Chapter 7

I ran down the hall, arms pumping by my sides, heart racing. I rounded a corner and- WHAP! I was down. The last thing I remember was somebody leaning over me saying something about crap.

I woke up later and the first thing that I noticed was a low moan. I shot up to see that I was on a bed, behind a curtain. I was definitely not at The School anymore. I got out of the bed and pulled the curtain back slowly.

I looked out and saw Jenna on a table. Next to her was a woman with something metal in her hands. Something else about her caught my attention. She was wearing a white coat.

I must still be in the school! Worse still, I may be in the torture chamber with Jenna! The moaning then turned to screaming as the Whitecoat jabbed something into Jenna. Neither of them noticed me. Yet.

Hoping that they would remain oblivious, I crept up behind the woman. I didn't want to make her fall over on to Jenna, so I had to time it right. I waited until she went over to a sink, then jumped on her back.

"Let her go! Let her go!" I screamed at her as I choked the life from her.

"Krissy, no!" I heard Jenna screech from behind me. "She wants to help!" She stopped suddenly as another wild spasm of pain ripped through her.

I looked at her in bewilderment as the Whitecoat threw me off her back. I just sat there looking from Jenna to the Whitecoat to Jenna to...

"Please! This is a doctors office, could we try to maintain a little order here?" The Whitecoat asked, still trying to catch her breath.

"A doctor's office?" I said, completely confused. "So... we aren't at The School?"

"No, your not. Jenna here carried you out. Then stole a car. Then crashed into a gas station. Finally, she came here. I'm glad she did. Your wing is busted up pretty bad."

"My wing?" I said in a tight, squeaky voice.

"Yes, your wing. Looks like it was torn. Probably by Erasers." she said.

"So you are a Whitecoat. You do work for The School." I said, slowly backing away.

"No, I don't." She said, moving her hands in a "calm down" gesture. "Jenna told me about The School and you guys and Erasers. But even if she didn't, I've met someone like you before."

"You have?" I asked as she helped me from the floor.

"Yes. She helped my daughter. Anyway, I already know your names, so it's only fair that you know mine. I'm Audrey Martinez. And I'm actually not a doctor, I'm a vet."

"Well, it fits. You being a vet and all." I said with a chuckle.

"Yes I suppose it does. Anyway, you should come back to my house with me. You need some rest. And Ella will be unbelievably happy to meet you."

"Really? I figured anyone who got to know the real me would run away screaming." We both started laughing at that as we went to her car. "So where's Jenna staying?"

"I'm sending her home with another vet. A good friend of mine. He has more medical supplies at his house and more training in how to use them. He'll take good care of her. I promise."

We drove for what seemed like forever. Turns out it was only 30 minutes or so. When we got there, there was a girl outside the house. She looked very excited, like 5 year olds look when they're getting a new puppy.

"That's my daughter, Ella." Audrey said as she turned off the car and got out. "She's 12. You and her could be good friends. Max stopped by at my house for help too. She has wings like yours, and also comes from The School. Do you know her?"

"I've heard of her, but we've never met." I said shortly as I closed my door.

"You must be Krissy!" Ella shouted as she ran up and hugged me. "Are you hurt bad?"

"Not too bad. I'll live. I could use some sleep though."

"I'll go make a bed and get some clean clothes for you." She said as she ran up the stairs.

"Fun kid. Is your husband still at work?"

"No, my husband died six years ago in a car accident." She said as she closed her eyes, trying to shut out the memories. "It's surprising that Ella has gotten over it. She was only 5 at the time. Having your Father die right before your eyes, a month before your sixth birthday does things to you."

"I can relate a little bit. I've never had parents. Or at least, if I did I didn't know it." I said as we walked into the house.

We got inside and sat at the dining room table. We just sat there looking at each other awkwardly until Ella came downstairs with a set of clean clothes and shoes.

"Thanks Ella. And you too Audrey. I don't know what I'd have done without you guys." I said

"Don't mention it." Audrey said very politely.

"I can't stay here long. You know that right?" I asked sadly.

"We know. It's too dangerous for all of us." She stated. She really knew what she was talking about. "You leave whenever you need to. Oh, and if you see anyone else escape The School, send 'em here."

"Will do." I replied as I walked up the stairs. Once I got to the room Ella prepared for me, I saw a nicely made bed with fresh sheets and pillow cases. I didn't even get under the blankets. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Chapter 8

Ugh…….What tastes so nasty? ...............Where am I? .........Ugh………Ugh……"AAAA!!"

I finally woke up, disoriented and confused. I was at Ella's house, that nasty taste was my drool, and I was disoriented because I had just slept on a mattress for the first time in my life. It was unbelievably comfortable.

Anyway, I got up and put on the clothes and shoes Ella had left me, and began to walk down the stairs. As I stepped off the last stair I heard glass shatter in the kitchen followed by an "Aw, crap."

I walked in to find a glass measuring cup on the floor in so many pieces I couldn't find them all with two hands and a vacuum.

"Ella, could you get a broom please?" Audrey yelled.

"Had a little accident, huh?" I asked jokingly as I glided over the floor to the table.

I glanced out the window to find it foggy and dark. You couldn't see across the street unless you threw a freaking flare.

I jolted when I heard more glass break in the kitchen. I got up to see what Audrey had dropped now to find two windows busted.

"What the…"

I then looked down to see two disks about the size of portable CD players on the floor.

They had blinking red lights in them.

"RUN!" I screamed at Audrey at Ella. "HIDE! NOW!!!"

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM

I don't know what happened, but suddenly I was on my back with drywall and 2x4s on top of me. I managed to get up in time to see someone who scared the bajesus outta me. He stood only 6 feet, and had a build that you'd expect on a 16 year old boy; but you could tell just from the eerie vibes he put off that he was evil.

He had black wings with a gentle tone of white on the tips of his feathers. The wingspan was only about 9 feet across, so they had to be very strong. He may be the next stage of wing mutation.

He had a sniper rifle across his back that even I knew was a Barret Model 50 caliber sniper rifle. He also had more of those disk bombs in his belt, accompanied by several HE grenades. But the most stunning of his features were the two wickedly curved blades coming out of either wrist.

I looked to my left and quickly examined the remains of the house. The entire back wall was gone, along with the kitchen and most of the dining room. The stairs had caved in, which also collapsed two bedrooms and the main bathroom upstairs. There was drywall everywhere, and on everything. Beams and boards and even chunks of concrete littered the floor.

"I am The Black Raider." Called the mystery winged person. I turned my attention to him. "I am of the Solarian Hunter group. You are my prey. You have two seconds to come out peacefully before I kill you and this family. Your choice, rebel. Live, or die."

His dark voice was like something that crawled up from the farthest reaches of hell. It scared me to death and I froze.

"1…"

I couldn't let him kill Ella and Audrey, but I was sick of surrendering.

"2…"

To hell with it. I'm just gonna go for it. I'd be better off dead than trapped at The School.

"AAAAAAAA!!!!" I took off and flew towards The Black Raider at top speed, bloodlust coursing though my veins. His facial expression didn't even change. He took out his sniper rifle and aimed it at my head.

"Wrong choice."

Chapter 9

I charged toward him at top speed while he tried to put a bullet in my skull. I knew there was no way to dodge a bullet, so I had to improvise. I stuck out my hand and felt energy flow from me. I zapped the gun, which happened to be made of metal, that he happened to be holding at the time. So he got shocked with 500 volts, a mild blast for me.

"ARHG!!" He screamed in a mix of pain and surprise. I was just about to reach him when I saw something I never thought I'd see. The shadows began to grow. They engulfed Black Raider and dragged him to the ground. I heard a voice in the distance that said "Run! Get away!". So I did.

I flew into the trees then dropped to the ground and ran for 15 minutes or so. It may not seem like a lot to you, but because of my legs I covered 5 miles or more.

Finally I came to rest on a large rock, convinced that I'd left that Black Raider guy in the dust. Oh, no. What if Ella and her mom never got away? What if Black Raider had gotten them? What if they were killed in the initial blast? If they were smart (and I knew they were) they would've gone for the Ford Explorer in the driveway.

"That guy really wanted you dead, huh?" Came a voice from behind me. I turned to see who it was, but there was nobody. Just trees, echoes, and shadows. Wait a minute…

Shadows…

"Who are you?" I asked; trying to sound tough, but probably sounding like a scared little girl.

"I could ask you the same thing. Who are you? Why was that hunter after you? And more importantly, where's the other one?" The shadows asked in a voice as creepy as Black Raiders.

"I'm not answering any questions until I see you." I said.

"Fine. You want to see me? Here I am." Came the response.

I expected him to walk out from behind a tree, but he didn't. I looked around wondering were he was until I noticed movement in front of me.

It was the shadows. They were just…receding. While drawing back they revealed someone. He looked human (about as human as I am), he was wearing dark blue jeans and a very new looking black leather jacket. He stood about 5'9", had black hair, a stocky build, and red wings with black streaks down them. All in all, not a bad looking guy. Too bad he scared the living daylights out of me.

"So who are you?" I asked fearfully.

"My name is Deaths Shadow. And I'm asking the questions now. Shut up unless you want to get smacked so hard you barf up teeth." He said with a cold malice that made me believe he was telling the truth. "Who are you?"

"My name is Krissy."

"Who were those people you were with?"

"That was the Martinez family."

"Why were you with them?"

"I was hurt. They were taking care of me." I said, showing him my wing.

"Where is the other hunter?"

"What other hunter?"

"There are 2 hunters!" He exploded. "Where is the other one?!"

"All I've seen was that one." I said; starting to choke up, close to tears. "Now please, we have to go back for the Martinez's."

"No, we can't. Cops are everywhere. They think the explosion was caused by a gas leak."

"Then you were there. You saw the aftermath. Did Ella and her mom get away?" I asked hopefully.

I saw a black SUV drive away from that area, but I didn't see from which house or who was in it."

"It was them." I told him. I knew it was. No one else lived near here. Her only neighbors were a few hundred yards away on one side, and they didn't own an SUV.

"We should probably get out of here. Cops are gonna search the forest to see if it was an arson with a Molotov Cocktail." He said with at least a little compassion in his voice.

We lifted off and headed north with no conversation the whole way. One thought remained in my head though. He said there were two hunters. I had only seen one. What if the other went for Jenna?

Chapter 10

Jenna

"Wake up……wake up Jenna……the morphine has you…wake up…"

"Oh God! Where am I?!" I started to scream and thrash, but restraints were holding me down. "What's going on?!"

"Jenna! Jenna! Calm down! It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you."

I finally came to my senses to look over and see Dionte Paulsen looking down at me. He had a very warm, kind face and meant me absolutely no harm. Although I didn't need proof (no greater proof than what they are actually thinking) he stuck out a piece of paper with a note on it.

'Dionte, this girl was badly hurt helping her friend. Do not call the police, do not take her to a hospital. Care for her to the best of your abilities, and I will be there to pick her up in a few days.
Dr M
P.S. Her name is Jenna.'

I looked up from the note to see his kind face again. He had begun undoing my restraints. He was a kind old black man, who looked about 40. He was bald, had thin-framed circular glasses, and a smile that could put a bulldozer out of a job.

I began to look around the room to find floral wall paper, white whicker furniture, doctor supplies, and the bed I was laying on. The restraints were actually just a couple of belts wrapped around me and the mattress. I looked over and saw a digital clock in the corner that read 8:14. That would explain why it was dark outside.

Everything in the room was pretty but me. I looked like a sewer worker bred with a nuclear power plant worker, and their child barfed me up. I looked over at the doctor again. He was still smiling, but he looked…troubled. Like he knew something that disturbed him.

Lets take a look and see why he's concerned. I thought as I began to dig through his subconscious.

iThere has to be a way to get more. Maybe that hospital in Quartzite has some I could get my hands on…no, that would never work. She's going to die of blood loss and there's nothing I can do about it.i/ He thought with a sudden pang of sadness.

"I'm going to die?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

He looked surprised at the way I said it, but managed to dig up a natural pre-recorded doctor response. "No, your going to be just fine. Everything's going to be okay." He said with a longing in his heart for it to be true.

"I'm going to die! I read your thoughts! You know I'm going to die!" I yelled at him, completely frustrated. "You can't fool a mutant with mind reading powers."

His head dropped. He knew he was beat.

"There isn't anything I can do. You lost too much blood, and I can't get any hospitals to give you any unless you go to the hospital directly. But Dr. Martinez said not to take you to a hospital under any circumstances. I don't think you'll last the night." He said sadly. "I've called Dr. Martinez, but it says her phone was disconnected."

"I wonder if I'll go to heaven." I blurted for no reason. I guess when you know your going to die, you just start saying what's on your mind.

"I surely hope s-"

"I wonder if I'll be able to read Gods thoughts."

"How about the thoughts of a Demon?" rang a shrill voice from the window.

Suddenly, something hard and cold dropped into my lap. I looked down to see a hand grenade missing its pin.

"Goodbye, Jenna." called the voice from the window.

It was the last thing I ever heard.