We Run

Chapter 6 - Abby

I pumped my wings even harder, trying to distract myself from the mess my life was. I couldn't even think about going on with out her. How could they do this? How could they take my baby from me? Who do they think they are?

But the most important question sent pangs of anger and sadness through me, every time it resurfaced in the mess of thoughts swirling around in my head. Why?

I veered to the left suddenly, catching a gust of wind under me. I went almost completely slack, letting the wind carry me a couple thousand feet before I began to descend. I circled around, landing roughly in a patch of grass. I laid Savana down, stifling a sob. WHY? I screamed inside, dropping to my knees. I reached over and shut her brown eyes, those vacant, staring eyes. Moving her into a position that looked somewhat natural, I curled up beside her, trying to tell myself that she was just sleeping. I pulled my knees up to my chest, and wrapped my arms around them, closing my eyes and rocking myself into a restless sleep.

*A FEW HOURS LATER*

I shot up, unfurling my wings and immediately taking up my battling stance, holding my fists up. I blinked the sleepiness out of my eyes, slowly focusing on a tall, lean figure standing a few feet away from me. As my vision cleared more and more, I made out the blue wings, the dark hair and eyes, the rough clothing.

"Zakk?" I asked hesitantly, my voice hoarse.

"Abby, what are you doing way out here?" His voice was strained with worry and grief, but it was his voice. I relaxed for a second, before all the memories rushed back to me.

"Oh, Zakk," I sobbed, stumbling into his arms. He stumbled backwards, obviously surprised. His worry was almost tangible in the air.

"Abby! What is going on?" He asked me frantically. I was too far gone for words at that point, though, and could only gesture towards Savana's unmoving body. "Yeah, Savana's still sleeping. Where did you find --" His words broke off, and I knew that he had noticed just why I had pointed to her. He slowly collapsed, falling to his knees, yet still somehow holding onto me in the process.

"No... No... It can't... No... Savana..." He couldn't put together a thought, and finally gave up, just clutching me and sobbing silently.

I couldn't tell you how long we sat there, holding each other, and drowning in our sorrows over our lost family member. I do remember pulling away from him eventually, though, and mumbling something about Tyler and how he should know. He helped my up, and gathered Savana in his arms. Together, we flew off into the distance towards the hotel.

*** A FEW HOURS LATER ***

I hovered just outside of the hotel window, hefting Savana's body into a better position. The flight back had given me some time to think, and even though I still felt like someone was dragging me over a bed of nails, I was past the initial shock. My haze of pain had cleared, and my personality was taking control. I didn't feel the need to cry, or to hope that this wasn't true. I knew that Savana was dead. Of course, just thinking about the future without her sent waves of despair and pain through me, threatening to rock me into a psychotic state from where I'd never return. But this change, this aprubt change in my life, and in my family's life, had brought me to this new understanding, this new level of maturity. I no longer felt as if I should go back in time and change what had happened. I now needed to change the future, and I was bloodthirsty.

I focused on the rickety window, staring at my warped reflection. My personal mask had fit itself back over my pained expression, and I pulled confidence from my serene appearance. I heard a cry from inside the room so filled with heartbreak, I faltered in my steady composure. I looked around my reflection into the window just in time to see Tyler bolting towards me. I swung back quickly as he threw the window open and flew towards me. Hurt and anger decorated his face.

"Why did you keep this from me? Why the hell would you wait in the middle of nowhere when you knew that I didn't know that she was DEAD?!" His voice shot up two octaves on his last word, and I flinched, clutching Savana closer to me. His eyes dropped to her body, and his expression of anger morphed into one of pure pain. He flew closer to me, reaching over and running his fingers through a strand of her hair. A few tears streaked down his face, and I reached over to wipe them off. He flinched back, a wary look guarding his eyes. I sighed and flew around him into the hotel, making sure to give him a wide berth. Zakk followed me in.

"He'll get over it. We have bigger things to worry about than his pride," he said, watching me closely as I laid Savana down and wrapped her up in a bed sheet. I crossed her arms over each side of her body, wrapping the cloth around her as tightly as I could. I reached over and yanked the cords off the blinds that were attached to the window, extending them and tying them around her. I hefted her back into my arms and turned back towards Zakk.

"You're right, we do. But it was wrong of us, of me, to not include him. But we can change that, we can include him now." I said, and even I could hear the hint of something crazy lacing my words.

"How? We can't go back in time and change what happened, or what we did because of it." He was looking at me like I was crazy.

I felt a smile creep across my face. It wasn't a sweet smile, like I was remembering a dear memory with Savana. No, I was thinking of something entirely different, and my twisted, cruel smile reflected that.

"We can't change the past, but we can change the future. And that, Zakk, is exactly what we're going to do."