Project Songbird

Chapter 34

"I'm going to round a few more hands. If you run into Tyler, would you let him know what's going on?" Jack asks me as he takes a few hurried steps forward.
"I definitely will." I wave him off.
We part ways.
Bob or Wade?
"Yeah?" Came Wade's reply.
Could you let Hailey know that I need to speak to her please?
"No problem. I guess Jack asked you for some help?" He asks.
Yeah, he did. Can you or Bob locate Tyler and fill him in on Jack's plan?
"I certainly can. Hailey is on her way to you." He replies and then I feel his presence leave my mind. I see Hailey making her way towards me, followed by Rose and Travis. My stomach twists at the sight of the nurse. Why do I feel this?
"Is something wrong? Wade said you wanted to talk to me." Hailey stops in front of me.
"Can we go somewhere and take a seat first?" I ask. The pain in my leg was beginning to throb. It was very irritating.
"Of course." She nods. The three of them help me make our way to the closest porch, where I can take a seat.
"Is everything alright?" Hailey asks, she sounds worried.
"Yeah, everything is fine. This is good news but it needs to remain a secret, okay?" I look between the three of them. They all nod their heads.
"So Jack has asked for help with completing the wedding so he can surprise Mark." I lower my voice to make sure no passing ears hear me.
"It's a wed-!"
Rose is quick to cover Hailey's mouth.
"That's exciting!"
"So what does Jack want us to do?" Travis asks.
"Well right at the moment he went to get more hands to help. Maybe you can help keep Mark busy until Tyler returns to hopefully take him out of the village. Hailey and Rose, you two are in charge of making very long daisy chains, they are going to be used to tie back weeping willow branches for a curtain look." I answer.
"That sounds lovely." Hailey says after Rose had removed his hand from her mouth. She gives a big smile; very excited to be a part of this ceremony.
Travis nods his head, "I'll do my best."
"Alright, remember secrecy." I repeat and then shoo them off to complete the tasks given to them.
I lay back down on the porch, the pain in my leg was becoming unbearable.
I think I'll just rest here for the time being. No one needs my help right now anyway.

~Dream~
"Ethan, there you are, I have been looking everywhere for you!" Angie grins, bouncing in her chair as I make my way over, "For me??" I take a seat directly across from her. It looks like we are in some kind of retro diner, which is strange because I didn't know Angie then. Why is this the setting?
"Yeah, I've been searching for you for a while!" She chuckles, "Somehow I lost track of you."
"Lost track of me?" I question.
"Mhm!" She nods her head.
A waiter walks over, his face is blanked out. I can only make out the body build and outfit. That's disconcerting.
Angie leans over and points to things on the menu, "Ethan, what do you want?" She pushes the menu over to me. I pick it up and squint as it is hard to make out what the words are, "Does that say dirt pie?"
"Dirt pie, excellent choice sir!" The waiter speaks but the voice is distorted.
"What-no!" I try to grab him but he disappears. What the fuck??
Where am I?
"Okay, so now that we have ordered food, tell me, how is the freedom?" A new voice asks. I turn back to see Trixie join her sister. She is standing behind her sister except that she looks worse for wear. Dirt, blood, and lifeless eyes.
"Trixie...?" The word that comes out of my mouth slowly distorts and the whole room begins to shift and twist nauseatingly so. The cute little diner changed back to the forest; it's dark and extremely cold. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself, trying to create some kind of body heat.
"Guys...?"
I can't see anything with how dark it is.
There's a sound like some kind of flood light turned on and I turn around to see Angie sitting in a chair; sobbing.
Her left leg is turned outwards, the bone is jabbed up and out of her skin. Her right leg is completely twisted backwards, her kneecap exposed through the back of her leg. Blood was slowly pooling underneath her. Her tears were creating grooves through the dirt that caked her face. Her clothes were ripped in some places and shredded in the other. Behind her stands her sister. Trixie's head is hanging off to the left side from what I can only assume is her snapped neck. My stomach drops and my head begins to spin slightly. I bend over as I am afraid I would throw up.
"How, how could you?" Angie asks.
"W-what?" I question.
"How could you allow that traitor to stay with you!" Trixie shouts. Her voice roars. It bounces around the area we are in. I cover my ears, wincing at the loud booming. Traitor? Who are they talking about?? What do they mean?? Is this a nightmare??
"Why can I see you!!!" I shout back. "Why are you here! Why are you haunting me!"
"Watch your back." Angie whispers and I barely hear her over her sister's loud screaming. Her voice was morphing into something incomprehensible. I collapse to my knees and arch my back to look up at the dark abyss above us; a splitting pain shoots through my entire being. It feels like my very atoms are being ripped apart! The scream that I produce feels like it's going to shatter my vocal cords! I jerk forward and cough violently, blood spews from my mouth painting the feathery emerald grass in a bright crimson color.
My vision swims and there's a searing agony feeling that tears through my back, like white-hot knives slicing through flesh! With a sickening pop, my wings burst forth!
Stand.
Shakily, I make my way up onto my feet. I wipe the blood from my mouth and gasp out.
Now come here.
My body starts to jerk forward, like something else is controlling me. The pain in my leg amplifies each step I take. The bleak forest slowly comes back into view and there in front of me stands a creature. It's hard to make out exactly what it is.
"...who?"
Silence! Do not speak.
What fresh hell has my mind created now to torture me with? Seeing two dead friends wasn't enough?
The creature makes its way forward to me and holds out a very boney hand, a finger slowly making it's way forward to poke against my forehead.
It's time to unlock your ability.
"I have one?"
I said silence!
The voice hisses before I heard eerie whispers that seem to rush around my head and I tense. It felt like I was suddenly surrounded on all sides. I jerk my head around but I can't see anything other than the creature in front of me. The finger shifts slowly and then turns as if it was a key to unlock some magical lock sitting on my face.
Bright lights flood the space and I have to slam my eyes shut once they begin to sting.
~End Dream~