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Here is the next chapter. I would love some imput! Thanks!


Chapter 3: Flying Bike

Sunlight pooled through the window illuminating Akira’s worn tear streaked cheeks. She mumbled as she rolled sideways removing her face from the lights path. The feeling of claws on flesh made her leap from the bed and land sprawled on the floor sending daggers at Edward. He hissed back at her before licking his abused tail.
“Well if you hadn’t decided to sleep on my bed you never would have got hurt.” Akira growled walking over to her desk to grab a band-aid. She turned back to Edward to yell something about him going home but stopped in a moment of unexpected panic. He laid on the floor where she presumed he had fallen, his chest barley moving. That was when she noticed the small red stain on her bed sheets. Panicked she ran over to Edward expecting to see that she had somehow made his tail bleed... or something. Instead she found a huge gash along the underside of his stomach.
“Wha? When did that?” Come to think of it she had never really taken a close look at the cat. Who knows how long he could have been hurt without her knowledge.

Quickly she ran over to her backpack and pulled out her Biology text book. She flipped it over so that the cover faced the dirt stained floor. “Son of a...” She cursed staring at the large blood stain that obscured the back. Panic filled her as she quickly began to throw objects around the room. “Ah ha ” yelling Akira leaping up of the ground only to snag her foot on a random shirt she had discarded on the floor. She crashed down hitting her elbow, and believe me it was not very funny. Akira grimaced in pain holding her elbow while slowly getting to her feet. Edward’s breathing had become shallower and his blood began to leak out of his newly opened wound.

Akira quickly got to her feet and tenderly picked him up. She sat down delicately laying his head in her lap. Clumsily she unwrapped the ace bandage her hand resting on Edwards small delicate head. Edwards heart beat faded even more. She was going to loose him. Wait. Why did she care so much? This stupid cat is the one that followed her home. She didn’t ask it to. If he died wouldn’t that be better for her? Akira shook her head to clear it. No, she would never again stand by and watch anything die. “You stay with me cat, you got me You die and I’m going to throw you in a bucket of cold water You hear me ” Akira wrapped the bandage quickly around the gash grabbing a blanket and ran out the door.

Akira flew down the streets of Travorn. “Get out of my way ” She yelled as people flung themselves out of her bicycles path. Car horns honked as she sped across the highway going through a do not walk signal. Her bike continually gained speed as it raced down the steep road. Akira watched as a rock suddenly appeared in front of her flipping through the air. It spun as if in slow motion until it landed right in the path of her front wheel.
“Ahhhhh ” She screamed as the bike went flying upward. Their she stayed, suspended. “What the ” She yelled her knuckles turning white as she clung to the handlebars for dear life. Edwards ears poked out of the sheet he was wrapped in and twitched backwards.

Slowly the bike began to lower to the ground.
“Mommy Mommy Look at that ” A little girl cried pointing up into the sky at the descending bike.
“Come on sweety. Your going to make mommy late.” the little girl continued to point and wave at the sky before she disappeared into the crowd of oblivious adults.
“Okay so I’m not dreaming...” Akira help her breath as the hard cement edged closer. The back wheel was the first to hit sending her into the Veterinary parking lot with her front wheel still hanging in the air. It hit the pavement hard spinning the bike around to land with the back wheel sliding smoothly into the bike rack.
“Okay...” Akira carefully got off the bike and took a few quick steps backwards. “Alright bike.. ummm... I need you to stay on the ground for a bit.” She chuckled awkwardly realizing just how crazy she must seem to other people. And right on cue an old man carrying a old tabby cat that had less hair than his owner walked by hastily, mumbling something about crazy young people and alien invaders.

A women dressed in a tacky bright pink scrub outfit decorated with happy blue puppies glared up at Akira from behind the whitewashed counter. “What do you want.” She asked snapping her gum impatiently.
“I need to see a vet. My cat. His stomach has this huge cut on it.” Akira explained acting much calmer then she felt.
“Take a number.” The women responded turning her attention back to the mirror in her hand where she promptly began to apply yet another layer of makeup to her already overly painted face.
“He’s going to die!” Akira yelled slamming her fist on the counter startling the women into smearing red lipstick across her cheek. She glared angrily at Akira, standing up to yank a number from the wheel. Which she promptly threw at Akira’s head, before sitting back down with a sniff and returning to her mirror. Akira fumed her hands shaking. She wanted ever so badly to punch the wretched women right in her fake, painted face.
“Fine! If your not going to let me in, I’ll force my way in!” With that she jumped over the counter scattering papers and cups to the floor in a big dripping mess.

The women screeched, jumping desperately out of the way of what she was sure was a mad teen on a rampage. Akira smirked evilly sidestepping the mess and slipping sneakily threw the door where she fell backwards with a thud.
“Owww!” She yelled glaring up at two enormous guys wearing badges. She quickly dropped her glare into an innocent smile as she hoped desperately that the two police officers would ignore her coffee stained outfit.
“Hello officers. Nice weather were having.” She said cheerfully standing up an inching her way backwards. The bulkier of the police officers, and Akira assumed the stupidest, reached out and grabbed her elbow frowning in a ‘I’m not amused’ sort of way. He pulled Achira back through the door where the hysterical women was screaming at the top of her lungs about a mad killer on the loose. Achira rolled her eyes and glared angrily at the floor.

“What in god’s name is going on here?” Some one yelled over the noise. Everyone stopped in mid sentence, and in some cases, mid scream to look in the direction of the voice. A middle aged man dressed in a lab coat taped his foot impatiently. His Nutmeg eyes peered demandingly out from behind his shaggy brown hair, which had fallen loose from the tie that had once held it in place. A stethoscope dangled lazily from around his neck, his arms folded across his chest.
“Well?” he demanded again.
“This girl here forced her way into this animal clinic and we are just now taking her downtown.” The tall, less bulky officer explained pointing to Achira who was pulling at her arm fiercely to try and get away from the really bulky officer. She stopped dead when she registered his explanation, anger building up inside her.
“Wait just one minuet here! My cat is going to die in seconds and that witch didn’t give a damn! She told me to take a ******** number! Sorry if I wanted to save a life here!” Achira began to pull angrily at her arm again as the officers began to manhandle her out the door.

“Stop!” The vet yelled rushing over to them. “I’ll take full responsibility for what the girl did, just leave her alone.” Achira froze in amazement as the officers exchanged bemused glances.
“I ges that’s all right...” The smarter of the two answered reluctantly signaling for his partner to let Achira go. “I’ll let her off with a warning then, but anything else happens and your going with us. You understand.” Achira nodded hanging her head in the appearance of shame.
“Yes sir.” She mumbled her hair falling over her eyes hiding the triumph she new was reflected their. The vet nodded smiling broadly.
“Thank you officers. Keep up the good work!” He waved cheerfully at their retreating backs before turning to Achira. “Okay now where’s this cat of yours?”

Achira jumped back over the counter and grabbed a bundle off of one of those maddingly uncomfortable leather feeling chairs. She followed the vet into a small square room that held a very cold looking table type thing.
“Place him their.” The vet ordered while he pulled the door shut. Achira obeyed, carefully unwrapped Edward and placed him gently on the table while the vet pulled on a pair of gloves.
“Okay.” He mumbled mostly to himself as he unwrapped the crude bandages that Achira had placed on him. The gash had scabbed over a bit making the blood pump out slower and thicker. The vet’s eyes widened. “You weren’t kidding when you said he was dying.” he mumbled again cleaning the infected area. “He’s going to need stitches and I would like to clean the wound a bit better.” He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.
“Umm how much is this going to cost?” Achira asked tentatively. The vet started obviously his thoughts elsewhere, before smiling warmly at her.
“Not a thing.” The vet’s face suddenly turned a bit stern. “But it would be a good idea if you took better care of your pets.” With a start Achira hastily began to correct the horribly confused man.
“No. He’s not mine, I found him yesterday and he followed me home. That’s all.” The man rose an eyebrow at that but made no comment.
“Well your going to have to take care of him for now until he gets better.”

Achira slowly approached her bike reaching out one tentative finger to poke the side before jumping back. This did nothing but to earn her a few more awkward stares from strangers.
“I must be out of my mind.” She whispered pulling the bike out of the rack and placing the cat carrier in the basket. Cautiously she swung her leg over it and put one foot on the peddle. Slowly she pushed forward forcing the bike into motion. Luckily for her during the entire ride home the bike remained firmly on the ground.

The street lights flickered on as the sun disappeared and the moon’s lonely form rouse into the darkening sky. A single star twinkled dimly fighting against all the city lights who threatened to engulf it. Shadows danced on the streets flitting up buildings and around corners playing a never ending game of tag. A solitary bench sat at the corner. It’s rotting boards bathed in flickering streetlight. Red eyes appeared out of the darkness gazing at an old apartment building with contempt.