I. AM. BACK.
I had a major Hunger Games moment in this chapter, if you've read those books, you know what I'm talking about.
Sorry for the shortness.
Review and enjoy!
My EXTRA SPECIAL SUPER SPARKLY THANKS TO……………………..*drum roll* emotionalpoemgirl, for telling my reviewers that I was gonna be gone for a while! Thanks a million, you rock!
She held her fingers perfectly over the trigger of the gun.
The weapon she'd vowed never to use unless it was to save her own life.
It was to end someone else's instead.
"Alright Max. Shoot." At the end of the tunnel was a little girl. 9 or 10 at best. Atop her head were some pointed ears, orange and black stripes racing up her arms. Her eyes were a fierce amber and her nails were claws. Her canine teeth resembled fangs. The name she gave herself was Bryanna. But the scientists just called her Experiment 53B. Max's mouth twitched. This young girl just made her want to smile. Too bad she was slated for termination. Her expression wasn't one of submission, it was one of defiance.
"Max. Now." She looked at the tiger-girl. Her finger twitched on the trigger. And as the girl raised two clawed fingers, memories came crashing down on Max.
One year and some months earlier, the Flock was on the run. They were captured, tested, tortured, and brought to the brink of death. Still, they resisted.
So the scientists decided to take their real memories, and remake them into the obedient subjects they were created to be. And as they struggled, every member of the Flock knew it wouldn't help. They had a sign. Every experiment in the School used this, to show love, respect, admiration, a final goodbye. A raised two fingers, to the forehead, lips, and heart. Fang was the first, max the last. And even as her family stared blankly at her hand gestures, she vowed she'd get them back. Max's memories were given back. For no other reason than that there were far too many sadistic people in the world.
Now, Bryanna used that same gesture.
Two fingers.
To the forehead.
The lips.
The heart.
Her eyes didn't plead, they dared. It was then that max knew she would not kill that girl. She willed the girl to understand with her eyes.
Run, Bryanna. Fast.
Max concentrated, ignoring the screeching of the scientists. Small flames reached the sprinklers and light fixtures. The room was doused in darkness and water, and max had never before felt so much like she was drowning. In what, she didn't even know. She could just make out the shape of a small person darting out the door. Before she ran herself, a small smile made its way onto her face.
She knew who she was now.
And she knew what she had to do.
She ran like never before, and down every hallway she traversed, water and darkness hit like a hammer. Sirens again. More voices. Screams. It was like music to max's ears. She smirked.
"I aim to misbehave."
One by one, she reached the Flock's rooms. She grabbed them all and ignored their questions. Maybe it was luck, maybe it was fate, and maybe they had a little extra help from a certain tiger, but they met no one along the way.
Through the White Hall.
The curses of her name had turned to incredulous whispers.
"Max is back." Over and over again, from every mouth. Repeated in wonder and awe. Accompanied by hope. As they reached a door, once forbidden, technically still now, Max turned.
As it rained inside, it rained out. The door was open. Max said one thing to all the eyes staring back at her. A flash of lightening for one moment, illuminated from behind her and her Flock.
"I will come back for you, I promise."
A gesture of her hands was made. And in the almost dark, you could just make out the forms of things, feline, lupine, cat dog and bird alike, return it. Eyes glinting(in what could have been anything, but seemed like- amazement), two fingers raised, a gentile touch.
To the forehead.
The lips.
And the heart.