After leaving the shopping mall and, hopefully, Angel and Dylan's strange behavior over a snow globe, the circus didn't go quite to plan either. Half way through the show Nudge became obsessed with a male performer who she thought looked like Leonardo DiCaprio and tried to edge closer and closer towards the centre of the circus to see him better.
Angel started shaking the silly old snow globe like mad and even started talking to herself. I didn't confide in Dylan just encase he sided with her and they became even worse freaks than they already are. Gazzy and Iggy were hatching plans on seeing how long a performer can walk across the tightrope with explosives going off underneath her and lastly, to top it off, I had the worse gut ache in the world!
It hurt to breathe and when it didn't hurt I felt like my entire stomach contents were about to fall out.
Several minutes passed and it seemed to subside. Dylan rubbed my back and kissed my neck making me feel a lot better. Although I still had to stop Nudge from making a fool of herself and stop Gazzy and Iggy from exploding the whole tent! Life was good.
I retrieved Nudge, thankfully before she made a big comotion, and ordered the flock out of the circus. Angel seemed to intent with her snow globe to care too much.
"Okay guys, if you want to get some chow before we head out then we should go now." I suggested. The flock seemed almost starved by the way they were acting towards the food advertisement boards.
"Max aren't you going to have anything?" Dylan asked and I shook my head. "Not that hungry." I said and he left it at that.
"Max the view from here is ah-mazing! I can see the circus, the shopping mall and the whole city from here!" She said siting by a big glass window 34 stories in the air.
"I'm going to have a two large double cheeseburgers and large fries." Gazzy said. Iggy ordered the same and Nudge and Angel both settled on 3 hot dogs each and a large bowl of chocolate mint ice cream. Dylan had a large veggie burger and a double cone of strawberry and vanilla ice cream.
"Max you should try this." Dylan suggested but I insisted I wasn't hungry. Besides, we hadn't long just had our big steak meal and after my stomach episode, I couldn't think of food right now. Who knows what might have been put in it. But everyone else seemed fine.
"I like it up here. Reminds me of when we're flying." Nudge said eyeing up the circus as though the Leonardo Dicaprio look a-like was going to fly up to the building and shower her in roses.
"Time is getting on. By the time we get to Yakutsk, it will be nightfall." Jeb told us and I nodded.
"Finish up guys. Breaks over. Time to get back to reality." I said in my leader like voice.
It took us a while to get back to the building roof where the jet was parked. Luckily we were even allowed to park it there for a few hours.
We climbed aboard and the gang sat down and watched the small TV at the back of the jet. I sat in my usual seat, where I had sat countless times with Fang, holding his hand in secret and smelling his dark seductive scent.
"Are you thinking about Fang?" Dylan asked sitting next to me. I was about to ask how he knew when I realised I was holding a black scarf that once belonged to Fang. He must have left it here when we traveled on the jet last.
Dylan's scent filled the room around me and almost all thoughts of Fang were gone and I was concentrating fully on him.
"I'm sorry." I quickly apologised. He smiled but I could tell he wasn't really okay with it.
What I did next surprised me in more ways than one, as I threw Fang's scarf across the jet so it landed on the table opposit. Dylan looked surprised at me but then he brought his arm around me and held me close. I could feel his biceps around my shoulders and buried my head in the crook of his neck.
"What happened with you today?" He asked putting his free hand over my waist.
"I'm not sure. I think it was something I ate. Or didn't eat. I'm fine now, though." I reassured him and he wrapped his free arm around my front. Anyone would have said, Max won't like that, she hates to be suffocated with your arms all around her like that. But actually, I was enjoying it. It made me feel safe. Which was stupid because 99% of the time I was in danger from someone or something.
Outside it was starting to get dark and I could just about make out the light below us as we flew over Russia.
"What do you think is going to be waiting for us in this place?" Dylan asked.
"I honestly don't know. Hopefully somewhere warm to stay with good healthy food, nice people and useful information." I laughed.
"That sounds perfect to me." He smiled. I leaned in quickly and kissed his smile before I knew what I was doing. He seemed to like and brought my face close to his so he could return the favour. He lifted one of my legs around his side against the back of the small sofa and the other was on the edge of the sofa with Dylan inbetween.
"Are you crazy? If one of the flock comes in and sees you like this..."I began but he stopped me by putting his lips to mine. He held my waist and planted kisses across my face and neck before he laid beside me and watched as I drifted off to sleep.
The same images appeared again, but this time they seemed more clearer and detailed.
I was still slightly older and still wearing the strange clothes when I saw a sign pointing to Treasure Island Park and Pelican Harbour Park. Again I was looking for something and this time I assumed it was the guy from the end of my last dream. I ran across the road and headed towards a block of apartments. I stood just off the curb outside the building waiting for something to happen. A door flew open and as I moved forward, so did the guy who walked out to embrace me. He was strong and smelled gorgeous. I felt his chin hair prickle on the back of my neck and started laughing. I wondered why I was acting so childish.
He began speaking to me but the words were so quiet I couldn't make them out. I seemed to be smiling like a cheshire cat so I assumed it was something good. He took me by the hand and led me towards the buiding, occasionally turning around and giving me...giving me that same half lopsided smile that Fang used to give me. It was then I noted the jet black wings attached to his back and realised this whole time it was Fang I was seeing in my dream.
I felt someone shaking me out of my dream and I began shouting NO! No! I don't want to leave just yet! But it was already too late.
I opened my eyes and saw the flock staring at me with weird looks.
"Max you were having a dream. We're here now. Time to put your skates on." Dylan laughed. It took me a while to register where I was and what I was doing but as soon as I remembered I jumped up and put on everything warm that I owned. Before I left the jet, I grabbed Fang's Scarf and wrapped it around my neck and face, the scent making me remember his scent from the dream.
"Dylan you come with me, Max you make sure the rest of the flock get off quickly and head to shelter. Its once bitter night I can tell you." Jeb instructed and I rolled my eyes as I did as he said.
"Why do I have to come with you?" Dylan asked Jeb as he climbed out of the jet.
"Because I want you to meet her. More will be explained later. First lets just get to shelter." Jeb said and Dylan nodded.
The feeling you get when you get out of a warm pool and instantly feel the cold air against your warm skin is a little bit like what stepping out of the jet felt like. Except from the fact that the warm pool was the jet and the outside felt like the Antarctic sea and along with the wind, was so cold it felt like it was ripping at your skin with knives. Times that by a million and you have about the right temperature everyone was feeling about now.
"Welcome to minus 50 weather." A woman shouted in the far distance. I could bearly see her even with my raptor vision as the fog was thick thick thick and the the wind made it almost unbearable to open your eyes.
"Max follow my voice!" I heard Jeb shout and the flock followed me as I made my way through my new nightmare.
We went through a door and down some steps and almost immediately felt better.
"Its warm in here so you should be alright." The woman said.
She was tall with long brown hair and features I noticed similar to Dylan. She had the same eyes.
"I vote not going back outside ever again!" Nudge complained with a shaky voice.
"I'm all for that!" I replied as we headed down more flights of stairs.
"I'm sorry kids but we need to catch a taxi back to my place." She said and every ones eyes widened with shock.
"Wow I feel strange after that," I said and Dylan helped me down the remainder of the stairs. I noticed she kept looking back towards us, especially at Dylan, who still, despite the weather, looked completely perfect.
"How long are we going to be outside waiting for a taxi!" I shuddered at the thought of going back outside.
"Not long at all. There will be one waiting for us as soon as we get outside." The woman said smiling.
"Everyone put your hoods up!" Jeb said and we all prepared for the outdoors.
It only took less than a minute before we felt the cold biting at our flesh. We hurriedly crossed the snowy path to where the taxi was parked and luckily we all managed fit in.
"I hope your house is warm." I said rubbing my hands together.
"Oh yes you don't need to worry about that. I'm Alice by the way. Jeb has told me alot about you." Alice began but I cut her off.
"I'm sure you already know alot about us anyway." I said with a smile.
"Not all of you. You and Dylan in particular." Alice said which made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
The taxi drove at 5 miles per hour through the thick snow and fog. The sound of the roaring wind could be heard and even felt smashing against the taxi.
"This is going to take a loonnng time isn't it Alice," Nudge sighed.
"Yes unfortunately it is. However there is no other way. It would take twice as long walking." She said and everyone seemed to cheer up at the fact that we didn't have to walk.
"Another thing, no flying while we are here." Jeb whispered.
"Like I need to be told. Our wings would drop off instantly! Birds fly south for the winter don't forget." I joked.
"Well seeing as this may take a while, how about some info for starters." Jeb asked and Alice politely agreed.
"First off, as you know I worked in a lab, on the computers, and it was my job to make sure the subjects were responding well to their programming. I was told to make sure that everything was going to plan. Their plans of course. They wanted you and Dylan to respond well to each other, and when you didn't, that was obviously a malfunction in the programming. Or so they thought anyway." Alice explained.
"You can't programme the soul." Dylan said and Alice agreed.
"However when they made subject...when they made Natalia, for Fang, she was supposed to lure him away from you so you could have two different flocks. It worked quite well but then you and Fang met up again and things became complicated. For them I mean.
They can see how well Dylan is progressing, even now and they can also see how well Natalia is progressing. She had never intended she would fall for Fang but she did, and is now trying to convince him that she likes him. Although his heart still belongs to you." She went on. Hearing this about Fang made my throat close up and my heart felt like it was burning inside my chest. I was tempted to open the window but I knew I would be risking the flock frostbite if I did.
I took a deep breath and swallowed, feeling the burning sensation as I did so. I was aware that everyone in the taxi was glaring at me intently and I tried to look normal.
"Is everything alright?" Alice asked and I nodded a little too quickly. My throat closed up even more and I literally gagged for breath. I suddenly became very hot and very itchy.
"Max whats wrong?" I heard a concerned Angelic voice say.
"Throat tight...Chest hot." I choked out and Alice came closer and took a look at me. I started to itch my hands furiously until they were red and she nodded.
"Looks like you've got an allergic reaction. Have you eaten anything different or something you wouldn't normally eat?" She asked but I could bearly breathe.
"Max is used to eating anything she can get her hands on. Even dumpster food. Why should now be any different?" Dylan said concerned, like he had been by my side for my entire life.
"She didn't like Jeb's food. Maybe it was something at the food place?" Angel suggested as Nudge pulled out a chocolate bar wrapper from her trouser pocket.
"Here look at the ingredients. Max had a few of these but she didn't like them. Its worth a shot." Nudge said handing the wrapper to Alice. Jeb instructed the driver to drive faster and everyone was rubbing my back and reassuring me I would be okay. We just needed to get to Alice's and she could help.
The driver skidded across the snow in a hurry as the flock got ever recipt they could find and handed it to Alice.
"It must have been Jeb's stuff because Max was feeling a little off before we even went in." Dylan remembered. I nodded, which was all I could just about do and placed my head on his shoulder to thank him.
"Oh dear." Jeb said and he rambled on about how sorry he was and he never meant to hurt me blah blah blah. He was worse than Nudge when he wanted to be.
"Gang we're here!" Alice exclaimed. Both Alice and Jeb split the bill and Alice ran out of the taxi first to open the door, then signaled for the rest of us. Dylan helped me get out as my knees felt a little shaky and everyone hurried inside. Alice's house was quite beautiful for a lab tech worker. The lights were all on and inside it looked quite cosy.
"I feel as though I'm getting de ja vu or something. Like I've been here before?" Dylan said standing in the doorway looking out and around the village. "That house..." Dylan said with a frown across his face, pointing to the house opposite. Alice smiled and gave a little wave to someone peering through the curtains. Dylan came inside and sat me down in front of the fire.
"Not where I want to be right now Dyl." I choked again and he placed me on the sofa.
"I have some heart burn tablets and some anti- allergy tablets. Take these and you'll be fine in no time." Alice promised. Usually I wouldn't have accepted anything from strangers, especially pills but I took them and laid down with my coat over me. Sweat was beginning to pour down my forehead and my hands were shaking cold. Not to mention raw red.
"I...I feel dizzy," I moaned.
"Max your laying down." Dylan reminded me in his concerned voice. "Can you get dizzy whilst laying down Alice?" Dylan asked her but she didn't answer.
I felt Dylan leave my side and stand at the window.
"Alice who lives over there?" He asked again.
"Just a girl." She said smiling and I used up all of my energy to look over towards Dylan, who was peering out of the window.
"Why do I have this feeling like I've been here before?" He asked.
"Because this is where you used to live. You used to come and stay with me when you were younger. Your mum and dad lived in the other village not too far from here. You always told me you liked it better hear as there was more to do." She said showing him a picture. I saw him look at it and heard him say 'that's me' just before she told him she was his mothers sister. That's when my eyes became too heavy to keep open and I felt like I was drifting into a deep sleep.
Dylan POV
"My mother's sister? Your my aunt?" I asked noting the same coloured eyes that we shared.
"Yes. The people that I worked for found out that me and you are realted. That is why they fired me. To be honest, I couldn't stand watching as they played God with your lives. Your a human being for god's sake." She exclaimed. The flock smiled and watched as Max was resting on the sofa.
"She will probably be out for a long time. We can always tell her whats going on when she wakes up." I suggested, still looking at Alice, unable to believe she was the only family I had left. Like Max and her mum.
"Right. The group of people that I worked for were working alongside another company, its twin if you like. That company or school as you prefer to call it resides in Canada. The same school you and Natalia were resurrected from." Alice said.
"You mean Natalia was a clone like me?" I said trying to piece everything together.
"That is correct. Now the group of guys, there is 4 of them, reside in a different school from mine of the one based in Canada. The school I worked for is based right her in Yakutsk. Its hidden from view and you wouldn't be able to find it on your own. Its underground and there is only one way to get to it. Now the one which has formed these inhuman mad men isn't too far from here. Near the Verkhoyansk mountains there is a secret base, also underground in which these monsters are being created and tested. I would assume they have finished all their tests right now. They have details of the 6 bird children and Dylan who I'm sure they are very interested to meet. We can't let them get what they want. They will cause havoc everywhere they go and we are the only ones that can stop them." Alice explained to the flock. Boy Max sure was missing heck of a lot.
"How do we fight them? Are they robotic?" Angel asked and Alice shook her head.
"I'm afraid not. They are human, but they have been forced to evolve into super human, making them stronger and faster than before. Their memories have also been wiped and they have a chip in their brains in which can be traced." Alice answered. The flock stared at each other not knowing what to say or do without Max directing them.
"We will worry about it later when Max wakes up. For now everyone make themselves at home and relax." Alice soothed. She and Jeb headed towards the kitchen and the flock sat around Max and watched the T.V set. I stood by the window trying to remember any of my memories. I began poking around finding anything that might belong to me. There weren't many photographs of me, just the one Alice had shown me. I found a big old box full of home videos in the closet by the window and began searching for my name.
At the bottom of the pile I spotted a few. Dylan age 6. Dylan age 8. Dylan 12, 13 and 14. I grabbed them and stuck on the earliest into the VCR.
"Hey I was watching that." Nudge complained and I shrugged it off. This was more important than watching The Simpsons.
At first it was all fuzzy then the picture became clearer and I spotted myself playing in a playground. Alice's voice could be heard over the tape telling me to be careful and to play nicely with the other children. The flock watched in awe as they saw a younger me playing and running around with other kids. There was one girl who I continuously kept going over to and I heard Alice giggle several times.
"Dylan be nice to her!" Alice shouted and I began running after the girl as she fled from me. When I caught up, I pulled on her coat and made her stumble in the snow.
"Dylan thats not a very nice way to treat your new neighbour!" Alice called running over to us. Neighbour? Was this the same girl that lived in the house across from here?
"Sandy are you all right sweetie?" Alice asked helping her up. She began laughing and biting on her glove shyly. Then the tape went fuzzy again and stopped.
"That was the first day you came to stay with me. Your parents were out of the country for a few months so I took you to the local park to make friends before you joined the school here." Alice told me walking in from the kitchen with a large cup of hot chocolate on a tray for everyone.
"That girl lives across here?" I asked? Alice nodded taking a quick sip from her mug.
"You had a crush on her ever since she first moved in. You said 'Auntie Alice! Auntie Alice! I think that girl is an angel!' and you came running over to me and grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the window. You watched her from that same window for hours. Finally I took you over to introduce ourselves and you became good friends. You were a little too playful but she didn't seem to mind." Alice told me. I felt slightly embarrassed and felt the flock burying their eyes into my head. I was silent for a while not knowing what to say. Alice went back into the kitchen to make soup and I started playing the next video.
'Dylan aged 8' Alice said on the tape just before it came into focus. It was christmas time and I was placing decorations on the christmas tree.
"Dyl smileee." Alice said in a funny voice and I gave the biggest and most strangest cheesy grin I had ever seen. Laughter filled the room from the flock and I blushed again. I was a funny little kid.
Christmas songs were playing and I began dancing to the beat holding Christmas tree beads around my neck as I did so. I began sneaking peeks out of the window making it more and more obvious that I was doing it.
"Alice! Look! There's that boy that Sandy likes!" I shouted and Alice came closer with the camera. She zoomed in on a boy wearing a furry red coat and a blue hat running into the house with Sandy. I saw the annoyance on my face as she laughed and giggled with him and Alice started laughing.
"If only you knew how funny your face looked right now!" Alice said bursting out laughing.
"This is no laughing matter!" I shouted very seriously with a massive frown on my face. The flock were suppressing their laughs as was I.
I finished decorating the tree and my face seemed to return to normal. Then the door bell rang and Alice placed the camera on the table facing the door and answered it. It was a woman with short brown hair wanting to know if Alice and I would go over for new years dinner. It was Sandy's mum. Alice agreed and I stod by the door with Alice.
"Will that guy be there?" I asked and they both laughed.
"Sandy's boyfriend and his family are coming too." She said gleefully.
"Yippeeee! The whole zoo for dinner!" I shouted jumping up and down. Alice couldn't help but laugh and Sandy's mum looked concerned.
"We will be there." Alice said before shutting the door.
"Dylan you naughty boy." Alice chuckled picking up the camera.
"So wha'?" I said like I had no cares or worries in the world. The flock were finding this hysterical. I'm surprised they didn't wake Max up with all our laughing. Alice finished off the tape by recording me packing away and cursing to myself about Sandy's boyfriend.
I was planning to play a few tricks at the dinner get together like putting itching powder on people when they are not looking so when they touch each other for a photo, they will start itching like crazy. Alice just shook her head and laughed. She didn't even try and stop me.
"Guys its getting late. Alice is going to show you to your rooms." Jeb said and the flock took their luggage and followed Alice upstairs. The second part of the tape came on and we were all sat down at the table. I was keeping a close on on some of the people, With no doubt I guess I was waiting for them to start itching. When some of them did Alice tried her best to hide a smile. I had also put fake flies in people's dinners and some of the older folks starting having panic attacks. I couldn't help but laugh. Jeb shook his head and walked away.
"Dylan did you do this?" Sandy asked me as everyone was leaving. I nodded, laughed and skipped merrily across to my house. Sandy looked as though she was about to cry. I felt bad after seeing what I had done but the younger me showed no remorse for what I had done. Alice didn't seem that bothered either.
Sandy's boyfriend gave me a strange look before getting into his families car. I blowed a kiss at him goodbye and watched as he became even more irritated. Alice ran inside, trying to hide her laughter from the crowd and I continued to skip merrily inside. Then the video went blank.
"Dylan are you coming?" Alice shouted from upstairs.
"Won't be a minute." I shouted back holding the next tape in my hand. These ones look different from the others. Dylan aged 12, 13 and 14 were in different coloured boxes with one label reading The Monsta club on the aged 12 and another label reading 'God Help His Soul' on the other. I had no clue what it meant but I figured it was probably something childish. Alice came down the stairs and saw the videos in my hands.
"You should leave those for another day." Alice spoke with something different in her voice. Almost like she was warning me. My curiosity got the better of me and wanted to know what was on the tapes but Alice made me leave them behind. For now.
"Whats wrong with them?" I asked as she showed me to my room.
"Well, there isn't really anything right with them. Boys will be boys you know." She said but I was still curious.
"What is wrong with them?" I asked her again and she sat down on my bed and sighed.
"When you became a teenager, you sort of changed. Not just outside but inside too. You became more of a hellion. You were a bit of a bully Dyl." She explained vaguely. I knew there was something she wasn't telling me. I pretended to leave it at that and once everyone was asleep I snuck back downstairs and put in the age 12 tape. 'The Monsta Club.'
Only when I did put it in, I realised Alice was right. What I saw on the tapes made me wish my curiousity never got the better of me...