Chapter 5

Max POV

Running down the corridor all I could think was: She doesn't recognise me, how could she not recognize me, I've lost her, I've lost Angel, she doesn't know who I am. I wasn't really paying attention to the corridors that flashed past us as we ran. I let Fang take the lead and direct us all out. I was busy.

I was brought back to reality with a bump when I heard a scream. It was Angel, in Iggys arms up ahead. She was looking back at us with horror in her eyes. I spun around, and then hurriedly span back. Flyboys. Lots or flyboys. I didn't even waste time trying to count them. Suffice to say there were a lot. Crap.

I looked ahead and swore silently to myself again. Me and fang had subconsciously fallen back to make sure that all the younger kids made it out safely. At least I thought that was why Fang was here. Maybe he had just seen the look of horror that was plastered on my face and decided that he should keep an eye on me in case.

But in doing this we had let the flock go on ahead. Now there was a piece of sky at the end of the corridor and the flock were still running towards it. But there was a steel shutter coming down from the ceiling ahead of me and Fang. We were being sealed off.

I mentally calculated the distance. One of us might make it in time but the other wouldn't be able to get under fast enough. And there was no way I was being left or that I would leave Fang here.

So I yelled at Iggy "there's a shutter. Fly on first, we'll find another way out." I say him turn back looking worried at the panic rising in my voice. "Don't worry, we'll meet you at the ledge we found earlier." I yelled back trying to inject some confidence in to my tone. I saw him nod to say he had heard and understood, before I took a random left that branched away from the corridor that we were in. Fang followed me unquestioningly.

We turned again and headed towards what I though was the outside of the building. Yes! There up ahead I could see sky. Fang must have seen it too, as he suddenly put on speed and overtook me. I caught a look of desperation on his face and understood. He needed to get out of here; he was feeling way too hemmed in.

That was when it happened.

Fang was about half the corridor ahead of me as I had looked back to check if we were being followed. And then suddenly I was having a brain attack. It was even worse that the last one. I tucked in my wings, felt my legs turn to jelly, and pressed my hands to either side of my head in an attempt to hold the 2 halves together. I distantly heard a scream of agony and was worrying that it was Angel before I realised. It was me.

I heard a skidding sound and then stomping. I sensed rather than saw that there were flyboys pouring out of every door all running towards me. I gave them 20 seconds before they reached me, as I was in no state to run.

Then the pain was easing. It hadn't gone away but I was able to open my eyes. I cracked them open and searched for Fang. There he was half way down the corridor, literally 2 steps from light and freedom. It looked like he had slid the whole length of the corridor to stop and now he was turning round to look at me. He was quite far away, but with his speed he could get to me before the flyboys got close. He would make it but just. I started to try to get up so that he wouldn't have to bend down to grab me.

But he just stood there. And then he glanced out, at the sky and the wind, where the flock was. He turned back to me and then, get this. He hesitated.

I couldn't stop it, I felt the pain that I was feeling show on my face. The brain attack was killing me, but this was worse, this was being stabbed in the back when you thought you were safe. I crumpled to the floor in agony and despair.

Suddenly there was a steel shutter coming down. I looked back at fang and saw that he had seen my pain, that he had known that he had caused it. The shutter was speeding up. I was half way down now. And the flyboys were gaining. Fang seemed to realize this and started to run towards me it looked like he had made up his mind, that I was worth saving. But he was too late now. That hesitation had meant that the flyboys had gained ground, and now with the shutter, he wasn't going to make it in time.

Fang must have realized this because he stopped running and just stared in horror as the shutter came down.

Separating us.

Then the brain attack increases again back to its normal strength. I snapped my eyes shut and prayed for the end to come, as it had to be better that the pain I was feeling right now.

I thought I heard Fang shout something but I didn't hear and at this point, I couldn't care less what he had to say.

As I slipped in to the welcome blackness all I could think was:

He hesitated, he wasn't sure whether he should save me, he hesitated...