Page 17 of The Dire Legacy

“Oh, I like it when you’re bossy.” Smile big. Pretend to be nice.

The door to the cockpit is open and I can see dark pants covering a pair of legs stretched out. They shift and stand, revealing a guy with nearly white hair.

His pale blue eyes glance at the straps on my wrist before giving me a sad smile.

Yeah. Be sorry for me. Will you fix it? Doubtful. No one who’s ever felt bad for me did a thing.

They all just do their parts.

A big, complacent machine. Moving parts and I’m the gasoline.

It should all burn.

He disappears as the door is latched shut.

Can’t see the sun unless I lean over. No sudden movements.

Might spook the herd.

What a strange feeling when the engines engage and I’m pushed into the seat. It makes me feel heavy and my stomach does flip flops.

“Ring around the rosie.” Another endearing grin to the helmeted babysitter in the next row. Don’t look at me if I’m off key. These aren’t the vocal chords I was born with.

“A tisket, a tasket.” Puffy white clouds scatter the light as we plane levels out.

Sprocket one and sprocket two are leaning back in their seats. It must be a long flight ahead of us.

Good.

They can’t see my hands. I’ve broken them so many times it barely hurts anymore. If I pull hard enough on my thumb, it breaks free from its little socket. The pop isn’t loud. But, okay, it still hurts.

Damn water in my eyes. Blink it away and jerk on the other one. Whoo boy. Breathe through it. It doesn’t take a hard tug to pull my arms free from the restraints when my thumbs dangle like a cat toy.

Can’t let them think anything is up. I wonder if these are my regular guards?

I’m going to pretend they aren’t. They’re virgins to me. Unpopped cherries who haven’t fought an escape.

That’s too bad.

If I roll my hips just a little bit, it hides my fingers while they heal.

The last of the tune spills a sweet flavor over my lips. “And they all. Fall. Down.”

Chapter 7

Michael

I’ve never seen one so close. It’s always been a fleeting glimpse as we’ve been running from our lives.

There’s nowhere to go. I’m trapped in the middle of the street with the hulking creature leisurely growing closer.

“I knew him.” The deep voice rumbles from the massive furred chest past impossibly large teeth.

“Who?” I pull off my gloves and stuff them into the back pocket of my jeans. My hands are my only weapons. Unless he can heal quickly.

His heavy steps stop just a few feet away. If he leaned out, I’m sure he could rake me with his claws.

Human looking amber eyes scrutinize me as his whiskered nostrils flare before he lowers his head to my level.

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