The Hawking

Chapter 8: A Hawk and A Nobody

This chapter is narrated by Star Starlow.

I huffed and puffed as I ran through the maze. As crazy as it sounds, I was the rat in the maze, and my mission was to find the cheese.

I turned the corner and ran down winding halls. Finally, breaking a sweat, I found it. A shiny china platter with a neat yellow block of cheese. With a talking stomach, I ran up to the cheese and took a bite. It was the first thing I've eaten since Olivia's French toast and bacon. I turn to the camera that was hanging on the far wall in the corner.

"I found it!" I said. "I found the-"

I felt hundreds of lightning bolts jolt through my body, paralyzing every part of me. I groaned as I fell to my knees, whole body quaking from the adrenaline going through my veins. I looked down at my ankle. Oh, that's right. A shock collar. As I tried my best to stand up, a voice came on the loudspeaker.

"Impressive, Miss Starlow." the voice said. "Please wait patiently, for we have someone coming to help you."

The door swung open a few seconds later and he stepped in.

Hall.

"Hello, my Starlight!" he said to me. I didn't speak. I didn't hug him. I just crossed my arms and glared.

"What's wrong, Star?" he asked me. "What's wrong is that you lied to me!" I replied. "You said these tests wouldn't hurt! They have been shocking me all day!" I pointed down to my ankle, which was now swollen and bruised. He examined my injury and sighed.

"I will have to have a talk with Professor Conners about this." Hall told me. "It doesn't matter! You lied to me, and I HATE YOU FOR THAT!" I yelled. I saw it in his eyes as soon as I said it. He was hurt, but at that moment, I didn't care. I just wanted to be free...or with my parents...

Hall tried to hug me, but I swatted his hands away. "Don't touch me!" I yelled. Instead, he escorted me down the hall and into my cell. He opened my cage, and I stepped inside, facing away from him. I crossed my arms and sulked in the corner. I heard Hall as he silently left, shutting the door in the process. I sat in the dark, tears forming in my eyes.

"You alright, kid?" I heard a voice say. I look up to see Alex, sitting in the corner of his cage, facing me. I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "Hall is a liar." I said. "I tried to tell you, kid." Alex says. "You can't trust anyone in here, except me, of course. You do trust me, don't you, Star?" I giggle as I reply, "Yes, I do, Alex."

"I'm glad. There aren't many people in here you can trust."

"What do you mean?"

"If you put your trust in someone and they hurt you, there's no coming back, and there's no getting over it."

"Did something happen to you?"

"Well, when I was a young lad, I had this...boyfriend, and-"

"Oh, I know about those! My friend Avery wants one of them!"

Alex chuckles.

"Well, I had a boyfriend, and we were inseparable. We would spend every evening together. He would sneak me out, sometimes we sat on the roof and watched the stars, sometimes we would run around the corridor, playing tag. There were times when he would climb in here with me...and we would just talk the night away..."

"What happened?"

"Well...he got recruited to a higher position after being tested on, and...he just...shut me out...I have been in this same cell since then...and I'm not leaving until he let's me..."

"Hall?"

"No. My soulmate."

I felt bad after he told me his story. I wanted to help him get rid of his fear. But, first, I must find out who this mysterious man that Alex was with actually is...

"Don't worry, Alex!" I said cheerfully. "Maybe, one day, I will get out of here, and I will take you with me!" Alex smiled with a breath as he held the bars to his cage. "That's a nice offer, kid, but my place is here. I won't leave unless I can leave with him..."

We were silent for the rest of the night.
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I'm not sure what time it was when I was woken up. A bright light shown on my face as the door swung open. Whoever it was, I did not want them knowing that I was awake, so I stayed lying down. The door slammed shut, and a flashlight shown on a face. It was the big hawk, Sam. His team was right behind him.

He looked at his team and gave them a signal. They walked over to the cage beside mine.

Alex's cage.

"Hey, freak!" Sam said. Alex looked at them, standing up and walking towards them. "Oh, hey, Sam, Hawking. Come to visit me, did you?"

"You know exactly why we're here!" Sam yelled.

"I actually don't know. Fill me in, Hawk."

"We heard you have been talking with Experiment 1. Leave her alone!"

"How did you find out Experiment 1 and I are friends?"

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we know. Leave her alone!"

"Make me, big guy."

That phrase triggered Fawn, causing her to dash towards him, grabbing his shirt and holding up her fist.

"NOBODY talks to OUR leader like that!" she growled, ready to punch him. Sam put up a hand. Fawn glared as she slammed him into the bars. He fell with a groan. He coughed and wiped blood from his nose as Sam chuckled. "Not bad for a weakling."

"Why..." Alex started to say, standing up. "Why...Why do you care...if I...talk to Experiment 1...anyway...?"

"You don't need to be putting thoughts in her head. She needs to stay here, and so do you."

"Aww...Are you...Are you saying...what I think...youre saying...?"

"Hell, no! I am part of an elaborate team of hawks. I need to focus on my mission, not on a lowlife nobody who only keeps fighting for me!"

Wait...what?!

"We..." Alex stammered. "We...We used to...to be more than this...Sam...go back...to the good...old days..."

"What good old days are left to go back to?" Sam said. "I spent endless hours training and working my ass off, and for what? Catching avians who are weak to begin with? Give me a break..."

Sam dropped the flashlight and moved towards the door. I watched as his team glared at Alex one last time before following their leader. The door swung open, then, in a flash, slammed shut. I was speechless.

Is Sam...Alex's soulmate?!