Kanoa scurried down the streets of his town- the faces of old men and women he would banter with, animals he often sat and watched all were nothing more than lies masked behind a visage of care and kindness. He gripped onto the pills of his soaked shirt, desperately. The further this relentless dread expanded, the harder it came to distinguish each person's features, or expression. became amassed into one person. To Kanoa, they had all been sharing the inexplicable desire to use him, to take his precious pills! They were his enemy, each and every one of them amassed into one threatening his entire existence.

  He clenched his eyes, as the flurry of voices, and a crowd of obnoxious laughter impaired his senses. Inevitably, his body slammed into a food vendor’s quaint wooden stand, not being much taller than Kanoa, Kanoa bounced back, those gathering to sample an unheard “Black pudding” reached out to him with hurt eyes.“Quick as a fire cracker you are! you alright kid?” An older bald man with two long strands of gray hairs hanging from his lip, and blue eyes knelt to Kanoa’s level offering his help. “Y-y-y-yes… Fine… I’m…” His hair stood up in a tangled mess, flowing through the air perpetually as the man's face was contorted in a way that looked unnaturally friendly. His eyes glazed over an inch of Kanoa, particularly his shirt, where the indent of his pills had been made obvious. WIth his grimacing sneer and dilated blue pupils, he chuckled. “W-what- what’s so funny…?”He continued smiling, though his voice deepened monstrously,""Kids like you should be careful with such goodies! Without mine I’m a goner! Huhuhuhu!!! Mind if i see yer prescription!?” Impolitely he reached underneath Kanoa’s shirt, the man's soft yet cold, saggy hand was enough to cause Kanoa to freeze altogether, his mouth agape, his breath ceased. Though as the older man's fingers grazed the case, as if his life depended on them, he quickly slapped the old man's hand away, he hissed,”Don’t you touch it- Get your hands off of them!” he said, standing up as the crowd and onlookers stared at Kanoa with varying degrees of concern. The man himself looked surprised, he replied,” Now hold on there-! I was just wanton’ to-” “Don’t touch them! Don’t you ever touch them, do you get me!?” He asked, spit flying from his mouth as his mouth and face stretched to the level of hostility he had projected onto the man. Quietly he backed away, though two women and a man wearing navy blue uniforms and black hats emerged from the crowd behind Kanoa, weiner dogs, rice sandwiches and drinks in each of their hands, their faces just as the man’s looked intolerable.”What seems to be the problem?” A taller female officer asked, the two men behind her intimidated by Kanoa’s jittery figure. “N-noth-nothing… I just… My medication, he- he touched them!” He said, backing away, heat rising even more from his already sweltering face, the crowd was beginning to grow as more people murmured concerningly. “Them? You talk like they’re people…” She said, inching closer, though unlike her partners, her voice was calm, tender even, it made Kanoa’s breathing ease slightly. “You’re clearly stressed, why don’t we take you back to the station and have this whole situation resolved… You don’t belong here.”

  At first, Kanoa smiled at the first reasonable person among the judging, dehumanizing people in front and behind him. He took a step forward, shaking his head, though as the woman inched closer, meeting with him, Kanoa paid heed to the grinning eyes of the police officers behind her, as well as a bystander or two. His eyes reached from behind her short straight hair, noticing brief bursts of electricity in the air, he stepped back, her calm disposition immediately fell, and so did his.

  Before she could swing the electric rod at Kanoa’s body, with one sharp, hard push off the ground, he quickly integrated himself into the crowd. The onslaught of people getting electrocuted in his stead fought against him, resisting his escape, an array of voices laughed heartily, all while directing the police from behind him in which direction he was headed. Adults stared at him with a mix of fear and disgust of his appearance, all pushing Kanoa further and further ahead, he hadn’t stopped running even while out in the open. Quickly the officer halted their chase , unable to pursue further as Kanoa had gained considerable ground on them.

  Dashing through the streets he noticed an inflood of stargazers descending onto a stage, a crowd of adults on and off stage clapping and congratulating each for an award of such. Though to Kanoa he could only see the pointlessness in their society, the filler of work his peers were being put through to achieve goals they weren’t even incentivized towards. Eventually, he stopped running altogether, not caring if the police were behind him, which they hadn’t been. As these contradictions became razor sharp to Kanoa, did he too, start seeing stargazers as grotesque monsters. He looked down at his hands, wondering if he were a monster as well, only to stop nothing out of the ordinary, with the exception of a few small tears on his palms. “I’m… Cryin’?” He asked, genuinely surprised. Suddenly he wiped his eyes, realizing the sudden weight in his heart which compelled him to despise, yet feel even more alone in his predicament. “I… I don’t belong here… These feelings…” He clutched his chest, feeling sorry for himself, yet realizing his loosening grip of reality, and with no choices of where to go, he felt his pain to be absolute.

  Slowly he hunched over, hugging his pills. Towards him, a flurry of hail shot at the back of his neck, he flinched, looking around annoyedly at onlookers very obviously ignoring him while enjoying the festivities. He frowned, not at all pleased, but the ice centered him in a way. “They’re all useless. They don’t care, and I don’t either… They can’t make you feel…''." He reaffirmed to himself over and over. A vigor rose in him, forcing his eyes upwards, above everyone, beyond his nearby surroundings. As his eyes glided along the the edges of MurrowsBrow, caging him, His brows furrowed as his eyes met with a long red string so far beyond him, it looked to be on the very edge of MurrowBrow, only sitting on the inner rim of the pit, followed by a mountain, with a vague trail of broken stairs leading upwards. Even with Kanoa’s squinted eyes he himself couldn’t make out the stairs without the highlighted red. It should have remained subtle to anyone else, hidden to those with even the best eyesight, proof to himself that the trail of light beseeched his arrival. His muscles loosened, allowing his cynical view of reality to ruminate less. Immediately, he continued running, disturbed by the world, but now a few minutes from a new home.

  At the front of Kanoa’s house, a sewer pipe opened subtly, searching for any bystanders, peering eyes from any neighboring houses. Counting themselves lucky, they rose, their body covered in a hazmat suit. Jogging to the front of the Jones's residence, then the backyard, where two child sized dirt angels could be seen laying together side by side, the person unveiled themselves, urgently.

  Rey put on both of their children's clothes, his mind still processing every event he’s lived through vicariously- All connected to Kanoa. Both Sammy and Jess sat on their parents bed, underneath their eyes tear stained. As the children sniffled back their mucus, wiping their tear sapped faces, Rey finished putting on Sammy's shirt, then took a knee. “Listen well, both of you. Your brother is a bit… upset, right now. He's fine, but I need to check on him.” Sammy looked down timidly, his mind still on the disgust of Kanoa’s expression. “I know Sammy…He never looked at you like that, huh? He never looked that way with me either… But you know Kanoa, he always bounces back!”He smiled, his words genuinely convincing him. “My son… Your brother’ll be fine… I’ll get Claudia to watch you guys, and then-” “Dad.” Jess urged, her eyes much calmer. “Yes?” “When Noa comes back… Will you keep him at the doctor's office forever?” He paused, clenching his teeth at the thought. “What? Like an asylum- Never I would-! “Noa never looks at us like that… He’s gettin’ sick.” She turned to Sammy. “Prolly cuz he doesn’t fly…” “No- That’s not-!” The laughter of two women behind him ruined his train of thought. Ave walked through the door, holding two large paper bags of groceries whereas Claudia opened the door for her. Playfully, Ave said to her,”I’m telling you! For someone who’s so young, you should really try having some more fun! Give yourself a little downtime” Ave’s voice dripped with genuine happiness, Rey frowned, knowing he would have to end said glee. He turned to his children, repeating to them certainly, “Nobody, and I mean it. Absolutely nobody is gettin’ in trouble… Wings or no wings.”

  Jessy stared at Rey doubtfully, her eyes peering through the crevice of the door, staring at her mother, she glanced back at Rey,”Mom says it could happen. She never lies.” Her demeanor shifted, even if not imposing Rey caught himself holding his breath. The slowing of her words, her clenched hands as if threatening any defiance, and most obvious, the narrowing, absolute eyes Jessy wore all felt indicative of a time with Ave he couldn’t remember. Ave called out to him from the kitchen,”Sammy, Jessy! I’m back, come out here!” Her words snapping him back to the situation at hand, he frantically retorted,”W-we’ll talk later! Everythin’ will be fine, just… Gimme a sec!” Stepping out of the room Claudia’s eyes practically bulged out of her head as she held Cory in her arms,”R-rey? What’re you doing here?! Shouldn’t you be with everyone else at the celebration’?! I-I mean you have to be!” slicking his hair back he answered anxiously, “Y-yeah, I was uh- just goin’! What?! Want me to leave right after seein’ you? How rude Claudia! Ha!” He laughed, but he found himself to be dying on the outside, especially with Ave’s look of apathy, which he certainly knew to have rage building underneath it all. “But anyways! Ave! I need to talk with you!” “Sure.” She smiled quietly. “What is it Rey?” I-It’s private, Claudia, could you please just-!” She interrupted calmly yet direct,”Anything you can say in front of me, you can say in front of Claudia. We’re all family here, aren’t we?”

  His eyebrows furrowed, confused at the sudden sentimentality,”Well- yes but it’s personal, about Kanoa!” Ave shook her head, still smiling. “I know what this is about Rey. Bring him down, I was going to tell Claudia regardless.”Wait- What?” He asked, his tensed expression evaporating slightly, but something in his chest felt heavy at the implication being made. “Hey… Is this supposed to be about… His wings? Because I completely understand- Or at least sympathize and don’t blame Kanoa. But I’m not sure if he minds me being the one to talk to about that Ave, it’s-""No, no, it’s not that. Kanoa!” She called out, walking away from the dinner table and towards the stairs to Kanoa’s room, quickly Rey followed behind. “Kanoa! Come here, we need to talk!” Rey grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to face him, he whispered urgently “Kanoa isn’t here!”

  Silently Ave’s before controlled and poised expression began to subtly become more disturbed,

  “What… Are you talking about?” “He’s gone! He leapt through the bathroom window! We gotta look for ‘Im!”At first she attempted to appear eased as before, her eyes drifting across the room with forced chuckling,”Dramatic, you’re being dramatic. He’s probably in the backyard, or at the park. He never leaves, not really!” She nodded along with herself, her voice rising a bit. Rey attempted to shush her though she continued,”He doesn’t like hanging out with kids his age, he doesn’t have to go out for groceries at this time, that’s what I did- that’s why I got his cheese, that’s why I told you to watch the kids because if he didn’t have anything to do he’d be enough to—!” She paused, then began groaning. Claudia looked at the two concerned, wanting to understand the pained looks on each of their faces, though trying to be respectful. “I-I don’t know what you mean but- He’s not here! He’s gone! Ran so fast I couldn’t even see where to follow!”

  As her perceived control of the situation began to fade, her face stiffened, Rey for the first time was unable to discern her thoughts at all. Quietly, she walked upstairs. “A-ave? Is everything alright?” Caludia asked, her voice trembling under all of the stress. A series of pillows followed by series of drawers being open repeatedly, emerged from Kanoa’s room, soon she stopped As she walked down the stairs carefully, both of their eyes looked closely at Ave’s face with hopes of understanding her thoughts through micro expressions, or even a hint of tears over the frightening event, though if anything she looked slightly relieved. But underneath, her blood was boiling, as the agency Kanoa was acting upon only encouraged the visions of her dreams to return. She closed her eyes, reflecting on Ms. Friend's words,”Don’t Let Them See You.” She murmured to herself while gripping onto her arm.

  Being able to feel the rage through her body language and tone of voice, Rey replied, his voice lightening. “Ave… I promise you we’ll find ‘im..You’re clearly hurt, and in your own head…” She glared at him, hating his saddened face, “I’m–!” “You’re aware and thinkin’! I know you don’t need my pity, and I’m not tryin’ to give it… All I’m sayin’ is that we have a twenty four hour window, and I’m familiar with what direction he headed in, just not the specifics… Let’s work together. Kay? ” He said calmly. The clarity on wanting to help, versus pity cleared the mess of projection Ave had already applied onto Claudia and Rey’s perceptions of her in the moment, allowing her anger to dim slowly. After a brief silence she asked quietly, with a firm tone,”Show me where he left then…”

  In the bathroom Ave first stepped inside of the tub, observing the open window Kanoa had leapt from. As she analyzed their neighbors house across from them, and also the side entrance of their backyard she noticed something in the sky, she let out a sigh of relief retreating her head. “Alright… Thank you.” She said to Rey. He scratched his head confused along with both of their children sitting at the edge of their bed. He then said plainly,”Ave he jumped past the backyard and vanished. He could’ve been going straight, maybe even the park, but wherever he went staring here isn’t gonna help!” “I’ve still got him…” She mumbled, then turned to Rey with a bit more clarity. “When he left, what did you notice about him?” Rey paused, alarmed by her returned composure,”He- he sounded really monotone… Talked ‘bout somethin’ me lovin’him more if he… washed off Sam and Jess. B-but after our talk he seemed a bit better!” He said, recounting the small smile Knaoa made as he spoke to him. Ave sighed,”I’m guessing the dirt was from the backyard? But Kanoa wouldn’t-” “W-we… We told Noa to do it.” Sammy said with his head down, Jessy quickly hit him over the head infuriated, “Mom didn’t have to know that stupidhead!” Before she could strike him again Rey intervened, to which she quieted immediately, Rey’s now stern eyes subduing her. “Hm… Then that's what’s caused him to.. Spiral… So soon too, but why…?” She muttered under her breath, her eyes still wandering outside.

  Despite not fully wrapping his head around that statement Rey felt inclined to agree. If he were more careful- if he could have gotten Ave out of his mind he would never be late, he could have washed both of them, and most importantly, Kanoa would be allowed an off day. He groaned helplessly,”We need to get somebody involved Ave! I can't go to the ceremony while this is all goin’ down, I just can’t!” She turned to him with her arms folded. “Well… I have an idea of where he’s gone. This morning he was more standoffish, right?” Surprised Ave caught on the way before he did, he shook begrudgingly,”Y-yeah? What about it?” “Well… Last night I told him to stay home for the celebration. With his name, hair where he’s at with flying at the moment, I was certain things would turn for the worse. But Kanoa… You know him, fun is all he cares about.” Rey at first shook his head, not at the explanation of where Kanoa could have gone, but rather the oversimplification of who he is. “It can’t just be that! Noa’s smart too, he wouldn’t make-” She curtly interrupted,”Well, you didn’t seem to pay much mind to him, Sammy or Jessy since this morning. Maybe today’s an off day, but I’m more aware than you. Oldest or not, Kanoa’s a child.” As Rey stared deeper and deeper into Ave’s eyes, did he realize how good it felt to be lulled by her words, and how terrible the truth could be… Because if Kanoa was genuinely upset, what would that reflect onto him? If he were the one looking past his own children, what would that say.

  “You’re right…” He said, already forgetting his point. “So you think he headed in the direction of the festivities?” She nodded. “Right… And with how gosh dang long I’ve been stayin’ in here with the kids, we oughta get a move on!” “I-I don’t mind babysitting!” The four’s eyes shot towards the door in which Claudia a series of footsteps could be heard retreating, though as Rey and Ave approached the door, they couldn’t help but notice her changed position and forced inconspicuous behavior. “I- I’m sorry… The walls are all thin. I heard most of that ... .But, from what I know It’s packed all through Wellborough with stargazers and other kids- If he’s anywhere he’s probably there!” “Right… Near there.” She said, sounding relieved. Despite her nosiness, Rey couldn’t help but feel grateful for the information,”Right! The one near the edge of town and next to the capital! Good thinkin’! He’s probably meetin’ with someone… someone….” he whispered under his breath, but as he did he remembered the man he’d just encountered asking for Kanoa,”AH! But there was somebody here, a man!” Ave raised an eyebrow,”Who? Are you sure it wasn’t a woman?” “No! It was a guy covered head to toe in bandages, and had a real freaky aura bout him… But the thing that freaked me out most were those Yellow eyes… And that voice was somethin’ guttural!!?”

  As Claudia seemed entertained by the continuous twists and turns, Ave looked towards the floor genuinely confused, she muttered,”But why now…? Did she know? Did she doubt me from the start…?”Ave’s breath stifled, she forced out a yell. “I don’t understand any of this!” “A-ave listen, It’s gonna-” “Claudia, watch the kids. Sammy, Jessy!” She called out, thinking the two were far when they’d really been observing through the crevice of the door, they both scrambled, falling in front of Caludia and Rey, Cory giggled at the pair innocently. “listen to Claudia. Claudia, we’ll be back soon, but feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge.” As the three looked on at Ave’s flustered, angered figure storming towards the front door, they both felt a strange sense of franticness with her, this side of her convincing them Kanoa has been kidnapped.

  Although Rey was about to follow, Claudia's soft voice finally rose from the tense air, though her tone sat on more of a soft whimper, than anything substantial. “W-wait… Don’t mean to be rude o-or pry in or-""Come on Claudia, talk to me, you’ve been here this long, what do you want!?”

  She flinched, not at all prepared for the interruption, yet continued.“Well… Since you said it’d be “packed” all through Wellboroush whoever this person is- Innocent bystander or… Other, they should be just as lost as you two… And Kanoa… Well he can’t have gone far… He probably wanted to be away from everything for a while…As we talk, he could even be settled in that place right now- makin’ it easier for you to find him.. Er- All I’m saying is… Don’t look so panicked… You’re the family rock…” Ave stared at Claudia for a few moments gently rubbing the back of Corey. After fully processing her words, a smile crept up her face.. “I knew I made the right choice… ” “W-what was that?” Rey’s eyes stared at Ave’s newfound confidence with a bit of ease in him. Both Sammy and Jessy’s peering eyes eventually came through the door, their expressions still concerned. Walking up to the duo, quietly, she knelt to her children, rubbing their shoulders affectionately."I know you are very worried, and I’m sorry this is happening… But believe me, Kanoa is just going through- ""A sickness.”Jess answered with confidence.“No. A phase. Your brother never gets sick, now does he?” Surprised by the optimistic spin his head quietly confused. Whereas Sammy shook his head readily, repeating after his father.“Kanoa bounces back!” “Right… That’s right…” Coming in for a group hug, the four of them embraced one another tightly, as Claudia’s mind lingered upon Ave’s words.

  As the two traversed the bustling streets of the downtown area of their neighborhood, all with the spry eagerness they rarely ever carried, thoughts of Kanoa weighed particularly on Rey’s consciousness. Moving out and about, the pair treaded the streets briskly, Ave led the way, though her eyes wandered, unsure.Rey thought to himself, trying his best to cope but his cloud of nerves only grew the more he thought about the monster looking for Kanoa, how much he could’ve done to prevent this situation- What he could have done to make Kanoa stay instead of running. These thoughts led his head into becoming a sweltering mess, his eyes drew towards the floor as he slowed down, trying to pace himself. Though this would be short lived as an insistent chatter and applause drowned any semblance of Levity he had. Rey shut his eyes, slightly bumping into Ave who stopped in her tracks.

  “Rey, stay close to me!”He peeled his eyes from the slightly comforting concrete floor. In front of him stood a plethora of familiar yet unfamiliar faces. Neighbors of theirs had been selling baked goods, roaming the streets with their families from stand to stand, others traversing through the steadfast group of people who seemed to be headed towards something. The other unfamiliar faces all dawned an intimidating yet poised look about them. While some sat around the same height as the two, Others were brobdingnagian in size taking steps leaps and bounds ahead of the two, going along with the crowd. Most of their bodies dawned colorful feathers from head to toe. Neither would have ever guessed to see such sophisticated types at this depth of MurrowBrow,, though Rey didn’t care about that. His mind could barely keep up with all of the excitement in his own life, let alone whatever this was!

  Despite expecting it, Rey held his head in both contempt and panic for how large this event truly was. Although Ave tried to calm him, his surprise only began to swell as his hearing had begun to give out. He hadn’t understood it himself- He was never so easy to startle, never so fickle why did today of all days feel so different!? He screamed to himself internally. Although he wanted to remind himself of his responsibilities as a father and husband, a sudden whiplash of nostalgia hit him as he pulled his head back down to the floor. Briefly, he spotted people encouraging him on the bricks of the concrete floor he had found comfort staring into. A woman with a straight nose and curly brown hair like Rey, a man with a thick mustache and thinning gray hair, and a blonde girl with green eyes dressed in a flowery blouse. They were all telling him something his mind couldn’t let him make out. As the faces in his head faded away.

  He glanced upwards, Ave holding tightly onto his forearm.

  As his hearing returned, he had come to notice t, he and Ave were traveling through the crowd. But like the busybody he had known her to be, Ave refused to abide by the motion everyone else had been stuck in.“EXCUSE US! We’re in a bit of a hurry! Out of the way!” Ave said, pushing through countless amounts of people, though being careful enough to slide past any upper class citizens.

  After a while of walking, as they trailed down the same path Kanoa had run through, they’d finally spotted Wellsborough, yet before them stood a stage in which rows of stargazers and their parents stood with medals wrung around their necks. “So this would be the event you would partake in… We need to find a way around, see any openings?” She asked, turning to the overstimulated Rey. Despite the distractions swarming around him, Rey’s eyes quickly scoured the mass of adults and elders for an exit. Only to find at the very edge of the stage, a guard with familiar red hair peering through their black mask and goggles, stood confidently between two crowd control poles. “Looks like our only option, lets hope they don’t give us any trouble…” Though before Ave could take even another step, she stopped, her grip loosening from Rey.

  After the previous commemoration had been complete, and said adults completed gifting each child their respective accolades, a woman, who yet again wore messy blonde hair, had green eyes and glasses, though for the occasion wore a short sleeve cassius dress stood in front of the mic, adjusting it to her height. “No... Not today, we never-” “Good afternoon everyone. Very. Very. Glad to be here tonight… My name is Marilyn Friend, a doctor of Mira, and as my last name would (hopefully) indicate… A friend to anyone in need… That is to say, today I will be crediting the third division of Soar’s stargazers, the highest form of recognition one can earn… This is from their superb performance in retrieving a cure towards the new disease which was beginning to hurt many of our minor expeditionists. One example would be…” Footsteps drew near from backstage then into the spotlight. Another familiar face with half of their body engulfed in stalactite-like welts came onto the stage. Rey raised his head shocked, reminiscing at the man who had bumped into Kanoa. The same man who was denied entry into the hospital.

  A large majority of the crowd gasped with disgust, though Ms Friend, with her tired eyes yawning, continued, ignoring them,”This man, whose body writhed in…. Pain and agony, from coming into contact with the harmful toxins from the sky above… Right there, just… turn around” They audience, including Ave and Rey, turned their attention towards a blue miasma hovering far above them. “Is now cured… Like so.” Strolling over to the man with a syringe, the man muttered, “I-I know I agreed and all but be gentle, will ya?” He pleaded quietly. Ms Friend plunged the needle into the man's vein without much thought towards his request, he screamed shrilly, making the audience squeamish to see him in even more pain.

  Rey covered his eyes cringing from his sharp screams, but as the crowd's interest was piquing once more, he removed his hands,

  amazed at the now less obscured part of his skin completely smooth and normal- his face not looking too bad either with a pronounced jawline and long dark brown hair unveiled. Tears shed from the man's eyes as he held himself, crying from the overwhelming emotions. “And there… All thanks to the resources brought by the stargazers, and the research organized by the scientists of Mira, you no longer have to fear for the safety of yourselves, nor your children… Yay.” She said unenthused, and yet the crowd cheered, some going wild as the man dove from the stage and was rushed by a plague of fangirls and fanboys with hearts quite literally bulging from their eyes.

  Ave looked on at Ms Friend greatly troubled, her eyes unreadable, Rey tugged on her shirt. “C-cmon, that’s great for her, but we still need to find ‘im!” Rey urged. Ave nodded, shaking herself out of the trance Ms Friend had placed her in. “Right, she couldn’t know… Not about Kanoa… Not about him, this is all just-” “You know though.” Ms Friend said, her solemn, yet assertive tone cut through the crowd’s excitement entirely, Ave and Rey’s movement halting unconsciously as well, as if forced to listen. “... A family yesterday… A family I saw has a child who, I for… Obvious reasons, will not disclose… But this child, this boy, unlike all of you, does not have the opportunity to cure their sickness, ever.” Ave froze, whereas Rey, who before had become so disturbed by the onslaught of noise and excitement, could now find himself focused on the words of Ms Friend, as even the people behind him enjoying the stands all stood, ensnared into her sudden shifting tone. “It’s a neurodivergent issue the boy is dealing with. Body Integrity Disorder…He’ll never be able to fly. Can you imagine?” As her eyes sifted through the sea of pity starting to form, Ave and Rey could have sworn her eyes settled on the both of them, making Rey uncomfortable, he turned to her. “Why is she movin’ onto this? It’s sad but like… What’s this gotta do with all of us?” “I… I don’t…” Ave struggled, her speech stopping altogether as she stood, her arm shaking.

  “… And this family, they’re… amazing. My favorite family… Their mischievous children, always playing with their boy and teasing him, the father, a playful, empathetic, scatter-brained man… The mother…” She paused, smiling yet her eyes still sat narrowed and apathetic,”She’s a sneaky little nimrod.” The crowd laughed, not at all expecting the insults, “And yet…. the glue holding everything together… Without them, I would have never had become a doctor. Without a family like them… I wouldn’t have had the ambition to one day help advance the future of this world… This is all to say, the people who you find comfort in can push you into doing and feeling things you may not have anticipated… Such as saving others lives… But those same people, no matter how discouraged we become, are still people… People who make terrible mistakes….” She paused, her voice tightening with a slight frustration,”People who are too accustomed to comfort… Remember. Your ambition- my ambition extends beyond anything, or anyone… Our lives are too short to spend on those unable to follow the same path we are able to. If they are unable to redeem themselves in your eyes- unable to change?” Ms Friend shook her head, her eyes towards Ave. “They will be left behind.”

  Caught up in the speech Rey slicked his hair back, not sure to be compelled or stressed by the intensity of it, although the others around him and Ave were seemingly moved, Rey felt the weight of Ms Friends words targeting someone, chills ran through his back, Ave held her breath.

  After the speech concluded, everyone began clapping, Ms Friend concluded her speech, claiming,”Also, Remember. If you plan to leave for the remainder of those listed, know that Wellsborough is off limits with the exception of our star gazers. If that hurts any plans, I suggest you explore elsewhere. Now…” As Ms Friend read aloud the names Rey immediately began moving as the animated audience continued the festivities behind them. As Rey instinctively pulled her towards the red haired guard, she forced him to stop. “Ave! We gotta go no matter what she says! if Noa’s snuck in there to see some flyer we better-” “He’s not. Since when… Does Kanoa have friends?” She asked harshly, Rey rubbed the back of his neck,”I… well he-” “He does not…. The park. Let’s check the park… Whatever happens, I only hope he finishes the job,” Forcefully, she then drags Rey away, the audience's applause resurfaces as each child is given their own medal. Ms Friend watched as the two left, her eyes still, unfeeling.

  Kanoa climbed passionately towards the thin beam of red light, beyond the heart of the town in which he knew people had been judging him, lying to him, resenting him. “Grgh…!” The lower half of his body hung as his upper half struggled to pull himself up, with what little strength he could muster, Kanoa hauled himself up the steep mountain onto a broken metallic platform hiding behind the greenery of a tree. Before him stood a broken spiral staircase which lacked the proper infrastructure to be considered the least bit safe. Kanoa held his breath as he watched a step of the staircase from above dangling, The wind picked up subtly, causing the it hurdle downwards, the noise which echoed reminded Kanoa of his own mortality. And yet, despite that he took a step forward. “A home.. I’ll find a home…” he reaffirmed to himself, then lightly treaded upwards. Kicking debris while walking up the rickety railing, Kanoa’s mind flooded with the thought of people with hair like his. He thought of a father, a mother- a family which resembled him almost perfectly the closer he was to reaching the top of the mountain.This brought him a guilty sort of glee.

  As the wind began to pick up, coupled with the weight of his heel pressing down the step, a step snapped from underneath him! “A-ah! Help! Help!” He screamed, as his legs dangled above the harrowing precipice below. With all of his upper body strength sapped he could feel the sweat from his palms slowly peel his grip from the metallic stairs. He shut his eyes, pleading,”Please Phoenix! Save me and my life is yours- I-I mean it always was, but please! This time I really mean it!” And yet nobody came. With nobody around to save him, his mind replayed each stargazer's wings he’d caught a glimpse of, Jack's wings causing him to groan in annoyance. “Why do I have to be like this!?” He exclaimed angrily. He howled against the wind, against his own limitation, somehow mustering the strength to pull himself up once more. Though the more he rose, the further his pill case was beginning to slip from underneath his shirt! “W-wait! No!” As it finally did, desperately Kanoa’s legs swung upwards, catching the case in between his ankles! “D-don’t worry! I’ve got you guys!” He remarked while drawing his legs higher up with the rest of his body. As he finally rose above, he hugged the case, lovingly even. It was until he stared at the case, noticing his own distressed face, did he start to frown. “Why… Am I actin’ this way over a lil case…?” He questioned, slightly desiring to dig deeper, yet the recurring manipulation of his sight reflected each church goer, and the police, reminding him of his pain. “Oh yeah… It doesn’t matter, does it…?” He said, before standing and covering each of their faces. Recklessly, he began sprinting up the unstable staircase whilst yelling. “Nothing’ll stop me ever again! I’m tired of feeling so terrible!” He yelled, while completely collapsing the barely hanging railing with his heavy handedness. Fairly easily, he reached the final steps. He smiled, both relieved and ecstatic, he yelled, reaching the final step, “I’m HO-!” Though as he lifted his head, the awe in him quickly diminished as he could hardly believe what was in front of him.

  “Is this…?”

  A disgruntled small house, devoid of any attention given to the exterior, showed itself. Beyond it laid the marvelous red light. A patio adjoined to the house, with three seats and a half eaten sandwich still present drew his attention, slightly quelling his anxieties. “It’s okay me… Food means there are people… But then… Why’s it look like this?” He asked, his eyes lingering on the greenery which had overtaken the chairs and table themselves, roots entrapping the legs of all three objects Moving in, Kanoa laid his hand on the half eaten sandwich, he’d find an unpleasant heat yet coldness from it. “People don’t eat cold sandwiches, do they…?” He asked, while beginning to feel disappointed , the emptiness which was in him before slightly re-emerging. Though as he heard a creak by the house in front of him, he quickly snapped out of it. Despite the caution which would have normally risen, he immediately walked towards the house,”Hello!? Anybody home!?” Staring into the house, then the light right above it, Kanoa knew what he must do for the sake of curing his unrest. He inched closer towards the unkempt house, praying for an answer on the other side. The entrance was held under a thick layer of mold. A large majority of the wooden floor turned gray from potential years of decay. Kanoa crept through the weakened floor, praying he wouldn’t collapse. With each step, he felt the soft flesh, followed by the skittish dash of plump juicy creatures. He winced, hesitating with each step. The only thought pushing him forward, being the pressing thoughts of a world he was yet again, unworthy to enter. His head became floored with relief as the red beam by the doorway could be spotted faintly in the crevice of another door, beseeching all of his courage to continue onwards..

  Before he could make his final step his foot unexpectedly sank into the sturdier feeling floor. He groaned and pained, as a faint red caught in his peripheral vision, though he wouldn’t dare to look down. “No blood! There’s no blood!” He repeated to himself/ Needing to focus on something else, he turned to the right of himself in which he noticed a painting of a chestnut brown floor followed by a dash of colors exuberating all fleeing towards it. It was tragic, yet beautiful, to Kanoa it possessed an enumerable amount of relevance in his own life, making it all the more impactful, while helping to ease his mind from the blood. However, as the rats from floorboards behind him encroached upon his leg further, he couldn’t ignore their distinctly musty mixed with food and urine coated scent. Crowds of their thick, plump fuzzy bodies slithered across his skin, some planting their feet into his flesh.

  As he tried to raise his foot, he found himself truly trapped., Hopelessly, he froze too disturbed to move, slowly, he could feel himself about to shed tears. Searching for an escape, his eye stared deeper into the art-piece. The subtler gray in the center of the door’s piece, a gray in which every color flocked towards. The rats below began drawing more blood, though as Kanoa squinted his eyes from the pain, he found himself chuckling. “ I knew it… This is… This is based on something. Who… Who painted this, it’s incredible…” The sound of a fallen chair shot Kanoa’s line of sight towards the outside. Each of the rats sending the harsh vibration fled quickly. Relieved Kanoa attempted to lift his foot from underneath once more. Though as he did splinters pierced through his clothing. He yelled,”If anybody’s here, please, help me!” Slowly, from the doorway, a man peered his head from the doorway. He drew himself closer holding two large paper bags. His long gray beard obscured the upper half of his small frame, his short hair wild and messy, contrasting his quiet demeanor. Though underneath his calm expression,the man's face was emboldened with shyness, as evident by his thin arms shaking violently, his jaw flexed attempting to quell his nerves, when in reality, it only added to his anxiety, causing his sharp nails to cut through the handles of his bags. Fruits, vegetables and fish fell to the floor.

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  Quietly with his dry lips struggling to get a word in, he declared,“Me…. I’m…I am…. the one who painted that.”

  From the man's unassuming hair color, skin tone, and unfamiliarity Kanoa could still feel present, the cloud of fear re-entered his mind. His breathing hurried, his palms began to feel clammy. With his other arm, he hugged his pill case tighter, then, impulsively he planted his free foot onto the ground beside him while pushing upwards. “Hrgh! Come on!” As the older man approached slowly, Kanoa pushed harder, exhausting any strength he could sap left. Try as he might, he couldn’t escape by himself, instead the floor gave away, causing his other foot to fall through the floor boards once again. Kanoa cried“A-AH!”

  The man stared at Kanoa, a tad confused. As he stooped down to Kanoa’s level reaching for his food, Kanoa said, genuinely terrified, “S-stay back!” For whatever reason, he drew out his pill case, holding it to the man like a shield of some sort. Upon finally reaching Kanoa’s legs, he quickly shut his eyes, bracing himself. “Still. Stay still.” The man placed his wrinkled, small hand into between Kanoa’s leg and the prickly oak, causing him to bleed a little by the palm of his hand. They urged Kanoa’s empathy despite being so afraid, he reached out, tempted to tell the man to stop. But the unbothered, moist eyes and dry expression staring intently at the task before him convinced Kanoa otherwise. Swiftly, he pulled the wood upwards for both his right and left legs, revealing squads of insects teaming under the floorboards but ultimately freeing Kanoa. “T-thanks…”He looked at the man’s face once more for a trace of any warmth or hostility, only to unsurprisingly be met with deterred, lost eyes. “Mm.” “I’m sorry for trespassin’… Guessin’ this is your place… I just wanted to get into the building behind it, and the side of the house is completely trashed with debris so…” Not listening, the man threw the chunk of wood to the far side of the room by the steps, disrupting Kanoa’s train of thought. “My…. my…painting. What did you think?” He asked while looking down, too timid to face any comments. “Think- what did I-? Oh! Yeah, it’s really… Meaningful, I guess? I can’t explain it. It makes me feel… things. I can tell you worked hard to make it.” “Mm… That paintin’ took me three years. I painted it… that I did.”

  Despite the light behind Kanoa being the main object of desire, he couldn’t help but notice the slight fidgets of the man whilst he stroked his fingers, the occasional slicking back of his hair, and the absentmindedness to not even pay heed to the groceries dashed onto the rat infested floor. Although the two were different, Kanoa could feel something akin to the man, as desperately needing to talk to someone about your interests wasn’t anything new to him. But the man, to Kanoa, was obviously dejected from the world, after all, he helped him. With that subtle comfort, he asked,”What uh… What do you like about painting?” The man's gaze lifted, in awe at Kanoa’s care of his interests. His eyes lit up, causing his restricted movements to become loose, he paced, explaining,”When I started I liked the feelin’ of gettin’ my hands all pain stained, I liked creatin’... But now, I paint to create a clear picture of the past without embellishment.” He continued walking past his groceries. “Paintin’ is also hard. Really like that. Thing about paintin’ is that you can’t be goin’ uninspired, unless you’re a trained artist. I’m not. Though.”

  Walking past Kanoa, the man approached the painting. “Personally I think it’s amature, even if you do something amazin’ if you don’t understand what you did it’s all for naught. Wife thought otherwise.” “You have a wife? Do you two live here?” The man paused, staring past Kanoa in the direction of the staircase, collecting his thoughts.“Used too. Had a son too, but he’s gone.”

  “Oh… My condolences… If I’m not misunderstanding, they’re dead- I- I mean passed on, right?” He responded with a shrug. “Hm…” Upon hearing Kanoa’s upset tone, the man stared at Kanoa. “I surmise they’re alive. They both just left me. I won’t look for ‘em, I need to be alone.” Kanoa shook his head,”No one needs to be all alone… They just need to find the right people.” he said, all while tucking his pill case underneath his shirt. The older man responded,”Not always. For some of us, it’s punishment. Is that why you came here? Or are you runnin’ from responsibility?”

  Kanoa choked on his saliva, not expecting to get so personal so quickly. “Huh? W-why do you say that?!”He asked defensively; the last thing he had wanted to hear was a lecture about choices or what he needed to do for his family, he had already been painfully aware. “Your voice. Sounds just like my sons- Last I saw ‘Im… Yep, we probably are a buncha screw ups for lettin’ you kids choose so early… With flyin’ and everythin’... Then if we raise you wrong, everythin’ else goes down the drain, and the next thing ya know, you’re off donating blood, sweat and maybe even your nails and whatnot to make ends meet… Sorry bout that. That’s what this sorry piece is supposed to be. Depiction of our lie.”

  His eyes fixating on the art, the man pointed towards the gray spot Kanoa had been so ever enamoured by. “All of you guys, headin’ towards some hope. Not there. But the thing is, I got the colors wrong. I forgot to add the others.” “Others? Like… Were you tryin’ to represent our wings?” “No, No. He corrected, his voice resurging a hint of liveliness. “I needed Red, Green, Orange and White. The other kids. They’re lost too y’know… They were raised behind my house. Always screamin’ they were. Terrible, I was… After a while, they left, maybe tried bein’ like us, or home. Either way, that white one. She was like the ringleader that swung ‘em all the wrong way… Sayin’ “We need to Reshape the world.” or “It’s our birth right to conquer and divide.”. She wasn’t wrong… Not completely… But she wasn’t completely right either.” At a loss for what the man could possibly mean, Kanoa continued to nod along, slowly walking towards the door he seeked to pass through. “Took my son, she did. She’ll probably come back and take you too if ya don’t make up your mind… So you go and do that.” With the conversation upsetting Kanoa, he politely said,“R-right… Thanks Mister… You’re a little hard to get, but… I get you’re tryin’ to help so I- ""Whatever you do, don’t let ‘er take you. Don’t let them decide your fate… This world.” He stopped dead in his tracks, a bit… at ease hearing those words, oddly.

  “You’re a kid. But you're not stupid. Decide for yourself. Even if it all turns out wrong, be glad you made a choice. Then it’ll all get easier, the more times you do it. Get me?” Kanoa nodded obediently. The words echoing in his head a few times for a better understanding, he stayed lost for words. He never believed himself to be stupid, but the belief someone had in him despite just being a kid was… Comforting. He curled his toes as his cheeks warmed. Wanting to press for more information, though the weight of the man's words still left him with enough to contemplate, he looked towards the painting reflexively. “What uh…what’ll you paint next?” The man’s eyes hung with discouragement at the thought of painting. “Why do ya ask?” “Just curious… I’d love to see more of your work. It’s hard to explain… But I feel like everythin’ you said about choices- and those kids that are in there… I want to learn more about their feelings- Even if I don’t get it.” Hearing Kanoa's thoughts he stared at his own painting. “I wouldn’t mind that. Thank you. You’ve inspired me. I need some time to think, if you don’t mind. A change of scenery.” “Oh… alright…” As Kanoa headed for the door, the man called out,” You can stay with us, if you’d like. I only ask you to be quiet, she’s sleepin’.” Relieved, a smile slowly crept up his face.”T-thank you! Thank you so much… But… There’s someone else here?” “Yes. Now please leave. I must focus.”

  He nodded, completely unbothered by even the decrepitness of the house, of even the slight blood by his ankles, skipping along towards the light, the man called out “By the way! Then make sure you don’t bring that Gorilla that came through. She ain’t gonna like that.”

  He paused fearfully. “G-gorilla?” He questions, wanting to ask more of the man, quickly he absolved from his world. Kanoa looked around, fear treading up his spine as doubt of who that man was- what he was made him question reality itself.

  Quickly, Kanoa exited the broken down living room, entering a dark, earthy, moist smelling room, with a hint of paprika he may add, then exiting as quickly as he can heading outside. The backyard was overrun with weeds, though the scenery was mixed with an entanglement of flowers. Kanoa’s gaze however, had been fixed beyond the greenery, as the light sitting in front of him was starting to fade, slowly.

  In front of him, sat…A dilapidated down concrete building with absolutely no standout features. A sign above the door titled the place, “Hall of South MurrowsBrow wildlife. Confused, Kanoa’s eyes squinted- was the Phoenix mocking him? Calling him an animal? Upon entering the broken down building, Kanoa felt congested in the dead, decrepit environment. Although it was similar to the house he’d just left, Kanoa felt an odd sense of discomfort from the stray clothes, shoes, and occasionally animals roaming the place. He watched as a cat dog bumped his head against a wall over, and over at the end of the hallway, he called out concernedly,”Hey lil’ Kiki! C’mere! Quit it!” The cat dog stopped, approaching Kanoa with its orange fur, and large dim eyes. Kanoa pet it’s silky fur, “My name is Kanoa… What’s yours buddy?” He asked, trying to force a smile. Though despite the attempt, it proved to be a wanted effort, as the dog had nothing to say except nor did it care for Kanoa’s affection, as it began banging itself against his knee. Quickly he stood, frightening the Catdog, and causing it to flee. “Freaky…” He said, deeply disturbed. He continued past the empty rooms, which were filled with hospital equipment, and beds, similar to his own, although unlike in Ms. Friend's office, there were strangely large cubes in each room propped upon a desk. Two wires were connected to each cube, one to a small circle, and another to the wall. His curiosity piqued, he studied the small chart in front of the strange mechanism. The chart had numbers, with every letter in the alphabet and strange symbols. Kanoa scratched his head, instinctively clicking on the largest button. Though as he did, static arose, for a split second it presented access to multiple cameras, although all were disconnected. This startled him, he backed away. “U-uh-! Uh!” Quickly he ran out of the room, past the animals each performing some pointless repetition, then up to the second floor.

  Walking down the second hallway, which was clearer, with the exception of rocks and insects, Kanoa noticed a brown door, disrupting the white color scheme reaching every bit of the place. Upon closer inspection, the door was labeled “K __N_A” “…” Consciously Kanoa wanted to walk through it, though deep down he knew if he were to there would be no going back. Despite any fears, he pressed on, debating whether this would constitute as a real choice he could take pride in as the gerriatric man described. Decisively, he grabbed onto the knob of the door, trying to open it slowly and carefully, though the rusty hinges wouldn’t allow that, letting out a high moan. He cringed, wanting to stop himself, but too far in. “H-hello….?” He whispered, fully opening the door. As he did, darkness greeted him from every angle. The only source of light, being a group of capsules, emanating a faint yellow. Kanoa asked again, too weary to take another, “Come out! Now!”The silence prevailed minutes longer, until finally, Kanoa gave in. Carefully he hugged the walls, searching for a switch of some kind, though the more he became entrenched in darkness, the harder it became to maintain his composure. This proved to be especially hard as a giant hole from the side of the wall disrupted his sense of direction altogether. Frantically, he stomped forwards, searching for the wall until finally his hand rested on something firm, yet cold, bringing him some relief. “Ngh…” A tired voice came from behind him. Covers shifted along with pillows from within the hole. The more Kanoa pressed onto the icicle, trying to re-assess where to find a light switch, the more the person rolled around in their bed, annoyed. Gruffly, and still asleep, they said, “You’re gonna get a face fulla ice… Just watch…Just…try me….” Kanoa gulped, “This must be a trap or somethin’. Better to just crawl.” As he did let go of the ice, briefly, Kanoa spotted another yellow light emanating behind him reflected onto the thick hunk of ice. The guttural voice then asked, “K a n o a ? You….?” Its eyes pierced the darkness like a flashlight. Its large body, combined with an ape-like posture startled Kanoa, though what ultimately broke through his nerves, being the bandaids by his face unraveling. Petrified, Kanoa screamed bloody murder, as his face was horribly disfigured. It’s nose torn off, black gashes and graying dead skin caused him to jump back, hitting the ice, which in turn shot a plethora of icicles in the man's direction. “A-AH!” He yelled as the ice pierced his skin, falling onto the floor.

  Finally awake, the threatening voice arose, shouting, “Betcha thought I’d be rollin’ in my grave right now, huh!? Well ir’a you who’s gonna-” They paused, the obscured figure confused by the two people. “What the heck!? That’s cheatin’!” They screeched, before running out the room. “Strategic retreat!” Before she could leave the room, Kanoa caught wind of her disgruntled self. The figure was a short haired blue girl wearing a long striped shirt underneath a wife beater, shorts, along with notable blueberry colored hair, several stitches strung across her body, red eyes with one being slightly larger than the other. Despite the perceived threat, she ran freely, entering the light without the paralysis or hesitation of Kanoa.

  Although Kanoa could not see himself, he guessed that if there were a mirror, both of their expressions would be near opposite, though like with the older man, he too could sense a certain kinship. “H-hey! Wait up! He yelled, urging himself to get up before the creature could recover.”

  As the two made their way into the hallway, the girl shouted at him, “Get lost you stupid traitor! Or else I’ll-!” Before she could finish, the man from before roared, “K a n o a !” causing the two to run even faster as the man, his body now completely freed of its constraints, revealing the blemishes and sickly skin which pervaded its figure. Frantically it ran towards the pair on all fours, stomping. “Listen! We gotta work together to beat that guy! I’m not a traitor- or whatever you said! I just got here!” After listening she smirked as a plan was forming in her mind. She then put on a more vulnerable expression saying, “Really…? Well if that’s true we better think of something fast! Look, it’s gainin’ on us!” As said, the man kicked off from the tiled floors of the hallway, fracturing it and leaving behind a trail of debris. As it flew towards the pair, it shouted, “T h e p u r i t y !” Then, unnaturally, the man unlatched their jaw to a point where their eyes rolled to the back of their skull, showing off his slimy, mucus riddled throat.

  Just as the girl was readying herself for an attack, Kanoa pelted the muscle relaxer given to him by Jack into the belly of the creature.

  As he did so it began to lose momentum, crashing itself into the wall behind them. In awe the girl’s eyes lingered on the creature for a few moments. Overcome with adrenaline and a bit of amazement in himself, Kanoa grabbed her arm. “Come on! We have to go now!” She nodded, escaping further into the hallway with the girl. When facing something so unsightly, his first thought would have been to normally run away! Dealing with those things would’ve been his Ave’s job! He and his Rey were much too squeamish. But rather than hide, he knew if he had any hope of calling this place home, he needed to fight.As they ran up the net flight of stairs the creature from behind, lagging from the muscle relaxer dullening its vitality, fought to reach them. It then laid on all fours, dug its heels onto the floor once more and began racing up the stairs for the two. With a bit more clearness in its raspy voice, it yelled. “K a n o a“

  With every room the two swung pass kanoa was beginning to understand how horribly outmatched they were. Whatever this facility was- or used to be, it certainly wasn’t a place the police, or any kind of army defense force would be at. A dispeller, or sword, or generally any sort of weapon was Kanoa’s biggest hope. “Got anything else in your pockets!?” The girl asked hopefully. He searched them desperately, his legs still picking up the pace, only to obtain a block of cheese, which Kanoa was tempted to devour without a second thought,as it might’ve been his last meal. The only other object rubbing against him being the pillcase, though without a second thought, he refused to part with them, the girl noticed this, her eyes narrowing momentarily, she then said,“It’s alright! Look! See that boulder?!” The girl pointed to yet another piece of debris, though this one was different. It was much more angular and large in contrast to the other pebbles lying around.

  “You distract it! I’ll bash its brains out then we’ll finish it off!”Cringing at the morbidness of the idea, Kanoa shook with heavy disagreement, though their perpetrator hadn’t cared. It leapt similarly to before, though it remained on the floor to control its trajectory. The girl unflinchingly pushed Kanoa out of the way before the monster could reach him, and began to run the opposite direction, her naked feet slapping against the dirty floor. “Fine Don’t trust me We’ll switch places! It’s up to you!” She said before shoving him against the wall beside the boulder “W-wait! That’s not what I-!” The naked man ran past him, chasing the girl without properly recognizing Kanoa’s absence. Worriedly, Kanoa clasped the boulder with both his skinny hands, wishing to absolve them both of this situation and crush the monster with painless ease. Kanoa closed his eyes tightly at first, but as he remembered his conversation with the older man- the value in his own autonomy, did his entire being become desperate to win the fight!

  Steadying himself, he could still feel the vibration of each hop and turn the thing had pushed its body to do- giving Kanoa reassurance enough that the hallway would repeat no matter how long. All the blue girl had to do was live. Finally, as the two looped back around the girl’s sloppy steps and sweat-doused body made clear of her dwindling stamina, her short skinny limbs were only taking her so far. As she slowed by the staircase, anticipating Kanoa, she was left utterly petrified as he leapt onto the four legged creatures' sore covered back.“That wasn’t the plan! What’re you-” Before she could continue, Kanoa plunged the rock into the back of the creature, causing a heavy stream of yellow goo to shoot from his body. “RAAAGHHHH!”It yelled, spurning away from Kanoa’s unexpected might and sudden flair of determination.

  In contrast to Kanoa’s tensing muscles attempting to relinquish control, the creatures began to let go, as an effect of the relaxer inside of it. Its moronic roars turned into whimpers, regardless of its still unsatiated gluttony. This allowed for Kanoa to continue, going deeper and deeper into the back of the creature, whereas the struggling dullened, then faded entirely. Before the two knew it, the creature had been incapacitated. They both look at each other for a few moments before speaking. Kanoa hadn’t been surprised by the creature in that frame of time, nor had he been feeling anxious like he had been. The two paradoxically felt they were staring into a mirror without even looking remotely similar, something that nearly tugged a smiled up Kanoa’s face, though he refused out of shame, covering his mouth.

  “Heh…” The girl smiled still, unabashedly. “You really surprised me with that move there… How’d you guess it’d stop movin’ like that?” “O-oh uh…” He rubbed the back of his head, still regaining his sense of levity from the whole situation. “I honestly didn’t… I just assumed I could beat it if I just… Hurt it, really bad… Y’know…?” She laughed softly, then suddenly hysterically at Kanoa’s simple solution. He stared at her, feeling a bit dumb. But as her warm, somehow familiar smile grew, he felt more inclined to join her. Though as he did, completely unguarded, the girl's plentiful glee ceased, she lifted her arm, creating a sharp pellet of some sort from the palm of her hand, shooting it towards Kanoa’s direction, bringing a warm, tight feeling to the right side of his body, yet trapping the creatures in a crystalized prison. Stumbling aback, barely registering what had happened to him, he at first mistook the tiny pellet as an attack from the threat behind him. His animosity for the creature still present he reached for debris by his hand, readying himself. As he turned however, he was met with the creature's helpless eyes, cringing from the cold rigid case it had been incarcerated into.

  Finally, the frost began to register. Kanoa’s sharp brows furrowed as he clutched onto his icy stiff clothes. He groaned in pain, thrashing about, though the heavier right side of his body kept him glued in place. “Great. Now that I have you two where I want you…” As she pursed her lips bringing in as much air as possible, a long, conical poised blade, almost resembling a jousting blade was made in thin air. She wielded the cold sword pointing it at Kanoa’s pained face.

  “I can finally be free.“ She said, giggling manically. “

  Free!? What are you talking about!? If you want freedom then just leave! I-I beat that thing to protect you!” She shook her head, chuckling a bit with frustration laced in her tone. “You think I’m stupid!? You heard it- didn’t you!? It kept calling out… Kanoa.“Y-yes. What about it?” He asked, genuinely curious as to how his name got involved in all of this. “That thing kept saying it over and over again. “I want Kanoa” Need her… At least with that thing it was honest. I can’t trust anyone. I won’t let anyone have me!” Kanoa gasped comedically at female Kanoa, knocking himself upside the head,”That’s what it stood for… But why my name…?” “Quit talkin’ to yourself!” She roared, hovering the jousting rod closer to his face. You led that thing to me! Actin’ like I can just leave when I want, I oughta yank out one of your eyes, shouldn’t I!?” “No!? Don’t, don’t!” Kanoa pleaded as his body grew colder and colder,bringing him great pain to the right side of his body. “You can’t tell me what to do…” She retorted, coming closer, the sword inching closer to Kanoa’s shivering body. “Wait! If all of that is true, why didn’t I just fight you then!? What would I have to gain?” She scoffed, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Cuz you’re too malnourished to ever take me on! You needed that thing to weaken me for you.” Not knowing how to argue with that, Kanoa thrashed around hopelessly, he exclaimed,”Why can’t you believe in me!? I don’t have any powers, there’s nothing I can do to hurt you!” Again she laughed. “You don’t gotta tell me twice.But I can still take you!”As soon as she did that, she grabbed ahold of Kanoa’s collar, crudely lifting Kanoa’s shirt, whilst trying to lift him up. “Wait- wait, no!” As he continued thrashing about he spotted a small blue dot on hiss collar bone, though it was neither a byproduct of ice, or any injury. Instead the spot greatly resembled the pill. “What’s this!?” She asked, yanking the pill case from his stomach.

  “H-hey! Give it back!” She scanned each pill with a look of horror. “.....So…. This is how you found me, this is what you people did to the rest of them here!” Angrily she clutched the case, her entire arm shaking, her mind flooding with a pension for violence. “W-wait! Please I don’t know what you think that is- But I don’t-” Without listening she slammed the case onto the floor, causing all of the pills to fly about the place. In horror, Kanoa watched as his only companions were left defenseless, emptiness sheathed over his eyes. “They were people- an entire race of our people! I don’t know- he says, listen he says! Did you listen to the people who cried and screamed when you took them!? Did you!?” Looking over the scattered pills, he reached out, but the right side of his body was too heavy to do anything, he groaned tiredly while holding his head with his left arm. “Please! Save them… Please!” The girl looked at Kanoa’s eyes with a brief sympathy as his eyes started to gloss over with tears. Quickly her eyebrows furrowed, her voice darkened with even more disgust. “I know how you traitors work. They’re not even alive anymore! You just wanna use me to fix whatever’s wrong with the humans! Then when all’s said and done I’ll be gone, like them!”

  With no retaliation, even as the ice spread across his body, merely the dejected look at the pills around him, quietly, Kanoa said, “I… I know… I know that feelin’.” “What?” She questioned further, enraged,”What could you possibly know about that, traitor!?” Quietly, Kanoa replied,“Since this morning, this feelin’ has been in my gut…” He gripped his stomach, “Feelin’ like there was no point to anything… Needin’ somebody… I thought everybody was a pointless phony that was against me… I even looked at my little brother and sister like they were monsters.” Impatient, she yelled,”What’re you talkin’ about!?” “It all started when I took a blue pill… Were those… your feelings?” Unable to wrap her head around the perceived game he was playing, readying to shut him up, she noticed the familiar look in his eyes, realized the light he’d mentioned, but more obviously, the blue mark on his collar bone. Quickly she covered her mouth.

  “I never told you to come here, I-I never signaled for you!” She stammered. “These pills sent me… The ones you’re offended by… Some part of me knew, but couldn’t explain it. But these pills have some parts of people in ‘em.” She shook her head frustratedly,”But signaling….? That’s a last ditch… That means…” She ran her fingers through her hair, stressed,”They’re alive…” He started to tear up. “They’re alive and you’re hurting them, please, help them if you’re not gonna help me…!” She shook her head yet again,”You’re wrong… They’re not… that doctor led you here im guessin’. All so you can both continue her plan or whatever and sap up my life force.” Kanoa in response yelled desperately,"They're alive! I can feel it!”

  She looked down on Kanoa’s heavy breathing with pity. “Don’t know how, and I don’t know why you’d take those if you didn’t know what you were gettin’ into… You were too soft, and that’s why you’re here. That’s why, even if you’re not lyin’, I gotta end this so she doesn’t have any chance of gettin’ me…” As the ice started to swallow the right side of Kanoa panicked, he said,”F-for them, can’t you try lettin’ me live so we can save ‘em!?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I hate self righteous types like you, I don’t believe any of it. Time to die.”Raising the sword above her head then flinging it down towards Kanoa in one swift motion, Kanoa screamed from the pit of his stomach.“ALL I WANTED WAS TO BE NORMAL!” She stopped, annoyed he kept interrupting her, but curious to hear the truth.

  “I’ve never had anyone I’ve felt totally normal around! The people by my church, and kids my own age always look at me a little funny! Some people don’t like the color of my hair, my skin, or the stuff I like! Even older folks and the animals feel hard to relate to! The only thing they care about is whether I’m flyin’ or not, and since I’m not… Well…. I’m basically a nobody…” He sat up, his eyes welling up with tears he tried to hold back“All I ever wanted… Was to be allowed to feel normal… To be a part of something with people like me… But now… It’s all over…” A stream of tears began flowing down his face. Ashamedly he turned his attention from the other Kanoa. Finally dispelling himself of these painful emotions even for a moment. He felt tempted into feigning his emotions again, Though being honest with himself strangely made his shoulders less tense, the feeling of cold surrounding the atmosphere diminished. With a look of genuine empathy instead of sympathy the girl dropped her blade. At first she reached out wanting to console him in some way. But knowing the potential threat he may be, she remained weary, only going as far as to stoop to his level.“... I wanna be normal too. Always. My whole life I've been treated like an object. Me and a lot of others… We’ve been waiting for so long for someone to absolve us of everything, just so those… Human… bird things can see what we’d be. I’m not sure why, or for how long this has been going on for but now you’re a part of this. I can’t trust you…” He paused his weeping, holding his breath at what she may do next. “Not totally at least…” Finally, she sat next to him, placing her hand on the icy exterior that had consumed his body surprisingly repelling any signs of frostbite. Out of his depth Kanoa opened and closed his hands, only one wound had been left on him, as a layer of skin had already been fully invaded by the ice, making Kanoa exhausted in some sense. “This is for me, not you.” His mind stayed taken aback by how savory the warmth he had taken for granted could feel. The other Kanoa kept her blade close to her, still wary. Wiping his tears, then taking a few moments from a burst of emotion he hadn’t felt in ages, Kanoa regained himself slowly, though from the emotional outbursts and overall tension, Kanoa fell to the ground, passing out.

  An hour or two later, Kanoa rose drool running down his chin, and Blue girl Kanoa to the side of him, petting the same Catdog as him, though refusing to hit its head against anything with a firm lock on it’s head. As Kanoa’s eyes drifted over to the pair, she immediately encouraged the catdog to run off with a light smack to its behind, it obeyed thoughtlessly, running away. “You always say weird dark stuff in your sleep?” She asked, incredibly annoyed. “I do!? What was I sayin’!?” She looked up towards the ceiling,”Something about fish. Dunno… But it’s about time you woke up. Here.” Suddenly she tossed him a green and yellow pencil case. Inside each pill could be tucked neatly in the place of pencils. “Y-you actually put these back for me…?” He asked, amazed, already hugging the case. “Don’t start cryin’ again. They’re not alive, you’re only carrtin’ around parts of what used to be people…” With that cynical reminder Kanoa was certain he was correct. Her feelings had really influenced his own. He stared at the blue mark concerned.

  “... So… uh… Kanoa…”He said meekishly, still not fully trusting her mercy. “Why’re you…. Doin’ this? You were so upset, you didn’t trust me at all. What’s changed??” She answered bluntly,”Nothin’. Not a thing has changed, I still see you as a traitor, whether you realize it or not… But I know that keepin’ a stupid crybaby traitor is better than a strong one.” Kanoa frowned at the comparison. “I… guess? Is that really it though? Taking a long hard look into his eyes, she said quietly” You really don’t know… That mark on you. Every time you ingest a pill, do you know what that does to you? What that makes the two of us?” Kanoa shook his head. “Our energy is connected. With or without the pills effect you’ll always feel what I feel deep down. And with or without you around, I’ll always sense you comin’.” Quickly, Kanoa surmised it to simply having a best friend, though that optimistic phrasing quickly was snuffed as he realized she would always be a part of him. Internally he panicked, “What does that even mean!? You’ll always be a part of me!? Why!?” “It’s the price of signaling. We’re the opposite of humans. We’re like energy. And when we put a piece of our energy out there and somebody absorbs it, they become a part of the person, forever.” Taking the information in, Kanoa lamented his hasty decision. “Forever….” He muttered, shocked he would likely never be the same.

  “That’s what I said, didn’t I?” “Well yeah… But like… What happens if you try to absorb me…?” She scoffed,”Like I’d ever. Don’t flatter yourself… But if I did, and you absorbed me already, we really would become one… Only difference is, whoever absorbs first takes full control…” Stunned and horrified by the image of being taken control of Kanoa breath stifled.

  “Anyway, a buncha other bird human scientists that were testin’ on me once said somethin’ like us bein’ like energy... The way I get it is like this. You know how a bearpig eats a morrelhog? Or a wolf eats a little fuzzy… What was it? Rabbit? They all get some sorta energy and get stronger, right? We’re like that, but like- super energy. Here, watch.”Similar to her earlier betrayal, she shot another ice beam, though this time through an open window, its speed much more accelerated and the sharp rigidness of the bullet much more apparent. “I was able to put some more into it by takin’ some of the dead skin cells from your body. We get energy from everythin’ to make powerful stuff like that happen! The air, plants, dead stuff. We can pretty much live our whole lives without eatin’ the same food as everyone else.” The atmosphere felt cold once more. Kanoa tried catching a few of the fragmented pieces of ice from the bullet, as it laid on his palm, a slight coolness returned, spreading to the center of his palm and his fingertips.

  “It’s so cold already…” “That’s cuz I was their plaything…” She said, clearly upset. “Before there used to be groups of them feedin’ me, makin’ me work to make me stronger and stuff. But as the days got longer for me, more and more of them started dissappearin’… Except for one. The freak. She kept on talkin’ about how there were loose threads that could revolutionize science and make use of me. People like me who could finally… What was the word? Make better we’ll say, what was done with the space flyin’ kids.”

  “The stargazers.” She pointed up her slick rod in agreement “Yeah. Those guys.” “And I’m one of those loose threads then? Does that mean there are others like me who are coming for you?”

  “... Nah. Probably not.” “How can you be so sure?” “I dunno for sure. But our kind don’t visit often. Plus, if they were here that light that she put on me wouldn't have stopped… She would’ve wanted all of us for absorption. To make you guys (the traitors) stronger. It's like a signal I mentally put out whenever one of you guys (the traitors)takes a piece of our power. ”

  “Would you stop callin’ me a traitor?!”“No.”She said firmly, the defensive gaze from earlier spreading cast over her face. Reminding Kanoa this was her truth whether he could accept it or not. “Anyway… Is that why my stomach has been feelin’ this way…? Is that why my head felt all messed up?” He ran his fingers through his tufts of hair in relief he hadn’t been going crazy, though also out of nervousness for what this meant in the long term. “I dunno! That’s your own business. I don’t know everythin’ just what I’ve overheard and what the crazy lady monologues about…” “Okay… I guess… But wait!” She groaned, the question wracking her brain a bit too much for her own liking. “How do you know there aren’t any other people that just haven't taken a part of the other pills- they are multi-colored!” she sighed. “Lemme put it like this… Normally it’s hair that makes someone connected to somebody else. To make it that shape, to make it pure in that color, you’d have to take a lot of energy… I have a lot, but most don’t… so…” She shook, unable to put it into words. “No. I can’t say it… They’re just… Not alive… You gotta face it.” Hearing the brutal truth, Kanoa at first held himself together through reasoning Kanoa to be wrong. After all, she was alive. There had to be a chance. But as his eyes lingered on the look of grief across her face, he realized there was none.

  At that moment his hearing ceased entirely, replaced by the intense fumes of rage exhaling from out his nostrils. A flash of a yellow light flew past Blue Kanoa if ever so faint. “Ah!” She shook out her hand, perplexed by her nails sunken into the palm of her hand. “What the-?” She glanced upwards to Kanoa’s hand, Kanoa followed suit, sweat falling down his face at the indescribable feat his body had done without any conscious thought. “How… The heck did you do that.”

  His hand shook with anxiety- What would she say now? He wondered. “I-i’m sorry! It was an accident!” He glanced up, expecting to see another spear of ice in front of him, though raised brows and brightened eyes of the girl once again faced him. “That was awesome! Is that your power?!” She jumped up and down excitedly, he tilted his head, still confused. He sputtered about. “I-I think so… I’ve never done anythin’ like that before…” He scratched his head, still contemplating why he had felt so headstrong about these things. “That’s interestin’.... Real interestin’...!” He nodded with herself, scheming something. As she did, Kanoa’s nerves eased, while his boldness pressed on. He spoke unabashedly. “Lemme ask you this… How do you know there aren’t any other people that just haven't taken a part of the other pills?”

  Her smile faltered a bit.“What?” “There could be other people like me comin’ for you, maybe even to pick up where I left off… If that’s what’s happenin’ then let’s use these energy pills- Or vitamins- Whatever, to protect ourselves!” She frowned, folding her arms sassily. “And how do you s'pose we do that? You seem too confident, despite only bein’ told of this stuff today. “Well it’s like you said. We’re all energy, aren’t we? They might be our people… And it sucks to use what they left behind, but if we absorb what's left, beat the other guys comin’ after you, then we can-” “Then we can beat that monster!” She pieced together icicles shooting up from in front of, and behind Kanoa. Her animosity brought a cool chill throughout the room followed by a conical blade shooting up next to him, he jumped, shifting away though almost as quickly steeling himself.

  “So you get it now… Mind tellin’ me why you didn’t think of this before?” He said, his hand wrapping around the case’s crack, fearful of a potential puncture. “Well I…” She paused, a bit hesitant to confirm or deny his suspicions, though confidently, she shook her head. “I don’t know! I never bothered headin’ down there to collect those things! That world isn’t for me, and I’d end up bein’ captured all over again… But you’re right. For a traitor, you’re right. I’ll be fine.Once I get strong enough, I can finally leave.” The concept of a departed baffled Kanoa. Leave? Anywhere else but MurrowsBrow, and stay?!”“And where would you be goin’!?”“I dunno- Somewhere else with my kind? Anywhere without you freaks anymore. And I won’t let that crazy lady use me anymore! I’ll get away and live somewhere and be happy, normal even!”

  Kanoa felt somewhat in awe of her for having such confidence, though he retained a poised demeanor, noting that just like him, she was just as lost as he was, if not a tad more naive. A part of him felt safer from that. “I can use that…” He said sharply under his breath while staring at the floor. He continued.

  “And what if the others like you are"taken "? what if the people who sent me, I guess, come and absorb others like you?” As he stared at her, her sympathetic demeanor diminished greatly, being swept away by an irreverent, callous individual whose eyes lacked a lick of concern behind them” “I don’t care. I’ve already felt it all and then some. The ones here who I knew, and the ones I learnt about are all with me. So as long as I’m free I’ll be fine. I’m never gonna see that crazy lady’s face again.” The air tightened, his gaze drew to the wrinkles drawn on her face, disturbed by not only her vague answer, coupled with her stubborn temperament. Sweat trickled from the base of his forehead once more, but as they came, he shoved his feelings down to put on a brave front, seeking control over her/

  “What is the “crazy lady’s” name, anyway? Why does she come before everythin’ else comes after you get her back? ”He said, deep in his heart already knowing the answer. At that moment, Kanoa braced himself. He felt he knew the answer but didn’t want it confirmed. As he grit his teeth she turned to him with pure disgust at the thought of the name. “Friend was her last name… And it’s cuz she’s the scientist who’s been controlin’ everythin’!” “...So it is her…Obviously.”He held his face with great displeasure. His muscles tensed at the veneer she had worn for most of his own life. From the time he had broken his arm climbing a tree, the yearly check ups where her stiff demeanor would ease up, self satisfied to supposedly watch Kanoa grow up, the smiles, the banter, her “help”. “Was it for my entire life… Maybe she knew my parents and me weren’t actually… Was that why she called it fun!?” Outraged, he held the edge of the conical blade that erupted from beside him.”“Hey, what’re you doin’!?” The blade’s cool air quickly rose from the base of his palm to his forearm. His eyes buried under his long locks he grimaced, the air warming up, ever so slightly. “To think… All that time…. I thought she was like family!” Somehow, in a moment of pure angst and adrenaline, the blade snapped. Although she could always create a new blade, something about this side of Kanoa greatly impressed yet bewildered her. Kanoa stood, raising his face to reveal his choked tears though still enraged disposition.

  “I’ll help! We can get her together!” She chuckled at the rigor of his voice, greatly contrasting his teary self only moments ago. “And what makes you say that, huh? You make it sound like I ever trusted you- like you’ve got the upper hand! I only pitied you a little bit.” She held up her palm, stopping Kanoa dead in his tracks. “So Watch yourself!” Without a hint as to how to respond, he held out his palm as well. “Yeah, okay. What? You gonna hit me with that tiny spark? Come on then! Let ‘er rip!” She bounced back and forth sportively, her excitement reminding Kanoa to ease himself, this was his chance to appeal to her, he thought, taking a deep breath. “I told you I wasn’t after you… That was, and still is the truth…” The light flickered in his palm, it echoed through the emptied halls and rooms filled with office appliances as if there were firecrackers.

  “I don’t know how to use these… powers. I don’t know who my real parents are, or how Ms Friend even found me… So please. Could you just help me learn so I can finally feel normal and know what I’m supposed to do!?” It didn’t take her long to ponder, if she had at all. Her eyes were lost in Kanoa’s rapid bursts of energy, tantalizing her much like an infant, a pair of car keys, or more appropriately, moths to a flame. “... If I do…” She looked around briefly. “Come with me.” “Me?” He looked around rapidly. “See anyone else around!?” “Well you’re the one who looked first! Why do you want me!?” She raised her hand pointing to Kanoa’s light. “Think I'm stupid? I’m not leavin’ someone who could actually be useful to me… We’ll do your idea. Take their energy, get stronger, fight ‘er then leave. First we have to get you strong enough to handle everythin’ quick… But if you cross me.”

  “Wha-” The wind engulfed Kanoa’s vision, his hair flying all across his face. As he opened his eyes he first found this time a dagger pointed at the tip of his nose, next beside him, the yellow eyed creature’s tomb of ice had been penetrated by an even sharper blade of ice, which as a result caused everything to collapse, the tomb bursting into what seemed to be a million sparkles of light flying about the place. “I’ll end you. So you better be willin’ to bend the world, past your limits-whatever to help me!” Kanoa nodded, a bit empowered by the repeated phrase, this time using it against Ms Friend.

  With a calloused hand she offered Kanoa some leverage. Kanoa and Kanoa then stood together, not quite on equal footing but a mutual understanding and shared desire of what they wanted out of their unfair existence.