Free Falling
Chapter Sixteen
I opened up the door to the kitchen when I heard Karla call me out. I heard items start rattling, making me look around for the source of the noise. I quickly closed the door when the knife block came flying towards me. I heard the crash as the block hit the ground and spilled knives everywhere.
I peaked around the door once more to see everything metal in the kitchen inching towards me.fuck I thought, dismayed. I looked behind me, when I heard a low groaning sound, to see my mom's grandma's five hundred pound metal stove begin to move towards me.
I let out a frightened squeak, then bolted out the back door, running around the house, to get to the front. Slamming the front door shut to see the TV spazz out and every nut, bolt, and hinge attempt to come out of the woodwork towards me, from the magnetic activity I was clearly emitting. "Oh, shut up," I snapped at the TV, annoyed.
"Magnified magnetism?" Alex asked, twirling a knife absentmindedly. She instantly regretted her action, when the knife shot at me with blinding speed, making me drop to the floor, in an attempt to avoid it. Looking behind myself I saw that the knife had wedged itself in my parents cabinet, which was a wedding present my moms dad had made for her, making me inhale quickly as mom gasped in horror.
"It was not my fault, so don't even start," I jumped up, before mom could say anything.
"I know it wasn't your fault," mom shrugged, as I took a step forward, making Hazels highchair slam into me, doubling me over.
"that sounded like it hurt," Jimmy noted.
"Just a little," I gasped, as I tried to detach myself. Alex and Karla quickly came to my rescue.
"You're kinda silvery," Brian pointed out to me, once the highchair was moved into another room.
I looked at my arms, hoping he was kidding, only to see he was telling the truth. I groaned, "This better disappear by tomorrow,"
"What's tom-oh," Karla smirked.
"Yeah, Travis has a fucking silver girlfriend," I growled.
"Ann," my mom gasped, horrified, at my use of language.
"I don't give a crap anymore, mother!" I yelled at her, tears streaking my face. "You'd be swearing too if you were just injected with God knows what! I just don't give a fuck about my language anymore. I swore when they got me before and I'm gonna do it again this time!"
"This time?" Matt asked.
"I am not an optimist," I countered. "We may be moving constantly, but shit still happens."
"Ann!" my mom yelled at me holding a hand over one of Hazels ears.
"What did I just explain?" I asked her.
"You're just like your father," mom fumed as she turned for the kitchen.
"Which one? I have two," I called after her, enjoying myself.
"Both," mom shot back as she started pulling pots out to get ready for supper. Hazel came out of the kitchen a few seconds later.
"Hey, baby girl," I cooed as Hazel walked up to me and hugged my legs. "Let's go or a walk,"
Karla cleared her throat making me glare at her. "What?" I snapped.
"Don't 'what' me," Karla replied, hands on her hips. "You're fucking silver, you're not going outside,"
I huffed, stalking into my room and grabbed my fedora, then came back into the room, grabbing a spring jacket and put it on. "How about now?" I asked, sarcastically.
Karla thought for a second, then ran towards my room to the hat tree then came back, a couple seconds later, with a sun hat. Swiping the fedora off my head, she put the new hat on my head and threw the fedora towards Brian, who caught it and put it on. "Now you're ready," Karla stood back admiring her handwork.
I rolled my eyes then walked to the front door. "Come on Hazel," I called, making her rush out the door.
***Matt's POV***
I tried to keep a straight face as Ann and her mom had their small spat about Ann's language. I tried to figure out when Lorie had changed so much. She was never this uptight in college. Course I had bee drunk most of the time, so maybe she had been? I shook my head to clear it.Pretty sure I would've been smart enough to figure that out even if I was drunk, I thought to myself.
"Hey, baby girl," Ann cooed, towards Hazel, as she walked back into the dining room, hugging Ann's legs, bringing me back from my daydream. "Let's go for a walk,"
I was going to object to Ann's idea, when Karla cleared her throat making Ann give her a death glare. "What?" Ann snapped at Karla.
"Don't 'what' me," Karla said in a no-nonsense tone. "You're fucking silver, you're not going outside."
Ann walked moodily into her room, only to come back out a few seconds later with a black fedora on her head. "How about now?" Ann asked spreading her arms after she had put a spring jacket on herself.
Karla mused for a couple seconds then ran towards Ann's room appearing a few seconds later with a different hat that had a larger brim. Quickly exchanging the fedora with the sun hat, Karla threw the fedora towards Brian who promptly put it on his head, smiling. "Now you're ready," Karla finished, standing back from Ann as she made sure the hat did what it was supposed to.
Ann rolled her eyes as she called Hazel to the front door then let themselves out.
I turned to look towards the snake to see Alex looking at me, her arms crossed. "If you want to talk to her, then follow her...Karla and I are going to have some fun,"
Karla perked up at the mention of 'fun'. "Excitement," she squealed.
"I don't want to know," I muttered, as I walked to the front door, to see Ann was at the end of the block. "Ann, wait up!" I called, making her turn towards me.
"Yes?" she asked, stopping Hazel before she went into the street.
"Can I walk with you?"
Ann shrugged, before letting Hazel cross the street. I ran up to her, catching her when she was halfway down the block.
"You walk too fast,"I gasped.
"You run too slow," Ann smirked, as she seemed to speed up.
"Slow down," I gasped, cursing my smoking habits.
Ann laughed. "Farmers stride, come on,"
I finally caught up when Ann was seated on a bench watching Hazel play on the play equipment. She smiled, looking towards me. "What's up?"
I sat down out of breath, "You walk too fast,"
"Everyone seems to think that," Ann mused, laughing a little. "So what's up?: she asked, turning towards me.
"Alex and Karla are 'having fun'," I explained, which made Ann smile even more.
"they would," she laughed. "and the guys decided to stay?"
"Oh, I'm sure they'll find their way here," I replied, stretching a little.
Ann rolled her eyes and examined her silver hand for a couple seconds before looking towards the swings that started levitating towards her on their chains. Ann made a disgusted sound, then put her chin on her knees while watching Hazel.
I looked towards Ann as a sad feeling washed over me. What she had been through should happen to no one, not even in the name of science. I clenched my fists at the thought of all the pain she must have gone through...and probably still was.
"You're thinking," Ann mused, as she watched Hazel slide down the slides.
"Just a little," I admitted, following her gaze.
"What about?" Ann asked, training her gaze on me.
I chuckled, "Why haven't you read my mind?"
Ann looked disgusted at my suggestion. "I honestly hate that I can do that. People's thoughts should be their own private space,"
I nodded and was silent for a few seconds. "How many of you are there?" I finally asked.
"Experiments or bird kids?"
"Um... experiments, I guess," I replied, unsure that I really wanted to know the answer.
Ann shrugged, still watching Hazel. "Hundreds," I went on to ask another question before Ann cut me off. "Please...just leave it at that. I know you want to know more, but the less you know, the less you'll be targeted."
I looked towards Ann once more, looking at her pleading eyes. I sighed then nodded, "Okay."
"Thank you," she whispered, as another short silence fell over us.
"How would you like to sing on tour with us?" I finally asked her.
Ann looked towards me surprised, "You want me to sing on tour with you?"
I smiled, "Yeah, you have a good enough voice," Ann laughed a little. "What?" I asked.
"It's just...I haven't sang in front of large crowds in...God I'm not even sure," Ann laughed.
"You've sang before?"I asked, trying to remember posters for some wonder child musician.
Ann nodded her head, "I was supposed to sing with my sister but she fell asleep. We were traveling with the Swiss Singers to Indiana. There was about five hundred people there," Ann looked towards Hazel then jumped to her feet. "Hazel no!" she yelled as Hazel flew into a tree from the top of one of the slides.
Ann ran to the bottom of the tree, looked around frantically, before jumping halfway up into the tree. Damn, I thought at the height she had gotten with the jump.
"Hey Matt," Brian called from across the street, still wearing Ann's fedora, as the guys walked towards me.
"Where's Ann?" Zacky asked, before I could answer Brian.
"Here," Ann called, jumping out of the tree along with Hazel. "Naughty," she scolded Hazel as she walked towards us.
"Ann!" a girl screamed from behind her, making her slip her hands into the sleeves of her coat as she looked around frantically for the source of the voice.
I peaked around the door once more to see everything metal in the kitchen inching towards me.fuck I thought, dismayed. I looked behind me, when I heard a low groaning sound, to see my mom's grandma's five hundred pound metal stove begin to move towards me.
I let out a frightened squeak, then bolted out the back door, running around the house, to get to the front. Slamming the front door shut to see the TV spazz out and every nut, bolt, and hinge attempt to come out of the woodwork towards me, from the magnetic activity I was clearly emitting. "Oh, shut up," I snapped at the TV, annoyed.
"Magnified magnetism?" Alex asked, twirling a knife absentmindedly. She instantly regretted her action, when the knife shot at me with blinding speed, making me drop to the floor, in an attempt to avoid it. Looking behind myself I saw that the knife had wedged itself in my parents cabinet, which was a wedding present my moms dad had made for her, making me inhale quickly as mom gasped in horror.
"It was not my fault, so don't even start," I jumped up, before mom could say anything.
"I know it wasn't your fault," mom shrugged, as I took a step forward, making Hazels highchair slam into me, doubling me over.
"that sounded like it hurt," Jimmy noted.
"Just a little," I gasped, as I tried to detach myself. Alex and Karla quickly came to my rescue.
"You're kinda silvery," Brian pointed out to me, once the highchair was moved into another room.
I looked at my arms, hoping he was kidding, only to see he was telling the truth. I groaned, "This better disappear by tomorrow,"
"What's tom-oh," Karla smirked.
"Yeah, Travis has a fucking silver girlfriend," I growled.
"Ann," my mom gasped, horrified, at my use of language.
"I don't give a crap anymore, mother!" I yelled at her, tears streaking my face. "You'd be swearing too if you were just injected with God knows what! I just don't give a fuck about my language anymore. I swore when they got me before and I'm gonna do it again this time!"
"This time?" Matt asked.
"I am not an optimist," I countered. "We may be moving constantly, but shit still happens."
"Ann!" my mom yelled at me holding a hand over one of Hazels ears.
"What did I just explain?" I asked her.
"You're just like your father," mom fumed as she turned for the kitchen.
"Which one? I have two," I called after her, enjoying myself.
"Both," mom shot back as she started pulling pots out to get ready for supper. Hazel came out of the kitchen a few seconds later.
"Hey, baby girl," I cooed as Hazel walked up to me and hugged my legs. "Let's go or a walk,"
Karla cleared her throat making me glare at her. "What?" I snapped.
"Don't 'what' me," Karla replied, hands on her hips. "You're fucking silver, you're not going outside,"
I huffed, stalking into my room and grabbed my fedora, then came back into the room, grabbing a spring jacket and put it on. "How about now?" I asked, sarcastically.
Karla thought for a second, then ran towards my room to the hat tree then came back, a couple seconds later, with a sun hat. Swiping the fedora off my head, she put the new hat on my head and threw the fedora towards Brian, who caught it and put it on. "Now you're ready," Karla stood back admiring her handwork.
I rolled my eyes then walked to the front door. "Come on Hazel," I called, making her rush out the door.
***Matt's POV***
I tried to keep a straight face as Ann and her mom had their small spat about Ann's language. I tried to figure out when Lorie had changed so much. She was never this uptight in college. Course I had bee drunk most of the time, so maybe she had been? I shook my head to clear it.Pretty sure I would've been smart enough to figure that out even if I was drunk, I thought to myself.
"Hey, baby girl," Ann cooed, towards Hazel, as she walked back into the dining room, hugging Ann's legs, bringing me back from my daydream. "Let's go for a walk,"
I was going to object to Ann's idea, when Karla cleared her throat making Ann give her a death glare. "What?" Ann snapped at Karla.
"Don't 'what' me," Karla said in a no-nonsense tone. "You're fucking silver, you're not going outside."
Ann walked moodily into her room, only to come back out a few seconds later with a black fedora on her head. "How about now?" Ann asked spreading her arms after she had put a spring jacket on herself.
Karla mused for a couple seconds then ran towards Ann's room appearing a few seconds later with a different hat that had a larger brim. Quickly exchanging the fedora with the sun hat, Karla threw the fedora towards Brian who promptly put it on his head, smiling. "Now you're ready," Karla finished, standing back from Ann as she made sure the hat did what it was supposed to.
Ann rolled her eyes as she called Hazel to the front door then let themselves out.
I turned to look towards the snake to see Alex looking at me, her arms crossed. "If you want to talk to her, then follow her...Karla and I are going to have some fun,"
Karla perked up at the mention of 'fun'. "Excitement," she squealed.
"I don't want to know," I muttered, as I walked to the front door, to see Ann was at the end of the block. "Ann, wait up!" I called, making her turn towards me.
"Yes?" she asked, stopping Hazel before she went into the street.
"Can I walk with you?"
Ann shrugged, before letting Hazel cross the street. I ran up to her, catching her when she was halfway down the block.
"You walk too fast,"I gasped.
"You run too slow," Ann smirked, as she seemed to speed up.
"Slow down," I gasped, cursing my smoking habits.
Ann laughed. "Farmers stride, come on,"
I finally caught up when Ann was seated on a bench watching Hazel play on the play equipment. She smiled, looking towards me. "What's up?"
I sat down out of breath, "You walk too fast,"
"Everyone seems to think that," Ann mused, laughing a little. "So what's up?: she asked, turning towards me.
"Alex and Karla are 'having fun'," I explained, which made Ann smile even more.
"they would," she laughed. "and the guys decided to stay?"
"Oh, I'm sure they'll find their way here," I replied, stretching a little.
Ann rolled her eyes and examined her silver hand for a couple seconds before looking towards the swings that started levitating towards her on their chains. Ann made a disgusted sound, then put her chin on her knees while watching Hazel.
I looked towards Ann as a sad feeling washed over me. What she had been through should happen to no one, not even in the name of science. I clenched my fists at the thought of all the pain she must have gone through...and probably still was.
"You're thinking," Ann mused, as she watched Hazel slide down the slides.
"Just a little," I admitted, following her gaze.
"What about?" Ann asked, training her gaze on me.
I chuckled, "Why haven't you read my mind?"
Ann looked disgusted at my suggestion. "I honestly hate that I can do that. People's thoughts should be their own private space,"
I nodded and was silent for a few seconds. "How many of you are there?" I finally asked.
"Experiments or bird kids?"
"Um... experiments, I guess," I replied, unsure that I really wanted to know the answer.
Ann shrugged, still watching Hazel. "Hundreds," I went on to ask another question before Ann cut me off. "Please...just leave it at that. I know you want to know more, but the less you know, the less you'll be targeted."
I looked towards Ann once more, looking at her pleading eyes. I sighed then nodded, "Okay."
"Thank you," she whispered, as another short silence fell over us.
"How would you like to sing on tour with us?" I finally asked her.
Ann looked towards me surprised, "You want me to sing on tour with you?"
I smiled, "Yeah, you have a good enough voice," Ann laughed a little. "What?" I asked.
"It's just...I haven't sang in front of large crowds in...God I'm not even sure," Ann laughed.
"You've sang before?"I asked, trying to remember posters for some wonder child musician.
Ann nodded her head, "I was supposed to sing with my sister but she fell asleep. We were traveling with the Swiss Singers to Indiana. There was about five hundred people there," Ann looked towards Hazel then jumped to her feet. "Hazel no!" she yelled as Hazel flew into a tree from the top of one of the slides.
Ann ran to the bottom of the tree, looked around frantically, before jumping halfway up into the tree. Damn, I thought at the height she had gotten with the jump.
"Hey Matt," Brian called from across the street, still wearing Ann's fedora, as the guys walked towards me.
"Where's Ann?" Zacky asked, before I could answer Brian.
"Here," Ann called, jumping out of the tree along with Hazel. "Naughty," she scolded Hazel as she walked towards us.
"Ann!" a girl screamed from behind her, making her slip her hands into the sleeves of her coat as she looked around frantically for the source of the voice.
