The strangers brought me back to there campsite. Where I had some trail mix they called gorp. I crunched softly on the food while Jim's friend, who's name I found out was Logan, stared at me.

"Geese kid, you want another bag?" He tossed me some more gorp while I threw away the empty one.

"So William, where are you hurt? I can help you." Jim said, reaching out for me.

I wanted to flinch away from his touch but I didn't. His finger slid along my feathers till the stopped on my poorly applied bandage.

"Right there." I whispered.

"Alright, this may twinge a bit." I watched in fascination as he laid his hand down, and it started to glow green.

I heard a snap, and there was a sudden pain in my shoulder. "Ow," I cried, then realized my missing feathers had grown back.

I unwrapped the bandage to discover the bone had sown back together. And there was a soft layer of skin and feathers over where I used to be injured. my jaw dropped, and I stared at Jim, Logan was chuckling to himself.

"What? How did you do that?" I gasped.

"Not the only freakish one around here." He replied, leaning against a log.

"What about you?" I pointed to Logan.

He raised his hands in defense. "No, I'm human, completely normal. All my entertainment comes from watching weirdos like you guys."

I laughed softly, inhaling the gorp. I hadn't eaten since this morning.

"Where are you headed?" Jim asked.

"Washington." I replied.

Suddenly, there was an air of tension. Jim and Logan seemed to share a look, and Jim leaned in closer.

"Now why would you be heading that direction?"

I didn't answer, not really knowing what to say. Logan rustled stiffly through one of their bags.

"I see, you're going to the Lab, aren't you?" Jim whistled softly.

I nodded, and he continued.

"You're better off staying away from that place. It's filled with horrible people, and they do even more terrible things to kids like you. Just stay away."

"Why? Have you been there?" I asked, growing more curious.

Jim looked down. And Logan stopped awkwardly shuffling around. They spoke in hushed whispers. Then turned back to me.

"I was two years old when the Lab kidnapped, and experimented on me. I. . . I wasn't born blind you see, they were trying to accomplish surgically applied night vision. It failed, and instead I have to power to heal, for myself and others." He chocked out.

"We have to keep real low incase that fool, James Worthington comes back." logan put in.

"You know him?" These guys looked to old to know the young man with movie-star looks.

"You'd be surprised how many people do, giving how long James has been alive."

"What do you mean?" That didn't make sense.

"James Worthington is immortal, he has been alive since the twenty first century."

I stopped eating my gorp to process this. That actually explained a lot. his looks, his abilities.

"That makes sense," was all I said.

We sat in silence for a few moments before Jim spoke up.

"You know, if you need a place to crash for the night, you're welcome at my place. Seeing as it's getting dark and all."

I realized the sky had grown darker, with all the clouds it was hard to tell time.

"That would be great." I sighed.

"My summer cabin isn't to far from here, if we get going now I bet we can make it home before eight." Jim hefted a back pack.

Logan threw some snow on the nearly non-existent fire, and pulled the last pack, they both started off down a trail. I followed them, still unsure how I managed to end up in Canada.

At least it was still close to Washington. Yes, I was still trying to get there.

It was a few hours of walking and several breaks, but I stayed on the ground. Partly because I didn't want to seem rude, and partly because I had no idea where I was going. And even though my wing felt fine, I didn't want to be up in the air if Jim's power wore off or something.

So I was exhausted and hungry by the time we reached his cabin. With was actually quite large, I got to use his guest room. We had a quick dinner (read: I ate up most of the food in the house) and then I crashed. You think being a teenager is tough? Try being on the run and having to consume ridicules amounts of calories to stay functional.

Only I didn't sleep very peacefully. I kept having nightmares about growing wings and being kept in a cage for people to gawk at. Adults and children of all ages, payed to see me. And worse, I found I couldn't speak.

I was so shaken when I woke up (at five AM, gah!) I left a note on the door, and jumped out the nearest window.

Flying always made things better. The cold wind of British Columbia woke me up. And I managed to convince myself it was all a dream, and that's all it would ever be.

I flew back before my wings froze up again. And I found Logan waiting outside for me, waving his arms like one of those air-plane directors.

He was grinning when I slipped on some ice and crashed into a snow bank.

He pulled me up, and I shivered in my wet clothes. Not only that, he was staring at my wings in an almost hungry way. I pulled them under my shirt, not liking his stares.

"You can really fly?"

I nodded, wanting to get out of his line of sight. He looked at my back, then seemed to snap out of his trance.

"Best you get changed before breakfast," he advised.

"Y-y-yeah." My teeth chattered.

I walked inside, to the intoxicating aroma of eggs, bacon, pancakes, oatmeal, and even cereal. Jim was at the table holding a spatula.

"I didn't know what you liked so..."

I laughed. "You can cook?"

"You're darn right I can cook, and I'm good at it too."

I ended up eating all of it. Even oat meal which I'm not particularly fond of. I could I surprised the two friends when I licked the last plate clean.

"Wow." Was all Logan said.

"Flying burns calories." I explained. "I have to eat a lot."

"That's amazing," Jim kicked his feet up on the table.

There was a knock at the door. Logan instantly cried. "I'll get it!"

I waited out of sight. Jim had an odd expression on his face. Was he expecting visitors?

There was a strangled yelp form the door. And suddenly I came face to face with you-know who.

James Worthington.