The Collectors

You Can Take It With You

For possibly the last time we did as Kane instructed and we ran. We tore through the apartment taking only what we needed and any sort of weapon we could find. I tore through my bedroom looking for the one thing I couldn't leave without. Sprinting around the corner I tore the sheets off the mattress and found it. The only picture of Rosie I had. It had been a gift from Levi a few days after I became an AOD, usually personal artifacts are frowned upon but it was the one thing I had that was a permanent, tangible item.

I could hear footsteps pounding down the hallway as a fist banged against the wall. "Come on, come on! We don't have much time! Grab what you need not what you want!" Levi's voice boomed. As I ran into the living room I watched as Birdie preyed up a loose floorboard and took out a switchblade. "Where in the hell did you get that?" I asked astonished. "You forget I'm always prepared." She flashed me one of her rare smiles and continued to shove various things into her bag. Luke was ransacking the bathroom taking any medical supplies we had which was limited too a few loose bandages and some rubbing alcohol. I grabbed the cash that Kane had left on the table and went after the small amount I had managed to save from pick pocketing my assignments. I knew it wasn't right, but you can't take it with you. I would know. All in all we only had about $300 but we had lived on less and this would have to do. Once everyone was assembled in the kitchen Kane took one last look at us. Grace was crying, he has been the closest thing she had had to a real dad, one that didn't make her tremble every time he spoke. "You need to get as far away as you can. Our last recorded record has us listed as being in the New York area. Get as far away as possible, understand? Under no circumstances can you ever return." Kane sighed deeply, "I love you all very much, trust no one." And with that the door to the apartment was blown open by what could only be described as a hurricane force wind. There was bright white light that hurt to look at directly I knew in an instant the Angels had come for us. "Run!" Kane screamed over the roar of the wind. Levi grabbed me around the waist and threw me out the open kitchen window. In the sudden shock I forgot to open my wings and I was plummeting faster and faster toward the cold pavement below. "Poppy!" Birdie screamed and I was snapped into reality unfolding my wings and gliding upwards a minutes before I would have been grounded into the concrete. I flew upwards and my ears began to pop at the sudden increase in speed. I could see the four of them hovering above me waiting I turned one last time to the window. There Kane stood, facing me, eyes wet with tears. I watched as the men forced Kane to unfold his wings. Once he did two rough hands grabbed them and tore them off. I screamed as Kane or what was left of Kane seemingly evaporated and the two men started towards the window, towards me. I flew upwards joining the others and we flew faster then we had ever had.