The pain had disappeared for a while. It had been a numbingly electric like feel on my back and my head, as if things were changing. Great things. The doctors had probably hooked me up to an IV and fed me with tons of drugs that would have made me feel ... nothing. It was confusing at first, I couldn't do much more than lie down and be useless. I couldn't even open my eyes, had the doctors drugged me there too? Had they given me something that made me pass out? For some reason I doubted that I had been drugged to sleep, because in sleep you dream. I wasn't dreaming. It was a blank world. Blank, blank, blank. It wasn't that eerie pink that you saw when you closed your eyelids, but could still tell what was going on. No, it was complete darkness. It might had been scary at first, but now I was used to it.
Sometimes, I could hear voices. But even if they sounded slick and razor sharp as to where I could hear them perfectly, their language... I couldn't understand it! It only seemed as if hours had gone by as I sat here (or laid, can't really tell) until the pain started to come back. The numb feeling had disappeared reappearing with the fiery jolt traveling down my back, my head burned like the worst migraine there was possible. I could feel a hand in mine, it was probably my mother or my father (most likely mother) who was moping around the side of the bed waiting for me to come to. I oh so wanted to mumble something and let them know I was here and fine, but a barrier prevented me.
My mouth felt glued shut and my eyes felt stapled shut. How had such a nice day gone from diving to this? Stupid bird. Although, for some reason I couldn't help but not blame the bird. If someone picked you up, who you didn't know I'd bite them too to warn them. How would you know if they would help or hurt you even more? The smooth hand was still clasped in mine and a voice droned as if they were trying to communicate to me somehow. But I wished I could understand, I felt like an immigrant who had moved to a new country and couldn't understand the main language.
With what little strength I had I squeezed the hand back, but as I squeezed the hand pulled away in shock. I could feel my own hand fall, and wished I could frown in dismay. At least I had known someone had been in here with me, but now they had let go. Why? Whispered filled my head as more people entered the room. I wondered what I looked like, if my hair was bad, or if I had tubes in my nose and an IV in my hand. I probably looked horrible. The whispers sounded sad and some sounded informative and dronelike. Which were probably the doctors reporting that I wasn't looking too good, but that was how all doctors were like. They told you the worst thing possible and made it seem like reality. At least my father was a doctor, he was probably looking out for me.
Something pricked my arm, a needle? It didn't feel as agonizing as it usually did, but I still felt it. I wonder what that needle was suppose to do. Blood test? More drugs? Vaccine? Did it matter anymore? I sighed. Then I froze, how had I? ... I waited for the footsteps to leave again, my back was starting to numb again and with any luck I might have a chance to wake up while the pain wasn't too bad. I willed my hand to move while my head screamed at me, telling me to stop and go back to doing nothing. My hand quirked.
My heart thudded with anticipation as I went to open my eyes. They felt sticky, like glue and crust together had been melded to my eyes. I pulled then open anyways blinking at the light that was so horribly bright. I probably had a horrible tan from sitting here for a few hours with it focused on my face. I sat up, something heavy on my back pulling at me, trying to ease me back down. But I was awake, no way in hell I'd be sleeping for a while. I gripped the railing on the side to help me, my eyes focused quickly like they had when I had almost passed out in front of the nurse.
It wasn't as surprising this time. Instead it felt like it belonged that way, the vision so good that I could make out every little detail in the bland room. I hopped out of bed, over the railing landing softly and soundlessly on my feet. I felt lighter for some reason, as light as a feather. There were no mirrors in the room, nothing at all. As I headed for the door something pulled on my hand. I looked back at the IV and then to my hand. I didn't need this anymore, now did I? I pulled it out of my hand wincing slightly at the sting of the open wound.
I opened the door and a whoosh of sounds bucketed at me like a train hitting me at full speed. They were inhuman sounds, wails, howls, growls, moan, groans, disgusting gurgling, and other things that made my stomach lurch. The smell of drugs in the air was even stronger than in my room. Stepping forwards I looked both ways down the halls, the lights were darker, flickering as if they were almost going to go out. The floor was dirty, caked with dirt and it looked as if it had once been clean but had gathered so much dirt that the person who cleaned it had given up entirely of ever making it shine again.
What kind of hospital was this? It sounded more like a zoo more than anything. Clumsily I scooted around. Where was everyone? There were so many sounds, and yet I couldn't find a single person that worked here who could help me and tell me what was going on. I looked towards the other doors, maybe there would be someone in there who could help me. With any luck most of the employees could be working inside of another patient's room.
I wonder what kind of patients these are anyways. This seems like a psych unit rather than an ER, I thought numbly as I slipped around. "The floor is rather slippy," I muttered surprised by the dryness of my voice.
I found a nice looking door and knocked on it. There was no answer, just a low hiss like air escaping a water pipe. Was the person in there ok?
Of course they're not ok you twit. You're in a freaking psych unit, just be careful and no sudden movements, my inner self reminded me. It was strong and brave, and had a hot temper. That's usually what I'm like, but on these drugs... I could only be timid and slow. My palm caressed the knob as I eased it open slowly, heavy breathing was on the other side of the door.
"Doctor?" the voice was hoarse and sounded much dryer than mine.
"No, I'm sorry mate. I was just hoping for some help, I'm new here," my voice had picked back up the strong Australian tone back to it, but my body drooped in defeat, tired and clumsy. Pushing the door open more a woman sat in the bed.
"New? Ah, you probably have no idea where you are then," the voice sounded slightly amused as she had the blanket pulled up over her head. "I don't want to scare you, but this place is for the infected. Most people don't make it past the transformation stage and those who do... Well they coexist in Pohihihi town. I've been stuck here for years and I think my damn life is coming to a close, not that I'm dying. We can't die. At least not by going to sleep and peacefully dying," the old woman rambled on.
My mind swirled. Infected? Transformation stage? Can't die? What the hell was I? "We're vampires?" I asked completely horrified. "I mean I was bitten by a raven, so it was a vampire raven? Bloody hell! I didn't know animals could be vampires," I babbled.
The woman choked out a laugh, but it sounded more like a croak. "No, no. Not even close. We're mutants. You see there was a toxic spill back years ago, it spilled into the ocean water and infected the ocean life around Pohihihi. The sea animals became more aggressive, and you know the food chain, how birds eat fish, and then other animals eat birds. The blood inside the infected animals would be eaten by other animals which would become infected soon afterward," the woman paused letting out a ratty cough. "Then, with the wildlife becoming more aggressive and straight forwards to humans, once you're bitten they spread the disease to you, but depending on the variation of animal depends on how you mutate. I was bitten by a coral snake," the woman concluded.
I was shocked. A toxic spill that when animals bite you, spreads and infects you. "But the doctors. They said they had a vaccine."
The blankets shook and I knew she was shaking her head. "The vaccine only works to stop the disease while it's in its early stage or you get it like a flu vaccine to prevent getting sick even if you are bitten... Girl, how long have you been here?"
I listened to her sitting there wondering what a bird bite would have done to me. I waited a moment before answering the old woman. "I don't know. I was awake one moment, out the next, and then I woke up here. It only seemed like a few hours," I admitted, why should I lie to the woman? I felt bad that I was actually gifted with being able to get up and walk out of my bed, but this woman was afraid to even come out from under her covers. "I don't know what I looked like either. What do people usually turn out to look like in the end?"
I patted my head wondering if I had feathers for hair, or a beak for a mouth and nose. Both seemed intact. "Well, it really does depend on the animal. Like a cat, you might get retractable claws, a lighter frame, able to land on you feet, move through tight spaces, and other things, but cats always look human. You see only the human looking people are able to go back and live in Pohihihi. If you're like me, you're left to rot here."
Birds. What about birds? I felt my breath stifle as I looked over at her. "I want to see."
"
What?"
"I want to see what you look like. I swear you can make fun of how silly I look, because I have no idea what I look like," I begged, I wanted to see her reaction. I wanted to see how ugly she thought I was.
The woman shuffled uneasily as she pulled down her blanket. She wasn't as ugly as she sounded, just... exotic. Her skin was replaced with black, red, and white scales, her eyes a dizzying gold dark slits her pupils. She looked young, her hair a startling white. She wasn't old, I could tell she had no wrinkles what so ever. As she had said, we couldn't die. So how old is she really? Clawed fingers held onto her blanket as her rich eyes stared at me darkly. I felt the blood drain from my face as she gave a quick smile, flashing long fangs beside her pearly white teeth. It was a fake smile.
"I look horrible don't I?" I choked out as the woman perked back up.
"What? Nonsense. You look like an angel, a lost one that is. You should probably leave, a snake's prey does consist of bird and I don't want to eat you by accident. You know... it's
instinct," she moved her hands as if trying to shoo me out. "Out, out. I need sleep."
I numbly got up heading for the door as the woman reached and turned on a light, the dark red warmth cascading over her. That's right, she was a reptile and couldn't produce her own body heat. A red light only made sense to have in her room. I stopped at the door's frame. "Do you know where a mirror is?" I asked as her gold eyes fastened on me.
"Down the hall to the left, don't go anywhere close to the right. Trust me, those are where the truly insane people live. They're dangerous and would swallow up a cute girl like yourself. You should probably check out as soon as possible," the snake woman forewarned as I nodded.
"Thank you," I turned heading down the hall, taking the strange woman's direction very seriously. One wrong turn and I could get swallowed up just like she said. I wondered what it was like to be crazy. I mean, if I wasn't it already that is. The hall came to a split and I took a left like the woman had said. Where would the mirror be after I'd taken her directions though? I could make out a shape at the end of the hall. Was it another person coming towards me? Taking a step forwards, so did the person. She had dark brown hair, it was long and curly. Her skin was a warm peach color, and her back. There was something attached to her back.
I took another step forwards hoping to meet up with the girl and ask where the mirror was. But as I neared closer to her, the girl faded into my reflection in the mirror. There had been no girl. It was me. A sound escaped my throat, a dark gurgling noise as if I had choked on something other than air. I pressed a hand on the mirror to steady myself. My same high cheekbones were there, my dark rich turquiose green blue eyes blazed under my newly darkened hair. My beautiful blonde hair was gone, zero, zilch, nada. The raven's effects must have darkened my hair, but at least it wasn't black. Brown was a nice rich warm color and looked good against my skin. What was on my back? That brought many more questions to my mind as I reached back to touch it. Fluffy, soft, and warm it felt like a feather. I tugged on it and a sharp pain rippled down my shoulders and through whatever was on my back.
I flexed my arms out and suddenly wings unfurled lashing out, the dark upper part of the wings a smoky brown, while underneath the wings were a creamy tan. They were beautiful, but the girl in the mirror looked frightened. Frightened of what she might not be able to do anymore. Tucking in my large wings I fell down to my knees. I wasn't hideous, I resembled that angel I had saw in the sky earlier that day. They must have been bitten by a bird too. I rested my hands on my hospital gown feeling my body shutting down, in defeat. My stomach growled, empty and out of fuel. I could curl up and go crazy like all of those other people that the snake woman had described. I couldn't wear tank tops anymore, no more bathing suits or anything that even showed the slightest bit of my back. I drew in a shaky breath, I looked normal besides my wings but still I didn't feel normal. The crazy hunger ebbing at my stomach, my razor shape vision a bit too much, my hearing was acute as well. My senses were much greater enhanced and I could tell. Any noise, any smell, or sight bothered me beyond belief.
"Hannah?" the voice was dizzily familiar, but I didn't turn and smile at them. Instead I sat there, just stunned, shocked that my life had been ruined in such a short amount of time. I didn't want to talk to anyone, or have anything to do with them. I just wanted to die. But that was impossible wasn't it? Because like thew snake woman had said
'We can't die'. "Hannah are you ok?" it wasn't my mother's voice or my father's. It was younger and nice to hear, but the worry that pressed into their voice hurt my ears. I'd done something wrong hadn't I?
"I have wings," I murmured my voice reduced to a whisper. I flexed my right wing, it pulled out covering the hall without giving me a chance to fully pull it out to stretch it. Quickly I tucked my wing, folding the other one too so they firmly tucked into my back between my shoulder blades. I'd read the book
Maximum Ride and knew probably what else had happened to me. I couldn't remember the book perfectly, only that Max had a group of friends / family like people who had wings like me. They were avian hybrids and now I was like them. Well, besides the fact of living longer and not having wings for as long as I could remember. This was at random, it felt like a handicap that only I and a few other people would know of, I would be different from most people and they wouldn't even know. Only me.
Hands picked me up like a small child. I was surely acting like one, one who had finally found out that the monster in her closet did exist. "It's surprising at first, I know... Wow you're a lot lighter and taller," Zach's voice was comforting and it was great to be around him again, but something seemed different about him. Was it that fact that I wasn't human anymore and he might be? I doubted that, he knew about the whole town secret and he was probably one of the mutants as well.
I chuckled softly. "I doubt you know. I mean unless you have huge wings on your back, but I'm pretty sure you don't... Last time I checked that is," I could feel myself smiling like an idiot, but it was nice to be around someone who knew what was going on and could help me out of this hell hole. It smelled horrible and was probably going to end up getting me sick.
Zach frowned at my pessimism. "I never said I had wings, but that doesn't mean I'm not similar to you."
I rolled my eyes. "If you don't have wings how are you similar to me? You could be a mutant like me and be a different animal like a cat, but that wouldn't be similar to me at all. So please explain how we are so alike," how much time
had passed, because I swear I was probably either cranky and hungry or I was overly moody from it being that time of the month. I'd been too freaked out to even try checking, but I was pretty sure that it was option one. Now Zach seemed angry, even if there was a little warning sign flashing in my head, I didn't bow down and apologize. "I can walk myself you know."
With hesitation Zach set me back down on my feet. There was an uncomfortable draft coming from the hospital gown I was wearing. I'd need to change before I left this place, or people would be able to see my wings through the back of the dress. Zach exhaled deeply as if trying to control with patience he had left. I was surprised to see him so edgy, usually he put up with my ill manners. "You'd be surprised," he muttered.
"I don't think there's much more that can surprise me," I admitted sourly flexing one of my tucked in wings as we walked, as if indicating that this would probably be the most surprising thing to happen in my nineteen year old life. "Hey, are there any more people like me? I mean with wings and stuff."
Zach looked distracted when I asked, as if he didn't want to answer the question. "Yeah, there's one other guy like you. He's not too friendly though, I'd stay away from him if you don't want trouble," he warned.
I rolled my eyes. Not too friendly? I was not too friendly at the moment, and this other guy couldn't be too bad. "Trouble, don't even get me started on trouble. These wings are
trouble strapped to my back like a saddle. I'm not even blonde anymore! I liked being a smart blonde, now I'm going to be a dumb brunette," I grumbled angrily.
That made Zach's face flush angrily. "Can you stop being so pessimistic? I wish you were back to your dumb blonde self, but it's not my fault that got yourself bitten by an infected bird. Stop whining, it's not the end of the world," he blew up in my face and my jaw dropped. Aw stricken and hurt that he'd call me dumb. My brain clicked all of a sudden my hunger dispersing as I felt my hands clench into tight fists. I restrained myself for punching him in the gut, if I'd learned anything, I probably had better strength that before and if I did strike I'd probably break a few of Zach's ribs.
"Can I
what? Don't tell me to stop because I can't hide what I am. I can't go onto public beaches anymore and wear bikinis or swimsuits. I'm going to
college next year and I can't wear tank tops or camis, or dresses anymore because of this! I'm going to be an outcast because I won't be able to befriend anyone without betraying my new secret. If I do I'll be sent to the nearest lab to be tested on like a rat. So don't
you tell
me it's not the end of the world. It might as well be now that I'll never have someone who truly understands me without them thinking I'm a freak. I'm going to be alone for the rest of my eternal life," I roared in his face feeling my meter of anger tipping over the edges. He'd never understand. He never would.
I awaited for his second time to blow up, but it never came. I looked for any signs of frowning or a red face, but instead his face had cooled down and all the blood had drained from it leaving it pale. Zach didn't even bother looking towards me. "I'm sorry, I don't think you're a freak," he muttered quietly still not shifting a brown gaze towards me.
