Flying Freedom (ON HOLD)

Chapter 39

As I run down the street I can't help but fear the worst. Did Catanya come? Are there reporters to see their wings? Are we all no longer normal? Are they taking us somewhere? DID SOMEONE DIE?!? Calm down, Dash, calm down. It's going to be okay. As I sprint the last 100 feet I skid to a stop. All around the school there are news busses parked. I guess I was right. I see my friends huddled in a corner, trying to back away but failing. Reporters surround them, shoving mics in their faces and screaming questions. I can see Flit's wings are in danger of escaping from her jacket and if they did it would be the end for us all. I scramble over to her and throw my arm around her shoulders. Smiling widely at the cameras I push down her wings and press mine flat against my back. In the haste here I forgot my jacket, so they are NOT seeing anything behind me. At all. The reporters rush forward, backing us all into the wall. My eyes widen and I feel my wings giving in to the pressure. No. This can't happen. I shove Unicity forward and while they all look at her I snap my wings open and shoot into the air. The cameras trail me and I make sure everyone else runs away before flying in the opposite direction and leading them away from our house. As I push higher into the air my wing gets a sharp pain before I remember I am not supposed to be flying. As the pain intensifies I finally have no choice but to pull it in. My one wing isn't enough to keep me lifted so I start plummeting to the ground. I close my eyes. I land in a pond near the middle of a local park. Sputtering, I slowly pull myself to the shore. Once I'm halfway out I collapse. I have no energy left, not even enough to fold my wings.

"Dash! DASH!!!" someone yells. I open my eyes for a second. As they focus I don't see any reporters nearby.

"Preston," I whisper. He looks down at me with concern and gives me a quick kiss on the forehead. I close my eyes and try not to faint as he picks me up bridal style and starts running. I don't know where, but I can only slightly feel the passing air and barely hear him.

"Hang on, Dash, we are almost there. Hold on! You're going to be okay!" He says. He must be doing it loudly but I can't understand anything he says after that. As I hear nearby pedestrians gasp I finally lose myself into a dark sleep.

-----
I'm floating in an ocean of shadows. As I look around, I see parts of my life flash around. They, too, are covered in the darkness that surrounds me. What does this mean? Am I dead? Maybe I should be - this place doesn't exist. Brighter pictures orbit around me, and in them I see some of the best times of my life. There's me scoring my first goal. Over there is me decorating my locker in 6th grade, and then me meeting Jackie for the first time. We became such good friends. Oh, there's Preston. One memory shines brighter than the rest - the day I got my wings. All of the memories involving my friends and the boys line up in front of me. No, I will not give up. I will keep fighting! I snap open my wings and suddenly everything goes white.