The Black Wings

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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"Ow!"

"You're it!"

A 12 year old Wy holds his reddened arm in his right hand. Along side him, a younger Ace inspects his tiny bruise before running away.

Wy hunches over. "You're too fast. Can we play something else?"

Ace stops running and heads back over to his new best friend. "You sure are slow for a football player."

"Hey!" He yells at the insult while throwing a little punch that Ace easily deflects.

The boys sit down in unmoved grass while making small talk. As Ace rambles, Wy thoughts go to the bird-people they were warned about in school.

He wish he could tell Ace everything, let the truth spill out like when he knocked over a glass of chocolate milk.

But sadly he can't. He'd put his life and the lives of his family in danger even though he doubts Ace would tell a soul, they could be listening.

Wy pushes the thoughts from his child mind and interrupts his best friend's rambling about sports.

"Hey I just realized, if we're best friends now, we need a handshake." Wy says with a grin.

Ace bobbles at the idea. "It can't be a stupid handshake though, it has to be cool and badass looking."

Wy puts a finger to his chin and starts to think. Ace mimics him and starts to ponder with his thoughts racing like a car.

It's been 2 years since him and Junior arrived. Wy befriended both of them right away with his kind spirt. Junior had locked himself away from the world since they've arrived, his fragile personality was broken by the incident that left them to fend for themselves.

"I got it!" Wy shouts with glee.

Ace turns to him and laughs when he holds up his middle finger. "Was this just a joke so you could flick me off?"

Wy shakes his head and laughs. "No no. Stick up yours."

His best friends lifts up his middle finger and Wy wraps his finger around Ace's.

"See?"

A wave of awe washes over Ace's face. "Awesome." He exclaims while they repeat the gesture numerous times.

The memory of the day never fades in both boys minds. They do their handshake before games, tests, or after a breakup.

When either one of them notices a middle finger shown, their thoughts picture the other one.

"We do this till the day we die." Ace adds.

Wy giggles. "So in a year when you kill me in football."

Both boys laugh and continue to play the rest of the day. Only Wy realizes the importance of the bond needing to be fulfilled.

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My breathing becomes rapid even though my chest feels as if weights are pressing down against my lungs. I try to accept the thought of my best friend's death but I cannot face the truth. I'm too numb to feel a thing. I turn to the doctors, about to ask when he passed when it happens.

Wy's back arches off the ground and a moan escapes himself. Everyone watches him with no medical explanation.

The arrows in his chest turn to a golden light along with the wound and his back hits the ground with a thud. His chest now falls up and down at a normal breathing pace as his eyes pop open.