Maximum Ride: Instincts
Chapter 1: The hunt
A/N: Hi, I thought I'd try something new. I'm having a bit of a mental block on my other story but I'll be back to it soon. I'm trying a different style of writing so please give some opinions and tips. Thank you and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is in or related to the book: Maximum Ride but the new ideas including my characters are my own.
I woke up early that morning, the morning this all started. My mother and father were still in bed and my little brother was sitting at the table wolfing down cereal as usual, extra sugar as usual. I'm Kimberley, but you can call me Kim, everyone else does and I'm 17. I'm just like most people, I like TV and books, good music and I really enjoy watching the sun rise. But there's one difference... I kill, not because I want to but because I have to. They say they'll hurt my family if I don't. They? Well by that I mean those sick scientists at the school. It all started a couple of years ago, I hung around with a weird lot of people but there was this one guy, Mark. He told me he knew a good way to make some extra money. All I had to do was let some scientists do experiments on me, Mark said it was to find cures for skin rashes. He'd had it done and it hadn't hurt him. I thought I'd give it a try, ya know? No harm and extra cash.
It was only when I got there, to the "Institute for Higher Living" that I discovered their plans for me, it was too late by thenand, here I am. An eraser, when I kill I form a muzzle and claws and I'm always super strong. But I'd trade it all to be normal again, that's my story and here I am, watching the sun rise and wishing I were someone else.
Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my head, I don't flinch though. That's just my brothers telling me there's work to do, someone must have escaped… again. I give a sigh and go back in through the glass doors, I grab my coat and wave to my little brother as I pass him, now on his second bowl.
"I'm going out Jamie, tell mum and dad I'll be back for dinner"
"See ya later sis" he replies between mouthfuls of sugary cereal.
I run through the trees, you see, we live on the edge of a forest, anyway I'm on my way to see Mark. He's the leader of our pack and I get there using the tracking instincts they gave me, hearing every sound in the forest, even the birds in the trees .
"Hey Mark, what's the story this time?Are we still chasing that damn flock?" I ask him.
Mark looks up at me, he doesn't look good. Mark's usually slick black hair is lank and hanging from his head, his shirt is torn and he has purple circles under his eyes. This is not my Mark.
"What the hell's happening Mark?"
"It's… it's… experiment…" he says, with a glazed look in his eyes.
Sheila butts in, "It's experiment 94C, it escaped about an hour ago"
"Oh my God! You mean Xander?" I can't believe this, it was under Mark's watch that he escaped.
Mark may no longer have a family.
"Mark are you?"
"Let's just go!" he says, and runs into the trees, I just hope he knows what he's doing.
We follow Mark through the forest, getting faster and faster, I smell everything for miles around. We are the best hunters ever created, it's just a shame it has to be this way. I look around me and see Kyle changing, his powerful muzzle-like jaw is forming and his teeth are growing. He becomes less human everyday, just like me but he has been an eraser a lot longer. That's a side effect of our animal connections, the more we kill, the less human-like we are. Kyle runs on all fours when we get faster. He's the only one but we all want to join him, it's just that we can still fight the urge to go totally animal.
Mark stops abruptly.
" I can smell it, it's near" Mark says, a sick smile on his face. That's the animal, killer instinct taking over, I can feel it happening to me too. Against my control I feel a need to kill, rip out life but we can't, this time they want it alive.
"No Mark, don't think that way, Xander's too important" I warn him. He's not himself, it's clear in his eyes that he may not control himself when it comes to the chance of a kill. I shoot Sheila, Kyle and Simone a "Watch him" look before we all begin sniffing through the undergrowth. Strange I know but it's what we do and that's it.
Suddenly I see his tracks, in my mind.
"Wait, guys, I think I've got his scent"
Xander runs until he can run no more. He has escaped but has no idea what to do next.
In front of him there is a ten foot high fence, this is no major obstacle. Without his power restraints this is no problem at all. Xander pushes himself right up to the fence, he concentrates, closes his eyes and takes a step forward.
When he opens his eyeshe finds himself on the other side.
Oooh! im gettin right into this writing malarky! please let me know what you think A.S.A.P! thanx and criticism is welcomed