Evolved

Prologue

"Amazing. To get a view like this in a world ravaged by war. It should be impossible." Hunter mumbled quietly as he gazed across a lush field filled with wandering kids, each one more special than the last. His eyes lingered over a boy playing with a strange lizard. It seemed to be able to change it's color at will and with it so did the boy.

Feeling oddly relaxed Hunter yawned as he laid in the grass now watching the clouds in the sky. "Floating along without a care. Clouds really are lucky." he spoke with envy.  Yawning again he wiped tears from his eyes only to see strains of hair flowing in front of him turning the cloudy blue skies to a sea of deep red.

"Isn't that interesting?" next to Hunter a girl playing with her collar speaks. "To me clouds represent something i want so badly." she raised her hand to the sky stretching as far as she could. "To roam with true freedom. Going anywhere with nothing to tie them to the earth." slowly she lowered her hand and looked at Hunter a little annoyed. "You on the other hand feel content with your life in this cage. Claiming you envy clouds, yet you don't envy their freedom. Are you sure you like clouds?". A gently breeze blows across the field forcing her hair to completely obscure his vision. Sitting up Hunter sighed looking her in the eyes. "Clouds don't have to worry about raging wars. Cloud's don't need to protect other clouds, but i do."

Hunter gently taps her collar as he goes on. "You are a danger to yourself and others. The people here protect us with only one rule. "Do not leave". And you try night and day to escape. That is why you wear this collar."

Loud chirping gain their attention. Hunter turned to see two

birds playfully chase each other out of sight making him smile. "Just like us." he said with a gentle breath revealing his light brown wings. The girl spreads her black wings as a response "Maybe just a little." she replied. Their wings which are around twelve feet in length flap gently symbolizing their differences and similarities with the birds and each other. Hunter smiled softly loving how she looked. 'Beautiful.' he thought. "Her hair is so red. Darker than a cherry and her wings so dark that they make ravens jealous. She is beautiful, but that's why i must protect her.' Hunter gently caressed her wings before smiling at her hoping she will understand how he feels. "We may be birds" He began. "But even birds must land to make a nest. This place is our nest." he continued as he makes gestures to the kids in the field. "They are our neighbors. This is our home, Flare."

As he spoke Flare's name her eyes lit up with a burning passion. "Liar!" she shouted. Her voice seemed to echo gaining the attention of others. Some kids simply shrugged it off and went back to playing. While others seemed interested in the drama. "This isn't a home. This is a prison!" She began. "They test on us! They hurt us and for what!? All for their precious experiments, claiming it's to help us survive. And we believed their sweet nothings so they trapped us here like cattle!" she yanks at her collar causing it to beep and slightly tighten. Flare winched at the slight pain, but the sight before her was more concerning. A few kids whispered among themselves. Some giggled and others looked annoyed, but in the end they all agreed on one thing. She was wrong. 'Why wont they believe me?' Flare bit her lip realizing she wont persuade anyone like this. "How can't you see it!? How dumb can you all be!?" in a panic she shouts looking around at everyone wanting something, anything. However just as she expected she only received stares and an awkward silence.

Realizing that her speech to rally the people had failed Flare takes a slow breath to calm down. 'If they wont listen to reason. Then i will show them the truth!' Flare gripped her arm preparing herself for what's next. "I refuse to stay here." she announced with determination. As she moved back a bit from Hunter her wings began to flap causing a slight gust of wind.  "I swear i will never give up!". Her wings begin to flap harder making a sound similar to a heart beat. "I will escape!" With that she began to fly away to her freedom. Going higher and higher aiming to go beyond the horizon. She sadly looked down at Hunter wondering why he didn't stop her, but shrugged off the thought. 'It's better this way. Stay away brother. I don't want to drag you down with me.' A slight beeping sound could be heard, but Flare pushed it to the back of her mind focusing only on the wind in her hair and feathers.

Back on the ground Hunter was mesmerized by the sight. He wanted to move, but he couldn't. His wings wanted to flap, but they shouldn't. It was as if his natural instincts were overwhelmed by his intuition or his will. 'Her hair is so pretty, shining as she flies through the air. Maybe the color is more like crimson?' he thought to himself sadly. 'I should have stopped her. So why am i just watching?' he gripped his arm tightly as he watched her fly away. To him she looked like an angel trying to climb her way back into heaven.

Flare's arms lay outstretched reaching for what lies beyond the sky. Her eyes glittering with excitement and her heart pounding with hope. 'How far will i get this time' she wondered as she flies past her record high. 'Im so high up!' the beeping sound gets louder, but her mind exploded with excitement. So much so that it was as if the world had faded from existence. "I can do this! I can escape!" she laughed with such glee that it could be heard from the ground. Suddenly, her arms coiled back and her wings stopped flapping letting gravity take hold.  Gasps fill the air as the children in the field notice her rapid decent. "Flare?" with a voice filled with fear Hunter shakily asks as if she could hear him. "What's happing to you?" The girl who he had thought resembled an angel flying to heaven was now falling back to the ground gripping the collar around her neck.

"What's wrong Flare!?"

Flare clawed at her collar gasping for even the smallest amount of air. "BEEZT! BEEZT!" the collar beeped loudly. "BEEZT! BEEZT! MAXIMUM HEIGHT LIMIT REACHED! ACTIVATING RESTRAINT MODE!"  The collar slowly tightens around her neck getting tighter with each second that passed. And with each second that passed she picked up speed falling faster and faster. The wind became so strong that it caused a few of her feathers to break from her wings and flutter down behind her like peddles from a dieing rose.

Hunter shakes dripping with fear. 'She's never been that high before' he thought freaking out. 'What if she doesn't recover from this?' The thought of her falling to her doom was too tragic. His breath became shallow and his eyes filled with tears. "No." he begged quietly as a few tears run down his face. "Please no." he begged a little louder tightening his grip on his arm. "No!" Hunter cried digging his nails into his arm until they pierced his flesh. The pain of his self inflicted wound seemed to wake his senses. His body stopped shaking and the tears stopped flowing. Hunter bit his lip knowing that now he can save her. "Flare!" He shouted loud enough for her to hear. Flare struggled to look in his direction, but when she did she saw Hunter running as fast as he could to get her. 'He looks like a child' Flare giggled to herself and with her tired eyes she smiled halfheartedly. 'Don't worry about me. Im fine.' She thought hoping he could sense her words. As the ground got closer and closer she closed her eyes quietly saying "So close." before losing conciseness. Hunter sprinted as hard as he could, but she was still to far. He was so close, but she never seemed to get closer. Hunter quickly jumped while flapping his with sending him soaring through the air. Now it was clear that the he was getting closer. Before she seemed miles away now nearly inches. Hoping that the boost of speed his wings gave him would be enough he stretched his arm's out are far as he could, but she was still too far. He wanted to catch her, but he wasn't fast enough. All he could see was a falling blur of red. Seeing his friend fall to her doom Hunter realized what she made him think of.

'I know now. I finally know what her hair is like. It's so red, but not like crimson.' Hunter looks away gritting his teeth as she hit the ground with a loud thud. 'It's just like blood.'