Half Moon

  I wake up, Nightshade not here.

  He's probably looking for morning grass to chomp on.

  There isn't much here, so he had to travel a little farther.

  The sun is at it's peak.

  It was noon.

  I get up, shaking out any of my feathers that should have fallen out while I was asleep.

  I look at the orange dust and sand covering my body and clothes.

  I brush myself off, slowly gliding to the ground.

  I fold my wings into my shoulder blades, my hair returning back to brown.

  I tie my shoes and brush myself off again.

  This sand was just about as stubborn as I am.

  I start walking towards town.

  I walk out from behind one of the empty houses, making it look like I lived there.

  I flip my hood over my eyes.

  I wanted to like the sun.

  I really did.

  But my skin said otherwise.

  When my skin starts to boil, I have to cover up.

  One of the down sides to being a Moon angel.

  You can't stay in the sun for too long with your skin uncovered.

  I walk through town, looking at the small shops and stores, just looking in the windows.

  Two hours had passed.

  I didn't mind. I had time to kill.

  I walked past one of the only schools in this town, which is kinda big.

  I see the two boys I saw yesterday at the front steps, talking.

  They walk towards the curb, looking like they weren't planning to split up.

  A yellow and black sports car pulls up, the passenger door opening upwards.

  The boy happily hops in after saying some words to the teenager.

  The car speeds away, the teenager steeping into the street, calling a name.

  I didn't catch it.

  I hide in the shadows, watching.

  I know it sounds creepy, but what else was I supposed to do?  Get noticed?

  The teenager walks back to the front steps, a blue motorcycle mostly blue but with pink accents inching towards him.

  The bike had no driver.

  I mean, it did, but it was a hologram.

  I can tell if someone or something is lying.

  Everything about that bike was a lie.

  The teenager walks away, but the bike followed him.

  I found that suspicious.

  I step out of my hiding place, speed walking to the outskirts of town.

  I have to follow them.

  I get far away from town, making my wings come out of my shoulderblades.

  It was cloudy out.

  I could take cover there.
 
  I shoot straight up, quickly taking cover in the clouds above me.

  I spot the two vehicles, the bike now having the teenager and a female as passengers.

  I hear something gaining on me.

  I snap to the side, shooting the other way.

I can't endanger those kids.

  It still stays behind me.

  It sounds like a classified jet.

  But why would a jet be all the way out here?

I look beneath my arm in between wing strides, and it is a jet, just an older model.

  All I could sense was lies about that jet.

  No one was in the cockpit.

  It was supposed to be a one-manned jet.

  Why was there no one in the pilot's seat?!?!

  Why was it chasing me?!?!

  Flashbacks of when I was young flicked in my head.

  Not again.

  I keep going faster and faster, trying to escape.

  But it was faster.

  He caught up easily, my wings getting heavier with every wing stroke.

  I was overworking myself.

  I can't let it happen again.

  Never again.

  I just keep my eyes forward, going as fast as I could.

  I hear scraping of metal, and my wings are suddenly bleeding.

  I scream, realizing how bad they were cut.

  I couldn't fly.

  Clawed hands grab my wings and torso, forcing me to the ground.

  The claws were digging into my bones, making me lose more blood.

  The ground was coming.

  Fast.

  I try grabbing my daggers out of my belt, but the fingers were in my way.

  I scream, struggling.

  I didn't like being out of control.

  Especially in the air.

  The ground filled my vision.

  I black out as my face slams into the ground.