On the Horizon: Where the Wind Blows

Chapter Seven

The flight was the coldest yet, but somehow the whole time I was filled with warm fuzzy feelings.

His name was circulating through my mind with every beat of my wings.

When I land at the lake, I look around it for a few minutes.

The wind blows my hair into the air, sending shivers through me.

Then I see it. A pair of pale yellow eyes staring back at me from the other side of the lake.

With rapid speed I draw my gun and shoot. He drops dead.

That was too easy.

Then I see a helicopter fly overhead. The door opens, and a Northern Windred cocks a gun.

I take to the air, following it. It's heading down the road, toward the south.

Toward... no!

I tear after it, gaining altitude. They don't see me until I've grabbed onto the bottom rail. I swing myself inside and grab one's gun. I slam it into their head, then toss them out the open door.

One shoots at me but I run up the wall, barely dodging it and flipping back onto the ground I grab their arm and sling them around, then kick them out, and shoot.

There's still two more, plus the two pilots, but they have bigger guns then the previous shotguns.

I fly outside, grab the rim again, and beat my wings as hard as possible, changing it's direction.

I shout from the strain.

Once it's facing east I let go, and in the few minutes the Windreds use to get it back on course, I speed dial my class group chat.

"Arwen?" Ruthie answers.

"THEY'RE IN TRADITION!" I yell. "THEY'RE HEADING FOR THE LARKS I NEED BACKUP!"

"We're coming!" Gina yells. "Hold them off! Somebody call the general!"

"I'm on it!" Opal yells.

"I'll hold them off!" I yell, and hang up, pocketing my phone.

The helicopter has turned back around now, and a Windred is aiming their gun at me. I flap to the side and dodge, then attack.

I grab their gun and throw it out, then punch. The fist fight stops when the second Windred kicks me down. The first pins me down, my head just outside the copter.

The second pins down my wings. "Now what are you gonna do?" The first laughs as they draw their gun.

I slam my head into theirs, jerk my arm free, and kick off the second. I knock them both down with my wings and shoot one.

Then I realize we're above the neighborhood.

Suddenly a war cry comes from under us. Ruthie shoots inside and tackles the free Windred and Opal grabs onto the rim, attempting to change direction.

Two others are holding off a second helicopter I didn't even see!

"Go!" Opal yells. "Get Nate!"

I attempt to take flight but the co-pilot shoots my arm! I scream in pain and turn around to fight. In the confusion, I accidentally shot the pilot.

Then the Windred Ruthie's fighting shoots the blades.

We start falling, right above the Lark's front yard!

Everyone screams. I grab Ruthie's wrist and we fly out just as it hits the ground, exploding.

Opal is on top of the house, panting. The co-pilot and other Windred survived.

Then the door opens, and Nate runs out, and skids to a stop.

"The hell?" He yelps.

"GET INSIDE!" We scream, and I charge.

But the second helicopter is already hovering above.

Gina and Ruthie's sibling Ruby are fighting in it. Gina gets tossed out, and I change course to help Ruby.

But two Windreds fly out, charging Nate.

I shoot one, and Nate shoots another.

Two more come from what seems like nowhere, however, and one attacks me, and another grabs Nate.

I shoot my attacker and charge after the one hoisting Nate in the helicopter. Nate tries to shoot but he slams his gun into Nate's head and knocks him out.

I scream in rage and charge.

I make it in as Ruby gets knocked out and thrown out. The helicopter turns to fly off.

I shoot the copilot and I fight Nate's Windred.

But then another grabs my arms. The first slams their gun into my head.

I see the gray roof of the copter, the clouded sky, and then the copter flying off.

Then I stop falling, and everything turns black.