• “I’ll tell you, but you won’t like it.” James said, gazing into my eyes protectively and worriedly. He began his story.
    “After I was sent to detention, they brought me to a room, just like this one only smaller. They ran all kinds of tests on me, most of them painful. Then…” he grimaced. “They inserted bird DNA inside of me, and soon…” he looked around the room, as if looking for something to help him. “Every day I get closer to being a bird than human.” He said quickly, looking away.
    I just stared blankly at his face, letting it all soak in. someday James is going to be gone, and in his place will be a bird instead of a boy. I didn’t want to accept the fact.
    “h-how do we stop it?” I whispered in a shaky voice. “Maybe we can stop it.”
    James just shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do.” He said. “I need to hold them off as long as I can. I’m not going to let you have the same fate as I will have.” His eyes where determined and sad. “You don’t deserve it.”
    “No, James. We need to-“
    “Get some rest. You need it.” James interrupted.
    He sat down so my head was in his lap. He put his massive wings behind his back. You could only see the very edges of the feathers. He was so warm; I couldn’t help drifting off to sleep.

    When I woke up, I was sitting up, James’ arm around me, my head on his shoulder. I was shivering, and so was James. He was still asleep, twitching in his sleep. He kept on murmuring things in his sleep that I couldn’t understand. One time I heard my name. it was so cold in the room that I could see my breath. I felt a sneeze coming on, and I tried to hold it in, but it came out as a muffled little choo! It was enough to wake up James.
    He jumped, wide awake, his grip tightening around me. He looked around, looking for danger.
    He looked at me, worried and protective. “Are you all right?”
    I smiled faintly. “Yah, I’m f-fine. J-just cold.” I said, still shivering.
    James shifted and leaned forward, freeing his wings from behind his back. They looked much bigger up close. His wings folded across his body and mine, making a warm little nest. He hugged me closer, keeping me warm. He wouldn’t leave my side, always alert and ready to protect me. He was so selfless, cared more about others than himself. He was so kind, his heart so pure…
    “Now get some sleep.” He said sweetly, relaxing. L put my head on his chest, listening to his breathing, trying to match mine with his. Then a thought crossed my mind. How are we going to get out of here? There is nothing to use to get out of this place, no jet boots, tools, or anything. Just me and James… and his wings. If we could get outside, we were home free! That could be our plan. I could say I needed fresh air, we could go out, and fly away together, if James could carry me. He was strong and big, and I was little, we could pull it off.
    I hugged the sleeping James for more warmth for him and me, confident that we could escape. Nothing could go wrong. Well, there where tons of things that could go wrong, but I needed to think of the positives at the moment. So I fell back asleep, hugging James, with a heart full of hope.