18: Broken Bones, Lost Homes

I sigh and walk into my room, when suddenly Sasko barges in.

"Storm warning. Stay inside." He says, not meeting my eyes. I stand up.

"Where's Carson?" I demand. Sasko grumbles and points to my bathroom, where I realize the shower is running. MY bathroom? Why?! I groan and burry my face in my pillows. Someone sits next to me. I glance up. Carson. Of coarse. Carson...shirtless. I sit up and smack him. He blinks.

"It's very rude to smack people." I chuckles. I raise an eyebrow.

"It's also very rude to walk into a girls room, shirtless, and unannounced after just a few days of meeting them!" I hiss. He laughs and slides his shirt on.

"Better?" He asks, grinning. Suddenly, a harsh wind breaks my windows, into my room. I'm thrown against the wall and something in my shoulder snaps. I scream but my breath is taken away by the wind. Is this the storm? I smack my head off the wall and feel my eyes roll into the back of my head.

I wake up to extreme pain in my wing, shoulder, and ankle. I stand up, glass shards sticking into my palms. A sharp pain shoots you my leg and I wince.

"Carson?! Mom!!?? Sasko?!" I call out.

"Taylor?!" I hear in the distance. I limp forward a bit, squinting. My bloodied body is almost unrecognizable. My heart leaps into my throat.

"Carson!!" I shout. He starts running. He seems unharmed. I fall into his arms, weakly. "Carson you're okay! Have you seen the others?"

Carson doesn't answer my question, but instead starts to pick glass out of my hands and legs.

"My god, you're badly injured. Any major pain?" He asks. I nod.

"My ankle, shoulder, and wing." I answer honestly. He groans, clenching his jaw.

"I'm so sorry..." He says. I blink.

"For what?" I ask. He winces and looks away. What's he hiding? He carries me to a lake, and puts me down.

"Bathe..." he says, looking away. I blink.

"No thanks!" I laugh and walk away. He chuckles.

"I won't peek. You're covered in blood, get clean." He demands. I scoff and pull my shirt over my head, as he turns around. I jump in, the water turning red. At least it's not clear anymore. I turn around, ready to get out, when I find Carson staring. At me. I clench my jaw at him and he spins around.

"No peeking!" I hiss, quickly dressing. He chuckles and pulls his own shirt over his head. That's when I notice the huge black square on his back. Except...it's just corners. No actual sides. I raise an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay?" He asks. I poke his tattoo.

"What does that mean?" I ask. He clenches his jaw and sighs.

"I'm sorry, Tay." He whispers. What? "Do you remember on the over world? The Dark Corners?"

The name hits me like a sack of bricks. I step back. He's not one of them. He can't be. His expression turns sad and worried as he reaches for me.

"Stay away-!" I whimper. He stops.

"I care about you, Taylor, I really do! I never meant for this to happen!" He insists. I shake my head, hugging my arms.

"No! You can't be! You don't love me, you've been spying on me!!" I scream. His expression turns dark, and his voice turns dangerously low. But...it's still sounds hurt.

"Taylor. I do love you. I never meant for you to find out this way-"

"It doesn't seem like you wanted me to find out at all!!" I hiss. How could I be so stupid? How did I not see this before? I turn and run, but the elastic pulls at me. No. Keep going. Don't turn back. He doesn't love you. You're a fool! I spread my wings, pain rippling through my right shoulder. I fall onto my hands and knees. Where am I? I'm lost. "Mom!!" I scream. "Dad!!"

Suddenly, strong arms wrap around me and carry me up. I open my eyes. Sasko!

"Taylor!?" He shouts. His voice is muffled like my ears are full of fluff. My eyes droop closed. What is this world? Why am I here? Why is this happening to me?

"Tay....? Taylor."

I blink my eyes open. It's dark in here, and the air is damp. But I can see Sasko's bulky figure. Jack sits next to him. I sit up, my vision spinning.

"W-where's mom...?" I ask. Sasko looks away.

"We don't know yet. But we're gonna find her." Jack says. I sigh and lie back down.

"Is she okay?"

My eyes snap open, and I freeze. I know that voice. I sit up.

"Dad...!" I whisper. He rushes to me and hugs me. I sob into his shirt as he smooths my hair.

"Taylor, are you okay? Where's your mother?"

"Where's Carson....?" Jack interrupts. My eyes widen. The image of the tattoo flashes be hind my eyelids and I close my eyes. Where are you, Carson? Show me.