Snippet #2387547

There was nothing he could do but stare as Mark reacted, seized by the tortures effects of his powers, and though his stomach twisted in guilt the boy with wings kept his visage steady, void of all emotions aside for the transitory expression of surprise. He should have been more careful, but they needed to go, and the others seemed to be on the same page as him, feeling that danger was nipping at their ankles. “Let’s blow this joint already, good riddance.” He replied, following where one of Ava’s friends had pointed to, smartly into the walls of plants that would gladly conceal them. However, his wings twitched, as if possessing a mind of their own that resisted being trapped in such cramp places, but he silently told them how useless they were and forced the feathered limbs to fold, lest he injure them further.

They complied into a state of inertia as he walked into the branches, the only sounds being inhales, exhales and cracking branches, leafs that crunched underneath their footfalls. Ezekiel almost wanted to hold his breath, fearing that if he made a single noise that was too loud it would travel, shatter their bad luck in a single act of respiration. His fingernails dug into his palms, and he pictured the edge of the circus. All they had to do was continue to head south, past there was what he perceived to be a quiet part of the city, and in it was a train station. They were getting closer to freedom, only feet away, and he made crescent indents in his skin.

Then his nightmare thoughts came true in the form of dogs barking, and the signals echoed into the night, shaking it and sending ice cold water through his blood.

“Shit.” He swore in a hushed hiss, his mind paralyzed for a second before his spine shot up straight, the adrenaline digging claws into his bones, fittingly triggering a reaction of flight. Nevertheless, his true instinct wasn’t selfish, and his first priority was to turn his head to the others, and of those that hadn’t made it to the thicket, with his eyes wild and fierce, more awake than they have been in his entire existence. “We have to run, now.” For some reason, perhaps he felt responsible or was simply indebted, Ezekiel reached for Avalin and grabbed her wrist, stepping out of their cover and into the camp, which wouldn’t be empty for long. “Run south and don’t stop running.” This was all he could manage, unable to add where they should meet if they were to become separated in the rush. It was all happening too fast, and with his heart pounding he looked towards Ava, seconds from running for his life, and hoping that they wouldn’t be caught, or worse, killed.