I, I was back on Earth? Why? I seemed to be in my house alone then I heard a very familiar voice, one of the last ones I heard. "Quinn's been scared to death, Matt told me she hasn't eaten since you, well, died, I guess," the voice said, "Max? Why am I here? Why am I back?" I asked him, it hurt to move. "Questions are for later, right now we better keep working on that wound, that was an idiot and a brave move," Max said pulling up a chair next to the bed, "listen, I know I'm not your brother or a brother-like figure, but now I feel it's possibly my job to protect you," max told me.
"You don't have to protect me, I'm fine," I said sitting up, but I had to grit my teeth to do it. "Lay down," Max told me but I didn't listen, I stayed up. "Does Matt know I'm here?" I asked, "no, no one does, should I have told him?," he asked. "No, how's Quinn?" I asked, "she hasn't eaten since you've died, and since Matt is in full attack mode, he probably is blaming Quinn. . ." Max informed me.
"It's not her fault! It's mine," I told him, I knew Matt would kill, but, I didn't know he cared that much for me, "Dakota, Listen, I'm the only one who knows about your lives, they took two of them, I know you didn't really die, but I looked at the steak, it had metal -silver- Incased in it," he informed me, "so if I die three more times I'll be gone, for good," I understood completely, "max, Why did you kill Cam?" I asked in complete seriousness, "I don't know, I was a bastard then am one now," he replied. "Yeah, you got that right, but, you do know that he was 7 right?," I asked, "yes, I knew," he replied.
I woke up in the middle of the night facing the wall, but it the window blinds were open, so I looked out, It was snowing. I saw could make out some footprints leading to my house, so I got my phone, turned on the flashlight, and walked to the living room.
"Hello?," I called out, living alone scares the living daylight-no, darkness-no, Life, it scares the life out of you. I looked on my couch and saw the blankets were bundled up over, pillows?
When I looked closer, it was Quinn. "Oh, hey, Quinn," I whispered then turned my flashlight off hoping not to disturb the sleeping beauty on my couch, she could come to my room, she knows I don't care if I'm in there or not I headed back to my room.
It's the morning now, I walked out to see Quinn asleep still. Why is she so cute?
I walked to the kitchen and sat down at the table when Quinn started to wake up I went outside so she wouldn't see me, I had to meet her again, somewhere special.
"Hello?," I heard her call, then she just lied back down, "I'm so sorry Kota," she whispered, I felt a pang of pity and guilt run through me, I'm so sorry, I left, I'm very, very sorry, I love you, Quinn, if only you'd realize that.
I went outside and sat on the porch, I saw a few burnt cigarettes on the floor and thought max had been smoking out her, did he have to do it here? I just sat on the porch watching the snow fall gently. I heard the birds flying south and looked up at the silver lining over the clouds.
Then someone sat next to me, "hey, so you can walk, that's good," Max said putting the cigarette back in his mouth, I did hate him smoking near me but right now, I don't really care, "don't go inside, Quinn's on the couch," I informed him. "Okay," he responded, then we just sat there in silence for a while. "Do you have anymore?," I asked referring to the cigarette, "yeah but I don't want you high now do I?," he asked sarcastically, "yeah, sure, you're just gonna say, 'it's my job to protect you'" I responded.
"I just don't want you to get addicted," he said blowing out smoke into the cold winter breeze, "what, like you?" I asked, "yes, I don't want you to end up like me," he responded. "How would I end up like you?" I asked, "my fate is closer everyday, I know when and how in going to die, I'm going to pay for my crime. Dakota, you can't trust anyone with your secret, your lives," he informed me, but it sounded like a warning.
"Max, How do you know what's going to happen?" I asked, "Dakota," he began, horrid, fear, and grief filled his eyes," I killed your mother, I poisoned her, it wasn't cancer, illness, or anything else, in so sorry," he said a tear rolling down his face, he never cried, he had a straight face as if it were just rain on his face that made it look as if he was crying, but I was both shocked, and furious.
"Why?! Why did you hate me?!" I spat, "Dakota, I was told to kill you, Now I'm glad I didn't, but I'm so sorry, for the pain, grief and fury you felt and feel," he explained lowering his head. We've both suffered enough, it's time we stopped grieving,"Max, I forgive you, but, thank you for telling me, I always knew it wasn't illness that took her," I told him, "Max, she's a white Phoenix, and Cam," my sentence stopped and I choked on my words, then I said it, "He teamed up with Damien," I said quickly, gasping for air. "I'm sorry, but did he try to hurt you?" Max asked, "No, he just scared my left eye," I said removing the rusted-red hair that was covering my eye to revel the two scars from the birds mighty claws. "It looks like it won't get any better or worse than that," he informed me as I put my hair back.
"Max, Thank you for being my brother," I said looking at him with my tired eyes, he looked back, "Thank you for not killing me," he said smirking as he put the cigarette back in his mouth.
