Project Songbird

Chapter 16

The sun just kissed the horizon by the time we scaled the mountain and then stood at the entrance of the gap in the mountain. In front of us we could see a valley down on the other side. It looked untouched. "That looks like a good spot." Wade stands to the side as Bob begins to lead everyone down the other side. "For how long?" Jack takes a seat.
"Maybe a couple of days to gather our bearings and allow Felix's group to hopefully meet up with us." Wade is careful to pick up the Irish man, who was biting his wrist now.
"I don't know how long I can do this." Jack huffs, the blood drips from teeth, "The physical pain is becoming bearable."
"Think happy thoughts??" I laughed dryly at my own words.
"Just keep in mind that we cannot run back, they risked everything to get us this far." Wade reminds us again. I stumble over my own feet and smack my face into the gravelly dirt beneath us, "Dammit." I lay there for a brief moment, gathering my strength and my breath. I dig my fingertips into the cold dirt beneath me.
"Ethan, are you alright?" I hear Wade behind me.
"Yeah." I mumble. I push myself up off the ground but stay on my hands and knees, watching the saliva drip out of my mouth and onto the dirt. All I could make out was the pounding heartbeat in my ears. Just hang on a bit longer, everything is just fine. Everyone is safe.
I push myself into a sitting position, wiping the saliva off my mouth and clear my throat.
"Guys wait up!"
We jerk around to see Hailey making her way towards us up the mountain.
She looks battered and bruised.
"Hailey?" Jack shifts out of Wade's hold and meets her halfway, "What happened?"
"The troops overwhelmed us. Tyler, Mark, and Father provided cover while the rest of us dashed away into the forest. I barely escaped before they had been tackled and subdued!" She explains through her gasping breaths.
"What!?" Everyone exclaims.
"There was nothing I could do, Father shouted at me to keep running and to find the rest of you." Hailey whimpers, she begins to wipe away the tears that gather in her eyes.
"We have to go back!" Jack starts but Wade grips his arm tightly, "Wait wait!"
"Wait why!" Jack jerks around, nearly snarling. Wade doesn't falter at Jack's anger, "If they were subdued then it means they can do the same to both of you and then all of you will be trapped! We have to think through this with clear heads!"
Jack is visibly shaking with rage, but he knows Wade is right. If we rush in, in pure rage, they would just capture us and do whatever they want; leaving the rest of our groups vulnerable to attack.
"...what do we do?" Hailey whispers, but she might have been shouting through all of the white noise I heard.
"Regroup with everyone else, find a way to gather information. We have to do this properly or risk everything." Wade states in a calmer manner.
"As much as it pains me to agree with Wade, he's correct." I stand slowly, "Let's meet everyone else in the valley. Take a couple of days to gather our energy and then we can head into the city, the one they took me from. It's the closest to this mountain and the forest." It had taken me a while to gather my bearings after being inside for a few months but I recall the mountain. It sat on the outskirts of my hometown.

"You're right, that does pose a problem." Bob sighs, I can see the stress finally settling in his face. He seemed content with their old life, but now there were many new problems that he wasn't sure how to deal with.
"Ethan cannot walk through the city. Anyone who might recognize him as missing would just stir up many problems from locals that we do not need." Angie states. She had managed to make it through the mountain with her sister and a few others later that morning. "Trixie, is there anything you can do? Maybe mix some features together and create a new person??"
Trixie turns from tending to the wounded, "I can try, but going completely alone is suicidal."
Rose hops over, "I have an idea!"
"Shoot." Wade said.
"I can travel as electricity. I can scope things through the city by wire and Trixie can gather word by mouth." Rose suggested.
"You know that just might work." Bob nods as he starts to formulate a plan.
"One of us will have to go with them, that way we can stay in touch." He looks at Wade. Wade rolls his shoulders.
"It's been a while since I've been in a fight, but I think I can handle my own." He fixes his gaze upon a huge rock away from us. He makes a bit of a face before the rock explodes under some sort of pressure!
"What the fuck...?" I stumble around and then look at him with wide eyes.
"I'm not just a telepathic, unlike Bob, I can hold my own in a fight." Wade grins, probably feeling pretty cocky after that display of strength. "Hey, I may not be good in a fight but I'm perfect for retrieving information out of closed minds." Bob chimes in. "Ethan, that means I can guide our group through the city to the main points through your memories. It's going to be painful."
"I doubt it's going to be worse than the pain I'm dealing with now." I take a seat and grip my leg to keep the change at bay. So far Jack and I have barely stayed human. Only so much bodily harm will keep the demon aside.
"Okay then," Wade claps his hands, "Trixie, Rose, let's head out. Bob I'll contact you once we get to the city."
"How far is your range?" Jack looks at Bob, he seemed just as perplexed as me. "I'm not sure where my limit actually is. I have never tried to read someone's mind from miles away. I guess when I can't hear Wade anymore." Bob rubs his chin in thought, "Maybe I should give you the directions now?"
"I'd have to agree." Trixie speaks up, "We don't need to be in the city somewhere and then learn that we can no longer hear our guide."
"Ethan?" Bob asks.
"Take whatever information you need." I fold my hands together and rest them on my lap, "I wasn't going to say no."
"Again, just to prep you, this is going to hurt. You might bleed out of your nose." Bob tells me, he looks so serious.
"A nosebleed is not a big deal with lives on the line." I state.
"Okay, I have your consent and I did warn you twice." Bob steps over to me, placing his hand upon my head.
"Starting in three, two, one."
It feels as though there is a thumb pressing against the back of my right eye, attempting to push the orb out of its socket. The entire right side of my head, temple to jaw, is stiff, like I've been punched hard in the face and haven't fully recovered. The enormity of the pain is staggering. I tried to suck in a breath but it feels like my lungs are burning.
Stop.
Stop!!
God it hurts!
Stop it!!
IT HURTS!
It was beyond unbearable.
Then it feels like a knife was stuck straight through the top of my head and I flinched backwards, "Stop!"
"I'm almost done! Don't break the contact!" Bob warns.
Suddenly every memory I had ever had was flashing in front of my eyes!
It tears a scream out of my mouth.
"...Almost..." Bob stresses for a second before he jumps back, "Got it!"
I roll back away from him.
The inhuman screech reverberates deep through my chest.
There's only one clear thought left in the fog.
I need to kill for Tyler.
"Ethan, Ethan! Breath! It's okay! Bob's done!" A muffled voice speaks to me, sounding like an annoying fly buzzing in my ear. "I can't read his thoughts!" Another muffled voice buzzes.
That man is lucky he is on our side.
Our? Who are you?
I'm you.
You can't be me, if I'm me.
Don't be stupid. Of course I'm you. You're a Songbird, you're broken by nature. I am the rage that fuels you.
I am the one that gives you strength.
You're the other half of me?
Yes, I am. And I have been waiting a long time to be released.
I haven't been a Songbird that long.
I am the rage that has built up over the years of your life. And I haven't been able to break through the hold until he opened the door; they worked hard on this plan and I'm eager to see where it goes.
The voice fades out and suddenly I have clear thoughts again. Strange.
I raise up to a sitting position and then wipe away the blood that had been streaming out of my nose.
"Ethan you alright?" I hear Jack.
"Y-yeah, I'm alright, just a little shaken." I huffed out, deciding to keep the weird conversation I had with myself to myself for now. At a less important time, I'll ask the others. "While you were down, Wade's team left for the city. Do you need any water or anything?" Angie offers whatever bit of resources she managed to bring with.
I shake my head no.
"I'm sorry." Bob sighs, rubbing his eyes after removing his glasses.
"No, no, don't be sorry. I agreed." I sniff and clear my throat, "You warned me twice. I just didn't realize it would be like that."
"It's the main reason why I don't do that. I don't like seeing people go through that pain and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth just going through people's personal memories." Bob does look quite uncomfortable.
"Does it hurt you?" I ask.
"It depends on the amount of information I take. Just passing by someone and just getting a snip of what's going on in someone's brain is usually just a bit of a tickle. I've gotten used to it over the years, especially after learning to shut out the unwanted thoughts. But actively searching through someone's brain is a bit overwhelming." Bob pauses as he considers his words, "It's almost like living a thousand times. To see all the moments as if they were my own."
"Do emotions affect you?" Jack asks the next question.
"They used to, but after years of practice it doesn't, unless those emotions are what drives that person." Bob takes a bite of the granola bar Angie has given him at the start of our conversation.
"It sounds exhausting." Angie hands him a bottle of water.
Bob lets out a 'meh' sound. He probably hasn't thought about it in years.
"How long do you think it'll take them to find what we're looking for?" Jack asks, impatient.
"I dunno, they might have to search through a lot of gossip and rumors to get to the actual truth. People talk." I remind him. He grumbles softly, nibbling his thumb again, "I hate being separated from him. I feel naked."
"You've been together a long time?" I shift closer to the group, taking the granola bar that was thrust in my direction. "Oh yes, we've been together long before being kidnapped. Actually we were supposed to get married a couple of days after being taken."
"Oh yeah," Bob's face lights up with realization, as he must have forgotten over the years. "We went on a huge search, and wandered into the woods. It was supposed to be a destination wedding, none of us had ever been here before." He involuntarily shudders as if remembering the horrors.
"Mark went missing first, then me. Not long after Bob, Wade, and Amy appeared in the cafeteria. We meet Felix first as he is Subject 01. Man that was a strange time, it was so long ago and yet, I can remember as if it was just yesterday." Jack recalls.
"I'm sorry you missed your wedding." Angie says. Jack shrugged his shoulders, "We had more important things to worry about and it didn't really affect the way our relationship continues. I mean we might as well be married with how dependent we are on each other."
"You know what? Why don't we throw you guys a wedding? I mean after everything is settled and whatnot." Angie offers. It brings a smile to Jack's face, "Oh I dunno," There's a blush on his face and he seems to be thinking of happier memories, "... you'd do that for us?"
"Why not? You two have done more for everyone, we can return the favor!" Angie smiles more. It makes the rest of us smile at the thought of a beautiful wedding. I felt a small sense of hope and calmness. Jack's smile fades, "We have to get them back first." And suddenly the happier mood is whisked away. He pulls his legs to his chest, resting his forehead on his knees, mumbling softly to himself.
Poor Jack, I didn't realize how close they really were to one another.
"I should probably make a few rounds, check on those wounded during the escape." Bob excuses himself and then wanders off. Angie follows to see if she can be of any assistance. I watch as the two leave and then make my way over to Jack, shifting to where I was in front of him, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did." He replies, a very small smirk on his face. "Ha ha, very funny." I roll my eyes, "Okay, seriously, does the Songbird act like its own entity within your mind?" I cringed at how stupid that sounded. Jack raises his head, his eyes meet mine, "You hear it too? The voice that constantly threatens anything that doesn't go the way it wants it too??"
"Yeah!" I nod my head. That's a relief, I'm not the only one suffering with this personality split.
"The first time I really heard it wasn't when the incident happened. It was a few years after that. Mark had just fended off Andrew's people from hurting a few of the women that had been walking around, trying to share the bracelets that the kids made. The way he limped through the door," Jack makes a face, "Felix told you about how your news about Andrew being behind the incident broke him and it did. I broke long before that. Mark has never dealt with it before, somehow his mind was still fully together. I wasn't. And I haven't been for a long time. Seeing him wounded, probably knocking on death's door, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was standing in the middle of a room and there was blood everywhere. Body parts everywhere.
I was soaked in blood from my head to my feet. It was so bad that now the claws I wield are permanently dyed red."
"Permanently?" I echo.
"Yeah, sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat. I can hear the screams." He continues, "I'm guessing it's a side effect. I don't know if the scientists foresaw it or if it was something that they didn't plan for. I think they were expecting something to control, that could kill without hesitation. Well, they got exactly what they wanted, but they couldn't rid us of our humanity. You can't have a killing machine with a conscience."
"Is that why they gave up for so many years?" I ask.
"Your guess is as good as mine." He answers, "It's almost ironic, the very things they created are now going to be the end of them. It just proves that you should never play God."
"I don't feel bad for them." I cross my arms over my chest and look up at the sky. It was a beautiful baby blue. It was almost surreal to think we were actually outside. I take in a deep breath of the clean, crisp air. For a moment I can feel peace again.
"I don't either, not after what they have done to everyone." Jack relaxes a little.
"...I feel Tyler got the brunt of everything. He was taken to be shown off to the 1% like some kind of show pony. Some of his scars are not from the fights he's been in."
Jack sits up a bit more and eyes me, "Are you telling me that they were taking Tyler and showing him off?"
"They did. Tyler didn't really tell me but I was able to piece it together myself. All of his knowledge had to come from somewhere and he, too, disappeared on Sundays." I explain and I can see the realization turn into horror on his face.
"He was going through all of that and never told anyone!" He covers his mouth, "We should have seen the signs!"
"Don't feel bad! Tyler took it on because of how they made him. Even if you did know, it probably wouldn't have stopped him." I say quickly so he doesn't feel the complete guilt.
"They treated him like a show pony?" He repeats, the shock still settling into his bones.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on letting any one of them go without punishment." I smile that wicked smile. Jack looks at me and the shock and horror slowly melt into his own wicked smile, "You're right, we can't just kill them outright. That would be far too easy."