Waiting for Amber Skyy

Chapter 16

The first thing that confirmed that I wasn't dead was hearing a happy shriek far off, because I'm pretty sure death didn't include shrieks of joy. I peeled my eyes open to be welcomed by small particles of dust. I coughed and moved my hands up to rub my eyes. It was bright out, and by the sun it seemed to be about noon. What happened... Am I...?

Groaning, I pushed myself up into a sitting position and checked myself over. The scrapes from yesterday seemed to be practically healed, but the gashes on my legs and sides were still open a bit. I winced as I gently traced a finger around them. There was no way for me to bandage them up or anything, since the only sort of clothes I had barely covered me.

I heard another, really faint shriek and stared around, my heart instantly racing as I hoped I wasn't just dreaming this. Am I dreaming? I poked hard on one of the wounds and I let out a small squeal. I picked up handfuls of sand and blinked hard.

I wasn't dreaming.

I was free.

And I was alive.

I breathed out deeply, a smile rising on my face as I bent my head back to take in the sun's rays. The heat, the air, the sights and sounds, everything was real. I was out in the world, away from those insane freaks, and free to do as ever as I please.

But then my heart dropped when I realized that wasn't completely true.

Because of the wings.

The ears, the tail, the scales...

I was still a freak.

Hot tears formed in the corners of my eyes as I realized the situation I was in. I had just escaped from a place that experiments on kids and turns them into these animal hybrids for research or for weapons. It was because of them that I was stuck in this situation now. No home, no place to go except keep to the shadows because I was a mutated freak.

Maybe they're right, I should've just let them kill me...

Multiple shrieks erupted this time, but it sounded more like the air was carrying them. I couldn't help but look in the direction they were coming from. My vision was blurry despite my good eyesight, but I was for sure that I was hearing shrieks of joy. A breeze rolled through, making me rub my arms from the cold. Honestly, I wanted to just sit there and grumble all about my life, but I knew that was pointless. If I was going to stay strong and survive, I had to do something other than that. And these shrieks of joy in the middle of the desert made zero sense to me.

I shakily stood up and unfurled my wings a little bit to check the wounded part from yesterday. My eyes widened to see only a patch of mottled feathers around the bullet wound. It seemed to be completely fine, which was remarkable despite those scrapes from yesterday being gone. Maybe it has to do something with the mutations?

Whatever it was, I decided to file it in the back of my mind for now. I took a step, wincing from the soreness in my legs, but kept going towards the sounds I was hearing. I rubbed my neck and contemplated whether I should try flying yet or not. Probably not, I glanced at the injured wing. I had a feeling that these sounds were far off, since I couldn't see squat even with these eyes. But that also meant no flying. That's okay though, I should keep low anyways. I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds around me. At first all I could hear were small animals scurrying around nearby me: ants, a couple prairie dogs, a rattlesnake. Then I heard it, but it wasn't another scream of joy, it sounded like a car revving up. Am I near a town?

If that was the case, then I could get some food, and hopefully some clothes. But what about money? I racked my brain for ideas, but all of them seemed like bad ones. Those bad ones that include stealing and stuff. I didn't want to do that... but it seems like I have no other option.

I took a deep breath and continued in the general direction of the sounds. I decided not to run, since my legs still felt like jelly. Hopefully I can get at least some food...

𓆩 ────── 𓆪

It felt like I walked at least an hour, and the sun was beating down on me like it was the middle of summer. Sweat rolled down the sides of my face, and I started to drag my feet again. Will I ever reach this place? I prayed to myself before looking up and seeing a stretch of faded blue. Blue. The ocean. It had to be, because without thinking I ran towards it at full speed. It wasn't until I saw a huge van with a boat trailing it that I skidded to a stop and hid behind the nearest hill I found. Breathing heavily, I army-crawled my way to the top and peeked over.

This wasn't the ocean.

It was a lake.

People were littered about it; some were chilling on boats, some driving jet skis or water skiing behind them, others were diving into the water and coming up with squeals of joy. I watched the van I saw earlier back up the boat on its rear into the water. Men shouted at the driver, "That's good!" before unhitching the boat and pushing it into the water by hand. I was surprised there weren't a lot of people there. It felt like it was the dead of summer but everything looked dry and brown. The area around the lake was green with a few trees here and there, but still, it looked like an oasis was placed right in the middle of the desert. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

Nope. The squeals and water were all real. I couldn't believe it.

I squinted to see further down the lake's shoreline to see what looked like houses. Vacation houses. Empty vacation houses. My mouth was already watering at the thought of nabbing some food from them, but my gut instinct told me no and that stealing is wrong.

Would it still be stealing if I really really needed that stuff?

I told myself that it wouldn't.

I took a deep sigh and realized that I couldn't just waltz into a house though. First off, it was in the middle of the day and I am pretty sure that somebody would notice a girl in a hospital gown and wounds strolling out and about. Secondly, the houses probably have security alarms or something to keep the house safe. And these are vacation houses. How do I even know if they still have food in them? Wouldn't the food go bad if they did?

My stomach growled at me and I squeezed it with my fingers. No. I can't just escape from a top secret facility and just give up. I need to have a plan.

I glanced at the lake again and the scattered houses around it, feeling something click in my mind.

There. Now I've got a plan.