Running • Iggy

Tiger

It was short-lived. Of course it was, everything good that comes into our lives is.

Let me summarise the best I can. It was five days before Iggy's birthday when we got all got a message on our phones from an Unknown Number in code. I, naturally, instantly recognized it as Broghan's code. The message told us that we had to get on the move right then and there, and that we could leave Future behind since she was so young. We had to fly to the other side of the fucking country because the government and police officers wanted to talk to us about the head of the Burden Company and what happened to us there. It was said that this is completely under the radar, and that no one outside the government and the police officers talking to us would know about our existence for now. It was confirmed it was Broghan, since she used a special sequence of numbers that only we knew. Fun times. Note the sarcasm.

So here we are, on day three of flying. For some reason, I had been getting insane headaches every once in a while the past week, but I never mentioned them to anyone since, well, they're just headaches. The issue is - I hadn't been able to sleep because of them.

So, flying higher than some planes can go on zero sleep for the past 81 hours to be exact.

Can you see how that could be an issue?

"Hey, Cee!" Max called over the wind. "You doing okay? You keep dropping slightly. We can stop if you need." It would've been impossible for me to hear her, but freak genetics mean everything is possible! Even being able to breathe in almost no-oxygen conditions. Sometimes I question if we can be classed as human.

"I'm good." I lied. The ground was spinning below me, and my entire body was screaming in protest like I had some sort of fever. Everything ached, my head, my joints, my wings, my back, my muscles, my eyes, my throat... I could keep going. Just imagine a human body diagram a doctor gives you to ask where the pain is, and then color that entire thing red. And then add wings onto the diagram and color those red too.

"Uhuh, and I'm the Hulk." Gazzy responded, clearly unamused by my attempts of deceiving them. "You look like a ghost tiger!" He said as he shifted his wings to ride the wind.  "Wow, I'm flattered. I guess it is almost Halloween." I responded sarcastically. "I promise I'm fine. Let's just get to the damn place already." I said as I sped up.

Big mistake, chicken brain.

I felt lighter than usual for a split second, then suddenly about 7 times heavier. I felt myself stop moving, but I didn't attempt to start again. I just let myself drop like a stone. The wind whistled past my ears as the shadows of my flock grew smaller and smaller. My survival instincts kicked in when I passed through the clouds. My wings pushed me up shakily, but I had no balance. I was sweating buckets despite the fact it probably was colder than the fucking Antarctic up there. My body wouldn't stop trembling, and I couldn't tell if it was because I hadn't slept, because it was freezing or if it was because I was sick. I just knew I couldn't keep my body weight up for long.

I stared down at the city below me and realized I couldn't really land either. Landing in cities is too dangerous, especially during a Halloween festival where there are people everywhere. I managed to get myself back up to the flock's level, where Nudge was having a full-blown freakout. "I thought you said you were okay!" She squeaked in a voice about as high as I could fly.

"I... am." I grunted, but I knew they all knew I wasn't now. I could barely keep my eyes open. Iggy flew over me and grabbed the back of my shirt. "Fold your wings in." He commanded. Despite being at the 'if I fall I will most definitely die' level, I did as told. He slowly lifted me to his chest and carefully repositioned me so he could carry me properly. "Where can we land next?" Iggy asked.