Wingless

That afternoon, like every afternoon, I turned the radio on. In the kitchen, as I went about making hot chocolate, Amber sat at the table picking at her nails. With her head bowed and her long golden hair folding around her face, the old worries hit me, but I bit it back. She was only 12. Her white wings, barely visible from her jacket, where too small to fly with. And she didn't have eyes like mine. I was glad.

Slapping the cup down onto the counter, i poured the hot water in and mixed in the coco. Turning to slip up onto the bench only to jump back down when a good song came through the speakers.

I turned the radio up and sauntered across to the window, pulling the curtains farther apart, revealing a fuller moon. A white light played across the feather down blankets, entrancing my whole room in a yellow glow. I ignored the almost invisible black wires spread across the window like a spider's web. I was trapped in my own house, waiting for the spider to come lurking.

"Can i sleep here tonight, Sky?" Amber's voice was hesitant, almost on the verge of tears. She took a deep breath and looked up at me, fighting the tears that still lingered in her eyes. Tears meant weakness, and the weakest where the first to be cut from the flock.

"Sure thing, we can stay up and watch movies." She nodded, and ducked her head to look at the small watch on her wrist. I didn't like her sleeping in the other dorm, where the Little's where. They where mean to her, because she was a step ahead of them.

"8:00." Amber said, miffed with momentary horror. She slid off the table and shuffled across the room, her chin raised a little, defiant. But i didn't miss the wild look in her eyes, darting back and forth. Prey. It would be easy to lure her away. Prey. My instincts whispered up my legs, into the pit of my stomach. I sucked in a breath and watched her slip out the door.

I swallowed; every bit of sleep shaken out of me.

I forced all thought away, like i had been practicing, and sipped at the now lukewarm coco.

Amber returned 15 minutes later, her eyes glazed, an her little arms limp at her sides. My eyes roved across her body, searching for the tall tale signs of Them. Her arm had a bandage covering around her wrist. That meant she had been given a shot, maybe more.

That seemed to be all. "You OK?" I asked her. She nodded, not meeting my eyes. Trying to act strong, at least in front of the cameras that might be hidden in my room. She crossed the room and sat with me on my bed.

The down blanket sank down as she sat on it, a cascade of tiny feathers lifting free and tainting the air around us. I pushed a flyaway strand of hair out of her eyes, the tips of my fingers brushing her scalp for a few seconds. She was my little sister. I had to protect her from Them.

Right away her emotions battled their way into my head, pushing out my own. The striking bitter taste of fear, followed by the lingering taste of remorse. And then a stabbing pain, in my arm, where they had stuck the needle in her skin. As i pulled away i felt a dying momentary emotion. Guilt.

"Sky Maxwill," The speakers in the corner of my room blared, the usual robotic voice was there."your wanted in the main room." And a little tick later, the fuzzy sound died away, along with my hope.

"Oh my god, Sky." Amber scrambled to her feet, the bloody bandage unravelled from her arm and fell on the floor.

I didn't say a word. I knew it would be time soon, no doubt, since they had found out my wings worked. "I didn't say a thing, i swear!" She pleaded, her golden amber eyes wide with fear, fear for me.

She hadn't told them about the things i could do. So, it was because i could fly. I nodded, and she gratefully gave me a small hug, tears crawled down her cheeks. She hadn't cried when They had taken her, but she was crying now, because They where taking me away. I kneeled down before her.

"Amber, your the woman of the house now." I said, wiping her tears away with my thumb. "Be brave." She let out a sob and pulled herself away, hugging herself.

I walked out the door, not glancing back. It wouldn't help things. I caught a glance of myself in the tinted windows that They looked at me through. I was pleased to find myself calm. How i could be calm when my death was measured in feet, i would never know. They could go shove it, if they wanted me to break down and cry. Then i noticed my appearance and flinched.

Against all the white, I looked dark and almost arcane, with my long, ebony hair that tumbled down my back in gentle waves. My eyes, one golden, the other gray, where framed by thick lashes and just the right amount of black eyeliner to make them pop.

Long skinny legs stuck out of the hem of the tacky blue uniform. I stared at the girl in the mirror, and she stared back. I hated my reflection. Because i was not me, i did not look like that goddess. I had golden hair, not ebony. And i had freckles splayed against a backdrop of sun-kissed skin. I was not have this pale of a complexion. I had had my fathers eyes, before They had messed with me, a dark sea-gray color. The only resemblance was the shape of my lips, full, the slight sarcastic curve resembled my mothers.

Her quirky personality was like a distant dream.

As soon as i closed the door to my 'room', the starch white walls and floor nearly blinded me.

The smell of medicine hit my sharp nose. I walked quickly, my bare feet slapping against the linoleum as i walked to the room where they put my kind down like dogs.

I walked in, and the men in white jumped. I refused to acknowledge them as Doctors. Doctors helped people, they didn't kidnap little children turn them into demons, slaughtering them after they where done.

I slid back onto the seat centered in the middle of the room, the cold plastic bit through my uniform and chilled me to the bone.

I placed my hand through the little clasps on each side and waited for them to respond.

A woman came in, a clipboard in her hand. "Sky?" I nodded. "You're time hasn't come." She told me without looking up. Sick bastards, playing god. That's what they told my kind. Then they would laugh and crush the newly risen hope before sticking the needle in them.

"Why did the men in dresses call me in here then?" I motioned towards them. If i was going to die, just do it already. A few snorted, the others didn't say anything. She scribbled on her clipboard at my reply.
"Good, we have a fighter. That means she will be strong enough... Maybe." She looked up at me for the first time, and i was shocked. A pale green and blue eye. She was one of Us. She smiled at my reaction. "If you behave, sometimes they will promote you, when otherwise you would be put down." She had agreed to this? Hadn't she been tortured by them for most of her childhood?

"I would rather die." I spat.

"Your now of age to become one of the older's mate's."

"Older's? Everyone over the age of 15 is dead." I was nearing 16. I had been an exception. They marveled at me, being the only one with two eye colors and wings.

"They bring them here, assuming to be killed, but most of them we take to another dormitory."

"Most?"

"There are a few... That where not suitable for reproduction. We have to put these down." Her eyes flared, and i caught on instantly.

"You where one of them." I stated. Her eyes went hard, and her hand lashed outward, striking me across the face. Blood dripped from my lip, and i wiped it away with the back of my hand. The 'doctors' in the room laughed and i smiled.

"You could have died with honor. But instead you chose a life of tormenting little children and experimenting on them." Her hand came again, hitting me in the side of the face.

"You ungrateful little brute." She screeched. "You would never understand." Her hands where in fists. I needed to stop. But my body never seemed to listen to my mind.

"Oh i think i understand perfectly. I think, when you wake up every morning, you take a long look in the mirror. And you think how much of a disgusting animal you have become. How many children have you killed? 10? 100?" I paused, waiting for her lash, but it never came. Her eyes had become wide, with fear? A 90 pound girl wasn't that scary. Suddenly, all the other men in white packed up and left.

"I-I'm sorry!" She said, backing up. "S-she was disgracing us. I couldn't let her talk badly about our company! I swear, sir!" She was looking over my shoulder, not at me.

Who would the white witch be afraid of? Stormy gray eyes met mine.
"You can't hit her. Only I can do that." He spat, just as his hand came out and connected with my jaw. My head snapped back and i heard my jaw crunch sickeningly. I leaned over in the chair and spat up blood before turning back to meet the devil himself.

"Hello father, how nice of you to join us."