Set & Release

Chapter Two

My heart hammered loudly in my chest as the ground rushed up to meet my face.

I was suddenly wrenched upward and my back slammed against something solid. I gasped in pain as iron hard arms wrapped tightly around my chest and abdomen. The beasts claws pressed against my shirt and lightly scratched against my skin.

"Melanie!" My father screamed.

I yelled for him as the beast lifted me higher into the sky. A bullet whizzed past my head.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" My father was yelling.

I kicked and struggled, the back of my head smashed into the beast's chin. It growled low in my ear which raised all the hair on my body. It's hot breath blew down the back of my neck and ruffled my hair. I clawed at its arms, leaving scratches up and down its skin. The beast pressed its claws against my skin in warning, and I froze.

The wind whipped my hair as the beast's wings carried us higher into the sky.

Oh God, I thought, it's going to drop me.

I started to panic and clung to the beast's arms around my waist.

"Please don't drop me, please don't drop me..." I chanted over and over.

The beast snorted and pulled me tighter to it's chest.

I watched in horror as my town shrunk to a small dot. The flames from the bar still reached towards the sky. I could faintly hear the shots firing out into the night.

A shadow hovered above us, and I screamed.

Another beast was flying over us, it's black eyes watched me intently. I choked on another scream as more winged beasts joined it. I was relieved to see that the beasts had left my town, but my relief was short lived as the beasts soared over the ocean. The moon was full enough to cast a shimmer over the surface of the water and to illuminate the beasts.

There had to be dozens of them. The one closest to my right appeared exhausted. It teattered and bobbed in the sky. It's wings were shaking and its skin glistened with sweat. It suddenly looked up at me and I gasped, just as the beast plummeted out of the sky and twirled down to the ground.

The beast's eyes had been human.

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I woke with a start.

My head was pillowed on something soft. I looked down at the perfectly folded shirt.

Something stirred to my right.

I held back a scream as one of the beast's wings stretched towards me. The black feathers ruffled slightly before settling down. I took a look at my surroundings.

We weren't close to home.

The mountains were the opposite to the ones I could see from by bedroom window. I briefly wondered how long I had been asleep. The sun was beginning to rise in the distance, creating enough light to see the beasts.

Although, they didn't look like beasts now that they were sleeping. I studied the one that had carried me. The black veins had disappeared from his face. He looked troubled even in his sleep. His brows were furrowed and his wings twitched restlessly. My eyes followed the path from his messy black hair to his back. The wings appeared to grow out from his shoulder blades. The skin around it was slightly red and irritated. His hand suddenly stretched towards me. I leaned away as his hand remained suspended and then slowly dropped to the ground.

Fingers, I realized.

Where the claws had been, were now human hands with rounded fingernails. A quick check at his feet revielled the same thing. Human feet. He looked entirely human except for the black wings. My eyes travelled back up to his face.

Beautiful, I thought.

I nearly slapped myself at the thought. This was a murderous creature! One who had killed my friends and destroyed my town. I rose in disgust at myself and at the thing at my feet.

I quickly tiptoed around the sleeping bodies and towards the edge of the forest. Now that I knew they couldn't fly though the trees, I had the upper hand.

As soon as I reached the tree line, I ran. I ran faster than I had ever tried before. My legs ached and my lungs burned but I continued straight through. I had no idea where I was going but anything was better than here.

It wasn't until I had grown numb from running did I realize that something wasn't right. The crickets and the frogs had ceased all sound. I hesitantly continued on but then I could feel something watching me. I slowed to a walk and searched the trees. A twig snapped under my boot loud enough to make me jump.

"Where are you going?"

I screamed and spun around. I root wrapped around my ankle and I landed hard in the dirt. I shakily stood and faced the thing that had carried me away from my home.

"Don't!" He warned just as I took off in the opposite direction.

I leapt over logs and dodged trees. I could hear him racing parallel to me. I made a quick left away from him. He continued to keep pace with me. It wasn't until I was ten feet away did I realize what he was doing. He was herding me back to the clearing.

Arms suddenly dragged m to a halt, and I found myself looking up into a tired face. Arms of steel were wrapped under my knees and the other under my back. The beast/ man thing carried me back to the clearing as if I weighed nothing.

I struggled and thrashed and only made myself tired. I panted from the ordeal and finally went limp in his arms.

He quickly looked down at me with an expression that I couldn't name.

"If you're going to eat me, please hurry up." I tried to be brave but as soon as I said it, I feared that they would literally eat me.

His face broke into a smile and I could only stare. He really was beautiful, even more so when he smiled. I scowled and looked away, this only made him laugh.

We entered the clearing, and I was disappointed to see all the beasts were awake and stretching.

They barely looked up, as if having a human being carried back was usual, but then again, I guess it could be.

They all looked depressed. Some sobbed openly while others stared on with empty eyes. All human eyes. I began to wonder if I had just imagined them with black eyes. I looked up at my the beast who carried me. He stared out with a look of pain and guilt. It tore at me to see anyone this upset. I reached up to touch his cheek but dropped it at last second.

I noticed a few women and girls my age with black wings. One was heaving with sobs while another comforted her.

"I can't keep doing this! I won't!" She cried.

I shuddered at the hopeless look on her face.

When the beast put me down gently, I didn't run. My father had always said that my curiousity would be my biggest fault. Maybe he was right, but I was going to stay for a bit to find out.