Hey guys! I'm back from the beach. I don't have much of a tan though. Just my face and arms. But I saw dolphins, a shark, some stingrays, a jellyfish, and a hermit crab. It was a pretty good week I suppose. I missed writing though. I got your reviews and I just want to thank you all so much. You have no idea how much that meant to me. You are all totally awesome. Well, I have a little bit of bad news. My good buddy Talon666 might not be able to post anymore chapters on his two amazing stories, 'NeoFlock' and 'Deadline', because his computer is messed up. I love his stories and I hope everything turns out ok. Maybe some reviews will cheer him up. Oh, and I just got an idea. Seeing as how I can't draw myself out of a brown paper bag, could you all draw some characters for me? You can draw any of the characters I made up or maybe a scene from one of my stories. The drawings can either be from 'With Wings Wide Open' or 'In the Blink of an Eye'. I'll post my favorite ones on my profile at the end of the summer. How does that sound? Winners get special recognition from me and I will start telling people to read your stories in these notes. Well, that's pretty much all I had to say on those subjects. Oh, wait. I might not be posting any chapters through the month of August. This will be due to band camp. This year we have to step up big time. I have to practice more than I did last year. You see, my schedule will be pretty wacky. Every week day for the first three weeks of August I have marching band practice from 8-12. Some days I have to stay until 2 for music rehearsal. I promise I will try my hardest to post new chapters during that time, but it'll be sort of difficult. I will try though, I really will. Anyway, I think you all have waited long enough for this chapter, so here you go. Hope you enjoy.
"So go through this one more time." Skye told me, grabbing three sandwiches out of the mini fridge and tossing one at me and one at Jewel.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I opened my sandwich and took out the slice of tomato. The plan was the most simple thing in the world. How did he not understand it? I sighed heavily and began again. "Okay, here it is one more time. We are on the seventh floor. There are more rooms for the other experiments on the sixth and fifth floors. On the fourth floor is a fire escape at the end of the hall. Why aren't there fire escapes on the seventh, sixth, and fifth floors is a mystery to me."
"Probably 'cause they don't want us to get out of here." Skye muttered sarcastically.
I gave him an annoyed look and continued. "Anyway, there aren't any cameras on those three floors except in the doorways of the rooms. But, there are cameras on the fourth floor. Hopefully we'll be out before they notice."
"But that's three floors." Skye said. He was really starting to get on my nerves.
I looked surprised and clapped my hands. "Ooh very good Skye. You can count."
"Shut up." he said. "My point is, Princess, how will they not notice if they have us on camera?"
"Because we can run faster than normal humans. We'll be out of here before they can get on the elevator to get up there. Duh." I ignored the 'Princess' comment. Sexist jerk.
Jewel sighed heavily. I had almost forgotten she was in the room. I looked over to the top bunk and saw her braiding her long hair, looking extremely annoyed with me and Skye.
"Okay, so what happens after we get out of here?" he asked, tossing the little plastic baggie away in the garbage. He brushed the crumbs off his shirt and sat back down in his hammock.
"Well, I was thinking we'd spend a night in the woods so I can teach you guys some survival stuff and then I'd go home later in the day. Then you guys would be on your own." I tossed my baggie, with the tomato inside, in the trash can.
"Oh, how kind of you." Skye said sarcastically. "Look Princess we don't need your help. So thanks, but no thanks."
"Oh, so you don't need me hmm?" I asked. "So, you know how to start a fire with nothing but two sticks and some kindling? You know CPR and other first aid stuff? If Jewel should break her leg then you'd know what to do? You can hunt food?" I stopped and folded my arms.
Skye looked flabbergasted, like he couldn't believe I could do all of that stuff. "No, but we still don't need you."
"I don't care if you don't think you need me 'cause you do." I wasn't going to leave them until I was sure Skye could handle taking care of Jewel if anything bad should happen.
That was when Skye and I got into a shouting match. He started yelling at me about being able to take care of Jewel just fine. I shouted at him that there was no way he could take care of Jewel if they froze to death without a fire.
We kept arguing until Jewel finally shouted, "Knock it off!".
We stopped fighting and turned to stare at her. I'd never heard her shout before and, apparently, neither had Skye. She was giving us a death glare that would even have given Max the chills.
"I hate you guys fighting all of the time. Skye, Mel's right. We do need her to help. You guys haven't gotten along since you met each other. We only have a couple days left to be together. Then Mel's going home." She began to get all misty eyed and I had to look at the floor, feeling ashamed.
"Sorry Jewel." Skye muttered quietly.
"Yeah Jewel. I'm really sorry too. You're right." I said, looking back up at her. I, like my mother and uncle, didn't like to admit that I was wrong, but when I was, I would admit it.
"It's okay." she said, giving a little smile to reassure us. "It's just that I hate seeing you fight when you obviously…never mind." she said, sitting up straighter. She had a look on her face that Angel did whenever she almost let something slip. It had me confused and Skye too, judging from the expression on his face.
"Riiight." I said, drawing the word out. "Well, we better get out of here."
Jewel nodded and climbed off the bed., Skye flipped off the light, and I carefully pulled open the door. I looked up and down the hallway and gave them a thumbs up. The coast was clear.
We slipped out of the room and I softly shut the door. I put my finger to my lips and we began tip toeing down the hall.
My heart was pounding. I was silently praying that we wouldn't be caught because if we were, then we would be worse than dead.
We carefully made it down the stairs and onto the sixth floor. So far, so good. We made it to the end of the hall and walked down the stairs again. Fifth floor.
"We have to be really careful." Jewel whispered to me. "Tanner, Willow, and Flint live on this floor." She had a horrified look on her face.
I put my finger to my lips and nodded. I knew they lived on this floor, right in the middle of the hall. We silently crept down the hall, holding our breaths. We made it past Tanner's door.
Unfortunately, that's as far as we made it before being caught. I had turned my head to look at the door, making sure we hadn't disturbed them, when I bumped into Skye, causing him to fall.
We laid on the floor for a second, trying not to breath, before we decided no one heard us and got up. I couldn't believe we had gotten out of that one.
But, after we took two steps, Jewel sneezed and the door flew open. Tanner looked livid as he stared at us for a few seconds. We didn't move a muscle. He stuck his hand in his room and a siren went off.
"We have an escape on our hands!" Tanner shouted into the room.
"THIS AREA IS ON LOCKDOWN!" The security system blared.
I heard snapping as all the doors locked simultaneously. We were in trouble now.
I turned to Jewel who looked so upset. "Sorry Mel." she said, but I barely heard her over the noise.
I was panicking. What was I going to do? I heard whitecoats thundering up the stairs. I turned my head from Skye to Jewel to Tanner.
Keep it together Mel. I told myself. WWMD: What Would Max Do? And then an idea hit me.
"Don't just stand there!" I shouted to Jewel and Skye. "Run! Head for the stairs! We can still make it!"
I bolted and they followed right behind me. We made it to the stairwell before I heard Tanner shout, "Come on you idiots! They're getting away!".
"Hurry!" I yelled as I took the stairs two at a time. Jewel followed me, but Skye jumped from the banister and landed on the next floor.
"Crap! The door's locked!" he shouted as I came up behind him.
"We have to ram it down." I said, thinking quickly. I heard ter Borcht shout from upstairs "Well which way did they go?".
"Ram it down?" Skye asked incredulously. "With what?"
I mentally slapped myself. "Never mind. I have another idea." I said, digging into my pocket.
Jewel looked at me horror stricken. "They're almost here."
I pulled out a bobby pin. "Perfect." I breathed. My dad was a master lock picker and had passed his talent down to me. I stuck the bobby pin in the door, trying to jimmy the lock as fast as I could.
"What're you doing?" Skye asked me.
I turned my head towards him. "I'm trying to save our butts by picking this lock. Now, if you don't mind, shut up!" I am usually a pretty calm person, but Skye wasn't helping ease the pressure I was under.
I turned back to the lock, my heart beating faster as I heard ter Borcht run down the hall.
I almost had the lock when Jewel shrieked. "Mel! Hurry!"
"I found them!" I heard Willow shout from above just as I heard the lock click.
"Got it!" I yelled, throwing open the door. I bolted through, Jewel and Skye right on my heels with Willow and ter Borcht on theirs.
I ran as fast as I could for the fire escape. I could see the huge red door with red lights glowing above it.
"Faster Jewel!" I heard Skye yell from directly behind me.
I turned my head to see Jewel way behind us with Willow closing in on her. That's when I did something Max would've done, something that would either turn out to be the most heroic thing anyone had ever seen, or the most bone headed move that put everyone's lives in jeopardy. I ran as fast as I could towards Jewel, risking my freedom, risking ever going home, and possibly risking my life.
Skye kept going straight for the door. I couldn't believe it. He was just going to leave me and Jewel. As I took Jewel's hand and turned around, I heard Skye wrench open the door and used every ounce of energy in me to run as fast as I could, dragging Jewel with me. There was no way he was leaving us.
"Come on!" he shouted, waving his arms at the now open door.
Wait. What? I thought he was leaving us, but he was actually helping. I was thunderstruck. I truly didn't give Skye enough credit.
"Hurry up Princess! This is no time for your slow running!" And then again…
"Slow my butt!" I shouted, turning on the speed. I felt someone make a grab at my wings and Jewel shrieked. I ran faster. My heart was pumping fast and my lungs screamed for oxygen. My legs ached, wanting to slow down, but I had to keep going. There was no way they were getting me.
We made it to the door and I shoved Jewel through the doorway. "Go!" I shouted at her. "Start flying!"
She nodded and jumped out of the door, unfurling her wings. "What about you?" she asked, frightened.
"Go!" I yelled. She jetted higher in the air, still looking scared, but not questioning me.
I turned to Skye. If this had been a movie, this would've been the part where I told him I loved him, he admitted he loved me too, and he kissed me. Then I'd shove him out the door and he'd say something mushy like, "I can't leave without you." and I'd make him and then get captured.
But this wasn't a movie, so he just jumped out of the door without saying a word to me and flew after Jewel.
I turned around and saw ter Borcht, right on top of me. He made a grab for me, but I fell backwards out of the doorway. I heard him curse and started flapping my wings. I pulled up as hard as I could and made it to where Jewel and Skye were hovering.
I looked down at the door and saw ter Borcht shouting at Tanner and Willow. I couldn't help but laugh. Jewel started in too, but Skye just stared at them hatefully.
"Why aren't Tanner and Willow flying out of there and coming after us?" he asked.
I shrugged and started flying straight ahead. Jewel fell in behind me and Skye flew below us.
"Maybe the whitecoats don't want them too because they think they won't come back. Maybe they think they'll help us." Jewel said.
I couldn't help thinking that it was something entirely different, but I didn't want to say anything. Besides, I didn't know what else it could be nor did I want to find out.
I adjusted my direction a hair and then kept going straight. Home was just a day and a few hours away. I took in a deep breath, sucking in the fresh air, the freedom. It tasted just as sweet as I dreamed.
Well, was that escape up to my amazing standards? I hope so, 'cause I worked really hard on that chapter. I'd been thinking on how to do this chapter since I started the story really. Okay, well I should have another chapter up by next Wednesday. Read and review and please check out my friend Talon666's stories. Please guys. Well, updating in a week. Catch ya'll later.
