here can heal people, so it was fine. But we have no sharp objects to cut it out."
"How did you get it out in the first place then?" Sophia asked me.
I held up my hand and let her see the darkness swirling around it like a serpent until it formed into a dagger, one with a fine point. She saw the cut mark on my wrist where I had cut mine out, but Laura hadn't fully healed it properly.
"Let's just say, I'm a darkinetic." I explained, "I can control darkness with my mind. I think it'll be useful having a Pyro with us. That's if you want to come along with us. If so, we can't leave the chip in. If not, thanks for saving our lives, but we have to go soon."
Sophia looked at each of us in turn, to see that we are not bluffing then looked back into my eyes. She must have trusted what she saw because then she nodded her head.
"Fine," She replied, "I've just never liked pain much."
"Welcome to the club," I replied, smiling, "I doubt anyone short of psychotic would love to be in pain. Now I won't lie, it will hurt quite a bit until the chip is out, but once it's out, Laura can heal you good as new."
"Just get it over with," Sophia replied. I could see she wasn't looking forward to it, but she was determined, "I never want to go back there again. Remove it before I lose my nerve."