The Missing

Falling and Flying

I take a flying leap in the air, legs churning like I'm swimming. For a moment, everything seems to move in slow motion, as I fly through the air, I turn my head and see the glitch taking a leap into the air. I silently pray that it won't make it. Time returns to normal and suddenly,

I'm falling, down, down, down.

I'm falling down the pit,

I hear the snarls and growling of the glitch falling behind me, I hear Marky's blood curdling scream, my eyes squeeze shut, waiting for my death-

I feel a tingling sensation in my upper back, and suddenly I feel myself become much heavier, I twist around to find- wings? Well that's new, but who am I to complain, I give the massive golden feathered wings a flap and I shoot up into the air, past the falling glitch. I fly higher than the ground, not stopping. For a moment I just enjoy the wind blowing against my face, giggling as my waving hair tickles my face. My joy doesn't last for long because yet again, I start falling to the earth.
"Crap-" I muttered as my wings twist trying to help me land softly, but to no avail. I slam into the ground, skidding across the hard ground in the parking lot. I feel my hand wound from the car explosion rip open again. I bite my lip as I lay on the ground for a minute, then I pull myself together and stand up. Marky is standing there, looking at me with very wide blue eyes.
"Carlie-" she starts, and I cut her off,

"I don't know," I reply, just as confused as her. My wings suddenly start to fold into my back, hidden from view. Well that was weird, I think to myself. I look down at my hand wound which had reopened and blood is tricking from it, Marky shakes her head at me smiling and pulls a bandage out of her satchel and begins wrapping up my hand.

"Stop getting hurt," she mutters, and I can't tell if she's joking or not, but at the moment I think it's the funniest thing in the world, and almost choke on my own laughter (yes that's a thing shut up). She carefully wraps my hand, making sure to cut off the blood coming out.

"What's the plan Carlie?" She asks when she's done.
"Find Lil and Satan," I state looking out into the distance at the rapidly darkening sky. She gives me a nod of agreement, packing up her supplies. I stand confidently, waiting for her to finish. I look at the sky, its roughly about 6:00pm now, we need to find shelter for the night.
"Marky," I call to her, she looks at me,
"Lets go"

___________________________________

"What is it Carlie?" Marky whimpers as we look at the rapidly darkening sky, the storm is closer now.
"I- I don't know," I whisper, my face pressed against the glass in fear and confusion. I run back upstairs to my phone and see that the call had ended, I quickly dial Lils number and anxiously listen to the sound of the faint buzzing as I wait for her to pick up. Come on Lil, pick up!

"hEy pRissylOz!!1!1" her voice comes through my phone speaker,
"Lil, theres something wrong where I am," I say my tone serious, hoping she won't take it as a joke.
"What is it Carlie?" She asks, concern lacing her tone.
"Hold on I'll take a picture of it for you-" I quickly snap a photo of the sky, and send it to her.
"What the hell?" She says, shocked.
"I don't know what going on, is it happening where you are?" I ask, and there's silence on the line as she looks out her window, "I think it's heading my way" she whispers. I hear Marky turn on the TV downstairs, "hold on Lil, I'm gonna go check the news and see if it says anything." I end the call and shove my phone into my back pockets. My socks make me slide and stumble down the carpet covered stairs, and I face plant at the bottom, "ow" I mutter, using the railing to help me up. Zoe laughs at me, "shut up Zoe," I growl aloud, walking over to the sound box and turning up the volume. Marky is standing in front of our TV, flipping through stations, trying to find the news.
"Try channel 11," she flips to channel 11 and the news is on, a reporter I don't recognize is talking about the unnatural color of the sky. Our TV is glitching, cutting off parts of the reporter's words, I hold my breath, trying to comprehend what he's saying-

"Downtown...................find shelter.........300 people already affected................if approached........... caution..................." the tv shifts to showing clips of a horrible monster, it's white and dripping, it lets out a horrible inhuman scream, and I hear a mother screaming as she's held back, "THATS MY DAUGHTER PLEASE," I stare in confusion at her and then the horrible realization hits me, that was her daughter. My heart twists in my chest, aching for the poor mother. She suddenly breaks away from the people holding her back, and runs towards the creature, sobbing, her arms wide. "No no, that's not your daughter anymore-," I say to the TV as if it can hear me. But to no avail, the monster spits her and screams, and to my horror, it sounds almost like a little girl, I cover my mouth. The mother embraces the beast and for a moment, it looks like the mother will be fine... and then, it strikes. It grabs her by both of her arms and begins pulling, ripping her body in half, tears rolling down her cheeks as she screams in agony. I turn to look at Marky, who's run to the bathroom. I quickly turn off the TV. No more of that, I think to myself. Samuel pipes up in the back of my head, "I t-told y-you." He whispers, terrified. I pick up my phone and text Lil to turn on the news. The message says 'seen' so hopefully she'll listen to me. I run my fingers through my thick dirty blonde hair, my white beanie falls off my head and onto the ground. I draw in a shaky breath and exhale, trying to steady my breathing. Ok Carlie, I think to myself, maybe we should prepare just in case something happens. I dash up stairs and grab my black book bag with the FrameCast logo on it and start putting things inside. My gold compass, a notebook, two number two pencils, a pencil sharpener, a pocket knife, I pause for a moment and yell downstairs, "MARKY, START PACKING A BAG FOR EMERGENCIES," she responds with "K." I return to shoving things in my bag, a map, a phone charger, earbuds(what I like music), extra clothes, extra shoes, a first aid kit, bandages and bandaids, a large refillable water bottle, and some MRE's (army food xddd). For good measure I also shove a headlight and a flashlight in it as well. I'm thinking to myself what else I might need and I hear a loud banging on the door downstairs and I freeze. How far away am I from downtown- my thoughts are cut off by the even louder banging on my door, I hear Marky scream and my blood runs cold.