Chapter 5 of Naomi's Story

This is really a merge of fatigue, and Maximum Ride.

AND I OWN NONE OF THOSE THINGS! EXCEPT FOR THE FATIGUE!

Ages:

Naomi, Kay, and Nudge: 9

Max: turning 13

Fang, Iggy: 12

Gazzy:6

Angel:4

--

See? Kay had really basically killed us both! I mean, screaming at those Erasers "BLOODY ATHORITIES?" how obvious was that? Then taking off into the air with her white and red wings? What the hell was that for?

In the air, we could see the silhouette of the Erasers aiming their guns from the large Hummer vehicle. Lasers marked us in our mid-torsos. I could tell the Erasers were grinning as they pulled their triggers. BAM, BAM! BAM, BAM, BAM!! Kay and I clumsily dodged the bullets, myself narrowly missing a serious wound in my left leg. I smirked, knowing the Erasers would give up eventually. In the meantime, we would practice our dodging.

I began to sing in my mind when--

BANG!!

"AAAHHHH!!" I had been shot in my shoulder and part of my feathery back.

I begun the spiral downward, towards the hard asphalt street. The Hummer was accelerating down the road with increasing speed. I tried to go upward but the blood was drying in between my feathers.

I stayed suspended in the air with one wing, seriously trying not to fall.

The only the possible worse thing than getting hit by a giant hummer after hitting the hard asphalt would be going back to The School.

Then I spotted an Eraser leaning out of the door with a net in his hand, fleering (A/N. YAY! Another word for grin! Ing!) wickedly.

I let myself fall a bit downward and ran. I put my hand on my shoulder and pressed to stop the bleeding. The evil Hummer slowed as my feet "flew" across the fields. My breathing was nice and even yet I was growing wearier by the second. Getting shot out of the sky, spiraling down, and having demonic half-lupine things from hell really would tier one out; if that one happened to be half-starved by a father from beyond hell.

You see, us Avian-Americans need to eat. A lot. About 3,000 calories a day, if we're lucky.

Anyway, half-starved, bleeding on my practically most important part of my body, being chased by energumens from hell, was probably going to be a normal day for Kay and I now.

You know, its times when you're about to go to beyond hell (I seem to be using that word a lot lately) you think about the other Avians in life. Meaning what the lucky ones are doing. Probably off picking flowers and eating to their hearts content somewhere in this world while I am about to see something worse than death.

The School.

(222)

(The Flock)

(Max POV)

Hmm. The sun shining outside, the house a cool temperature, no Erasers rushing out our door, the Flock, Jeb (our "father") and I safely in Colorado, an almost perfect day.

Why did I feel something was wrong. Like something was going to happen? Something really bad?

I dismissed the thought eagerly for today was going to be an awesome day. A great day.

You know why?

It was my "birthday".

No one knows our real birthdays so we each picked our favorite days. Mine is today: The day we escaped the School. I got to pick first because I was somewhat the first there. Fang and Iggy are in the next few months. Meaning I'm the oldest.

I half-flew downstairs in happiness, not thinking about the strange feeling I had earlier. I turned the corner into the kitchen expecting Jeb to be in there reading the daily paper he somehow picks up on the table but nobody was there. The kitchen was empty. "Jeb?" I called out. No one answered.

I looked all over the house quickly--even upstairs--for him. It was really unlike him not to be here: he normally waits until we're all awake before he leaves. Or he leaves a note--

A NOTE!

I saw a stray piece of paper in his office but paid no mind. It seemed like a regular thing. Paper on a working desk?

I raced to his office and carefully picked up the paper. It was wrapped in something; not an envelope, something different. Hurriedly I ripped it open. It wasn't like him to miss our birthdays.

JB..

So this was what I felt this morning. This was the bad thing that happened.

Jeb leaving us.

On the anniversary of the happiest day of our lives.

On my birthday.

At first I was close to sobbing. How could he freakin' leave?! How could he? Then I felt angry. Enraged. Furious. Glum. Irate. I felt as if I wanted to kill him. He let us free now he's leaving?

I stormed out, throwing the usleless note down to the floor. Then I thought of something as I passed the couch.

Was he unhappy with us? Did he regret letting us free?

I crawled to the corner of the couch and sat there, trying not to break down.

Did he kill himself? Did the Erasers come in the night and take him to murder him?

I stayed there for a while: huddled up in my corner until I noticed the eyes watching me intensely. I looked up. Fang was standing over me, silent as a shadow. "Happy Birthday," he said grinning.

"Its not all that happy." I mumbled, putting my head between my knees. I didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. But Fang jumped over the back of the couch and sat behind me.

"And why is that?" he asked. When Fang asks that question, you know he won't back away from it.

Only because he stares at you forever until you answer.

"Jeb's gone"

-Silence-

"We should wake up the others," Fang said simply after a few minutes of silence. I nodded but thought, What do we tell them? With me and Fang being so close, he understood me perfectly.

"We say he died." I nodded and we stalked upstairs.

Now I am the leader of us six. It was little Angel's idea. She said since I was the oldest I should be leader--more like caretaker--of the Flock.

I couldn't help but wonder about the other two in the School--Naomi and Khatherine-Kay. I hoped they are happy in whatever they are doing.

(222)

(Naomi POV)

It was getting harder to run now. The fatigue of hunger and tiredness was getting to me now. But I pushed on. I think I heard Kay behind me in backup with our secret weapon.

A giant coconut shaped bomb. Kay had designed it herself.

"Kay!" I croaked loudly. My throat was dry. "Let it off!" I could only imagine her widely grinning face as she ignited the bomb.

"Its not working! Naomi the Coke isn't working properly!" She shouted down.

Just then, the Hummer from Hell picked up speed, the Coke ignited, Kay let it down on the hood, and my legs buckled underneath me.

"Fire in the field!" Khatherine-Kay shouted happily, unknowing that other types of fire could burn me.

I laid in front of a Hummer about to run over me and explode at the same time.

And that was still better than the School.

--

0000oooooOOOOoooo. Cliffe. Will Naomi get blown up or be crushed?

That seemed anti-climatic.

THANKS TO ALL YOU GOOD READERS AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! AND IN YOUR REVIEW (if you do) GIVE ME IDEAS!

I'll update sooner.

TFQ OUTETH!!