6/2/2007

She ran as fast as her ten year old legs could carry her. He couldn't find her, because if he did then he would win. He would win, and she would lose. She'd never lost this game before. She had always won. Now, though, he was catching up to her, learning as he went, a better way to beat her. She was tiring fast, she couldn't keep going for long. Maybe he would give out before he found her, maybe she could out last him. She heard a twig snap a hundred yards behind her. He was close. He was getting closer.

Please, please move faster legs, move faster. He can't catch me, no he can't catch me. The young girl repeated those thoughts over and over in her head, pushing herself over the limit. She felt as if she was going to die. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen, her muscles were screaming in pain, her head was pounding from lack of blood, her thoughts were jumbled together, she couldn't put anything into a coherent thought, and so she didn't see the tree. She was going top speed, and hit the tree, head first.

I bolted into a sitting position in my bed. It was just a dream, Max, calm down, just a dream. Breathe girl, breathe. I took a deep breath and untangled myself from my covers. I switched my light on and headed for my bathroom to shower. The hot water washed the layer of sticky sweat off of my body, loosened my muscles and cleared my brain. That certain dream really drained me of all of my energy, even though I had been asleep. Okay, Max you're fine. I told myself when I stepped out of the shower. I headed over towards my bed, thinking. Just a dream, gonna be fine, not scared, perfectly fine...A knock on my bedroom door caused me to jump and let out a little 'Eep' in fright. Okay, so maybe I am still a little scared...Okay, fine that dream terrified me everytime.

"What do you want?" I asked the person on the other side of the door.

"Can I come in?" Oh, it was Fang.

"No, I'm in a towel." So of course, he opened the door, slid into my room, and shut the door behind him. He's such an aggravating bird-brain (no pun intended) sometimes.

"Like that's anything new." He smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes at him. His black hair was wet and hanging down in his eyes. So he had just gotten out of the shower too. He was dressed in a pair of torn blue jeans, a black t-shirt (no surprise there), and was holding the laptop. He placed his free hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.

"You okay? You look kinda stressed, and a little...scared." He looked genuinely concerned. I wanted to tell him about my dream, to just collapse in his arms and feel his hands run through my hair, feel his arms around me, to hear him comfort me with his deep, rich voice. Deep and rich, like chocolate. Okay...now I know there is something wrong with me. I just compared Fang to chocolate. It won't be long till I open my eyes and find myself encased in a straight jacket, locked in a padded room in the loony bin.

"I'm fine." I know. Oh so convincing Maximum Ride strikes again. Fang's smirk returned. It was one of those I-know-something-you-don't-know smirks. Very annoying.

"Okay then, sit." With that he pushed me hard enough to make me fall back and sit on the edge of my bed. I glared at him as he sat beside me on the bed and placed the laptop in my lap.

"I think I've figured the parent code out." I looked at him skeptically.

"What? I got bored and started typing in random stuff in Google. Well I was struck by a brilliant idea and typed in the "code" by Iggy's name and got the address of his parent's house, their names, and a picture of the house." I just continued to look at Fang like an idiot. He had done what???? Doesn't he know that if he finds the flock's parents that they will want to go home? Doesn't he know what that would do to me? Is he trying to kill me?

YOU NEED TO MOVE ON, MAX. Oh, by the way, I've still got the voice.

"Max? Are you sure you're okay? You look bad." Fang brushed my hair out of my face. I tore myself out of my thoughts and focused on trying to breathe, and not looking like I'm in extreme pain.

"I'm fine." There go my smooth convincing skills again.

"No you aren't. How about you take it easy today, just relax." Relax. He wants me to relax, when I know that he is fixing to go downstairs and tell the rest of the flock what he has discovered, and then they will leave me, leave me with five gaping holes in my person. I can't relax. He touched me again and I jumped, startled.

"That's it, Max, you're not doing anything today. Just sit and relax, everything is going to be fine." With that he picked up the laptop, left my room and I heard him talking to Angel and Nudge right outside my door. I couldn't understand what was being said, but I knew that whatever it was I wouldn't be able to do anything to get this off of my mind.

I guess I better tell you what's happened over the past month. It's been a month since the "accident" as the media calls it. The flock and I found Itex's secret stash of nuclear weapons, took them, dropped them in the ocean, returned and I let Gazzy and Iggy loose in Itex planting bombs that would go off simultaneously. Less than an hour later we were flying away from the second grand canyon covered in soot and ashes, and laughing our heads off at Gazzy's so-dumb-they're-funny jokes.

We had flown until we found a house that we liked. I won't tell you where it is because I'm paranoid like that, and someone evil might be reading this. We bought the house with the ever useful Maximum Ride card, and we've been here for about two weeks.